DIY Life

Don't have anything lined up for Mother's Day yet? Feel bad 'cause your tight budget won't stretch to that mega-bunch of roses? Well, here's a suggestion: if your mom's into gardening, run out this weekend and pick up a yard-related gift. Wrap it up nice and pretty and give her that, alone, or pair it with a nice little box of chocolates or a few fresh flowers. She'll love it...and it won't break the bank!

Here are my top ten budget Mother's Day gift ideas for gardening moms. All of my suggestions are $20 or less--making them perfect for kids, grandkids, or big kids on a budget! Although it may be too late to have these items shipped, your local stores carry variations of nearly all of these items. Oh, and if you're open to slightly pricier ideas, check out last week's gift ideas post!

1. LL Bean Go-Anywhere Flexible Tote, $16.50
This soft, yet very sturdy, LLBean tote comes in a range of fabulous colors, including perfect-for-Mother's-Day bright pink. Also available in more practical hues, like dark green. Use it for anything outdoors-related: mix soil in it, haul tools or clippings in it, etc. This 11-gallon tote is built to last: it is UV-resistant and has reinforced handles.

There is nothing sweeter than settling into an ergonomic office chair. You've tried the fancy ones in the store, but how many of us are really going to shell out $600 for a top of the line Aeron. Jon Aquino is certainly not. He's hacked together a wonderfully geeky and apparently comfortable chair for his home office. He used things you'd have around the house anyway, making the cost virtually nothing.

All you need is a regular chair, a telephone book, a cutting board, a towel, and a bungee cord (or belt). Check out Jon's post here for assembly instructions. It's really simple and the height along with the lower back support are adjustable. Just look at his posture in this picture. He's saving himself a lot of back pain and probably getting more work done as a result.

Some commenters wonder if sitting on a phone book would be comfortable. I imagine you could put something over top or use a firm cushion instead.