Try a speedy STYLE UPDATE

Give your home a seasonal revamp with fun tricks, treats and cosy touches

- LISA FAZZANI

1. Engrave copper bottle name tags

Make these engraved-effect wine labels to identify home brewed beverages or to give a personal touch to shopbought bottles that you're giving to friends and family. Use thin copper sheet (from good art suppliers) and cut out a few oval or rectangular shapes using sharp scissors. Then, on a flat surface, 'engrave' the names, plus a decorative border around the edge, using an old inkless ballpoint pen. Knot raffia through holes made with a punch so you can hang the tags around bottle necks. Use up spare pieces of copper sheeting to make flower and leaf shapes that you can also use to decorate the bottles.

2. DECOUPAGE A CRATE

Give a simple wooden crate an upgrade with a pretty découpage design using sheets of giftwrap or craft paper. Simply cut out a selection of motifs. Work out roughly where you want to position them, then begin sticking them on to the crate one by one. Using découpage glue (or thinned-down PVA), simply brush on to the back of each shape and stick in place. Once complete, apply a layer of glue to seal.

3. CHANGE THE BACKDROP

If you've a chilly-looking living room or bedroom that could use some extra warmth, consider bringing in a rich accent colour to add some heat to the scheme. Rather than revamping the entire room, focusing on just a key area, such as the wall behind a sofa or bed, can have maximum impact for minimum effort. An earthy terracotta, brick red or burnt orange teams well with shades of grey, neutral or black and white and makes a striking backdrop for larger pieces of furniture. Repeat the colour around the room on accessories and soft furnishings to tie the look together.

4. Decorate for Halloween