10 Ways to Organize Your Shed

Having a shed to store tools, out of season items, and other bulky items that would otherwise take up space in your home can be a huge stress relief and can help you make the most of your living space. But sheds can easily become clutter-catchers and graveyards for unused items all too easily. A well-organized shed, on the other hand, allows you to easily find what you need, store things between uses, and otherwise make the best use of your shed space. Read on for 10 ways to organize your shed.

Purge, purge, purge. The first step to organizing your shed is figuring out what you actually want to keep in it. Take time to go through what you’ve been storing and purge those things you no longer use, that are damaged or obsolete, or otherwise have not earned their space in your shed. You might be amazed what’s been hiding in the corners of your storage shed!

Look up. Make use of your vertical space. Hanging tools, bicycles, and other bulky items from ceiling hooks or racks helps to free up floor and shelf space. If your shed has an attic or rafters, you can really maximize the space above head height.

Hang it up.  Don’t forget all that wall space. Shelves are one way to use wall space, but hooks and racks are also fabulous space-savers. Utility hooks on the wall are great places to move items that have their own bags, such as camp chairs and sports equipment, up off the floor. Tool racks attached to the wall keep long-handled tools like shovels and racks neat and accessible. 

Rely on the classic pegboard. Sure, it’s retro and reminds you of your parents’ garage. But the humble classic pegboard wall is a classic for a reason! Install a pegboard to store your tools and implements — it keeps them up out of the way, organized, and easy to find at a glance. Attach the board to the wall, install hooks, and you’re ready to go. You can add outlines for tools or other embellishments, but the simple pegboard is an easy DIY solution to tool clutter.

Just float. Floating shelves are another easy DIY solution for cluttered sheds. You can buy floating shelves and install them yourself, or you can create them simply from wood or MDF. Floating shelves can be configured any way you like and give you a bit more freedom than a set of built shelves or a bookcase. Floating shelves can hold any number of things — just be aware of what weight they can handle. They can even make your shed look bigger since they take up little space themselves but pack a big storage punch.

Think heavy metal. Free-standing metal shelving is a fixture of many sheds and storage spaces. Choosing sturdy metal shelving helps you get items up off the floor, stored in a way that is visually appealing and also easy to navigate, and offers some protection against damp and damage. Mesh shelves also allow air to circulate and can help prevent mold and moisture damage.

Jar it up. Mason jars may be enjoying their moment in the fashion spotlight, but they’ve been a regular feature in sheds and garages for generations. Store paintbrushes in Mason jars without lids — these look great on a floating shelf! Nails, screws, brads, and other small items can be stored in jars with secure lids. Paint can also be transferred from cans to Mason jars. 

Stick ‘em up. Magnetic strips attached to the wall are an easy, visually appealing way to store metal tools and implements. Be sure to attach the strips high enough the they are out of reach of children. Any flat metal implement can be stored on such a strip — think of them like the metal knife holder you may have in your kitchen.

Use open tubs. Small open plastic tubs (as opposed to those with lids) help to organize tools, mower parts, and other items that don’t fit well on the wall but are also not a good fit to store on shelves. Choose sturdy tubs of a variety of sizes and store like items together. Labeling your tubs will make finding what you need a snap.

Pull up your drawers. Plastic or metal drawer units are also a great choice. Pull out drawers that install on a shelving unit can help you get double-duty out of the same piece of shelving and make the best use of vertical space within the shelving unit. Take your drawer storage to the next level by using plastic or metal drawer organizers. As with the tubs, store like items together and label the drawers for ease of use.