The cluttered garage is an icon of American living. Almost three-quarters of Americans wish their garage was more organized. Only 25% use the garage for its intended purpose — parking the car.
You’re not alone in your messy garage shame. But there are methods for organizing the madness, and many of them are only a couple of 2×4’s away.
If you’re sick of tripping your way into your house, here are 10 garage storage ideas to try.
1. Overhead Sliding Bin Storage
Look up! There’s an entire world of overhead storage in the garage. If you’ve got a collection of plastic tubs kicking around, you’re already halfway there.
Using the bins as spacers, screw three 2x2s into your ceiling studs. Center a 1×4 on each, secure it with screws, and you’ve got a track for sliding your bins.
It’s the perfect place for rare-use items, like Christmas decorations or winter sports gear. Heavy-duty tubs work best.
2. PVC Tool Corral
PVC piping is the duct tape of DIY building materials. Use the versatile tubes to corral your gardening tools.
Cut a run of pipe into six-inch lengths. Drill small holes at the top and bottom so you can attach the pipes vertically to studs.
Slide in your rakes and shovels. The circular PVC is a great match for long-handled landscape tools.
Don’t throw away the off-cuts! Instead, attach them to the walls to hold brushes and spades.
3. Extra Space Storage
If you can’t afford to lose any floor space, the recesses between studs and joists are a great garage organization idea. You’ll be surprised how much you can fit in that extra space.
Nail slats across studs to make cubbies for hockey sticks or gardening shears. Attach a shelf under the joists along a wall to create a space for tucking baskets or extension cords.
4. Wall-to-Wall Storage
A long, open wall is an invitation for wall-to-wall storage. You can find plans online for building customized shelving out of nothing more than a truck full of 2×4’s.
After building the ladder-style supports, you run studs the length of the wall to make slatted shelves. Make sure to put a support every six feet and customize it to your exact dimensions. A six-foot shelf made out of studs can hold around 200 pounds.
5. Fold-Down Workbench
If you want a flat surface for completing projects or potting plants or even assembling LEGO sets, all you need is some wall space.
Attach a pegboard at eye level and place hooks at the top two corners. Underneath the pegboard, use industrial strength hinges to mount a piece of butcher block. Screw heavy-duty eye bolts into the bottom two corners and hang two chains from the hooks to the eyes.
When you’re done using your folding garage workbench, release the chains and the countertop will hang flush with the wall.
6. Bracket Lumber Racks
Projects require a lot of lumber and produce a lot of off-cuts. Take care of both by installing wall-mounted lumber racks.
You can buy a metal rack or you can get a handful of sturdy shelf brackets. Level the brackets and space them according to your lumber lengths. You could do an entire wall of lumber racks or just one along the top.
7. Pegboard Book
Sometimes you can only spare a few square feet. Make the very most of those square feet by installing a book of pegboards.
The book operates much like the swing panel displays that hold posters at retail chains.
You’ll sandwich two pegboards together over a simple frame. Attach hinges, then affix the pegboard sandwiches to two hanging rails made out of studs. Add handles to browse your tools with ease.
8. Recyclables
Save the planet — and your money — by repurposing trash into key components of your garage organization. Finally a use for all the tin cans and baby food jars you’ve been saving!
Affix the lids of empty jars to the bottom of a shelf. Fill the jars with sorted screws, nails, zip ties, washers, extra Christmas bulbs — whatever odds and ends you have. Twist the jars back onto the lids, and you’ve got clear, organized access to all your tiny fasteners.
You can use tin cans in a similar way. Drill a hole through the back of the can so you can hang it on a pegboard hook. Store your screwdrivers, chisels, and pliers in different cans.
9. Pool Noodle Fishing Pole Organizer
Keep your fishing poles tangle-free with a pool noodle. They’re a match made under the sea.
Cut a length of PVC to match the pool noodle. Drill one-inch holes, four inches apart through only the top of the pipe. Make corresponding slits on the pool noodle, cutting only halfway through. Screw them both to the wall, and snap in your fishing poles.
10. Workshop on Wheels
The best way to maximize your minimal garage space is to create movable solutions. You can still have a workshop in a tight garage, just put it on wheels.
Build the cart yourself out of 2×4’s and plywood. You can make two simple ladder pieces and run plywood shelves between them. Or you can get fancy and build one with a shelf for your table saw and a built-in miter saw station.
The key is to pop some casters onto the finished product.
Push it against the wall when you’re done working for the day. Just make sure to roll it out of the way of your garage door opener sensor or it could keep the door from opening. Find out more reasons the door might not open in a cluttered garage.
What Garage Storage Ideas will You DIY?
Getting your garage organized doesn’t have to feel like an impossible task. There are simple fixes to common problems that you can take care of yourself. Some of the best garage storage ideas are a matter of utilizing unused space.
Are you trying to get the rest of your house organized? Check out our DIY Design Projects for hacks and ideas that will get you inspired to de-clutter everything.