Welcoming Guest Room Basket Ideas
Do you have a guest room? Ever wonder what to include in a guest bedroom basket? Today you’ll learn how to create a welcoming guest room basket, that you can coordinate with your home’s decor!
Last minute overnight guests have a way of showing up at your house? To lessen the stress of surprise visitors and increase the enjoyment of hosting, have a guest basket ready to go! By putting a fun guest room basket together, fully stocked with necessities and niceties, you’ll be less stressed. Plus, you can spend those last minutes whipping over the bathroom (am I right?)! Enjoy these Welcoming Guest Room Basket Ideas, and make them your own!
This post is part of our monthly Pinterest Challenge series, dreamed up and organized by Cindy at County Road 407. A group of creative bloggers all design around one inspirational picture. If you’re visiting from The Ponds Farmhouse, didn’t you love how Rachel gave new life to her old ice cream churn? She and I are vintage-loving sisters, indeed! I’ll have all the rest of the blog post links at the end.
First, Let’s Analyze the Inspiration Picture
This month’s Pinterest Challenge pic comes from Anderson and Grant. Jamie shared how she refurbished an old basket with paint and wax. Our theme this month is decorating with baskets/ buckets.
I’ve got to be honest, I was struggling with where to go on this one! Here’s what I noticed in the picture:
- a paint-washed woven basket
- white, feathery flowers
- a blue and white blanket
- a copper-colored alarm-clock
For some reason, this grouping just made me think of a guest bedroom; maybe it was the alarm clock? So I refreshed my own basket and decided to give you ideas how to create your own guest room basket…that doesn’t even need to be in a basket!
Welcoming Guest Room Basket Ideas
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Choose a Container that Coordinates with your Guest Bedroom’s Decor
I chose an old Amish-made pie-carrying basket for my guest room basket. It will coordinate nicely with our “someday” guest room (that’s still lived in;). {“Vintage Modern Bedroom Makeover Reveal”}
Obviously your guest bedroom has completely different decor than mine does. Here are some other containers that would make fun guest bedroom “baskets”:
- vintage suitcase
- old toolbox/tacklebox
- vintage metal picnic basket
- old wooden drawer or crate
- galvanized bucket
Half the fun of a guest room basket is deciding what container you can use to coordinate with your decor! Be creative! Once you’ve got a theme going, you can run with it!
Give Your Guest Room Basket or Container a Refresh
Whatever vessel you decide on, make sure it’s clean and looking cute on the inside and out. I’ve explained my refreshing process for quite a few of these oldies in these posts:
“Vintage Suitcases: How to Clean and Refresh (and keep their classic appeal)”
“Easy and Fun Ways to Decorate with Vintage Wooden Crates”
“How to Clean and Refresh Vintage Galvanized Metal”
My basket had been white-washed on the outside with Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint years ago (you can get it HERE). I painted “sweet” and some flourishes on the top and had planned to shabby it up a bit and use it to transport baked goods. But…I never finished the project (anyone relate?).
Time for a new vision for this cutie! The inside was a mess of drips, so first I painted the inside. To go from baked goods to night-time, I added the word “dreams” to the top. Once dry, I shabbied up the outside with my palm sander and some 120 grit ( I have THIS SANDER for smaller hands). I finished and sealed the outside with hemp oil (get it HERE). It wipes on easily and richens the finish. It also moisturizes the wood and seals it all.
The inside of your guest basket should be just as cute as the outside, so when your guests open it, they feel special! To add some feminine whimsy, I decoupaged color-coordinated paper to the bottom and inside top. I didn’t have quite enough for the top, so I did a patchwork pattern to accommodate. Pretty cute makeover!
Fill your Guest Bedroom Basket or Container with Necessities and Niceties
You can go as simple or as grand as you want with this! It’s nice to fill your guest basket with items your guests can enjoy during their stay, or things they might have forgotten. Place travel-sized containers in themed clear party treat bags (get them HERE– great to have on hand), tied with cute ribbon. Everything can be packed in your guest room basket/container and stored in the closet, or under the bed. Won’t it be nice to have all these items ready, if you get that call that overnight company is coming?
Here are some necessities and niceties you can include:
- magazines/ books
- fragrant candle & matches
- towels, washcloths
- water bottle
- tea bags
- chocolate/candy
- salty snacks/nuts
- toiletries: toothbrush, floss, paste, soap, feminine products, lotion, breath mints
(Did you notice I had the same alarm clock as in the inspiration pic? Bonus Pinterest Challenge points!)
Honestly, when your guests are greeted with a guest basket like this, they may come more often! It’s also as fun to put together one of these as it is to give it!
Now I want to do guest room baskets and containers for all kinds of different-themed rooms and houses. How fun would a lake theme be? Or an ocean beach theme? Or vintage camp theme, like my friend’s cabin { “Decorating a Northwoods Cabin with Vintage Camp Style”}. Is your head swimming with ideas?
Add Last Minute Fresh Touches to your Guest Room Basket
When your overnight guests are ready to arrive, add a few fresh touches to your all-ready-to-go basket. Fresh muffins, cookies, or scones in a pretty bag can be tucked in. Snip some fresh flowers and greenery from the yard and pop in a simple vase.
Set your themed basket or container on the bed, side table, or dresser, and light a cozy lamp. Your guests will feel the love the moment they walk through the door!
They are sure to have sweet dreams at your home! And will definitely want to visit again!
Doesn’t having a well-stocked, fun guest room basket/container make you more excited for guests? And definitely feel less-stressed if they come last minute? It will be so nice to feel prepared and know you’re giving your friends/relatives the red carpet treatment!
For more Pinterest Challenge basket and bucket ideas, visit Michelle at Thistle Key Lane next; her inspiration is always beautiful:)
Thanks for reading Welcoming Guest Room Basket Ideas! To keep the ideas & inspiration coming, become an Insider down below!
Pin, Share, and Enjoy the Rest of the Inspiration!
Pinterest Challenge: Baskets & Buckets
Sharing at these lovely parties:
I really love this idea! It is so unexpected and sweet. We have a new Airbnb that we opened in April. I love this idea for the lake house!!
That would be perfect!
I’m back Lora to let you know I’m featuring your post this week at our Tuesday Turn About Link Party!
Thanks for the feature, Michelle!
Such a fun idea to make guests feel welcome! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!
Your welcome!
Lora,
I’m sharing a link to your post on my Sunday, Dirt road Adventures. Thanks for the inspiration
Thanks so much, Rachel:)
Lora, what a great idea for a basket. Any guest would feel so welcomed and special finding this basket of goodies when they arrive at your home. It’s like checking into a luxury hotel. Thanks for the great idea and what items to fill the basket.
Glad you enjoyed it, Carol!
Oh my goodness. This is a BRILLIANT idea! You’ve given me so many ideas! Pinned!
Niky @ The House on Silverado
Thanks, Niky! So glad you liked it!
What a darling idea and clever interpretation! I not only want to be a guest at your house (and enjoy this sweet basket), but you’ve inspired me to create my own basket for guests!
We would have so much fun!! You’re going to love making one yourself:)
Lora I absolutely LOVE this brilliant guest room in a basket idea! We seem to always have guests coming to stay and I am scrambling to find new soap, etc. This is the perfect solution. I adore the aqua throw pillow too.
Glad you enjoyed it, Laura! I made a bunch of button flower pillows years ago and still love bringing them out!
Lora, what a great idea to create an overnight basket for guests!! I love how you’ve painted it on top and added the inside padding. Cute!!! <3
Enjoy sharing it with friends and family as they come to stay,
Big hugs,
Barb 🙂
Thanks, Barbara!
I have a couple of projects I need to finish too but I figure when inspiration hits I’ll get back to them. Love your basket with the “sweet dreams” painted on top and yes you hit it out of the park with the alarm clock! Love it Lora!
Thanks, Michelle!
Love your ideas for a guest basket. PLEASE tell me about the book you have displayed with it – Black-Eyed Susan. Sounds interesting – a novel, or a book about flowers???
Good eye, Barbara! It’s a cute little story book you’d read to children. It was my mom’s because her name is Susan!
Guest room basket is a great idea. I really like the paint job on your basket
Glad you liked it, Gail! Yes, Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk paint is my favorite for creating vintage-looking shabby finishes. Makes it so easy!
You are so right it would be a great idea, especially because I’m usually having to dust and clean the room. Thank you for the idea and your basket is so pretty.
Yes, there’s too many other last minute things to do, right, Marlene?
Your guest bedroom basket is so pretty, Lora… and the perfect twist for this month’s Pinterest Challenge. Love the tips for refreshing a guest bedroom, as well as what to fill a guest bedroom basket with! Pinned!
Thanks, Julie! It was so fun to put together:)
I loved your idea! I would include a travel-size deodorant and hand lotion, too. And a small mending kit; I wouldn’t want to admit I popped a seam or lost a strategic button! I love baskets and can’t pass up reasonably priced ones. I scrub, touch up paint, spray them with clear spray and use them for all kinds of stuff. You have been a BAD example for me (tongue in cheek); in the last 1 1/2 years I have collected 6, count ’em, 6, lidded picnic baskets; I love them for storage. So much more interesting than plastic totes!
You crack me up, Kathy! Yes, I love encouraging others to go thrifty shopping! Sorry for the bad influence;) They are both functional and pretty, and so many uses! Great addition ideas!
Yep, you get extra Pinterest Challenge points for having the copper clock too! LOL! I want to have guests soon but our room isn’t ready! You’ve made me want to actually paint and that is the worst thing in the whole wide world to me. Bleh. I’ll probably put it off until I find an adorable basket like yours. At least that’s what I’ll tell myself. 😉 Great job and your guests will love everything about staying with you. Especially the chocolate bars you tucked inside. Thanks for joining in. Pinned!
Yep, can never go wrong with chocolate! I knew you’d appreciate the clock; what were the chances of that?
What a great idea for spoiling guests staying in your home! You gave this basket a great makeover and it’s now perfect to use in your guest room.
I think it would be so fun to whip some up with different themes!
hi lora,
Love the ideas for the basket! Great job on this challenge! laura
Thanks, Laura!
Lora,
This is so creative. I love this idea. So happy to be doing this challenge with you.
Thanks, Rachel! These challenges always get my creative juices flowing:)