Whether you recently bought a home in Toronto, ON, or a townhouse in Nashville, TN – it can often feel intimidating decorating your home, with the countless decor options to choose from. Sometimes when it’s all said and done, if the pieces you chose don’t reflect your personality and your style is absent from the space, your house can feel unfamiliar.

Bringing meaningful handmade home decor into a space is what distinguishes a house from a home. Handmade items and decor – whether it’s created by an artisan or by yourself, can really transform a space. We reached out to some of our favorite creators to get their unique ideas on how to enrich your home’s interior with handmade home decor that brings you happiness, and highlights your personality to create a space that means so much more.

Find feature pieces for your handmade home decor

As an artist, I enjoy collecting works that become feature pieces in the home, rather than mere accent. Adding a ceramic vase that is bold in color can be the statement for a dining table, or a sculptural piece for an end table or bookshelf. When art is a focal point of the space rather than a simple addition, it transforms any home and guests who may enter. – S. Rueter Art

Find pieces that have a purpose

As a ceramicist and pottery wheel instructor, I find that the things that don’t sell or the items I keep end up on a countertop in my kitchen to hold salt, a counter in my bathroom to hold cotton balls and my toothbrush, and all around the house to hold anything from spare change to jewelry. I mostly make utilitarian items so that everything has at least one purpose. This makes it easy to scatter ceramic vessels filled with water and plant cuttings around the house. – Emily Hohertz of Hohertz Ceramics

Use museum putty to secure sculptural art

Many people assume that they cannot have ceramic art in their home because they have children and/or pets. To them, I’d say, “Stop denying yourself!” There’s a simple and very inexpensive miracle product that does not damage furniture, keeps ceramic art stable even if children bump into the artwork, prevents the cat from pushing a clay sculpture off the mantel, stops the dog’s tail from whacking 3D art off the coffee table, and keeps the art secure even through most earthquakes. The art can only be moved by a deliberate twist and upward lift. That product is called museum putty. – Cindy Douglass of StardustPottery.com

Make a mug menu

One of the delights of pottery as an art form is that a lot of it is functional. Potters love making mugs, so one way to check off both decor and utility is with a mug menu. Find a space in your kitchen for a long, narrow cutting board that can hold 5 different handmade mugs. This space will become both a display for your functional art and a way of making a real moment out of your morning coffee or afternoon happy hour routine. Select five to start, then choose and appreciate the cup you want to use that day. Rotate through your collection to make sure all your pottery gets a chance to shine. – Juniper Clay

Pick a project you’ll enjoy creating

Creating handmade décor is not only about making a new piece for your home but about reminding you to pause and take time out for yourself. Choose the project that you will enjoy making and don’t worry about it being perfect. One of my most favorite pieces was cross-stitched on an old sieve.- Artmishka Cross Stitch

Decorate around a theme of your choice

When you decorate your house for Christmas or any holiday, it gives you a satisfied and comfortable feeling. But no feeling can compare to how elated you will be when the decor comes from your own hands. Choose a theme for a table, and decorate around that theme. This will help you to keep focus and prevent your decorations from getting out of control. Examples of themes can be cozy, botanical, game-related, geographical, and more. – Bungalow Quilting and Yarn

Find pieces that you connect with

Using a piece of handmade pottery can create a moment when you pause, notice and reflect, bringing mindfulness to your day and thus enhancing your life experience. Seek out pieces that resonate with you and that will make the everyday moments of your life more beautiful. I believe that the essence of a potter is contained within anything they make, so a personal connection to the maker can heighten your experience of connection each and every time you use it. – Susan O’Hanlon Pottery, LLC

Handmade pottery is such a great way to perk up your table

Whether it is one or two high-impact serving pieces, or a full set of handmade dinnerware, it is a unique way to showcase your individual style. Show your personality by choosing pieces that you love. – Sarah Bak Pottery

Enrich your space with art that tells a story

Handmade ceramics in particular offer an endless number of ways to personalize a space with various sizes, shapes, colors, patterns, and textures. Many people are drawn to the work of a particular artist because they share a common eye for certain characteristics of their work. Embrace that connection with the artist, learn about them and what inspired them, and place multiple pieces throughout your home. It will not only tie rooms together, but you’ll also have a unique story to tell your guests that will add richness to the space that only a handmade piece can do. – Founder & Curator, Nicole-Rhea | Artisan Crafted Homewares

Accentuate your style and personality

Embroidery is no longer the sweet innocent craft our grandmothers knew it to be – these days embroidery is unique, modern, subversive, and sassy. It’s a perfect way to bring your own style and sense of humor into your décor, whilst having the added weight of being an impressive piece of hand-crafted artwork. Stitch with yourself in mind, and your personality will shine through. – Stitchyawitch.com

Pay attention to the size and rotate artwork with the seasons

Painting sizes are important, and I think it’s great to have a variation between smaller work and larger pieces. Bigger work will be best in a larger space where the viewer can step back and take in the full picture. Smaller pieces are perfect for more intimate spaces, and can add much charm to a room. I highly recommend rotating your artwork regularly. This gives you the freedom to splurge on those seasonal pieces, and it can become a new tradition in your household. And your guests will always look forward to the newest additions. – Heather Ihn Martin Fine Art

Opt for quality fabrics and threads for quilting

You can add your own personal style by creating handmade quilted accessories to decorate your home, the key is to select good quality fabrics and threads. You need to consider the colors already present in your home, and use handmade accessories as an accents that bring spark and interest in your overall decoration. – Carolina Oneto

Combine the new with the old

As a textile artist and pattern designer, I’ve said goodbye to minimalism and love the look of a gallery wall that incorporates the old with the new, creating a story of warmth and texture. Hang that ancestral cross stitch sampler that has been handed down to you with a new cross stitch designer’s work. Search for reproductions of beautiful 19th-Century Needlepoint designs at online auctions and include them in your gallery wall with a cheeky cross stitch from an artist on Etsy. – Laura Daub

Find a piece of art you connect with

Finding the right piece of art to live with is much like finding a lover. You want to feel a flutter whenever you enter the same space. If the work is right it should challenge you, stimulate, fascinate, and arouse your curiosity over and over. Look for a long-lasting relationship with the work, they are the most satisfying. – Donald Martiny

Choose functional pieces that bring you joy

When choosing pottery pieces for your space, consider its function as well as how it makes you feel (color, shape, size, etc… blue makes me happy!). So let’s say I have a blue cup that reminds me of the ocean – now I have a piece that makes me feel good, and is multifunctional because I can also use it as a pen holder. Pieces like that can really come in handy and make you happy every time you look at it. – AKR Ceramics

Choose to rent artwork instead of purchase

A great way to incorporate handmade decor into your home is to rent instead of purchase artwork. Renting allows you to experience a variety of art without commitment, so you can experiment and find items that fit your space perfectly. If you are reluctant to let go of a piece at the end of the rental period, you can keep it forever by applying the rental fees to the cost and paying the difference. – Tatyana Ostapenko

Originally published on Redfin.com