Bake Sale Tips
 

Bake Sale Location Ideas

You could be the best baker in the whole world, but if your bake sale is on your quiet little cul-de-sac, expect to be eating a lot of cookies that night! So think "location, location, location!" A good idea for a bake sale is outside in front of places that will bring a high volume of foot-traffic, such as grocery stores, movie theaters, or shopping malls. Local fairs, festivals, and flea markets are also great places for a bake sale. As are school sporting events, large office buildings, places of worship and on college campuses.

Plan your bake sale at least a month ahead. You'll need the time to secure permission with establishments, which may involve a permit. And when planning, consider a tarp or tent if you plan on being outside in the sun all day. Not only will it keep you and your baked goods cooler, you'll all be protected from an unexpected shower!
 

How to Promote Your Bake Sale

Get the word out that you're having a bake sale for a good cause! The week leading up to the sale, post signs on bulletin boards, send emails and post the details on your social networking sites. Going online to promote your site is a great idea since you can give a link directly to our Bake Sale Center or to Share Our Strength^® for people to learn more.

On the day of your bake sale, be as festive as possible with your decorations. Low-cost attention getters like balloons, streamers, big brightly painted signs and music will draw interest. Don't forget to have information about Share Our Strength's Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry^™ and how proceeds from your bake sale will help to feed hungry kids.

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Pricing Suggestions

If you've ever purchased a treat for yourself at a bake sale in your neighborhood, chances are, you already have a good idea how to set prices for your own bake sale. While pricing can vary depending on your community, where you set up and who your customers will be, we've put together a general guideline for pricing below. And remember when your customers purchase a delicious item they are not only receiving a sweet treat, but they are making a donation to help end childhood hunger in America.

• Adding a few details to your baked goods can help justify a higher price. A little bit of extra time and creativity invested prior to your bake sale can really make a difference in the total amount raised for the day.
• Consider ingredients. If you've made a baked good that included more expensive ingredients, such as nuts and berries, or is more involved in the making, then factor that into the price. A blueberry pie should be priced higher than an apple one, since the price of blueberries can be costly.
• Set out a Donation Jar in a prominent location; try front and center on the table along with a sign inviting passersby to help out the cause.

 

Fun Bake Sale Ideas

While childhood hunger in America is a sad fact, holding a bake sale is a fun, community building way to help. Here are a few ideas to turn a good bake sale into a real hit! And remember to get extra helping hands - you'll need them.

 
 

• Baked Goods Basket Raffle - Put together a nice basket filled with delicious home baked treats. You can then display it at the bake sale so customers can buy raffles for a chance to win the basket at the end of the day. Take names and phone numbers on the raffle ticket so you can call the lucky winner!
• A One-of-a-Kind Bake Sale - Plan on a bake sale that features many different varieties of one type of baked good. Think 'Cupcakes Galore', 'Pies a Plenty', or 'Sugar Cookies'! C&H^® Sugar has an easy Crisp Sugar Cookie Mix recipe to help you get started.

 

Presentation

Showcase your baked goods with creative details for even more profitable sales. Baked goods cleverly wrapped and packaged with bright ribbons or stickers, or that are easy to transport, will encourage people to buy as gifts or for a treat later on. Here are some tricks for presenting your bake sale:

• A Cupcake Cup Container - A simple plastic cup can be the perfect container for a nicely decorated cupcake. Additionally, you can wrap clear cellophane and a ribbon around the entire cup and cupcake. It will keep the frosting safe for travel and add a nice touch.
   
   
   
• Mystery Cookie Bag - Turn simple brown bags into fun, surprise-filled treats. Fill each bag with a variety of cookies, and you can include inexpensive trinkets like stickers or small toys, too. The buyers can then choose their mystery bags. (You may want to note any allergens that cookies are made with, such as nuts, somewhere on your table.)
• Cookies-To-Go! - Craft stores sell inexpensive clear plastic bags that you can stack into and tie up with a cute ribbon. Half a dozen cookies all ready to go will make for an easy sell!
• Take-Out Treats - Fill Chinese food takeout containers with truffles, candies or cookies for a quick grab-n-go at your bake sale.
• Sweets on a Stick - Simply adding craft or lollipop sticks to cookies or truffles can turn them into a bake sale novelty. You'll want to insert craft stick into cookies when they are just out of the oven. For the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles, add lollipop sticks while chocolate is still soft.
• Cupcake Cones - Turn cupcakes into ice cream imitators! Make your cupcake batter as usual and pour into flat-bottomed wafer cones. You'll want to cover the bottom of the cones with aluminum foil to avoid over browning. Bake as directed in the recipe, then frost, add sprinkles and a cherry on top for a very cool-looking cupcake!

Brightly colored napkins, colored cling wrap or simply a fun tablecloth will add a festive look to your bake sale. Any added touches to personalize the table and your baked goods will show that you really care about the cause. But most of all, have fun with friends, family and your customers at your bake sale for true success.