Some posts contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HostingHacks #CollectiveBias
It’s interesting how the holidays can bring about so many conflicting emotions. For example, I love seeing family and friends but having them come in from out of town and stay with us adds so much added stress! I worry about being the perfect hostess and keeping my guests comfortable. I wonder if they will have everything they need easily within reach and if they feel like they are home.
From experience, I remember being an out of town guest and having to ask for things that I forgot from my host. I always hated bothering them and some of the items were a little more personal. If you think about it, when you go to a hotel and forget something, you can usually easily ask for it or buy it on site in the gift shop (like a toothbrush). So why not do the same for your out of town guests?
Make your out of town guests even more comfortable by leaving them some small necessities in their room. I created this easy tutorial to make your own Houseguest Survival Tray with items your guests will appreciate! I’ve partnered with Procter & Gamble to provide the best products for my guests.
Here’s the items I included for my guests to use:
- Charmin Toilet Paper
- Febreze Air Effects
- Downy Unstopables
- Tide Pods
- Bounce
- Always
- Tampax
- Washcloth
- Bar of soap
- Travel tube of toothpaste
- Toothpaste
- Dental Floss
- Manicure Kit
- Cotton Balls
- Lip Balm
- Ibuprofen
- Water
- Welcome sign with our WiFi Password
It’s quite the list but it will keep your guests comfortable because they won’t have to bother your for these things! Especially the WiFi password. All of these things fit nicely on a little tray I have on a table in the guestroom.
You ready to make one yourself? It is so easy and will come together in under an hour!
Supplies You Need (all from the craft store):
Tray (I used a plain wood tray), one small wooden dowl, wooden toy wheel, small wood basket, wood purse, small wood block, small easel, cutout frame, wood glue, spray paint, acrylic paint, and sandpaper.
STEP ONE:
Paint your wood, if that’s what your using. Honestly, you can use whatever you have on hand for this tray. Find small containers and utilize them! I always have a good supply of wood things on hand and decided to use them. I spray painted the tray I used white and painted my little wood crate black. To add some extra interest to the tray, I put one coat of black paint on this wood purse and then added a coat of white over the top. When it was dry, I sanded it down to distress it. It gave it a fun vintage look.
STEP TWO:
Glue the wood block to the tray using wood glue. I always opt for wood glue because it is strong! The wood block helps add height to the tray and makes things more easily accessible.
STEP THREE:
To create the toilet paper holder, I glued the wood dowel in the hole on the toy wood wheel and then glued that to the tray. Let the glue dry.
STEP FOUR:
Once everything is dry, start filling up your containers! I used the wood purse as a survival pack for the ladies. It’s always embarrassing to ask your hosts for feminine hygiene products and this was the perfect way to provide them. I added Always liners, Tampax Tampons, chapstick, a manicure kit, cotton pads, and Ibuprofen. To make sure they knew who this particular container was for, I glued a wooden tag to the purse and labeled it “For the Ladies”.
This little crate is what I put on top of the wood block I glued to the tray. I filled it with a washcloth, soap, toothbrush, travel mouth wash, dental floss, and travel toothpaste.
I included a small laundry kit too. I placed a Tide Pod wrapped with Bounce Dryer Sheets in an extra box I had in the house. I wrapped another wood label with some twine and instructions so they knew it was their laundry kit.
No guest wants to have to go seeking out a roll of toilet paper (or worse having to ask for one!), and the wood dowel I attached to the tray is perfect for holding it. I placed a roll of my favorite toilet paper, Charmin, on it. Now, my guests will have an extra roll if needed to blow their nose and take care of business!
Some other additions included a couple of bottles of water and one little bonus-a bottle of Febreze Air Effects. It smells amazing and is an extra item your guests will really appreciate.
STEP SIX:
To top it off, I glued the die cut frame to the little chalkboard easel I had to share a message or information with my guests. The question most often asked by most guests is “what’s your WiFi password?” If I’m in the middle of cooking, it’s the last thing I want to have to dig up, so have that information easily available for your guests. Some other things to include would be your address, phone number, and any other additional instructions having to do with the house (like information about your house alarm or something that is under construction).
All of the items I used for my guests were from P&G. Everything was easy to find and I loved that I didn’t have to spend hours going to store after store to find the things that I needed for the tray. Plus, I know that I have plenty of extras on hand should we have surprise guests show up or we stuck inside from a snowstorm.
I absolutely love how this little tray came together. It’s something I can use over and over again, adding new items as needed and catering to specific guests. What items do you always make sure to have on hand for your guests?
