Easy DIY Projects to Spruce Up Your Home for the New Year

It’s a new year and you’re likely getting ready to show off a whole new you. When you’re bettering yourself, your home is also part of the equation. You can spruce it up and make it look amazing for the New Year with a few creative DIY projects!

A gray and yellow themed living room and dining room.

By

Stacey Fleurime

on

Jan 21, 2021

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Image courtesy of Décor Report

When the New Year comes around, many of us are looking to improve our habits to improve our lives. Your home is a big part of that. Changing your surroundings is a powerful way to signify the changes in your life. A change of scenery can be very motivating when you are working on sticking to your resolutions. This change doesn’t even have to be a complicated process. There are many home adjustments that you can make on your own. It will make for a fun project that will end in great results. We’ve listed several things that you can do to spruce up your home for the New Year. Those things include:

  • Upgrade your lamp shades
  • Add Shelf Space
  • Decorate Plain Curtains
  • Add Artwork
  • Temporary Wallpaper 
  • DIY Marble Countertops
  • Accent Wall
  • Painting Stairwell 
  • Paint Front Door
  • DIY Flower Pots
  • Front Door Wreath 
  • Branch Ladder

Upgrade Your Lampshades 

A pink and tan Ombre lamp shade.
This lamp shade adds a nice touch of color to a room. Image courtesy of The Spruce Crafts

A lamp shade is an important, but often overlooked part of home décor. We can be more focused on how bright the lighting is rather than its covering, but the covering can make a big difference to a space. Changing your lamp shades is one of the quickest ways to change the look of a room. You don’t even have to purchase a new lamp. All you have to do is remove the lamp shades on the lamps you already own, and follow a few simple steps to create your own unique lamp shade!

There are many variations of DIY lamp shades you can try out. You can make one with fabric, beads, yarn, and even copper wire. 

Add Shelf Space

Two small shelves with a plant, bowls, and vases on top.
These shelves leave room for other items elsewhere. Image courtesy of The Spruce.

Adding storage to your space can only be beneficial. The more storage room you have in your space, the more spare room you’ll have to use without clutter. Shelves also make for more display space. You can use them to store aesthetically pleasing items that are worth showing off. They can be placed onto any wall in your home. Go ahead and add as many shelves as you want to your walls!

Building a shelving unit isn’t as difficult as you may think. If you can manage a few basic tools, you can have a new shelf up in almost no time. You will need a table saw, a drill, a screwdriver, and a pipe wrench. The main thing you will need for these shelves is wood. Find the wood that goes best with your desired aesthetic. 

Decorate Your Plain Curtains

A curtain of colorful cotton balls and plants on the windowsill.
These are more unique than any curtains you can find in stores. Image courtesy of Home BNC

If you want your home to have a whole new look for the new year, you should look into changing up your curtains. You don’t need to buy all new curtains to do this. You can spruce up the ones that you already have. It is likely that you may have some plain, bland curtains that could use a good pop of color. You can do this by sewing patterns onto your bare curtains, or you can go even more bold and use paint!

Use paint to make tasteful patterns on your curtains. Use small brushes to create polka dots, lines, or streaks. If you need to, you can use items like cookie cutters to help you paint within the lines. Another option to change up the appearance of your curtains would be to add trim. There are pompom trims, tassels, and ribbons. Choose a color that compliments your curtains, but still stands out.  

Hang Artwork

Putting up artwork is one of the best ways you can spruce up your home. Art work tends to stand out from everything else in a space, which can set the mood of the whole room. Hanging up artwork that represents your interests and your character will do a lot to make you feel good about your space. A new painting can add as much character as a new coat of paint. 

You can always hang your new wall art with nails, but there are other easier ways to do it. Some things you can use are command strips, command hooks, and clips. Leaning the painting against the wall or placing it on a shelf are also good options.

Add Temporary Wallpaper to Plain Appliances

A laundry machine covered with wallpaper.
This is a unique look for a laundry machine. Image courtesy of RoomMates

You might think you simply have to live with the plain and even unsightly kitchen appliances that you have, especially if you’re a renter, but that really isn’t the case. There is definitely something you can do to make these appliances look a lot better. Temporary wallpaper is the best way to change the appearance of your old appliances. You can cut temporary wallpaper down to the size that you need, and make cut outs for handles and buttons. 

A fridge, a dishwasher, and even plain cabinets can be improved with some temporary wallpaper. It is easy to put on, and then you can take it right off without any issue when it’s time for you to leave. Or just change up the wallpaper when you want to try a different look!

Add Faux Marble Countertops

Marble countertops are known for being smooth and elegant. Installing them can take some work, and cost a good amount of money, but that doesn’t have to be the case. There are several ways that you can go about creating an imitation of marble countertops. You can get the same look for much cheaper. 

One way to create faux marble countertops is to paint them on. There are techniques that you can use to create the right effect. You can also place marble contact paper over your existing countertops. It is a simple way to get the look of marble countertops without too much extra effort. 

Paint an Accent Wall

You don’t need to paint your entire house just because you’re looking to spruce up your home. Painting a single accent wall in one or in a few of your primary rooms will have a huge effect on your space. This is your chance to use colors that you might find overwhelming if used for an entire room. You may very much enjoy it if used on just a single wall. Painting one accent wall will be a quick and simple project that doesn’t require much paint. Make sure to use a color that goes well with all the other colors in the room. 

Temporary wallpaper is another way to add an accent wall to a room. When using temporary wallpaper, you can feel safe to go all out and just have fun with it. Bold patterns will make a huge statement. Place your accent wall in a visible place and let it tie the room together. 

Paint Your Stairwell

A stairwell with yellow and white risers.
These stairs make this room into a vibrant space. Image courtesy of The Spruce.

Painting your staircases will have an amazing effect on your space. The staircase is an often neglected spot in a home. It is often left plain and not at all prioritized when it comes to decorating a home. A pop of color on your staircase will give your space a whole different feel. There are many styles you can choose from when sprucing up a staircase. 

One style that works well with stairs is the Ombre effect. You can use various shades of one color to create a lightening or darkening effect as a person goes up or down the stairs. Rainbow stairs are another bold idea that will add a fun element to your place. Your stairs will also look great if you paint just the top parts of the stairs or just the risers. You can even paint each with opposing colors, something that will really liven up your space. 

Paint Your Front Door

Coming home to this door should put you in a better mood. 


Your front door is naturally a focal point of your home. You can make it stand out more with a fresh pop of color. Paint your door to make your home appear more inviting. This project is a very simple way to add a different vibe to your home. Use a bold color that will make your house appear bright and charming. Pick something you will love approaching every day. Something that will turn heads on the street. You can even get really daring and paint the trim around the door a different color! 

Make sure that whatever colors you choose compliment the overall look of the house. This color change will add excitement to your home’s appearance. With a bright color on the front door, you can be greeted with a pop of color every day!

DIY Flower Pots

A flower pot painted with stick figures with pink flowers inside.
You can tell that the creator had a lot of fun making this. 


Flowers will add to your home’s character. They are stand-out elements when it comes to indoor and outdoor décor. Decorating your flower’s containers will make them stand out even more. If you already have average plant holders, like terra cotta pots, paint them with your favorite colors. Paint designs on them if you want to get really artistic. You don’t even have to use regular, store bought containers for this. You can use mason jars, paint containers, and even coffee bags! Your options are endless. Choose a container that is to your liking and start painting! 

Make sure you fill these DIY planters with plants that you love. Go with only green plants or choose a fun mix of colors. Mix and match your favorite flowers with your unique pots. You’ll love the results and also have fun getting there!

Make A Wreath for Your Front Door


A green wreath with a golden bow and the word "hello" across it.
This is a great thing to be greeted by each day. Image courtesy of Dianne Décor

Add a fun element to your front door for the new year! Making a wreath to hang onto your front door will make it so you are greeted by an awesome image every time you walk into your home. A wreath will also serve as a greeting to anyone who comes by your home for a visit. Adding a new image to your door front will give you a different feeling during this new year. It is a great way to signify change. 

A wreath for your front door will be very easy to make. Just about any material can be used to create one. You can make one with faux leaves, fabric, twigs, and so much more. It all depends on your preference, and on what you’d like to see every day when you enter and exit your home. We recommend you use colors that compliment the color scheme of your house and the front door. 

Create a Branch Ladder

A branch ladder covered in cream, gray, and white throw blankets.
This ladder adds a unique element to the space. Image courtesy of Knock Off Décor

A branch ladder will add an eye catching detail to your space. When you add one of these to a room, you get a cool detail that can also be functional. You can use it to display a number of decorative items. We recommend you use it to display flowers, throw pillows, or even throw blankets. If you have other items you would like to display, go ahead and add them!

This piece will likely get a lot of attention. It will contribute a unique style element to the rest of your décor and give your home a fun vibe. The best part about this is that it can be made with tree branches! All you have to do is collect tree branches and large twigs and then put them together. You can have a statement piece in your living room in no time! 

Now that it’s the New Year and you’re looking to make positive changes, it is a great time to get into DIY projects to make home improvements. Your home will serve as a reminder to reach your new goals, and it will simply be a happy place to be once you’ve made the kinds of changes that you’ll love!

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January 13, 2022
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