The holidays are here! Do you have a home project list that you haven’t quite had the time to tackle this year? Never fear; there is still time to spruce up your home with small changes that have a big impact before you welcome holiday guests. Here are eight home improvement and decorating projects that nearly anyone can do with as little as $20 and some time – and many of these projects take less than an hour!

1. Paint the trim. Crisp white trim can make old dingy walls look like new. Paint the baseboards, door casings and doors in a room or two to start. I like bright, pure white in a semigloss finish. Apply with an angled trim brush for easy perfection. (Cost: about $20-25 for a gallon of paint.)

2. Paint a feature wall. If you don’t have time to paint an entire room, choose a feature wall and paint it a contrasting color. Be sure to tape off the adjacent walls with blue painter’s tape. If you have touch-up paint in the matching color of the adjacent walls, paint along the edge of the tape with the matching color first. This will fill in any places where paint can seep in along the tape. Allow that to dry and then paint the chosen wall with the feature color. When you pull back the tape, the edge between the new color and the adjacent walls will be nice and crisp. (Cost: about $15 for a quart of paint.)

3. Change the lighting. Lighting can make or break a room. Is there an outdated fixture you’ve been itching to change? Now is a great time to make that happen; be sure to check out energy efficient halogen and LED fixtures, or use compact fluorescent bulbs instead of standard “A” type bulbs. (Cost: depends on the fixture; $40 and up.)

4. Tweak the lighting. Don’t have the skills to change a ceiling fixture? How about changing a lamp shade in the living room or guest room? Be sure to take measurements of the existing shade and note how the shade is attached to the lamp (i.e., does the shade attach to a harp or does it fit over the socket?) or bring the shade with you to the lighting store or home improvement store. (Cost: $10 and up depending on size and material.)

Before

5.  Recover your chairs. Chairs with padded seats are usually pretty easy to change. Turn over the chair and look for 2 to 4 screws holding the seat onto the frame.  If that’s the case for your chairs, updating the fabric is a snap and the holiday look can be removed by simply removing a few staples. In the picture, I used scraps and fabric samples to create a patchwork effect, but it’s easy to use fabric straight off the bolt. See below for step-by-step instructions.

After

6.  Change the shower head. Whether it’s a stress-reliever for you or a bit of luxury for your guests, a new shower head can do wonders! And it’s easier than you think! Look for new water-efficient models with multiple spray effects that install without any special tools or supplies needed. (Cost: $20 and up)

7. Paint the front door. Your front entry way sets the tone for your entire home. If the front door is cracked, peeling or just plain faded, it may be time to repaint. While you’re at it, consider changing up the color (be sure to check with any HOA rules beforehand). I recently changed my front door from a faded gray-green to a deep, luscious chocolate brown and it really revved up the look of the entire house! Tell the sales staff at your local paint store or hardware store that you’re painting the front door and ask for a high-grade exterior-rated paint that won’t fade. (Cost: $25 to $30 for a gallon of paint.)

8. Replace (or add) cabinet door knobs and drawer pulls. Never underestimate the power of small changes. When I was staging my mom’s home for sale, I traded out antique brass door pulls in the kitchen with simple brushed nickel knobs to coordinate with an inexpensive brushed nickel chandelier that I had installed in lieu of a brass one over the kitchen table. I didn’t change the hinges or the pantry door knobs. In other words, all the metals in the room didn’t match – and it didn’t matter! The buyer loved the updated look of the kitchen, and I think it’s because the door knobs and light fixture had such a big impact. When replacing existing knobs and pulls, be sure to measure between the holes (or take a pull with you) and find replacements of the same size. (Cost: depends on the number of cabinet and cost of the pulls.)

How to recover a padded chair seat

Supplies:

• Fabric of your choice
• Screwdriver or Allen wrench
• Staple gun with 1/2 inch staples

1. Turn the chair over and if possible, place it on a table or work bench. Locate the screws on the underside of the chair that hold the

Look under your chair for screws holding the seat in place.

seat in place. In the photo, my chairs have 2 screws; many chairs use 4 screws in the corners. (Hint: Make sure not to remove the bolts that hold the frame together!) Remove the screws and remove the seat from the frame.

2. Measure the seat, both length and width. Add at least 5 inches to each measurement. This gives you enough materials to wrap around the bottom of the seat. If the seat is more than 1 to 2 inches high, add a couple more inches. This is your finished size. In the example, my seats were almost 16 inches square, so my finished size was about 21 inches.

3. Cut the fabric to size. When shopping for fabric, look for upholstery-grade fabrics, and if you’re covering a seat with a dark fabric or obvious print, be sure to pick an opaque fabric that will hide what’s underneath.

4. Place the fabric on a flat, sturdy surface with the “right” side down. Place the padded side of the seat on top of the fabric. Starting with the center of one side, pull the fabric taut over the edge of the seat and secure with a staple. Now do the same for the opposite side. Continue wrapping and stapling the fabric, making sure to pull it nice and tight (without ripping it). Complete one side, then work on the opposite side. On the third side, place one staple in the center, pulling the fabric taut. Then repeat on the opposite side again the center. Now continue wrapping and stapling these remaining two sides. Wrap the corners just like you would a gift package.

5. When the fabric is securely attached, replace the seat onto the frame and replace the screws to attach the seat firmly back into place. If you want to return to your everyday fabric after the holidays, simply remove the seat and take out the staples. (Tip: A flat head screwdriver makes it easier to lift the staples enough to pull them out with a pair of pliers.)