Let’s face it. For most people, the garage is only partly used for storing cars and vehicles. Garages are also commonplace to store seasonal items like skis, Christmas lights, and lawnmowers. They often also double as an extra workspace for the home, so they may have a workbench for projects and equipment maintenance.
Finally, many people use them to store a wide range of yard and garden supplies and equipment. With such a wide range of uses, it’s no wonder that keeping a garage organized can be a challenge.
Here are ten great DIY garage organization projects that will help you protect your stored items, keep the garage clean, and maximize your garage space.
Garage Organization DIY Projects
DIY Garage Yard and Garden Supplies Organization
DIY Lawn Tools Organization from Wood Pallets
For storage of long, rugged tools like rakes, shovels, brooms, and more, wood pallets are an excellent choice for keeping these items compact and organized. To use wood pallets to store yard tools, stand the wood pallet on end with the open side up.
If necessary, attach it to a wall for extra stability. Use a drill to place wood dowels or pins inside the top board of the wood pallet, spacing the dowels 2-4 inches apart. Place tools vertically with the handle side down inside the wood pallet. The pins will keep the tools upright and prevent them from falling onto each other.
You may also add a second row of pins to the outside of the pallet to hang smaller items like hand tools, gloves, and hoses.
DIY Lawn Tool Organization from PVC Pipe
This design conserves floor space by allowing you to hang large lawn and garden tools horizontally from a wall. For this project, you will need PVC pipe that is large enough in diameter (2-4 inches) for your tool handles, cut into tubes 3-4 feet long.
Using pipe clips or brackets, mount the PVC pipe horizontally onto backing boards or directly onto a wall stud. If necessary, use acetone and gentle cloths to wipe away the manufacturer’s ink and marks from the PVC pipe. Slide tool handles into the pipe to store them horizontally and save space in your garage.
DIY Garage Seasonal Item Organization
Garage Organization DIY with Bins
The best way to store seasonal items in a garage is inside a clearly labeled storage bin. Look for weatherproof containers to withstand seasonal changes inside a garage, made of rugged materials to deter rodents and pests, and tightly sealed to prevent damage.
Choose storage bins with nesting lids so they stack easily and have small “feet” to keep the bin from resting directly on the garage floor.
Depending on how many bins you have, you may choose to build wood shelving to organize your garage storage bins, or purchase wire racks to keep them cleaner and easier to access.
DIY Garage Organization with Pulleys
For large seasonal items like kayaks, mountain bikes, skis and snowboards, and the like, consider using your garage ceiling space. Provided you have strong, sturdy ceiling joists, you can use them to hang a wide range of items.
To build a DIY garage organization pulley system, install a board on your wall with pegs or brackets where you will tie your rope. Then install a sturdy board with a row of heavy-duty eye bolts above your wallboard at the edge of the ceiling.
Finally, install a third board with eye bolts and pulleys on the garage ceiling. Thread heavy-duty rope or cord from the pulley to the eye bolts at the top edge of the wall, then down to your base brackets, and use the pulleys to lift and hold your seasonal equipment.
You can also buy an existing ceiling pulley system and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to install it.
DIY Garage Shop and Tool Organization
DIY Garage Shop Organizer from Pegboard
If you have a workbench in a garage, it can be challenging to keep all your hand tools convenient and organized. Consider hanging a pegboard behind your storage bench and using a pegboard accessory kit to store and organize your tools, keeping them easy to find and easy to put away after use.
For large numbers of tools, build a vertical storage system beneath your bench, using 1×2 boards to make slots for pegboard sheets. Then you can slide out individual sheets of pegboard to access items stored on both sides and slide them back when not in use.
DIY Garage Tool Organizer and Charging Station
If you have many power tools, it can be a challenge to keep all the tools stored and organized with their respective batteries and chargers. You can buy a power tool and charger organizer, or make one yourself with 3/4” plywood, wood screws, and a heavy-duty power adapter.
For more versatility, consider building a caddy with three (or more) sturdy shelves and add casters to the bottom so you can move your tools where they are most needed. Add a cord rack, so you can conveniently use a single extension cord to power multiple tools and chargers at once.
DIY Garage Organization to Maximize Space
DIY Garage Overhead Storage
Overhead storage is a great way to make the most of your space in the garage. You can use plywood and 2x4s to build a large, suspended platform perfect for storing infrequently-used items like family heirlooms or generous space for oversized items like beams and boards, ladders, and building supplies.
Consider adding a row or two of high shelves near the ceiling for things that aren’t as large or that you need easier access to.
Using heavy-duty shelf brackets lets you customize your shelving but also creates additional storage. With open braced brackets, you can use the space inside the brackets for additional horizontal storage of long, delicate items like fishing poles.
DIY Back of Garage Door Storage
The back of the garage door is an excellent place for storing longer, lightweight items like fishing poles, skis, snowboards, kayak paddles, and similar things.
You can buy racks made explicitly for this purpose or make a DIY alternative. When making your own back of garage door storage, remember that your items need to remain securely in place even when the garage door is opened overhead, so avoid standard C-hooks.
Instead, choose clips or hooks with a complete loop to support items at any angle. Heavy-duty R clips are a good choice, or choose flexible cable clips to gently but securely hold delicate items like fishing poles.
DIY Fold-Down Garage Work Table
If your garage doesn’t have enough space for a workbench, potter’s bench, or other work surfaces, consider making a DIY fold-down table that allows you to work when needed and then store the table out of the way.
Building a DIY folding table can be a challenging project, but you can make it faster and easier by starting with folding brackets. Choosing folding brackets means that all you need to do is choose, measure, cut your table surface, then do a basic assembly with a screwdriver.
For even more versatility that doesn’t take up much space, consider adding drawers, hooks, or shelving to the underside of a fold-up table to maximize storage when the table is tucked against a wall.
DIY Garage Organizing Gutter Wall
For the most affordable and versatile compact storage option, consider using rain gutters. Choose a section of your garage, and hang several rows of rain gutters along the wall. You can use traditional rain gutters or choose a J channel, or combine them in rows.
Then you can use hooks to hang a wide range of frequently used items from the gutters, keeping them organized, visible, and conveniently located.
Conclusion
These garage organization DIY projects will help you keep any garage clean and organized, helping you use space more effectively and keep your stored items safe and protected. There are excellent organizing DIY projects for any garage and various projects for any need, budget, or skill level.
The most essential step in organizing your garage is keeping it organized. Consider using labels or other methods to ensure that items put away when not being used can be found when needed.
With a bit of time and creativity, you can have the efficient, attractive garage of your dreams, so get started on these DIY garage organizing projects today.