Resolution: Make Better Use of My Dining Room

If you keep the following points in mind, you'll be able to transform your dining room from an infrequently-used space to a hub of family activity. In the new year, it's important to make every room count in your home! (Dining room photos from interior designer Irwin Weiner ASID.)

• The trend today is to turn dining rooms into spaces with more functionality than just formal dining. Envision your perfect dining room, your family, and your lifestyle.

• Renovations can add library shelving, built-in storage space for craft supplies and home office files, cable outlet for a flat screen TV, phone jacks, cable modem plug-ins for a computer, and in-wall stereo speakers. Imagine how you’ll be maximizing the use of your new dining room and plan accordingly.

• Always plan any room from the ground up, and if you want to replace your existing dining room floor, look at practicality and good looks. Hardwoods, ceramic tile, cork, and slate are great options that wear well.

• Architectural details like moldings, wainscoting, chair rails, mirrored panels, and coffered ceilings add interest to the “bones” of your dining room. Do you research and make sure your plans avoid turning your dining room into a plain box.

• A built-in sideboard or serving buffet (see photo at right) makes a terrific and useful addition to your dining room. You’ll use it all the time for serving food, laying out craft projects, organizing your tax preparation materials, and showing off some special books and décor objects.

• If your dining room serves multiple functions as a home office, craft room, and homework area, you’ll need to plan for good work lighting that can also be dimmed to create dining atmosphere. Wall sconces are a good addition to your lighting plan, too.

• Add an area rug large enough so your dining chairs always have four chair legs on the carpet, even when the chairs are pulled back from the table.

Resolution: Make My Own Home Goods & Gifts

You're always going into stores and pointing to things and saying, "I could make that myself." But do you ever get around to doing it? Nope. Make the New Year different by tackling a home goods craft project from Kata Golda's Hand-Stitched Felt, a new book filled with easy and practical sewing projects.

We love the practical step-by-step advice from Ms. Golda, a self-taught crafter. She loves the marks made with hand stitches and as she started out making soft toys out of wool felt for her child, she began to add new crafts to her bag of tricks. Her book features 25 "whimsical" projects and you'll need no more than a needle, pen, scissors, felt, and threat. You'll be torn as to what to make first of the toys, decor, and practical home items she walks you through (and sometimes even provides cut-out templates to help make your end results foolproof). These home goods projects caught our eye.

• Holds Everything Bucket, a floppy felt bucket that's a great storage solution and can be used for toys, crafting supplies, magazines, or even as a "gift basket" filled with thoughtfully selected items.
• Gift Wrap Tag, a lovely way to perk up any wrapped present and use leftover felt scraps.
• Terra-Cotta Pot Cozy, a colorful and artistic wrap to decorate houseplants with a bonus -- in cooler months, the cozy will keep the roots warmer and wool's moisture-wicking properties will prevent water from evaporating through the terra-cotta.

• Songbird Mug Cozy and Coaster, a decorative way to keep your drink warm and keep your furniture protected when you set your drink down.
• Textured Pillows, lovely, soft wool felt pillows for any room of the house, with playful shapes and animals complementing one another. If you're looking at one way to perk up your interiors in the New Year, try making a variety of these perky pillows.
• And many other great projects, including a Picture Perfect Bunny Patch, a Photo Pocket, Baby's Giraffe Quilt, a Patchwork Curtain, and a Patchwork Potholder.