It’s been quite a week at my house! My mother-in-law has been in town visiting, my husband developed a gigantic-sized “man cold,” and then he saw fit to pass it on to me! ugh. So working on this garage organization post has been challenging to say the least, but I did manage to take photos of some of the organization ideas we currently use at our house and also managed to implement a few new ones that I’d been meaning to try! While I didn’t manage a complete garage makeover, all-in-all I’m pretty proud of what I was able to accomplish despite some obstacles. :-)
Let’s start with some my favorite tried-and-true garage organization tips:
My husband and sons are avid ice fishermen (I know, crazy, huh?) and all their coats, and insulated overalls, etc. take a good amount of space that I simply can’t spare inside the house. So a few years ago we rigged up with rod in the garage to hang all that gear on. All we did was mount two closet rod brackets to the bottom of some existing shelving in our garage and got a four-foot length of wooden closet rod at Home Depot. If you look closely you can see my husband also stores his regular fishing rod behind the clothing by resting it in the bottom of the two brackets. Pretty smart huh?
It does tend to get a little dusty in the garage, but it’s ice-fishing gear! I don’t worry too much about it. ;-)
Another great thing we did using simple metal shelf brackets that you can purchase at any hardware store, is create a place to store the folding chairs we use when we have parties. We are big believers is getting as much as possible up off the floor of the garage and onto the walls. This works perfectly!
Just an aside here….one of the things that BUGS me most about our garage is that while we went to the expense of having it drywalled, as you can see from the pictures, we STILL haven’t gotten around to PAINTING IT after almost 10 years! How silly is that? After doing this post you can bet that will be on the TOP of my To-Do List this spring! :-)
Moving on. :-) While I have to admit my bike didn’t come down off these hooks once this summer (I know, I know, shame on me!) putting these bike hooks up was a great way of freeing up space in our cramped garage.
Another great way to maximize floor space in the garage is getting all the long-handled equipment up off the floor and onto the wall. These garage wall tool racks are inexpensive, easy to mount, and go a LONG way towards a more organized garage! This is actually one of TWO we mounted in our garage.
For those items that are a little bulkier and won’t hang flush against the wall, bicycle hooks mounted under existing shelves do the trick! We are HUGE fans of these big hooks! We have them mounted on the ceiling, under shelving, on the walls, etc. They can be used in a myriad of ways to get things up off the floor!!
Even large nails placed strategically around the garage can keep items handy and completely out of the way. This pair of shears that we use a lot during the summer are tucked away right inside the garage door and are easy to grab when a pruning emergency arises. :-)
As much as I love nails and hooks for hanging, some items, like a garden hose, simply won’t fit on a hook. In these cases I find bungee cords to be my best garage-organizing friend!
Here a bungee cord, combined with a bike hook, makes a perfect hanger for this industrial-sized extension cord.
For outdoor products you buy in bulk such as ice melt for sidewalks, dog food, bird seed, etc., a medium-sized (or large-sized) galvanized trash can is a great way to avoid having lots of open bags that are prone to spilling laying around. My husband has a pellet smoker and I have found this is the most efficient and attractive way to store his rather large supply of pellets.
Now that I’ve shown you some of our tried-and-true garage organization practices…I’m excited to share with you a few NEW ideas I implemented as I put together this post. While it has only been a few days, I’m loving ALL of them!
We have some free-standing shelving in the garage that seems to become a dumping ground of all the “little stuff” that we keep in the garage. Nails, screws, drill bits, etc, etc, etc. They all collect here in a big mess. I decided a few small bins might be in order to not only clear the clutter, but to make things easier to find. I decided to start small with just 4 bins, but I already know I will be purchasing more! These bins I purchased at Home Depot even came with their own labels you can write on. :-)
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Another thing we seem to have a plethora of lying around on the shelves is TOOLS. Even though we have more than one tool box, it seems after we use a tool, it never ends up back in the box. I had seen the idea of a magnetic strip for storing oft-used tools several different places in my research and knew I had to give it a try! I could not be happier with this simple little item. We mounted it right next to the shelving in easy reach and now there are no excuses for not putting tools back where you found them at our house! :-)
Since I love the look (and functionality) of my galvanized trash can so much, I decided to pick up a few galvanized buckets as well to help corral items that don’t lend themselves to being hung on the wall. These would be great for all sorts of sports equipment (I used one of them for baseball mitts that I never seem to know where to put) but I really like them as a place to keep winter hats and gloves as well.
The labels are simply chalkboard stickers I bought at Michaels craft store and wrote on with a chalk pen. So handy – and cute to boot! :-)
This idea required no investment of money and hardly any investment of time either! I spotted this idea in the background of a picture once and thought it was pretty genius. I don’t know about you, but we have a ridiculous amount of various kinds of tape in our garage and house. We also happen to have a ridiculous number of suit hangers (with the locking pant bar), so this was a marriage made in heaven. A ready-made DIY tape dispenser. :-)
Last, but certainly not least, on my garage organization check list this week was figuring out what to do with summer clothes when we enter into Fall. In the past I have simply shuffled things around in my closet, putting the out-of-season things in the back, bringing seasonal clothes to the front. Not very practical. I really needed to make some room in my closet so I invested in several of these see-through bins to store my off-season wardrobe.
I really liked these bins in particular because the lids are attached and you don’t run the risk of misplacing them (not that *I* would ever do such a thing!) And once again I utilized the chalkboard stickers as labels. I even put a second set of stickers on the opposite ends of the bins so that come springtime I can repeat the process with my winter clothes and simply turn the bins around when stored.
I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to do this! My closet now has PLENTY of room in it! Might be time to go shopping! ;-)
Like I said earlier, despite a fairly chaotic week, I was able to implement several of these organization ideas with little time, money, or effort involved. But I was pleasantly surprised at what a difference even a little more organization can make!
If your garage is in need of a serious garage overhaul, here are few steps to keep in mind:
Have a Game Plan
What is your priority for your garage? To park your car? To have a workspace? To store seasonal items and sporting equipment? You may be able to have it all if you take a minute to prioritize how you want to use the space.
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Clean and Prep
The only way to know what is in the garage is to remove everything inside and start with a clean slate. Once everything is out, sweep and wash down the floors and dust cobwebs from corners.
Sort
As you pull things out of the garage, gather all of your sporting equipment together in one spot, then your tools, lawn gear, camping gear, decorations and so on.
Purge
Start by making four piles: keep, donate, trash, recycle. As you purge, place each item into its respective category. Get rid of anything that is broken or things you haven’t used in over a year. Return items that don’t belong to you or belong somewhere else other than the garage. Get rid of duplicates.
Map Out Your Space
Now that you’ve cut down all of your stuff, time to map out the space. Don’t forget to go vertical and overhead. Consider your walls to hang items or install shelving. And what about the ceiling? You may be able to put plywood boards along rafters to store seasonal or seldom used items.
Buy/Recycle Organizational Supplies
You don’t need to spend a fortune on supplies, a lot of things you already have will work. You can use large trash cans to store rakes, shovels and brooms upright, or to store sporting equipment. Recycled glass jars or small plastic containers can keep nails & screws organized, and tin cans are great for paintbrushes & screwdrivers!
Put Everything Away
Put everything away in their designated zone and start labeling. Label as much as you can, it just makes it easier to find and put things away.
Enjoy Your New Garage!
You’ve worked hard to organize your garage and you’ve earned it.
We live in Central FL. No basements, no extra storage. So our 2 car garage is our storage. It gets much to hot to put anything in the crawl space. Luggage, old paperwork that we still need to keep, holiday things, lawn mower and other yard tools. We are not supposed to have outdoor storage areas as per our HOA. I have free standing shelves and it does help but don’t have the wall space (because of the shelves) to hang a lot of things. Any ideas from FL readers short of renting a small storage unit? Thank you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A few things that have really helped me keep the garage/workshop under better control start with making sure that I keep everything in categories. Holiday, crafts, tools, etc. In one area it is just Christmas decor with items for other holidays stored beside it. The wreaths are slipped into a clear cleaning bags to keep dust off and hung on the wall. For storing luggage I wipe it off with a cloth sprayed with furniture polish, slip it into clear bags and place it on upper shelves where it is out of the way, but will be clean and ready for the next use.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One of the things that has been most helpful is using file storage boxes from Office Depot. Made of heavy duty cardboard with hand grips in each end they are easy to move around. They come in two sizes and are white on the ends making it good for labels and when stacked or on shelves they look clean and tidy. Best of all they are a less expensive investment when just beginning to get things in order.
I’m not much of an organizer, however, I do use bins like you have used for your clothes. I have them under beds with clothes, in the attic with Christmas decorations and in the closets. We don’t have a garage, but we do have a shed which needs some mass organization. I love your idea of taking everything out and cleaning it out. We definitely need to do that. I love your daily emails. Learn something new that I would like to implement at my house at least every week.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These tips are very timely because we’ve been storing some things for a family member in our garage and they’re coming to clear them out this weekend so I’m looking forward to getting the garage in order. I’ll be looking into some galvanized buckets of various sizes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t have a garage but my parents do, and they use peg boards on the walls and then hook tools and cords onto it. It’s been like that my whole life and keeps things very organized.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We have peg boards for hanging the hand tools. The magnetic strip is for organizing tools and over time can magnetize them. Magnetized strips can make your screws cling to the screwdriver, which can come in handy when putting things together.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a question about your tape dispenser. Is that macaroni & cheese printed on the duct tape? What is the story behind that?
We store tools and many miscellaneous items on pegboard – it is installed on back wall of garage floor to ceiling and wall to wall. I plan to add a couple of shelves high on the peg board (using the long peg hooks made for shelving) and also bicycle hooks for a few other things. Loved your idea of bungee cords for hoses, etc!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My side of the garage is fairly organized…but, the hubbies side..oh, my……my next trip into town will include a stop at the Dollar Store for small storage bins and a stop at the hardware store for a couple of those magnetic strips…I love that idea……thank you for great suggestions…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you so much for your wonderful and practical ideas. My garage is a huge disaster and I have been waiting for cooler weather to tackle it with the help of my sons. I was planning on purchasing large metal shelves from Sam’s Club to get most of the boxes off the floor, but I will definitely implement your ideas also. I really love the magnet strip idea!! My boys are always working on their cars but always misplace their tools . I really think this idea will work for us. By the way, where can I get the magnet strip?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My husband built me some wonderful wooden shelving in the garage where I store all my holiday decorations and other items. I had everything neatly organized in Rubbermaid boxes but we failed to take into account he bin sizes when we built the shelves. A few quick measurements before we started would have helped create shelves we could load up more efficiently (I could have stacked the boxes lengthwise instead of width-wise and fit more boxes on the shelves). One or two inches and a little planning make a big difference!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I finally just put up a peg board, and I’m loving it! Now all the small things that were cluttering the shelf are now nicely hanging on the wall. Yay!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Magnetic strip! Why didn’t I think of that!?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Gotta get me one.
Love the bungee cord/extension cord idea!
A way to freshen up the garage is to hang drywall and paint the walls.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love the idea with the bungee cord and extension cord!
If you have drywall on your garage walls, one way to “finish” the look and make things cleaner/brighter would be to paint the walls.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These are great idea. I have pinned some to save for when we buy our first home! Loving these organizing blogs!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One great organizational tip I have received recently and use proliferously is the over the door shoe organizers. I once heard of someone using them to store extra cords, such as extension cords, telephone wires and cords, etc. I have expanded this idea for my work gloves, and cleaning supplies, just to name a few. Even the shower organizers have found a place. Another great and useful accessory are the Command strip hooks and such. I use them constantly for all kinds of things. I have even convinced my mother to use these items in her home.
One last tip–extension rods between exposed studs, etc are great for hanging any kind of spray bottle with a handle. They don’t fall off or fall over, and it lets you use your shelves for other things!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Our favorite organizing trick in the garage is the peg board. It’s not a new invention but it works for us to get things out where we can see them and it’s so easy to move things around if necessary. We hang our kids’ scooters up, electrical cords, lawn tools, etc. I think I’ll steal your galvanized little bucket idea for my gloves though. That’s awesome!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Put everything back when you are done using it! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Awesome…really awesome. Would you have a full shot of your garage just for getting an idea of how everything is situated? I’m really thinking of trying to make our garage more conducive to my husband using it this winter. Like a heater mounted on the ceiling and getting things up off of the ground. I’d love to see how yours is laid out. Thanks so much for all you do!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.So many great ideas in this blog! Our garage needs organization and now I have some ideas on where to start. Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We have a 6’X4′ peg board that we use to organize. I have buckets hanging from them for little odds and ends. I also recently cleaned the garage and got rid of all the cardboard boxes and replaced them with plastic containers of all sizes that I have bought on sale over the years.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I really like the idea of the metal bar for misc. tools that seem to be used the most and never get put away.
Garage storage is a big thing with my husband. We have 2 plus a shed that he has wonderfully organized. I can find anything I need on my own even while he’s at work! My favorite are the plastic bins for storing all the little hardware. Loved this post!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a carport , I need to do this though , so this weekend will sweep out and put everything in order. Thanks for the great ideas !
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We remodeled our kitchen and took one of the bottom cabinets out to the garage. A cheap piece of plywood on top covered with a plastic table cloth works great for the top (Staple the tablecloth on the underside to make it tight) I use these drawers for small garden tools, vacuum cleaner attachments for vacuuming out the car, my bird suet cakes, etc. In the large door we have a garbage can that holds our pop cans until we can take them to the recycle. The other door I keep our potting soil, fertilizer & weed killer. On top I have rubber maid containers filled with my different bird seeds for easy access to refill my feeders. Also our gas cans for filling mowers, trimmers and blowers. All nice and handy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I LOVE the chalkboard labels for the bins and the idea of storing seasonal clothes, rather than keeping them all in your closet!
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