With Mother's Day closing in and with more women doing home-improvement projects than ever before, it's time to think about what tools Mom could use.

Yes, that's right: tools. Your mom or your wife or your friend may need tools for keeping the home fires burning a lot more than their mothers did. This doesn't just have to be for Mother's Day, of course. Just like the guys, women also need the right tool to do the job correctly.

Don't think women want or need to keep up their homes? Here's what surveys by Home Depot and Sears have turned up about women and home improvement:

Eighty-five percent of women surveyed have been or expect to be solely responsible for a home at some point in their lives.

Fifty-three percent surveyed say they are responsible for basic household maintenance and repair either on their own or in conjunction with their spouse.

Seventy percent of women homeowners say they would like to know more about home maintenance and repair.

Seventy-five percent of women say they do more home projects themselves than they did five years ago.

Eighty percent say they are more confident in their home-improvement abilities than they were five years ago.

Remember when it was just men you'd see in a home center or hardware store? Not anymore. In fact, at some home centers, women make more of the purchase decisions than men.

Why the big change? Maybe it's because more women feel free to do home-improvement projects themselves than their mothers did. Or maybe it's because there are more single women homeowners - either by divorce or choice - than ever before. The many home-improvement and design shows on TV also are driving interest.

Recognizing this vast new market, more manufacturers are turning out tools and tool kits aimed at women.

Companies such as Tomboy Tools and Barbara K are devoted to this niche, but mainstream toolmakers are also offering new models.

Generally these tools are a bit smaller and lighter in weight than conventional tools. Grips are more ergonomically suited to a woman's hand. They're also occasionally coming in colors a woman might find more feminine.

If you think of the person and the type of work that person usually does, that will take you a long way in deciding which tool to buy.

You might want to check out these additional resources:

Home Depot offers do-it-herself workshops to help women get up to speed on home improvement. To check out the latest schedule, go online to www.homedepotclinics.com

The Tomboy Tools Web site offers home improvement tips for every room of the house. Go to www.tomboytools.com.