With longer days and warmer weather, many homeowners look to take on summertime projects to bring new life to their homes, lawns and gardens. According to a recent survey from Bank of America, 46 percent of Americans plan to tackle DIY projects to redecorate or renovate their homes this summer, but for many Americans, the cost of these projects can be a big hurdle.

Home design and DIY experts Ben and Erin Napier, together with Bank of America, offer these budget-friendly tips and ideas to refresh any area of your home.

Sun doesn’t have to stay outside

Capturing the beloved summer rays indoors is easier than you might expect. To brighten a room, Ben Napier suggests hanging mirrors on the wall opposite the window to reflect light to every corner.

“We hang mirrors across both sides of a room, focusing on where the light is strongest for the best reflection,” Ben said. “It’ll bring light into all corners of your home and you’ll be surprised at how this tip can make a dark room feel like a larger, friendlier space.”

Get creative with decor

Plants and flowers bring life and pops of color to any decor. Creativity is key to creating a unique area, and to keep costs low, Erin Napier suggests turning to your kitchen for inspiration with these three simple steps:

1. Paint a Bundt pan, which often has ornate detail, in an accent color to complement the space.


2. Once the paint is dry, drill holes on the sides to loop in twine for hanging.


3. Add your favorite plants, flowers or herbs.

Turn an empty wall into an art gallery

Transform an empty, plain wall into a hand-crafted gallery by collecting frames and repurposing them to display different types of art.

“When we shop for second-hand gems, I can never resist a good frame,” Erin said. “They’re good for more than just pictures and paintings. You can easily display eye-catching, dimensional pieces like antique saucers or other flat objects by removing the backing and glass and hanging the object on the wall within the frame’s borders.”

Create an illusion of more space

Bring the spacious feeling of your backyard into the home with one of Ben’s favorite tips to make a room feel larger.

“All you need to do is re-hang your existing curtain rods at ceiling height, then extend the length by about a foot beyond the window on both sides,” Ben said. “Complete the effect with long curtains that just hit the floor. It’s amazing how much bigger your room feels after this simple, quick fix.”

Stretch your budget with rewards

Giving your home or backyard a refresh this summer doesn’t need to break your budget, especially when you’re taking advantage of simple, savvy DIY projects. One of the easiest ways to help offset costs for these projects is to use a credit card that rewards you for what you love doing by letting you earn cash back on your purchases.

Since home improvement projects – no matter how big or how small – can add up, use a card like the BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ credit card to help you stretch your budget for renovations of all sizes with its cash back benefits.

With the BankAmericard Cash Rewards credit card, cardholders earn one percent cash back everywhere, every time, two percent cash back at grocery stores and now at wholesale clubs and three percent cash back on gas for the first $2,500 in combined grocery, wholesale club and gas purchases each quarter.

For more information, visit bankofamerica.com/getcashback.

Sponsored by Bank of America