3 Simple DIY Garage Tool Storage Solutions: Turning Chaos Into Order!

A wise man once said, "As thy tool collection increases, the very essence of space seems to vanish." Even Einstein himself struggled to explain how space in my garage disappears merely two days after I clean it. But fear not! I'm here to save you time and space by suggesting a few cheap and practical ways to get your garage organized and looking somewhat pristine. These solutions are especially useful if you suffer from Chronic Time Deficiency (CTD) and can't waste time on overcomplicated designs and plans.

Supplies

Now, before we dive into the projects, let's take a look at the supplies you'll need. Many of these items are shared across the three projects listed below, so feel free to pick and choose what you need:

Hammer
level
Stud finder
4 inch screws
Stapler
Free sample vinyle panks and sheets
1x4 pine wood
Long screws
Metal hangers
Zip tie
Scissors
Scrap wood
Finish Nailer
Jig saw
Circular saw

Step 1: The Simple One

Sometimes, the simplest ideas can be the most brilliant. This solution works for small tools and toolboxes that you use most frequently and need quick access to. You will need a long piece of wood (I used a 1x4 piece, though I think a thicker piece would have been more useful) cut to size and attached to the studs. Make sure to align the wood to level. To create the pouches that will hold some of your tools, you will need a piece of vinyl sheet flooring (I got mine as free samples from Home Depot, and they are about 5 x 8 inches). Cut 2-inch squares at the corners of the piece and then attach the bottom lip of the piece to the wall using staples then do the same for the sides. As for the toolboxes, you can use another free vinyl plank sample from Home Depot along with some long screws to hold the boxes above the piece of wood. Make sure to adjust the screws so that you can pull the boxes out quickly when you need them. Next, you can use pairs of 4-inch screws (the longer the better) to hold the hammers and similar tools, tape measures, and similar tools. Finally, you can also attach tools directly to the drywall, though it is not a good long-term solution as I found out later on. Instead, you can just attach another piece of 1x4 wood and attach the other pieces to it. As for the screw drivers and other random tools, I used an old time card rack I had stuffed in my garage.

I know this one is a really simple and not overtly impressive solution, but it will work! that is assuming that your tool collection is not exceedingly large :)

Step 2: The Obvious One

Just hang your tools! Duh!

This one is quite self-explanatory, but basically, I had a long portion of my wall that I was not using, along with an old piece of wood with metal hangers attached to it. Similar to the previous steps, you will need to mark the studs, find the level line, and screw the wood into the studs using 4-inch screws. Then you can go ahead and attach the metal hangers onto the wood piece. What if you don't have metal hangers laying around? You can always hammer in some nails instead. What if you don't have nails laying around? Go get some! For the tools that don't have a handle for you to attach the zip ties, you can just make a knot in the wire or find a small accessory piece to drill a hole and attach the zip ties. Next, attach the zip ties to key clips (I got mine for a few cents each at a thrift shop) and hang them, or you can just keep it as is if you so prefer. The only downside associated with this is that you will need a separate space to store the accessories for each tool. In my case, I had a nearby cabinet for all the accessories.

Step 3: The Complicated One

The last suggestion I have is to make some French Cleats! I know I said it was going to be simple and not too complicated and easy, blah, blah, blah, etc... but you are here now and we can't just skip talking about the holy grail of tool organization. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: They look pretty, they are versatile, and function well long-term; Cons: They require you to think, you might have to go buy some proper wood, and they can be time-consuming. However, I've heard that once you get the hang of them, they are really easy to make.

I suggest using this method for the tools that don't fit or don't work in Methods 1 and 2 (Circular saw, Impact/Drill Station, Sander, etc.). That way, you won't spend too much time making a French Macarón for every tool; only make them for the tools that need them. As for the ingenuity part of it, I would suggest joining a Facebook group for French baguettes and stealing the designs from there. In terms of the materials you will need, it is easiest to just go and buy a good 3/4-inch piece of plywood and use it instead of scraping old pieces of wood as I did.

In my case, I had some old cabinet drawers that were absolutly filthy to say the least. I cleaned them up, separated the pieces, sanded them, stapled the pieces together until I had a design that worked for me, then I used screws and finishing nails to hold it all together.. For the wall piece, I used a VERY old piece of 1x4 pine wood and cut it in half so that I could use half of the piece for the wall and the other half for my tool stations / French Madeleines. It didn't come out perfect, but it's functioning, and that's all I care about!

As for how to make the French cleats using 1 piece of wood, I attached a good video for it right here: https://youtu.be/onKMEe8KeJ0

It is really important to manage your expectations with this one; your first French Croissant will probably look terrible, but that's fine. It will be usable until you get your skills up to par. Onwards and upwards!

Step 4: Conclusion

In the end, let me admit it, Method 3 using French cleats is the proper and superior choice for tool organization. But if you feel like you can't commit to making one or don't have time or enough experience or money, use Methods 1 or 2. Pegboards are also an option, but I just don't like them; they're too flimsy, and you have to buy a lot of accessories for them, which goes against my personal "thou shall not spend" commandment.

Jokes aside, for me, this is about being resourceful and figuring out DIY projects as I go along. Picking up scraps from my garage, backyard, FB Marketplace, etc. It is your workshop, and it's up to you how you want to organize it to fit your needs, so be CREATIVE and get out there and MAKE SOMETHING!! GOOD LUCK!

If you are interested in seeing how I built the wooden workbench underneath checkout my other instructable: https://www.instructables.com/Wall-Mounted-Wooden-Workbench-a-Beginners-Project-/