AT Video

Ready for the most elegant party trick we’ve seen in a long time? Take just one cloth napkin and a pretty napkin ring and turn them into a beautiful bow to top off your table. If you’re hosting a holiday party or a casual get-together, use this bow-shaped accent to dress up each place setting. We’re willing to bet your guests will be begging to know how you made them.

Apartment Therapy just wrapped up a makeover of a non-profit café called First Slice in Chicago, giving it its first facelift since opening in 2009. We are so happy that that we were able to give a little design boost to such a hardworking organization – they run the café to help support their outreach programs which feed 600 homeless and hungry Chicagoans each week.

One of the most difficult (not to mention, most expensive) decorating tasks you have to face when designing a new apartment is how to fill those big, blank walls. While store-bought statement pieces can work room-altering magic, they also come at a cost. To decorate that spot over the couch or dining room table on the cheap, turn to supplies you may already have lying around: fabric, wrapping paper and wallpaper.

When your bedroom is too small to even fit a nightstand, this homemade ledge for your bedside wall is the next best alternative. Constructed from the parts of two $4 BEKVAM spice racks, this little shelf is perfectly sized for holding a glass of water, your phone and a pendant lamp—so everything you need is right within reach.

The $35 unfinished pine dresser from IKEA is a blank slate for your creativity. To show how it can be customized to match any decor style—no matter if your signature look is understated or over-the-top—we hacked this dresser two ways. Keep it simple with some paint and a bit of patterned gift wrap, or embrace elaborate bohemian details with bone-inlay stenciling. Either way, you’re going to get extra storage with serious style.

The cube-shaped EKET cabinet has us thinking outside the box, to all the stackable, modular options this simple design presents. By adding wheels to the bottom and stacking one on top of another using Velcro, you can easily switch out the cabinets or roll them from room-to-room—proving that this little storage unit has big potential.

Floating frames are having a moment. There’s something so eye-catching about seeing a photograph, feather or message suspended in midair—and the fact that it’s one of the simplest framing techniques (no matting necessary) makes it even more popular. If you want to add more art to your home, but don’t have time for yet another project to procrastinate on completing, turn to these three ideas that take less than 5 minutes to make.

Think you don’t have frame-worthy wall art? Time to pull out that box of memorabilia and travel souvenirs stashed in the back of your closet. Even menus, paper coasters and postcards you’ve collected over the years can be turned into eye-catching art with the help of colorful paper matting, foam dots and some magical shadowbox frames. By lifting up paper items and giving them depth, shadowboxes turn the most ordinary mementos into masterpieces.

Here’s a brilliant idea: invite your pals over for a wine and crafts night (we recommend starting with these simple eucalyptus wreaths), and then use the empty bottles to craft these simply stunning candle holders. Fill each bottle with pine sprigs and berries collected during winter walks, and then top them off with taper candles. These Scandinavian-inspired beauties will make any space feel merry and bright.

Are you looking to update your kitchen on a budget? This round up will provide you with the motivation and inspiration to make your dream a reality, without breaking the bank. These $1000 (or less) makeovers prove that a little can go a long way to make a space feel new.