10 Straightforward Shed Storage Ideas, gathered in

We lately brought in several Hands-on organization solutions in our new shed – all of which we completed in simply one weekend! So today we are going to show you all of the shed storage ideas we implemented in here, along with a few go-tos from other storage spaces we have organized. Here is what we will cover in this post:

Installing a pegboard
Building heavy-duty shed shelves
Creating a scrap wood organizer
Organizing nails, screws, and other small fasteners
Storing Hands-on project supplies
Hanging garden tools
Adding a workbench

Planning Your Shed Organization

Organizing a shed can be overwhelming, especially when you want to cram a lot of distinct functions into the space. Even though our new shed is fairly large (12×16′), we still had to be thoughtful about the best use of each wall. Ultimately we chose to write a list of:

The functions it needed to serve (namely workspace)
The problems we hoped to solve (namely overflowing storage in our garage)

This helped us prioritize the storage solutions we needed to create and then we simply simply worked through our list. Whatever did not make it into the shed could simply stay in the garage. So here is what we ended up adding:

#1: A Collapsible Workbench

Our top priority was a work table for Hands-on projects. We were tired of getting sawdust all over the garage every time we cut wood. So the quite first thing I did was buy a collapsible workbench from Home Depot. Our model is no longer sold, but this adjustable workbench would do the trick too.

I hoped something easily movable/collapsible, in case I want to rearrange things or need to break it down for extra floor space. I also liked this model because of the lower shelf and the additional storage space it offered.

#2: Clear Storage Bins

For some of my Hands-on project supplies, I picked up some clear 12-gallon storage bins (these are another bin option). Although solid-colored bins would’ve been more aesthetially pleasing, I opted for clear bins so that I could easily see what is inside each without having to pull them out or rely on labels.

The clear storage bins on the shelf are sorted by project – tiling supplies in one, plumbing & irrigation stuff in another, and painting stuff in a third. The bins are a plain, no fuss way to contain everything and also make it straightforward to carry all of the necessary tools whenever I am working on a tiling, plumbing, or painting project.

#3: Pegboard For Small Tools

Pegboards are one of my go-to ways to organize shed stuff like hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers, and a whole slew of other small tools. We had one in my old workshop, so I was excited to add another pegboard here. They may be cliche, but they are both visually appealing and a especially functional organizational system.

I hung three 2×4′ plain pegboard panels using screws and washers right into the exposed studs. Then I used my pack existing pack of pegboard hooks and clips to hang everything. I even used some of the space above the pegboards to stash sanding blocks, tubs of wood filler, and other un-hangables.

shed storage ideas tool workbench with pegboards

Pegboard are also are strong storage system if you are someone who has trouble staying organized. Once the upfront work is done, it is straightforward to keep everything in its place and (more importantly) tell when something is out of place or missing.

shed storage ideas white pegboard with tools

Some people go as far as to outline or label the pegboards to assist them remember what goes where, but I find it easier to simply take a picture to keep on my phone. Or you can print it out to keep nearby!

#4: Paint & Frame Your Pegboard

If painting outlines is too much for you too, another straightforward way to dress up a pegboard is to paint the whole thing. We did this in our old basement workshop, giving the pegboards a coat of navy blue paint (Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore) to make them look a little bit more custom-looking. We also took the time to frame the edges with window molding to make them look more polished. You can read more about dressing up our pegboard in this post.

Collage of Painted Shed Pegboard Organization

You can also see that we turned one pegboard into a decorative photo display. You will never believe what we used for the picture frames!

#5: Scrap Wood Organizer

Scrap wood was one of the big organization issues we had in our garage, so creating a system for storing it in our shed was a high priority. I began by bringing all of my scrap wood into the shed to assess how much I needed to organize.

Most of the scrap wood storage systems I found on Pinterest were quite elaborate (it spins! it folds out!) but I hoped to keep it plain. I also hoped to use as much scrap wood as possible to build it. I did buy a few new 2×4″s for stability, but I otherwise I did not buy lumber to corral my existing lumber.

shed storage ideas straightforward scrap wood organizer

we have a step-by-step building guide for this scrap wood storage system and it is way easier than it looks. It is got vertical sections for my long boards, a low cubby for my small plywood panels, and even a flexible area on the end for larger sheets.

It may not be the prettiest scrap wood organizer on the Internet, but it does the trick!

#6: Heavy Duty Shelves

Next up on the to-do list was some heavy-duty shelving. You know, something that would stand up to the weight of bigger tools (more than your typical plastic or wire garage shelf). We followed this walkthrough to create these Especially straightforward garage shelves. It is literally the most foolproof Hands-on step-by-step ever and one of our go-to shed storage ideas on this list.

shed storage ideas Hands-on heavy duty wood shelves

All it takes is some 2×4″s, plywood (I used scrap again), and a good level. This process is also especially adaptable to any space – be it garage, basement, or shed. We even replicated and adapted it in our beach house shed a few months later.

Spacing of heavy duty Hands-on shelves in beach house shed

If you want some more straightforward Hands-on shelf ideas for other parts of your home, we have rounded up over a dozen of them!

#7: Large Hanging Bike Hooks

Since we used those beach shed shelves for leftover tile, paint, and infrequently needed items, we chose to take advantage of the front of the shelves too. So we screwed in some large rubber hooks to maximize the organization. They are sometimes called bike hooks, but they are good for more than simply bikes.

Large rubber hanging hooks on front of heavy duty shed shelves

We used the hooks on the shelves to hang beach gear, like our beach chairs and beach umbrellas.

Beach gear hanging on large rubber hooks on the front of heavy duty storage shelves

And on another wall, we used bike hooks to hang lawn equipment like our leaf blower and string trimmer. Even our ladder hung nicely on a couple of big hooks!

#8: Screws / Nails For Hanging

Hanging stuff does not have to involve buying new fancy hooks though. Whenever possible, we also simply rely on a plain screw or nail too. You can see how in our beach house shed we hung more yard equipment – like our rake, clipper, tree trimmer, and more – by simply drilling a single screw into a stud.

It may take some time to figure the best arrangement of things, but why waste time or money on special hangers when the plain solution does the trick?

#9: Mason Jar Small Part Storage

When it comes to storing small items like nails and screws, one classic way to corral these is in small mason jars. It feels like a quite nostalgic way to organize your fasteners, which is why we used it in our old basement workshop. We even took the time to add labels and spray-paint some of the lids to customize how they looked.

Collage of mason jar storage in shed to contain nails and screws

These especially made sense in this workshop because it had an existing shelf installed that was the ideal size.

#10: Wall-Mounted Small Part Shelving

In my new shed, I chose to take a more modern approach to small part organizing.

I brought all of the drawers into the shed so I could see my stash all in one place. I picked up three styles of plastic, small part organizers from the store (slide-out, pointer-out, and portable). They were each less than $20 and offered slightly distinct size and configuration options (spoiler alert: I ended up returning the one laying on the floor because I simply did not need it).

shed storage ideas small part organizers

The two hanging options came with keyhole cut out on the back, so it was straightforward to hang them onto my exposed studs. I did not label anything because I have found that I do not keep up with labels (or as I once heard someone say: “I am a Millennial, I do not like labels.“). But having the clear compartment at eye level made it straightforward to see exactly what was in each cubby.

shed storage ideas small part organizers nails screws

I also like the small gray compartments because they can be took out all the way, so we can take the appropriate container of screws over to our workspace if need be.

shed storage ideas pull out shelves for screws

Want More Shed Storage Ideas?

If you are looking for more ideas for organizing your shed, garage, or basement, check out how we organized our beach house shed, our old garage, and our former basement workshop.