For other DIY ideas like how to build a great telescope for <$100, solar filters and other neat astronomy items, check out what's on this page.
Jay Scheuerle of Pennsylvania has solved the problem of the "bad, shaky, inexpensive" telescope, if you're the slightest bit handy with some basic tools, and have $90. He calls this scope the "Portabowl" because not only is this scope extremely light and easy to move, it's based on using a bowl as part of the base. Contrary to how most "retail" scopes are built, the bowl makes moving the scope to targets in the sky TOTALLY intuitive and easy! Plus, his step-by-step instructions ensure success. Want a good scope? Build your own! You'll save money AND get a better scope than you could buy new for the price.
This is a picture of a cat's perch chair that I made for observing. This makes observing from all of my telescopes - and binoculars! - much, MUCH more comfortable to do. I can set the seat to the height required so that the eyepiece is within easy reach of my eye. Or, I can put the seat a good ways down, lean back, and scan the sky with my binoculars, while the chair itself keeps my head in an ideal position for viewing, and holding it steady. It's made from a few 1x4's, a small section of 1/2" plywood, and two small 1x6's and a piece of 1x12 for the seat itself. I added some cushioning and a seat cover; the checkerboard pattern makes it easy to find in the dark, as do the white and black paint on the chair itself. The best part is, the whole thing folds up flat - for easy storage and/or transport!