Bathroom Basket – Holiday Entertaining

Bathroom Baskets are commonly seen at weddings, but I think they are so convenient for holiday entertaining! The concept is simple: you build a basket of toiletries and other sundries that guests may need during your party. I think these are ESSENTIAL if you’ve got guests staying with you at your home, but they are also really great to have for holiday parties! They save your guests the embarrassment of having to ask for items, and they save you from having to go look for those items during a party when you want to focus on hosting, not finding the Tums or a new toilet paper roll.

To make ours, I gathered up items we already had and then just had a few things to purchase.  headed to Target and stocked up on a few items I didn’t already have.

Here are items to include:

dental floss, toothpicks, feminine hygiene items, cotton swabs, q-tips, breath mints, safety pins, bobby pins, lint roller, Kleenex tissues, sewing kit, magazines, air freshener (try the Poo-Pourri – it really works!), Tylenol, comb, brush, Tide to-go pen, deodorant, chap stick, band aids, hand lotion, hair spray, gum, nail file, nail clippers, eye drops, contact solution, hair elastic, tums, gas-x, hand sanitizer, cough drops, wisp toothbrushes, a yummy candle, diapers, wipes, changing mat, diaper rash ointment, fresh towels, a new foaming hand soap and plenty of toilet paper.

I like the small travel size items.  I want my guests to feel like I am trying to take good care of them. But I’m not inviting them to move in. 🙂

I put smaller items inside small jars to make them easier to access inside the basket. I create my basket at the beginning of the holiday season and just leave it in there until after the New Year. Aside from our planned holiday entertaining, we always have pop-over guests and last minute get-togethers.  This basket gets used – A LOT! I’ll refresh it once or twice, but for the most part I’m able to just set it out and forget about it.

My best tricks and tips:

A Baby Changing Station: You’ve got to include it. Parents will thank you for it! I include diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, diaper rash ointment and a small changing pad.

The Toilet Paper Roll Tower: When we built our home I knew I didn’t want a dinky one-roll holder attached to the wall. I love this tower I picked up for $10 at TJMaxx. It holds 4 rolls and it is extremely easy to change the roll. Fully loaded, this will last us a LONG time!

A Bathroom Basket Poem: This fun poem lets your guests know to take what they need and leave the rest for others. Here is what mine says:

So happy you’re here sharing this festive holiday
But just in case something should go astray:

Here’s a bobby pin or hairspray to fix your hair
Go ahead, floss your teeth,
Now don’t you look debonair!

Use Tums if you’ve stuffed your tummy too full!
Rest assured, there’s enough
We got the Cottonelle triple roll

Use what you need, and just leave the rest
For it may be useful to some other guest!

Now, just set it all out and you’re all set to entertain through the holidays!