11 ways to update your home for the festive season

Adorn gifts with found treasures

Leftover wrapping paper, scrapbooking paper or even kraft mailing paper looks especially festive when tied with a large bow and dressed up with a vintage earring (that lost its mate) or brooch. Comb flea markets or Grandma's attic to find them inexpensively!

Gift wrap design, Kimberley Seldon.

Play with plaid

Tartans and checks don't have to mean knotty-wood walls and worn-out recliners. Today's patterns are modern and fresh, especially when paired with white walls and a simple sisal rug.

Fairfax chair, $1,609 (D Grade fabric), Ethan Allen.

Warm up breakfast

Get a cheery start to the day with these adorable egg warmers.

Egg cozies, $15/set of 2, Indigo.

Upgrade your tool kit

You'll never be left rummaging through the tool box for a way to open up the battery compartment of techno gifts with this handy electric screwdriver. It's motion activated, so it will switch from forward to reverse at the flick of your wrist.

Gyro screwdriver, $40, Black and Decker.

Make a stunning entrance

Give your front door a quick makeover in three easy steps.

1. Flank your frame. Pre-lit boxwood, $100, Canadian Tire.

2. Hang a wreath (or 2 or 3). Glitter-ball wreath, $25, Crate & Barrel.

3. Add a large ribbon. Ribbon, $11/M, Mokuba, 416-504-5358.

Craft your own headboard

Design an easy headboard out of a single roll of wallpaper. Get as creative as you want with the shape and pattern. Simply lay out the pieces of wallpaper, lining up the pattern; draw your shape on in pencil and cut; then paste to the wall. It's a great weekend project that will dress up a guest room just in time for visitors!

Silvergate BP852 wallpaper, $275/roll, Farrow & Ball.

Add a little humour

The holidays can get a little serious, so lighten the mood with this whimsical ostrich-leg side table. It's the perfect conversation starter for any awkward holiday moments.

Side table, $150, Home Sense.

Fake a tree

Short on space? No problem, thanks to this tree-printed fabric from Ikea. Stretch it over a canvas and adorn with lights and decorations. And it's a cinch to store until next year!

Margareta fabric, $8/M, Ikea.

Flip for inspiration

Superstar (and super-dreamy) Nate Berkus has come out with a stunning new coffee table decorating book. It's heartfelt, sincere and gorgeous. All the eye candy you need.

The Things That Matter, Nate Berkus, $40.

Steal from the pros

TV's favourite designer family knows a thing or two about hosting a crowd. Parents Robert and Cortney, the stars of HGTV's Home by Novogratz, have drawn on their experience (they have seven kids) to design the perfect dining room table, complete with ample storage. Check out their entire new collection at CB2.

French vintage table, $1,199, CB2.

Go graphic

For the modernist home or the artsy crowd, choose these Pantone-coloured Christmas tree ornaments. They're a design statement that'll please any discerning decorator.

Pantone ornaments by Seletti, $17, neatspace.ca.