Diaper Raffle: Rules, Wording and Examples for a Baby Shower

A diaper raffle is one of the simplest additions you can make to a baby shower. It takes about five minutes of the day, costs almost nothing, and gives the parents something they will certainly use. This guide explains what it is, the rules that keep it fair and friendly, and wording you can copy for the invitation, the sign and the ticket.

It fits easily into the day’s schedule: the baby shower timeline generator includes the draw as a five-minute block before gift opening. For the rest of the planning, go to the baby shower planning hub.

What a Diaper Raffle Is

Each guest brings a pack of diapers, and in return gets a raffle ticket. The tickets go into a jar or basket by the door. At some point during the shower, the host reaches in and draws one ticket, and that guest wins a small prize. Some hosts draw several tickets for several prizes.

Everyone who brings diapers has a chance to win, and the parents end up with a stack of diapers. That is why people like it: it gives guests something to do besides handing over a gift bag, it makes a practical gift feel playful, and it is entirely optional.

The Rules (Short and Friendly)

The best diaper raffle rules fit in four sentences. Post them on a sign near the jar, and put the first rule on the invitation.

1. One pack, one ticket. Each pack of diapers earns one ticket. Bring two packs, get two tickets.
2. Say the size. The parents choose the diaper size, and the invitation tells guests which one.
3. Name on the ticket. Write your name on your ticket (or the back of it) and put it in the jar.
4. The draw happens at a set time. The host draws at a stated point, usually before gift opening.

Optional rules you can add:

• Present to win. The winner has to be in the room. If not, redraw. This avoids a prize going to someone who left early.
• Late guests get a ticket too. Anyone who arrives after the draw is announced still gets in.
• Prizes by pack count. Some hosts offer a bonus ticket for a larger pack. It is up to you whether this adds to the fun or complicates it.

Invitation Wording You Can Copy

Keep it light, and always make it clear that a card is enough. Here are four examples you can use or adapt.

Playful

To help Mama stock the nursery, bring a pack of size 1 diapers and get a raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize. A card alone is just as welcome!

Short and plain

Diaper raffle: bring a pack of diapers (size 2) for a chance to win a prize. Entirely optional.

Warm and simple

We would love to help stock the nursery! If you like, bring a pack of diapers (size 1) and add your name to the diaper raffle. One pack, one ticket, one lucky winner. A card is always enough.

Wipes version

We are running a wipes raffle. Bring a pack of baby wipes and enter to win. You can never have too many.

Sign Wording

Put this on an 8 by 10 sign next to the jar:

Diaper Raffle Bring a pack of diapers (size ___) and drop a ticket in the jar. One ticket per pack. We will draw the winner at ___. Thank you for helping the new parents!

Fill in the size and time with a pen or by typing the details into your printable. Our Printable Suite includes a diaper raffle sign and a set of tickets, which update with the rest of your shower details.

Ticket Wording

A ticket only needs two lines:

Diaper Raffle Ticket Name: ____________________

Print eight to a page on plain paper or cardstock, and cut them out ahead of time. Leave a basket of pens beside the jar.

Prize Ideas

The prize should be small, and the same for everyone, so no one feels shortchanged:

• A coffee or tea gift card
• A candle or a small plant
• A tea, chocolate or cookie sampler
• A nice hand cream or lip balm
• A bottle of sparkling cider
• A small box of good chocolates

If you want a theme, choose something to suit the season: a fall candle for a little pumpkin shower, or a small pot of flowers for a wildflower shower.

Variations on the Raffle

Wipes Raffle

Same rules, wipes instead of diapers. Good if the parents have a lot of diapers already, or are using cloth.

Book Raffle

Instead of diapers, guests bring a favorite children’s book with a short note inside the cover. The raffle ticket works the same way, and the parents end up with the start of a library.

Mixed Basket

Let guests choose from diapers, wipes or a book. The ticket rule is the same: one item, one ticket.

Bonus Round

Draw a second ticket for a second prize, and a third for the guest who traveled the farthest. It adds two minutes and a few more smiles.

Setting It Up, Step by Step

1. Ask the parents which diaper size they want, and whether they would like diapers, wipes or something else.
2. Put the line on the invitation with the size and the words “optional.” If you are using a digital invitation, add it under the registry link.
3. Print the sign and the tickets the week before. Allow two to three tickets per guest.
4. Choose a jar or basket and put it on a table by the door, with a pen cup and the sign.
5. Choose a spot for the diapers. A laundry basket or a large box near the gift table works. Stack the packs there, so the gift scribe or a helper can count them for the parents.
6. Choose the prize and wrap it or put it in a small bag.
7. Pick a time for the draw and put it on the day’s schedule. Before gift opening is ideal, because everyone is seated and the guests have all arrived.
8. Name a helper to remind latecomers about the jar and to keep the tickets from piling up on the floor.

At the end of the day, give the diapers and the unused tickets to the parents or take them to the car with the gifts. Add the diaper packs to the gift list, with the giver’s name, so thank-you notes cover them too.

How to Run the Draw

Allow five minutes. Make a small announcement, hold the jar high, and ask someone other than the host to pull the ticket. Read the name out clearly, hand over the prize and move on. If you are running several prizes, draw them one after another. The draw fits naturally just before the gift opening, which also ensures guests have arrived.

A Note on Local Rules

Be careful with the legal side. In a few places, even a small raffle can come under local gambling rules, particularly when tickets are sold. A diaper raffle where the “payment” is a gift to the parents and the prize is a small gift is generally treated as a party game, but rules vary by place. If you are unsure, check with your local authority, or run it as a free draw with no tickets sold.

If You Want the Sign and Tickets Ready to Print

The Printable Suite for each of our baby shower themes includes a diaper raffle sign and tickets, along with the invitation, welcome and menu signs, food labels, cupcake toppers, favor tags and thank-you cards. Type the details once and they update to match. Digital download, nothing ships. You can see all three themes below.