Tool Organization Ideas for Your Garage

Finding ways to organize your tools can be tough. Discover some easy tool organization ideas and learn how you can transform the space in your garage by using empty wall space, incorporating storage cabinets, and exploring shelving options.

Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of tools in your garage? Not sure how you can maximize space without sacrificing your stuff? You aren’t alone. Many people struggle to find smart tool organization ideas.

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Whether your tool collection is required for your trade, or you simply like to tinker on the weekends, it’s important to maintain a tidy workspace. This is especially important if your personal workshop is actually your garage.

Keeping your tools organized in your garage may seem like an impossible feat at first, but we promise, it isn’t! With a little elbow grease and some creative solutions, you can transform the most disorganized garage into a well-organized extension of your toolbox.

3 Clever Tool Organization Ideas

Read on to discover some clever tool organization ideas that can convert your garage from a mess into a stress-free, highly organized space.

Option 1: Optimize wall space in your garage for tool storage.

Whether you park your car in your garage or prefer to use the space to store your spare stuff, you probably don’t have too much on the walls of you garage. Why not take advantage of the wall space in your garage to store and organize your tools?

uSE pEGBOARD FOR SMALLER TOOLS

For an easy and affordable way to convert your garage walls to storage space, invest in pegboard. You can find pegboard at your local home improvement store. Purchase a piece, install a segment along a wall, and add a few hooks. Voila – your garage is now equipped with a functional wall where you can store drills, hammers, and any other tools you can hang.

To help your pegboard stay organized, you can even add colorful outlines of your tools to show what goes where, which is what one blogger did. And if you have tools that won’t hang too easily? Attach a few pegboard baskets to hold them and keep them from lying around.

wALL ORGANIZERS FOR GARDEN TOOLS

Wall space can also be a great way to organize garden tools. While there are some clever mobile garden storage racks on the market that can be rolled outside for easy access, the long, narrow shape of many tools makes them optimal for wall storage. You can hang a rake or a shovel between two nails, but you can find more sophisticated wall organizers for a great deal with a little research.

Option 2: Organize tools in your garage with storage cabinets.

Don’t want to leave your tools so exposed? You can organize your tools and keep them out of sight with storage cabinets.

Use the storage cabinets you have

If your garage is already equipped with storage cabinets, see how you can optimize the space inside. Remove everything from inside your cabinets and get rid of anything you no longer need. Then, get creative with your cabinet’s interior.

Here are just a couple of tool organization ideas to help you make the most of your pre-existing cabinet space:

• Adjust the height of your shelves.  Simply moving a shelf an inch or two higher or lower can make a world of difference.
• Add some drawers. If you have lots of small tools to store, you may benefit from adding some drawers to your cabinet. Install a drawer or two with dividers to store wrenches, screwdrivers, nuts, bolts, and nails.

INVEST IN ADDITIONAL STORAGE CABINETS

And if your garage doesn’t have cabinets yet? Consider making an investment into your space by purchasing cabinets to organize your tools. Depending on your budget, you have quite a few options, including:

• A freestanding cabinet. You can purchase a simple freestanding storage cabinet from ULINE or find one at your favorite home improvement store. If you’re a renter, or you anticipate moving soon, this can be a great choice, as you can easily take it with you.
• A dedicated workbench. You can find lots of functional workbenches on the market for a reasonable price. These serve double-duty in the garage, offering a flat surface to work on and ample drawer space for storing and organizing tools.
• A custom-built solution. If you really want to invest in storage cabinets that will meet your needs, consider investing in a custom storage solution. There are lots of companies on the market that will assess your space and come up with a plan tailored to your needs.

Option 3: Install some shelves to store your GArage tools.

What if you need more space than your wall space can provide but don’t need to hide your stuff behind closed doors? Consider some shelving options. Storage shelves offer a few benefits when it comes to storing tools. Shelves leave your items exposed, so you can easily find whatever you need. On top of that, the fact that you can’t hide anything can encourage you to keep everything tidy and organized.

What are my shelving options?

There are generally two types of shelves you’ll find in a garage – freestanding shelves or floating shelves. Freestanding shelves offer greater stability and can often hold heavier items. They also often extend from floor to ceiling, making them a smart choice if you have a vast tool collection.

On the other hand, floating shelves can be a smart choice if your garage is short on floor space. Use them to store tools in clearly-marked plastic bins so you can easily find what you need. Just make sure you know what you’re doing when you install your shelves. Failing to properly anchor floating shelves can seriously damage your walls.

Organizing the tools in your garage may not be fun, but it’s a worthwhile exercise. After all, a missing drill bit or wrench socket can make the difference between a successful project and a frustration-filled afternoon. Eliminate any confusion by organizing your tools and assigning a home for each item in your garage. You’ll be glad you did!

Use a storage shed to store your tools? Check out our tips that will walk you through getting it organized!

Struggling to get motivated? Sign up to get our FREE guide, The 30-Minute Organizing Secret and discover easy ways to overcome the chaos of clutter – even with kids at home!

More Home Organization Articles:

• Garage Organization: Your Complete Guide – learn how to store all of your extra stuff in your garage – not just tools!
• How to Add More Storage to Your Small House – find some smart tips and tricks to keep your small home organized!
• How To Organize Kitchen Cabinets: 10 Easy Tips – once your garage is clean and organized, see how to spruce up your kitchen cabinets!