Ellington

Materials

Wooden board or canvas

Several colors of paint

Painter's tape

Paintbrushes

Pencil

If you are like me, your home feels a little ... less after the holiday decorations are packed up and put away. There's a little less light, a little less color. Combat that feeling this new year with the 14-Minute Fix. The idea is to pour your creative energy into quick projects that take less than 20 minutes. (I'm choosing 14 minutes in honor of 2014, but the actual time might vary for you.) Instant gratification equals no more post-holiday home blahs.

This sunburst art project is a snap to complete—easy, fast and practically impossible to mess up. It quickly adds a bright spot of color to any room.

If you're using a wooden board, give it a quick sanding and wipe off the dust. Pick a point somewhere on the board (it could be the center, or off-kilter a bit) and mark it with your pencil.

Using the painter's tape, mark off a wedge with its point at your pencil mark and paint it all one color. Pull up the tape and repeat, creating wedges from the center point outward, until you have a colorful starburst shape.

Use a tiny brush to touch up any lines that aren't straight at the end.

Tips: Let each section dry before putting tape over the paint. Don't worry, though—if you use acrylic paint or another fast-drying medium, you won't have to wait long.

If you use textured canvas, be sure to press the tape down well so paint can't get under it and mess up the straight lines.

Other 14-Minute Projects to Try:

• Spray-paint figurines a solid color for a funky art piece. Black or gold makes anything look like an objet d'art—even your kids/friends/nephews' plastic dinosaurs.

• Cover wine bottles in glitter, paint, ribbon or yarn. (See jfp.ms/yarnbottles for tips on that technique.) A collection of different sizes and shapes makes a great centerpiece, or you can use them as candleholders for long tapers. Plus, it's a good way to reuse until Jackson has a glass recycling option.

• Update your frames. Go through your home and switch out prints, art pieces and photos with more current pictures or new prints. Be ruthless—if it doesn't make you happy, replace it.