Guest Room Necessities Box

I participated in this sponsored campaign on behalf of Firefly®, REACH®, and One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.

I don’t know about you, but I love having a guest room in our home so that our faraway friends and family know they are welcome to visit us! When we chose to buy this home last year, one of the things that factored into our decision was the extra bedroom we could transform into a welcoming space for guests. As a hostess, I always want to make sure that people feel right at home here and have everything they need…including a few things they may have forgotten to pack. That’s why I decided to create a “Necessities Box” to hold things our friends can use, like a washcloth and small containers of shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and toothpaste. Here’s how I did it…

You’ll need:
an unfinished wooden box
FolkArt Milk Paint: Cabinet Maker’s Blue
CeramCoat White Chalk Paint
Paintbrush and Stencil Brush
4 x 4″ FolkArt Parisian Crest Stencil
Painters’ Tape

Step 1: Paint your box with a coat of Milk Paint.

Make sure to cover the insides and the bottom as well. Let it dry for 30 minutes. If you’d like, you can apply a second coat, but I was happy with the coverage I got from just one coat. The Milk Paint gives a gorgeous flat finish and allows you to still see the wood grain.

Step 2: Center and tape your stencil in place on top of the box.

Step 3: Stencil your design using a small stencil brush and white chalk paint.

Whenever you stencil, the key to getting great results is to remember that less is more. Load your brush lightly, then pounce the paint onto the open spaces of the stencil in a quick up and down motion. If you use too much paint or rub your brush from side to side, the paint will bleed underneath the stencil and give you an unclear image.

Step 4: Remove your stencil.

It’s best to do this while the paint is still wet. Just take off the tape and lift the stencil straight up off the surface. Then, let the paint dry completely. If you want to seal your box, you can add wax or Finishing Oil. You can also sand lightly to create a distressed look if you like. I chose to leave mine as is.

Once the paint is dry, it’s time to fill your box with all those things your guests may need during their visit.

Don’t forget to also have plenty of spare toothbrushes on hand! It’s a common thing to forget when you’re traveling {trust me, I know!}, or you can even make things easy on your family and friends, especially if they’re flying in, by letting them know beforehand than you’ve got them covered and they don’t need to worry about packing these toiletries.

When I’m stocking up on brushes, REACH is a trusted brand with a wide variety of products for great low prices. The REACH UltraClean toothbrush is available at Walmart and Target and gives a complete clean feeling with floss-like bristles and a tongue cleaner. It comes in a single count or a value pack, which is perfect because I can replace all of our own toothbrushes at the same time.  {Did you know that you need to change your toothbrush every three months as well as any time you get over a cold?} The REACH Advanced Design Toothbrush, available in a 2 count value pack at Walmart and Walgreens, has longer outer bristles and shorter inner bristles to perfectly clean along the gum line and the plaque from every tooth.

 

What about our smallest guests? Never fear, Firefly products are designed to help turn brush time into playtime so that kids are actually excited about taking care of their teeth and gums. Recently, Firefly expanded its line of toothbrushes to include even more fun characters and products. One of our personal favorites here in the Artsy House is the Firefly Star Wars Collection. The Kylo Ren Lightsaber toothbrush, available at Walmart and Walgreens, lights up for 60 seconds, which helps Little Crafter remember to brush for one full minute on each row of teeth. Plus, he thinks the character voices, memorable movie quotes, flashing lights and lightsaber sound effects are a blast! As a mom, my favorite part is that it comes equipped with a protective cap, so the bristles and the brush head stay clear of any bacteria from the sink or countertop.

Our favorite Firefly product, though is the Spiderman Fun Pump Rinse, also found at Walmart. It’s sugar-free, alcohol free, and has a great melon flavor. Little Crafter loves how it features a pump and comes with a little cup so he can dispense and use it all by himself. The cup goes right back into its space in the bottle, and I’m left with a clean sink…it’s a win-win!

With these products on hand, our family is well equipped for great oral hygiene and our guests can be too!

Oh, and for those of you who would love to visit California, here’s something you’ll want to check out! Firefly recently launched their Lights, Camera, Smiles! sweepstakes on the Firefly Facebook page. One lucky grand prize winner will win a trip for a family of four to the movie capital of the world: Hollywood! Stop by and enter your family to be the lucky winner.

So, what do you think? Do you have a special place to keep things your guests might need during a visit?