The holiday season is just about over, and what do we have to show for it? New tools, I hope. Now if we could only match some extra cash with those new tools then we can start on a new home reno project.

The sad part of this time of year is twofold. The celebrations are almost over, and most if not all of the cash has run out. How can we start a new renovation project now? Well, not all home renovations require loads of money. Some simple repairs can end in a small renovation and still fly under the financial radar.

Some bathroom just need a simple face lift and not a complete do-over. Replace a broken tile or two in the tub surround, throw in some new grout and call it a day. Even if this is not what your long term plans are for your tub you can buy enough time to plan a bigger project when the wallet can catch up with your home improvement ideas.

Small home improvement projects are just that - small projects that require a small budget. Projects like a kitchen backsplash or a bathroom vanity backsplash are very small as reno projects go but can have a big impact after they're completed. A backsplash in the average kitchen is usually less than 25 square feet.

At the cost of tile this time of year you can complete this project pretty cheap and still get the inner do-it-yourselfer fix you need. Small tile projects need far less materials then larger ones. Small containers of adhesive cost only a few bucks and tile that costs less than two dollars a square foot can land you a new backsplash for under a hundred bucks - far less if you're tiling behind the bathroom sink. Because bathrooms are small rooms with small floor areas, you may even mull over the idea of tiling the bathroom floor. Bathroom renovations are costly because of all the labour involved. Labour to remove the old tile or flooring, labour to remove and re-install the toilet.

If you add up the square footage of your bathroom you'll find that it's most likely less than 50 feet. There are countless varieties of tile out there for three dollars or less. Add in the thin set mortar at 20 bucks and you can have a new bathroom floor for about 200 bucks.

This is where the true do-it-yourselfers shine. Tackle a small project like a bathroom floor that comes in under 200 dollars. The cash you save is in the labour that you're not paying out. Cheap materials don't hurt either. It's pretty hard to call yourself a home improvement DYI'er if you can't set tile. These small in-expensive projects are great learning tools you'll need under your belt before taking on larger projects.

You can rent any tools you don't already own. This is a good way to learn how to use them and decide for yourself what tools you need to add to your wish list for Father's or Mother's Day. Watch a couple of how-to videos on YouTube and you're off to the races with home improvement on your mind.

It's pretty hard to mess up a small tile project. The adhesives don't set right away so there is a couple of hours to fix any real problems if you need to. A good practice is to dry fit the tiles. What that means is to lay them out in the pattern you want before you put down any adhesive. This way you can be sure you have enough tiles and that they will look just the way you want them too after you're done. You can lay out tiles on the kitchen counter too before you set them as the backsplash. This gives you a good look at the design you want and allows for any changes before it's too late.

Small square footage projects need less cash but still demand some care and attention to detail to ensure you only do it the one time and not a budget busting two or three times.