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How to Make a Welcome Basket for House Guests

How to Make a Welcome Basket for House Guests
This “how to make a welcome basket for house guests” shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BlueLizardSummer #CollectiveBias.

It’s always fun to have a bit of overnight company, and when company does show up it is a nice gesture to have a little welcome basket waiting for them! We live in a place where people usually vacation to, so we’re often housing for our guests and pointing them to the great spots to visit instead of playing all-day tour guide. Something waiting for them on the guest bed when they arrive helps them feel at home and excited about their trip. Here’s how to make a welcome basket for house guests, no matter where you live.

 

Make sure to read to the end to pick up the free printables!

How to Make a Welcome Basket for House Guests

I’m going to list the general categories of things that should be in your basket–make adjustments for what you think your guests would like best or what is available in your area! You’re really just making them feel welcome and that you’re thinking about their well-being.

Snacks and Drinks

Some guests might be a little shy about asking for something to eat other during established meal times. Include a few snacks and drinks in their basket to nosh on without having to ask.

Locale-Specific Souvenirs

No matter how small, every town has something that is special about it. My area might best be known for the Kennedy Space Center and surfing. Ron Jon Surf Shop started here, and it’s always a fun tourist destination to soak up some of Cocoa Beach’s local color. A few themed reusable cups and a pack of astronaut ice cream made it into this gift basket to represent my city. In my last city of residence, I might have included something from the local chocolatier and a Jaguar’s football. My mother in Virginia might put in a Chesapeake Bay cookbook and some colonial wax candles. You’ll just need something small and relatable to your area.

Blue Lizard Sunscreen

In Florida, there are about 2 months out of the year where you wear anything long with your flip flops…so we go through a LOT of sunscreen. Our whole family is pretty active with swim team, lacrosse, triathlon and just plain being outside in the fresh air. With the sun so strong in our state, it’s super important to stay slathered with something to protect our skin.

We always try to find sunscreen with as few crazy chemicals in it as possible, like Blue Lizard® Australian Sunscreen. The sensitive skin formulation is awesome as it does not have any fragrances, chemicals or parabens in the ingredient list, and is a broad spectrum SPF that covers both UVA and UVB rays. The kids love this particular one because the bottle changes color in the sun, which is also a good reminder to reapply when it does.

Especially since this is one of those things that is so often forgotten in packing for a trip, supplying guests with a bottle of good quality sunscreen like Blue Lizard®  is extremely considerate! Sunscreen is a daily habit for our family when we’re going to be outside, and a great idea for visiting guests as well.

You can find Blue Lizard® at your local Walmart in its sunscreen display in the middle of the aisle by the seasonal stuff. Right now, if you join  iBotta, you can earn $4.00 when you purchase Blue Lizard® Australian Sunscreen – Sensitive, 5 oz. bottle only.

Local Maps and Brochures

If you go into any hotel they usually have rack of cards that look just like these that point you to local points of interest. When you’re putting your basket together for your out of town guests, pull out a few for places that you know are awesome to visit so they can explore their options before venturing out. We’ve been to all the places I found cards for–so I can recommend any of them!

A tourist map of the area is also a great thing to include. GPS will more than likely give any actual directions, but having something physical to look at to see where things are in relation to each other is a bonus.

 

Small Gift Cards to Local Eateries and Coffee Shops

I had a relative put little gift cards like this into a welcome basket once and from that point, I thought it was the most brilliant idea ever. The cards were for just enough to get a cup of coffee or an ice cream, but going through the trouble to point out the good places to stop in for a nosh and treating me to it was well remembered.

 

A Fabulously Decorated Box

You don’t have to go crazy fancy, you really just need a box big enough to fit all your items in. I’m going to help you out a little with some FREE PRINTABLES to decorate with. Pineapples have been a symbol of welcome for centuries, and they seemed the perfect thing to decorate our box with.

CLICK HERE FOR FREE PRINTABLE WELCOME SIGN AND PINEAPPLES

If you’d prefer to print and cut on your Cricut, here is a jpg to use!

Once you have the box, and everything to put IN the box, put in a little tissue paper and fill it up. Tape or glue the “Welcome” to the front, and decorate with pineapples.

Don’t forget to pin this post for later!

 

Paula Biggs

Owner at Frog Prince Paperie
Paula Biggs is a party planner, DIY crafter, and owner of Frog Prince Paperie, where you can find hundreds of party, craft and lifestyle ideas.

Sandra L Garth

Wednesday 21st of June 2017

You've thought of everything, Paula! The last sunscreen I tried caused a nasty allergic reaction and I will try Blue Lizard. The little gift cards are a great idea and so thoughtful.