Bed Making Tricks: 13 Hotel Secrets to Get the Guest Bed Ready Before the Holidays

Bed making tricks are the fastest way to make a guest room feel like a boutique hotel, and the holidays are only weeks away. Think about the last time you checked into a nice hotel and saw that crisp, fluffy, perfectly layered bed. It made you want to dive right in. The good news is that there is no secret budget behind it, just a handful of simple habits housekeepers use every day. Lists like these are trending on Hometalk this week, because everyone wants their home ready before family arrives. You can use the sheets and pillows you already own. Here are 13 hotel secrets to get the guest bed looking its best, with easy steps anyone can follow..

Layer the Bed Like a Hotel

The hotel look comes from layers. Start with a smooth fitted sheet, add a flat sheet, then a fluffy duvet, then a folded throw at the foot. Finish with pillows stacked from back to front. Each layer adds height and softness, so the bed looks rich and inviting. White or cream bedding makes it feel extra fresh, but any color works if it is smooth and neat. Once you see the difference, you will never just pull up a comforter again. How many layers does your bed have right now..

You will need: A fitted sheet, a flat sheet, a duvet with a cover, a throw blanket, two sleeping pillows and two or three decorative pillows.

How to make it: 1. Put on the fitted sheet and smooth it tight. 2. Add the flat sheet and duvet, lining them up at the top. 3. Fold the throw across the foot and stack the pillows from back to front.

The Burrito Method for Duvet Covers

Wrestling a duvet into its cover is nobody’s favorite chore, but the burrito method makes it easy. Turn the cover inside out, lay it flat, put the insert on top, roll them up together from the closed end, then flip the opening around the roll. Unroll it and the insert is magically inside. It takes about two minutes and no climbing inside the cover. These bed making tricks are worth learning just for this one. Have you ever tried it?

You will need: A duvet cover and a duvet insert of the same size.

How to make it: 1. Lay the cover inside out on the bed with the opening at the foot. 2. Lay the insert on top and roll both from the top down. 3. Turn the cover opening around the roll, close it and unroll toward the head of the bed.

Bed Making Tricks: Hospital Corners

Hospital corners are the classic secret behind a tight, smooth flat sheet. They keep the sheet from pulling loose at night and give the bed crisp, clean edges. Tuck the foot of the sheet under the mattress, lift the side edge into a triangle, tuck the hanging part, then drop the triangle and tuck it in. It looks like a neat folded envelope. With a little practice it takes seconds. Ready to try it on your next sheet change?

You will need: A flat sheet and a mattress.

How to make it: 1. Tuck the bottom of the flat sheet under the foot of the mattress. 2. Lift the side edge up onto the bed to make a 45 degree fold and tuck the hanging piece under. 3. Drop the fold down and tuck it under the mattress.

Sheet Suspenders Keep Everything Smooth

If your fitted sheet pops off the corner every night, sheet suspenders are the fix. These simple elastic straps clip to the corners of the sheet under the mattress and pull it tight. They cost a few dollars and work on any bed, especially thick mattresses or toppers. Your guests will wake up to a smooth bed instead of a bunched up sheet. It is one of the cheapest bed making tricks with the biggest payoff. Does your fitted sheet slip off?

You will need: A set of four elastic sheet straps or sheet fasteners.

How to make it: 1. Put the fitted sheet on as usual. 2. Lift each corner of the mattress and clip a strap across the sheet corner. 3. Adjust the tension so the sheet lies smooth.

Bed Making Tricks for a Fluffy Duvet

Ever wonder why hotel beds look like clouds? Many use two thin inserts inside one cover instead of a single heavy one. You can do the same thing at home with two lightweight inserts or a down alternative insert plus a thin blanket inside the cover. Shake it well so the filling spreads evenly. The duvet looks tall, soft and luxurious, and guests can remove one layer if they get warm. Would you rather sleep warm or cool?

You will need: A duvet cover and two thin duvet inserts in the same size.

How to make it: 1. Stack the two inserts and line up the corners. 2. Use the burrito method to put both into the cover. 3. Hold the top corners and shake hard to fluff it up.

The Right Pillow Stacking Order

Pillows can make or break the look of a bed. The designer order is simple: big square euro shams at the back against the headboard, then sleeping pillows in shams, then one or two small accent pillows in front. Keep it balanced and do not overdo it, since guests have to move them all at bedtime. Three layers is plenty. This is one of the bed making tricks decorators use most. How many pillows are on your bed right now?

You will need: Two euro pillows with shams, two standard sleeping pillows, and one or two small accent pillows.

How to make it: 1. Stand the euro shams upright against the headboard. 2. Lean the sleeping pillows in front of them. 3. Add one lumbar or two small accent pillows in the center.

Euro Shams as a Soft Headboard

No headboard in the guest room? Line up three large euro shams against the wall and they act like a soft, padded headboard. It instantly makes the bed look finished and gives guests something comfy to lean on while they read. Choose shams in a soft color or simple texture. This is one of the bed making tricks that costs far less than buying a headboard, and you can change the look every season. Would this work in your spare room?

You will need: Three euro pillow inserts and three matching euro shams.

How to make it: 1. Push the bed close to the wall. 2. Stand the three euro shams side by side against the wall. 3. Add sleeping pillows in front to hold them upright.

Fold the Throw in Thirds

A throw folded in thirds across the foot of the bed is a small detail that makes the room look styled. Fold the blanket lengthwise into a long strip about a third of the bed’s length, then lay it straight across. It adds color and texture and gives guests an extra layer on cold nights. Of all the bed making tricks, this adds the most color, and a chunky knit or plaid wool throw looks especially cozy in winter. Have you got a throw blanket hiding in a closet?

You will need: One throw blanket in a color or texture that contrasts with the bedding.

How to make it: 1. Fold the throw in half lengthwise, then in thirds. 2. Lay it across the bottom third of the bed. 3. Smooth it so the edges hang evenly on both sides.

Bed Making Tricks: Fold the Top Sheet Over

That clean white band at the top of a hotel bed is just the flat sheet folded over the duvet. Pull the top sheet up to the headboard, lay the duvet on top a few inches lower, then fold the sheet down over the duvet edge. It frames the bed and keeps the duvet cover cleaner too. If your sheet has a pretty hem or embroidery, this shows it off. It is one of the easiest bed making tricks on the list. Will you try it tonight?

You will need: A flat sheet with a nice top hem and a duvet.

How to make it: 1. Pull the flat sheet all the way up to the headboard. 2. Lay the duvet on top, about eight inches lower. 3. Fold the sheet down over the duvet and smooth the band flat.

Steam the Wrinkles Out on the Bed

Nothing ruins the hotel look faster than wrinkles. You do not need to iron the sheets. Make the bed first, then run a handheld steamer over the duvet cover and pillowcases right where they lie. The wrinkles relax in seconds. A light mist of water and a smoothing hand also helps if you have no steamer. Always point the steam away from your hands and let an adult handle it. Would your guests notice the difference?

You will need: A handheld fabric steamer, water and a made bed.

How to make it: 1. Fill the steamer and let it heat. 2. Hold it close to the fabric and move it slowly from top to bottom. 3. Smooth the fabric with your other hand once the steam has passed, keeping your fingers clear.

Store Sheet Sets Inside a Pillowcase

Here is a linen closet trick that saves time on busy holiday weeks. Fold the fitted sheet, flat sheet and one pillowcase, then tuck them all inside the second pillowcase. Each set stays together, so you never hunt for matching pieces when guests arrive. The closet looks tidy too. Label the shelf by bed size. Bed making tricks like this turn the guest bed into a two minute job. How organized is your linen closet?

You will need: Your sheet sets and a little shelf space.

How to make it: 1. Fold the fitted sheet, flat sheet and one pillowcase into neat squares. 2. Stack them and slide them into the second pillowcase. 3. Fold the open end under and line the bundles up on the shelf.

A Simple Lavender Linen Spray

A light, fresh scent makes a guest room feel cared for. Mix water with a splash of witch hazel and a few drops of lavender oil in a spray bottle, or simply steep dried lavender in water overnight and strain it. Mist the sheets lightly after you make the bed. Keep the scent soft, because strong smells can bother some guests. Test it on a hidden corner of fabric first. If you are setting up the whole room, our cozy guest room ideas have more simple touches. What scent says home to you?

You will need: A small glass spray bottle, distilled water, witch hazel, lavender oil or dried lavender and a small funnel.

How to make it: 1. Fill the bottle most of the way with water. 2. Add a splash of witch hazel and five to ten drops of lavender oil, or use strained lavender water. 3. Shake well and mist lightly from about a foot away.

Bed Making Tricks for a Welcome Basket

The final touch is a little welcome basket at the foot of the bed or on a bench. Add a folded towel, a bottle of water, a pair of soft socks or slippers, a phone charger and a small treat. It tells your guests you thought about them before they arrived. These bed making tricks are really about one thing: making people feel at home. Who are you most excited to welcome this holiday season?

You will need: A basket, a rolled towel and washcloth, bottled water, soft socks, a spare phone charger and a wrapped treat.

How to make it: 1. Roll the towel and washcloth and set them in the basket. 2. Add the water, socks, charger and treat. 3. Place the basket on the bench or at the foot of the bed with a handwritten note.