quiltingshorttimer

We get $1 FQ from several LQS, plus we have a yearly member "garage sale" where members donate items to raise funds for the Guild. The person in charge of the door prizes always "shops" the garage sale first for items for door prizes, prizes at the beginner class, etc.

Tiggersmom

Our guild gets donations from major companies for door prizes. Anything from fabric to the computerized disk that sweeps the floor/carpet [sorry can't think of the name of them]. Contact companies, explain what you are doing and ask for a donation. Many will do it, a few turn you down if they have already reached their limit for that year.
Good luck. All these are free to the guild just for asking.

Chester the bunny

We all have stuff on hand that we may never use but is brand new, and most people would love to do a little purging. So perhaps ask people if they would like to donate some smaller items for door prizes. If you have say 20 meetings in the year, make up 20 goodie bags filled with a variety of the items donated and bring one to each meeting for the prize or bring them all and let the person who wins the door prize pick a bag.
Here's what I know I could spare in a heartbeat
-thread
-FQ from the gigantic stash
-special buttons
-tools that I have 2 of
-patterns

Some stuff even not quilting related but still fun
-notecards
-adult coloring books
endless possibilities ......

Sandygirl

we dumped door prizes a few years ago. I don't miss them at all. I have too much stuff as it is. Btw, I hope the guild members SUPPORT the shops who donate. Shops are on tight budgets etc with with "online" shops infringing on their business. And for the guilds to go seeking donations from the brick & mortars ...please remember to give them some sales in return. Frankly....turn the $$ collected for door prizes into much need hurricane relief donations. Samaritans Purse is a worthy cause, for example. Every dollar helps!



sandy

Lilrain

We have a large guild. 500 members. Our monthly meeting space costs over $700. We have had to cut back or eliminate some things. Our dues will be going up next year. I volunteered to do door prizes, to keep some of the fun. Everybody like a chance to win. We have 6 lifetime members who do not pay dues. Me being one of them. I contacted 3 of the others and we are going to do the door prizes this year. Our year runs from Sept-June. I just wanted ideas. Not asking LQS for donations, they already support us. I have gotten some good udeas here. Thanks.

Claire123

Someone made quilted & zippered bags out of the bags candy comes in. I think mine was made out of a large bag that had held York Peppermint Patties.

Sewnoma

The guild I was in didn't do door prizes, instead they did a themed fat quarters drawing every month. You got a ticket for every fat quarter you contributed, and then they drew tickets and someone would win the whole basket of FQ's. Every month had a different theme that was set ahead of time, like "Halloween", "cats", "red", "summertime", etc. so if you're picky you could decide to participate only when the theme was something that suited you. Didn't cost the guild a thing. (Well, I suppose someone had to buy the basket they collected them in every month...lol)

Pagzz

There are a lot of good ideas here, but I don't think it is wrong to ask quilt shops for donations! Shop owners can say no, but it brings them business and they are acknowledged in the guild newsletter. I have never had a gift certificate that I didn't spend plenty more than the amount listed. Some stores end up with items that aren't selling well that they can donate. One new shop sent our guild 100 cards with $10 off if used by the end of the month so we gave them out to the first 100 members to come in the door at that meeting. No one asked the shop to send them to us.

lots2do

A chocolate bar wrapped in a fat quarter, a tea wallet with some tea bags, a pin holder made from a pretty shallow dish with a magnet glued underneath would be fun prizes.