11 Ideas for Organizing Your Shed
Updated: Aug. 24, 2021Looking for ways to clean up your garden shed mess? We've got the best projects for organizing your shed and finally finding the right place for all those hard-to-store items.
Make Use of a Mobile Cart
A mobile cart is a great solution to keep your frequently used garden tools and supplies (gloves, soil, trowels, etc.) in one spot and properly organized. You have two choices here: First, you can try our DIY garden cart project to use materials you may already have. Second, you can buy a durable garden center that can hold a wider variety of items. Both are a great fit for organizing your shed.
Photo: Inna Reznik/Shutterstock
Install a Track for Holding Tools
We particularly like the GearTrack rack for organizing your shed, because it’s easy to install. These tracks can hold a variety of different-sized tools, making them ideal for your shed. Remember to install the rack fairly high up in your shed to free up floor space.
Photo: Stefano Ember/Shutterstock
Create a Garden Supply Cupboard on an External Wall
A garden supply cupboard is a fun little cubby that you can mount on the outside of your shed. Pull the box open, and it can hold common garden tools or supplies you use every day. This helps when organizing your shed and makes cleanup easier, too. Check out our plans for a cupboard to see if it works for you.
Make Space for a Pegboard Organizer
Pegboard is one of the best materials for organizing your shed. Install a wall of pegboard, and with the right hooks and attachments you can transform that wall into whatever type of storage space you need. Add a few labels for better organization, and you’ve got a great solution. Here’s our guide on how to use pegboard for storage.
Photo: ItsPaz/Shutterstock
Seal Up Patio Cushions and Related Items
If you use your garden shed to store patio cushions and other seasonal items, then you need a way to protect those cushions and keep them from cluttering up your shelves. We suggest a cushion storage bag, which is designed for this very thing, but you can also repurpose any large, sealable plastic bags.
Photo: Stockforlife/Shutterstock
Simple Rack for Long-Handled Tools
This compact rack is strong and simple to build. You can store shovels, rakes, a sledgehammer—any long-handled tools—conveniently up and out of the way.
Add a Potting Bench
We have plans for a beautiful cedar potting bench that you can construct for your garden shed. This allows you to concentrate the messiness of working with plants into a single area that’s made for just that kind of work.
Photo: Del Boy/Shutterstock
Include Plenty of Toy Storage
Do you end up using your shed to store a lot of yard toys that tend to get cluttered, even when they are “put away”? This handy cubbyhole-based project has space for lots of toys and gear.
Build a Lumber Rack
If you use your shed for storing rough lumber and boards, you need a rack or two to keep the boards off the floor and to allow space between boards for air to circulate. If you also have plywood to store, this rack is perfect to help organize your shed.
Photo: ElRoi/Shutterstock
Storing Hazardous Materials
If you store any cleaners, pesticides, pool chemicals or other hazardous materials in your shed, consider keeping them up and away from kids and pets in a wall cabinet or similar lockable storage area.
Photo: Amirul Syaidi/Shutterstock
Storage Drawers
These drawers are a great way to organize all those tools and supplies kicking around your shed. Here’s how to make these DIY garage storage drawers.