12 Ways to Organize Your Tools

If your garage is like ours, it’s full of — well — a bunch of stuff. But one of the main things we use our garage for is to store tools. Over the years, we’ve collected a lot: power tools, yard tools, hand tools, you name it. And sure, they do belong in the garage. But it certainly helps if you can keep them organized. Here are 12 ways to stay on top of the pile.

1. Use Your Walls

You can make an easy tool storage system out of peg board. As long as you have some wall space, you can store a ton of stuff this way.

2. Get the Right Containers

In the garage, you don’t necessarily need storage that matches or looks fantastic. Who’s gonna see it other than you? Old kitchen cabinets are something a lot of people use, as are those large plastic totes. Attach some metal racks to the wall or build some inexpensive shelves, and you’ll have a place to secure plenty of bins.

3. Look Up

Overhead racks are the perfect way to store things. If your garage ceiling is high enough, you can even install them above your garage door opener to stay completely out of the way.

4. Fish Pole Noodle

You’ve probably used those foam noodles in the pool, but they’re also fantastic for organizing your fishing poles (hey, those are tools for catching fish, aren’t they?) Just attach one to a wall and cut some slits.

5. PVC for Small Stuff

For small things like screwdrivers, zip ties, and paint brushes, PVC comes to the rescue in this easy-to-make storage solution.

6. Keep Long Tools in Check

If you’ve got a couple of wood scraps and are willing to spend a few bucks on some PVC, you can make this simple but smart tool rack for shovels, rakes, brooms, etc.

7. Foldable Workbench

This workbench serves its purpose, and then easily gets out of the way. Here are the DIY plans.

8. Cord Storage

Here’s an easy project that takes care of your extension cord storage problem.

9. Make a Tool Drop Zone

Try building a drop zone against a wall in your garage. This particular one is being used for shoes, coats, and backpacks, but you could easily dedicate a similar wall to your tools with shallow shelves, hooks, and a bench.