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The holidays are just around the corner, and it may be your turn to host the festivities. Chances are, you will be busy shopping, cleaning, cooking and -- well, trying to figure out where your guests will sleep.

If you have only one extra bed and limited space and several guests are planning on spending a night or two, you might consider seeing if you can get some hotel rooms. Or, you might get yourself an early holiday gift by investing in a couple of futons that will last for many festivities to come.

Compared with other contemporary furniture designs, futons are quite economical. You can buy a metal frame and medium-grade mattress for less than a couple hundred dollars. Many of the less expensive futon mattresses come in a standard black or white color. To spice them up, there is a wealth of low cost covers available in different colors, shades and prints. Futon covers are easy to use. Generally, they have a 3-sided zipper. You place the mattress inside the cover, zip it up, and you have a whole new look. Because they zip over the futon mattress, your cover will not slide off of the futon. Most futon covers are machine washable so accidental spills are not a big deal. Because futon covers are available in so many solid colors or print designs, you can easily mix or match or futon covers to fit any interior decorating scheme. Add a few colorful throw pillows and you have created an attractive piece of furniture.

Unless you are buying a designer futon with a log or wicker frame, the metal futons do not take up a lot of room. You can tuck them into an alcove, maybe at the end of a hall, or in an empty corner of the living room. You can even put one in your home office without losing a lot of office space. When guests arrive, simply flip the futons out into comfortable double, queen or king-sized beds. By night they are comfortable to sleep on and by day, are easily folded back into futon sofas that do not take up a lot of room.

After the holidays, you have useful furniture for your everyday life. And if you have to host next year's festivities, you'll be racing around cooking and cleaning - but you won't need to worry about where your guests will sleep.