Easy DIY Garage Hacks and Tricks To Maximize Your Storage

DIY An Overhead Storage System

Storing items against the ceiling is a great way to open up more space in your garage and get the things you aren’t using out of your way. There are tons of overhead storage units on the market, but these can be very costly, so give this DIY overhead storage system a try instead! You just cut pieces of wood like the ones shown in this picture and attach them to your ceiling. Then, you should be able to easily slide storage totes into the storage system.

Use A Shoe Caddy To Organize Paint

Those who enjoy doing a lot of projects that involve paint know the importance of keeping these containers properly stored. There are a lot of options for storing your paint cans, but this is one of the simplest and most convenient! Take an old hanging shoe caddy and place it over the back of your door or the side of a shelving unit. Then, fill each of the compartments with paint cans! You’ll be able to separate them by color, brand, project, or however else you need to keep them organized. The best part of this hack is that if some paint happens to leak on the shoe caddy, it’s no big deal! You can always get another one for super cheap if you want to replace it.

Use Your Garage Door For Extra Storage

Most people assume there isn’t much they can do with their garage door since it needs to be able to pull up and slide down easily. However, there are ways you can make the most of this space! Mesh bags attached to your garage door can hold light items like flip-flops, outdoor toys for children, and small gardening tools. There are also fishing rod racks you can purchase that are specifically made to attach to your garage door! This will free up some wall space for you to store other items that are heavier or bulkier.

Turn Old Fencing Into An Organizational Tool

Storing all your rakes, shovels, garden hoes, and other long equipment can be challenging. These things will fall over and get tangled up very easily if you don’t have a way to keep them separated from each other. This DIY hack gives you an excellent opportunity to put some of that old lattice fencing to use! Cut out squares of the fencing to put inside your organizer as shown in this picture. Then, place the tools handle side down through the latticework to keep them separated and standing tall.

Create Another Level

When you’re struggling with storage space in your garage, adding another level is a simple and easy fix. These drop-down storage units will provide another level of storage space and can easily hold heavier items and totes full of various tools and supplies. Buy one from your local home improvement store or DIY it if you’re super handy! This is also the perfect spot to put things you want out of reach of young children or pets.

Rehome Your Freezer

There are tons of good reasons to rehome your freezer in your garage. Maybe you need more storage space in your kitchen, or maybe you’d like access to cold drinks in your garage. Perhaps you love to fish or hunt and want the freezer in the garage so you can easily store your fresh meat. Whatever the reason is, moving your freezer into the garage can be a very helpful trick! Whether you have a compact chest freezer or a full-length model, it will fit well in your garage.

Use Chalkboard Paint On Your Shelving Units

Many people will suggest labeling your shelves, especially if you’re putting plastic totes on them, to keep track of your stuff more easily. But what happens when you need to rotate stuff around? Then you have to rip off old labels and attach new ones- unless you try this hack! Use chalkboard paint on your shelving units and label everything with chalk! This way, when it’s time to rotate things, you just erase the previous label and write a new one.

Choose Wire Shelving

Wood and plastic shelving units aren’t always the best solution. If you live in an area with a lot of rain and high humidity, then your risk these materials becoming moldy and damaged over time. Wire shelving is an excellent alternative because it’s strong, easy to clean, and doesn’t become moldy or rusty as easily as other materials. Knowing the right materials to use in your area will save you from having to replace your shelving units in a few years and makes it much easier to keep them clean!

Don’t Compromise On Aesthetics

There’s no need to compromise on the aesthetics of your garage when doing an organizational overhaul. Ugly gardening tools, rough half-finished projects, painting equipment, and other items can make your garage look dank and unwelcoming. Use cute storage containers, fabric cubes, bright colors, and closed cabinets to keep your garage looking bright and inviting!

Reuse Old Kitchen Cabinets

There’s no need to go out and buy all new cabinets and countertops for your garage when you can install the old ones from your kitchen! This is a great time and money-saving hack that will always give your garage a unique feel. If you aren’t redoing your kitchen, then search local groups online to see if anyone else is doing some home renovations. Many people will give away their old kitchen cabinets for free in exchange for not having to pay to throw them away.

Choose The Right Lighting

Installing the wrong kind of lighting can turn your garage into a dim and spooky place. Make sure to use LED bulbs to give your space plenty of bright, vibrant light. Use overhead lights when possible, and attach wall lights to shadowy areas. It’s also helpful to let as much natural lighting inside your garage as possible, so make sure to open your blinds whenever you’re spending time in your garage!

Add A Laundry Nook In Your Garage

While you’re working on reorganizing things and upping the efficiency of your garage, you should consider adding a laundry nook in your space. This is especially helpful if you don’t have a dedicated laundry room in your home, and it gives your garage an even more productive feel. You can add storage containers and shelving units around your washer and dryer to hold laundry soap, dryer sheets, paper towels, scrub brushes, and more!

Use A Curtain Rod

Some items are very cumbersome to store and create a bit of an eye-sore in your otherwise stylish and functional garage. So, how do you hide these big and bulky items from sight? Install a curtain rod and use a long curtain to cover the items from view! This works especially well if you have a little nook or “clutter corner” in your garage that you want to keep out of sight.

Use A Tennis Ball To Help You Park

Let’s face it- not all garages are spacious, and some barely allow you to park your car inside. If you have a smaller garage and you need to park your car inside, then you need this hack. Hang a tennis ball on a piece of string from the ceiling of your garage where your windshield should be when parked. You’ll never bump against your storage bins or risk scraping your paint on the wall again when you start using this hack!

Use Locking Cabinets For Dangerous Equipment

Garages are often a place where dangerous equipment gets stored. No one wants their child to get a hold of their power saw or leaf blower. Instead of locking the entire garage at all times, invest in a few large locking cabinets like the ones in this picture. These cabinets are large enough to easily fit large equipment like leaf blowers or power tools and they can easily be fitted with different types of locks. Make sure you’re also storing any flammable or other dangerous materials behind these doors!

Store Extra Tires Up High

Extra tires take up a ton of room on the floor of your garage or in the bed of your truck. There are simple wall mounts you can buy that only take minutes to install. These wall mounts allow you to store your tires high up on the wall, out of reach of children or pets, and safely waiting to be used. This is a great option for storing different sized tires for your vehicles and will save you time when you need to quickly grab a spare tire.

Create A Kid’s Corner

Kids love to be involved in what the grown-ups in the home are doing. Rather than try to keep them out of the garage while you’re working on your latest project, try giving them their own safe, dedicated space to play near you. Put in a little table, a soft rug, and some toys. Your kids will love playing in the garage while you work, and they’ll be less likely to come and interrupt your project every few minutes if they have some toys to keep them engaged!

Create A Cute Screwdriver Rack

Screwdrivers are notoriously hard to store. Most people just throw them in a draw and shift through them when they need one, but that’s not very efficient. Instead, create a cute screwdriver rack like the one shown in the picture above. All you need is a spare piece of wood and a drill. Drill holes in the wood, and then attach the wood to your wall or pegboard. You’ll have an easy organizational system for your screwdrivers that is both stylish and functional.

Store String In Old Coffee Cans

Keeping old string, twine, or rope sitting in a drawer will guarantee it gets all knotted up. Rather than spending ages untangling your string every time you need some, try this DIY hack instead! Use some old coffee cans to store your string, twine, and rope. Cut holes in the top and feed out a bit of the string. Now, whenever you need a length of string, you just pull it from the hole in the top of the can.

Use Magnetic Strips To Hold Everything Up

Smaller tools and objects are easily lost and misplaced in garages. For a unique storage idea, try installing magnetic stripes along your wall where you want to store these objects. You can easily attach paintbrushes, pliers, wrenches, and other tools along these strips. For pencils, tiny paintbrushes, and other tools, throw them in a couple of soup cans and attach those to the magnetic strips!

Create A Gardening Corner

Keep all the items in your garage organized by category. Have one wall for all your tools, one area for a laundry nook, and one space just for gardening supplies! Grab some metal storage units to keep your soil, extra potters, small tools, and other equipment. If you put your gardening corner next to a window with plenty of direct sunlight, you can even keep a few potted plants in your garage to brighten up the space.

Use Clothespins To Hold Small Objects

Small objects you use every day, like hats, gloves, and bandanas, deserve their own little storage space. This super easy storage board allows you to hang these little objects with clothespins, so you can easily remove them and replace them whenever you need them. You can hang this board anywhere you have a little free space in your garage, and it’d make a great addition to your gardening corner.

Use Buckets For Small Items

You can use little buckets to hold all your golf balls, tennis balls, frisbees, and other fun outdoor equipment. A simple Sharpie will easily label these buckets, and they’re super easy to hang anywhere in your garage. Take the whole bucket outside with you and let your kids go crazy- if you dare!

Reuse Your Old Golf Caddy

What do you do with your old golf caddy? Rather than throw it away or shove it in your closet, put that caddy to good use! They make excellent holders for gardening tools or outdoor toys. The best part about this trick is you can pick the whole caddy up and bring it outside with you when it’s time to do yard work or play. Then, replace everything and carry it back inside. This is a super functional and helpful organizational trick!