Clockwise from top left: Marni's Overleaf rug, Suzanne Sharp's Ponti Red rug, Suzanne Sharp's Key Shadow rug, Amy Helfand's Tangled rug, Amy Helfand's Adrift rug, Kim Parker's Mums and Asters rug, Thomas Paul's Feather rug.

Exciting things are afoot in the world of rugs: Wools and silks are sheared, sculpted, shagged and shaped into virtual works of art, crafted in luxurious textures and rich hues. By nature, a carpet shares a kinship with an artist's canvas. It's up to homeowners whether to put these pieces on the wall or the floor.

If you're curious about how other people deck their walls and decorate their chimneys with care, consider one of the county's holiday home tours: For 57 years, the All Souls' Episcopal Church in Point Loma has hosted a holiday home tour, but this year's will be its last.

Container Stores nationwide are holding free gift-wrapping and bow-making demonstrations at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in December through Dec. 21.