If your shed has been used as a dumping ground and you can’t even get in it, let alone use it, you need some nifty shed storage.
Here are ten great ideas that’ll put an end to your tripping over trowels and getting tangled up in twine.
1. Shed shelving
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Shelving is the first place to start when it comes to organising your shed. If you don’t have any shelves, get some before you do anything else. You might even have some old ones from your home that need to be put back to use. Free standing or fixed to the beams, any kind of shelving will increase your storage space.
Make your shelves work better by organising them according to what you use the most. Put everyday tools on the middle shelves in eye view and within easy reach. Put heavy, bulky items at floor level to avoid nasty accidents. Anything seasonal or rarely used can be stowed up top.
2. Repurpose old furniture
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Repurposing any old cupboards into shed storage is a win-win. You’ll save money on shed furniture and declutter your home as well.
Gardeners and allotmenters – keep an eye out for old chemist cabinets or library-catalogue-card drawers at boot sales and online auctions. They make perfect seed storage units, as long as they’re kept somewhere dry.
3. Shovel racks
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Don’t let spades, forks, brooms and hoes get the better of you. Get all your long-handled tools properly organised with a tidy shovel rack. You’ll be able to see what’s what, and free up more precious space.
Make your own shovel rack from either an old pallet, or a piece of ply with slots cut into it, and attach securely to a wall.
If your shed is on the bijou side, you could even hang long tools on the back of the door.
4. Hooks, hooks, and more hooks
Image: Mr P Cottingham
For smaller tools like trowels and secateurs, hooks are a sheddie’s best friend. S-hooks are a cheap, quick way to install tool storage in your shed. There’s no drilling required and they can be moved around until you find the perfect spot. Hook them over an old palette, shower curtain rail, or window frame. Simple.
You can even use larger hooks for big tools like spades, forks and brooms. It's relatively quick and easy to screw them to the shed timbers, and they can be moved if your plans or requirements change.
5. Use the ceiling
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Think vertically. The ceiling’s your friend when it comes to storage. Ply boards can convert that disused space into out-of-the-way shelving up top. PVC pipe strung from the rafters makes the perfect fishing rod holder.
Bulky bikes can also be stored on the ceiling with a bike hanger or hoist system, saving you valuable floor space.
6. Classic tool wall
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It’s a satisfying feeling – knowing there’s a place for everything and everything is in its place. That’s why this classic tool board idea has stood the test of time.
Create your workshop tool wall by arranging your tools on a table or workbench first to find the best fit. Then transfer your arrangement onto a clear wall with hooks, nails and brackets to keep the tools in place.
Once you’re happy with your tool wall, draw around your tools with marker pen to leave silhouettes, reminding you where each tool lives.
7. Peg board
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If you’re looking for more flexible tool storage that can be adapted as your collection grows and changes, pegboard is a nice alternative that won’t break the bank.
Fix pegboard panels to your shed wall and use brackets and hooks to hang tools, baskets, or even shelves.
8. Let magnets do the work
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More often found in the kitchen than the shed, a magnetic tool holder can also be used for storing files, screwdrivers, pliers, or any other metal tools.
Our top tip is to use yours for storing paintbrushes. The bristles won’t get squashed, and they will dry out more easily after cleaning.
9. Hang your hose
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No matter how well you coil it, hosepipe has a nasty habit of untangling itself, ready to snare your legs the next time you enter the shed.
That problem is easily solved with a hose hanger. Any wall-mounted cylinder will do (even an old car wheel!), but an old cable spool or bucket makes a great choice as you can store attachments in the centre.
10. Organise odds and ends
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Now you’ve found homes for the larger things in your shed, it’s time to turn your attention to all those little odds and ends. A couple of baskets or mounted storage bins attached to a door or wall, or tucked safely away on a shelf, can keep small, useful items tidy.
Want something more fancy? One of us found an old typesetter’s drawer like the one pictured above at a car boot and turned it into a toolshed organiser.
Those are our handy hints for organising your shed, and we’d love to see how you make use of them.
What are your best tips to share on organising your shed? We’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch via our Facebook page.
Lead image: Bellephoto/Shutterstock
