Cozy Guest Room Ideas: 13 Cheap Touches That Make Holiday Visitors Never Want to Leave

These cozy guest room ideas will help you get ready for the family and friends heading your way this Thanksgiving and Christmas. Maybe you have a real spare room. Maybe it is an office with a desk, or just a corner and an air mattress. Either way, a few cheap touches can make it feel like a sweet little bed and breakfast. People love this stuff right now, and one holiday guest room makeover video pulled in more than 700,000 views. Below are 13 simple ideas that cost very little and take an afternoon at most. Which one will you try first..

Cozy Guest Room Ideas: The Cloud Bed for Less

Want guests to sleep like they are at a fancy hotel? Start with the bed, because it is the one thing they will remember. The trick is layers. Put a thick mattress topper on first, then a fitted white sheet. Next, stuff a duvet cover with two cheap down-alternative inserts instead of one, so it looks puffy and soft like a cloud. Add four pillows, two firm and two soft, so everyone finds one they like. Fold a chunky knit throw and a plaid blanket across the foot of the bed for color. White bedding looks crisp and clean, and it is easy to bleach after the visit. Simple, right? These cozy guest room ideas all start here..

You will need: a mattress topper, white sheets, a duvet cover, two down-alternative duvet inserts, four pillows, a knit throw, a plaid blanket.

How to make it: 1. Lay the topper on the mattress and add the fitted sheet. 2. Stuff two inserts into one duvet cover. 3. Fluff and stack four pillows. 4. Fold the throw and plaid blanket across the foot.

Cozy Guest Room Ideas: A Welcome Basket

A welcome basket says you were thinking about them before they even walked in. Grab a thrifted basket and fill it with small things a tired traveler needs. Add a few snacks like crackers, granola bars and a little bag of chocolates. Tuck in two bottles of water and a spare phone charger, since someone always forgets theirs. Write the Wi-Fi password on a small card along with a short handwritten note. If you want, add a travel toothbrush and a tiny lotion. Set the basket right on the bed or on the dresser. It costs about ten dollars to put together, and guests always talk about it. Who does not love a little gift on arrival?

You will need: a thrifted basket, snacks, bottled water, a spare phone charger, a note card, a pen.

How to make it: 1. Line the basket with a cloth napkin. 2. Add snacks and water bottles. 3. Coil the charger and tuck it in. 4. Write the Wi-Fi details and a sweet note on a card.

Towel Bundles Tied With Ribbon

This is the easiest way to make a guest room feel like a spa. Take one bath towel, one hand towel and one washcloth for each guest. Fold the bath towel in thirds, lay the hand towel on top, then the washcloth, and roll them up tight together. Tie the bundle with a strip of velvet ribbon and slide a small faux pine sprig or a cinnamon stick under the bow. Set one bundle on the end of the bed for each person. Now nobody has to dig through your linen closet or ask which towels they can use. Plain white towels look the fanciest, but any matching set works. Of all the cozy guest room ideas here, this one takes two minutes. Isn’t it funny how a ribbon makes everything feel special?

You will need: bath towels, hand towels, washcloths, velvet ribbon, faux pine sprigs or cinnamon sticks.

How to make it: 1. Fold the bath towel in thirds. 2. Stack the hand towel and washcloth on top. 3. Roll it all up tight. 4. Tie with ribbon and tuck in a pine sprig.

DIY Luggage Rack From a Thrift Find

Suitcases on the floor get in the way, and guests end up bending over all week. A luggage rack fixes that, and you can make one cheaply. Look for a thrifted wooden folding stool or a sturdy wooden crate. Sand it a little, wipe on a coat of wood stain and let it dry overnight. If you have a folding stool, staple two or three strips of cotton webbing across the top so a bag sits flat and steady. Put it at the foot of the bed or next to the closet. After the holidays it works as a plant stand or extra seat. It looks like the racks you see in nice hotels, but it costs a fraction of the price.

You will need: a thrifted folding wooden stool or crate, sandpaper, wood stain, a rag, cotton webbing straps, a staple gun.

How to make it: 1. Sand the stool lightly. 2. Wipe on stain and let it dry. 3. Staple webbing straps across the top. 4. Set it near the bed for a suitcase.

Nightstand Water Carafe Tray

Waking up thirsty in a strange house is no fun. Nobody wants to tiptoe to your kitchen at 2 a.m. and bump into the dog. Set a small tray on the nightstand with a glass carafe of fresh water and a tumbler turned upside down over the top. Add a box of tissues, a small clock and a little dish for rings and earrings. A wooden or rattan tray keeps it all neat and protects the nightstand from water rings. You can find carafes at the dollar store or thrift shops for a couple bucks. Want to make it extra sweet? Add a tiny sprig of eucalyptus or pine in a bud vase. It smells great, looks lovely in morning light, and ranks high on our list of cozy guest room ideas.

You will need: a glass carafe, a tumbler, a wooden or rattan tray, a box of tissues, a small clock, a little dish.

How to make it: 1. Set the tray on the nightstand. 2. Fill the carafe and cap it with the upside-down glass. 3. Add tissues, a clock and a ring dish. 4. Finish with a small sprig in a vase.

A Peg Rail or Hook Wall

Guest rooms often have no place for coats, robes and bags, so everything lands on the bed or a chair. A peg rail solves it in minutes. You can buy a simple wooden peg rail and hang it with two screws into the studs, or skip tools and use a row of strong removable hooks. Hang it at about shoulder height near the door. Add a couple of wooden hangers for a dress shirt or a holiday outfit that needs to stay wrinkle free. Shaker style peg rails look classic in any room, and after the holidays they can hold hats, scarves or a pretty wreath. It is one of the most useful cozy guest room ideas on this list.

You will need: a wooden peg rail or removable hooks, a drill and two screws if using a rail, wooden hangers.

How to make it: 1. Mark a level line at shoulder height. 2. Screw the rail into the studs or press on hooks. 3. Hang wooden hangers on two pegs. 4. Leave the rest free for coats and bags.

Cozy Guest Room Ideas for the Closet

Living out of a suitcase for a week is tiring. Give guests space to unpack and they will feel truly at home. Clear one drawer in the dresser and slide half the closet empty. Then add a set of matching wooden or velvet hangers, maybe eight to ten, so the closet looks neat instead of crammed. Line the empty drawer with pretty drawer liner paper and tuck in a lavender sachet so clothes smell fresh. If you need the closet for storage, put your things in labeled bins on the top shelf. Guests notice this more than you would think. Have you ever stayed somewhere with nowhere to hang a shirt? This simple step fixes that.

You will need: matching wooden or velvet hangers, drawer liner paper, a lavender sachet, storage bins.

How to make it: 1. Empty one drawer and half the closet. 2. Line the drawer and add a sachet. 3. Hang eight to ten matching hangers. 4. Box your own stuff on the top shelf.

Turn the Office Into a Guest Room

No spare room? No problem. A home office can become a guest room in one afternoon. Set up a daybed or a good air mattress on a low frame, then hide the desk with a folding screen or a curtain on a tension rod. Suddenly the work clutter disappears and the space feels like a bedroom. Toss a soft throw and two pillows on the bed and put a small lamp where guests can reach it. Clear the desk top and use it as a mini dresser for a few days. Thrifted folding screens are easy to find and you can paint them any color. Once guests leave, fold it all away and get back to work.

You will need: a daybed or air mattress with a low frame, a folding screen or tension rod and curtain, a throw, pillows.

How to make it: 1. Set the bed against the wall opposite the desk. 2. Stand the screen or hang the curtain in front of the desk. 3. Dress the bed with a throw and pillows. 4. Clear the desktop for the guest.

Cozy Guest Room Ideas: A Mini Christmas Tree Corner

Your guests should feel the holiday spirit even when they head to bed. A tabletop Christmas tree in the corner of the room does exactly that. Pick a small faux tree, about two feet tall, and set it on a dresser or a stool. Wrap it with battery fairy lights so there are no cords to trip over, and add a simple wood bead garland and a few little wooden or felt ornaments. Wrap the base in a scrap of burlap or set it in a small basket. It glows softly at night like a nightlight, and it costs under twenty dollars if you shop the after-season sales. It makes the room feel festive right away.

You will need: a small tabletop faux tree, battery fairy lights, a wood bead garland, wooden or felt ornaments, a small basket.

How to make it: 1. Set the tree in a small basket. 2. Wrap battery fairy lights from top to bottom. 3. Drape the wood bead garland. 4. Hang a few ornaments.

No-Sew Plaid Pillow Covers

Want the room to look festive without buying new pillows? Make no-sew covers. Get some plaid flannel fabric or a couple of thrifted wool scarves. Wrap the fabric around an existing pillow like a gift, fold the ends neatly to the back and hold them with fabric glue or safety pins. Scarves work great because the edges are already finished. Red and green plaid feels classic Christmas, but cream and gray plaid looks a little more grown up. Set two on the bed in front of the white pillows and the room instantly feels cozy. When the holidays end, just take them off and you have your old pillows back. Cheap cozy guest room ideas like this are the best kind. How easy is that?

You will need: plaid flannel fabric or thrifted wool scarves, fabric glue or safety pins, scissors, existing pillows.

How to make it: 1. Lay the pillow face down on the fabric. 2. Wrap the sides over like a gift. 3. Fold the ends and glue or pin them at the back. 4. Fluff and set on the bed.

Cozy Guest Room Ideas: The Blackout Curtain Trick

Guests who travel far want to sleep in, but thin curtains let in the early morning sun. Here is a cheap fix that does not mean replacing your pretty curtains. Buy a single blackout panel and hang it behind your existing curtains on the same rod using clip rings. During the day, slide it to the side and nobody even sees it. At night it blocks the light so guests wake up when they are ready. If your rod cannot hold two layers, add a tension rod inside the window frame for the blackout panel. This is one of those cozy guest room ideas that guests will thank you for, especially after a long drive or flight.

You will need: a blackout curtain panel, curtain clip rings, a tension rod if needed.

How to make it: 1. Clip the rings to the top of the blackout panel. 2. Slide them on the rod behind your curtains. 3. Pull it closed at night. 4. Push it to the side during the day.

Robe and Slippers on a Hook

Nothing says you are welcome here like a fluffy robe waiting on a hook. It feels like a fancy hotel, but you can set it up for very little. Look for a soft white robe on sale or wash a clean one you already own. Hang it on a sturdy hook on the back of the door. Set a pair of simple slippers right below it. Guests can wrap up in the morning and wander to the coffee without packing their own robe. Want an extra touch? Tie a small tag with a sprig of greenery to the robe belt. This idea works great for older parents and grandparents, who will be glad to have warm feet on a cold floor.

You will need: a soft white robe, a pair of slippers, a sturdy over-door or wall hook, a small tag and greenery sprig.

How to make it: 1. Wash the robe so it is fresh and fluffy. 2. Hang a hook on the back of the door. 3. Hang the robe and tie a sprig to the belt. 4. Set slippers on the floor below.

Cozy Guest Room Ideas With Mod Podge: A Framed Print

Here is a fun little Mod Podge project to finish the room. Grab a thrifted frame, then print a free holiday art print or a favorite family photo. To make it extra special, decoupage the paper mat with a pretty wrapping paper or old sheet music. Brush a thin coat of Mod Podge on the mat, smooth the paper on top, trim the edges and add a top coat. Once it dries, put your print in the frame and hang it or set it on the nightstand. A family photo from an old holiday gathering is a sweet way to make guests smile. It feels personal and costs almost nothing. Which photo would make your guests laugh?

You will need: a thrifted frame with a mat, a printed art print or photo, wrapping paper, Mod Podge, a foam brush, a craft knife.

How to make it: 1. Brush Mod Podge on the mat. 2. Smooth wrapping paper on top and let it dry. 3. Trim the edges and add a top coat. 4. Frame your print and hang it.