Storage for Your Garage

Now that you've organized items in your garage into categories (sports equipment, tools, gardening, car care supplies, etc.) and gotten rid of items you no longer need, take a look at your storage.

By assessing what needs to be stored in each of the above categories, you gain a sense of what storage is necessary. For example, if you have a large quantity of small items - screws, nails, etc. - you might want to get a storage cabinet with small clear drawers for easy access and visibility. I have also seen jar lids nailed to the under side of a shelf with the jars attached once the lid is secure. When the item in a jar is needed, unscrew the jar and take what you need!

If you have numerous sports balls, you may want to get a large wire basket to hold them all.

If you have considerable gardening supplies, you may want to install a fold-down table to use for potting. Buckets can do double duty, holding gardening tools and, when empty, available to carry peat or manure to enrich your plants.

Whatever your needs, you have some options. You can have someone come in and provide new storage units for your garage. A second option is to purchase a few pieces to tweak your existing storage. Or you can consider repurposing pieces you no longer need in other places.

For example, we no longer needed a tall white bookcase in our house, but it works perfectly to store paint supplies and other items. We have a 18" x 18" x 30" wooden crate that now houses tools on long poles, keeping them in one location without falling down. A table no longer useful in the house serves as a work surface

Also, make use of your wall space. It's a great place to attach wire baskets, shelves, hooks, and pegs. A curtain rod (mounted as usual) is a wonderful place to store twine, tape, and wire. Use vertical space, as well. Store bicycles and other items from ceiling hooks to maximize usable space.

If your garage is the usual means of entering your home, you may want to consider turning the area beside the door to your home into a mud area. Put pegs on the wall for coats, umbrellas, and bookbags. Have a place to sit (a wooden storage chest works wonderfully!) to remove shoes or boots. Designate an area to line up those shoes and boots. And run a rug from that area into the house.

What have you done to make your garage work efficiently for you?