In tough economic times, the appeal of inexpensive upgrades you can do yourself is obvious. And in the kitchen, jazzing up your backsplashes is one project we've suggested. While stainless steel or copper might provide the look you want, working with those materials, which come in sheets or as ceiling tiles, can be an expensive and difficult job.

ACP has introduced Aspect Metal Tiles, a DIY product that you apply to primed drywall, plywood, paneling, or clean, smooth tile, according to the manufacturer. The 3x6-inch peel-and-stick tiles are available in brushed-stainless, brushed-bronze, and brushed-copper (shown) styles with either vertical or horizontal graining. They're made of two-sided aluminum sheets covering a solid-polymer core and, claims ACP, 60 percent of the material used to make the tile is recycled. The tiles, available at Lowe's and through the manufacturers' Web site later this month, cost $20 per square foot, or about $300 for a 10-foot-long x 18-inch-high backsplash.—Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman