10 Clever DIY Garage Storage Ideas To Whip Your Space Into Shape

These projects will help you make the most of every inch.

Garages are the MVP of the modern family home. No space works as hard—or houses as much stuff—as this do-it-all zone, and utilizing it to the best of its ability is key to keeping the interior of your home functional and clutter-free. Because here’s the truth: Our garages shelter much more than our cars. From lawn care equipment and sports gear to gardening supplies and gym necessities, garages need to constantly toe the line between a functional parking space and a bonus “room” that caters to your day-to-day lifestyle.

Related: 6 Essential Tips for Decluttering the Garage

The key to helping your garage live up to its boundless potential? A great organizational system. While store-bought supplies are a great place to start, calming clutter is a very individual task and thus calls for some very unique solutions. That’s where we come in—these DIY garage storage ideas can be easily adjusted to fit your lifestyle, habits, and how you need your garage to work for you. Between mini mudrooms and garden “sheds” to a tool charging station, these simple projects can be done in just a weekend and will have an immediate impact on the appearance—and functionality—of your garage.

Mimic a Mini Mudroom

Many garages lead right into the core of the home, whether that’s the kitchen or living room. Because of that abrupt entrance, you may find yourself wishing for a transitional space that helps you stash your outdoor clothes and corral your belongings from the day. Here’s the good news: You can mock up a (really beautiful) mini mudroom, just like design blogger Erin Gerlach of Hamilton Park Home did in her garage. A bench, board and batten wall treatment, and plenty of storage combine together to provide all the benefits of a tried-and-true mudroom.

Set Up a Massive Charging Dock

There’s nothing worse than digging into a weekend DIY project only to have your drill battery die five minutes in, effectively halting your work for several hours. With this clever charging dock and storage station from Cristina Garay of RemodelaCasa, you’ll never run into that issue again. It serves as an all-in-one spot to stash and juice up your gear, with integrated plugs that provide a convenient place to house all your batteries.

Gather Your Sports Gear

Homeowners with kiddos know the unique pain of having to dodge balls, bats, and bike helmets every time they climb into their car or walk through the garage to get the mail. To corral all manner of sports equipment, consider DIY-ing a gear tower, like this one from Strong-Tie. It boasts sturdy wire shelves for smaller items like cleats and baseball gloves, a bungee bin to store balls, and a versatile pegboard where you can hang bats, helmets, and more.

Cater To Your Hobbies

At the end of the day, your garage should reflect the way you live, as well as how you like to spend your time outdoors. If digging in the dirt makes your heart happy, consider building a garden storage nook in your garage, like creator Jenny Steffens did here. This petite station touts everything you need to keep your gardening gear in order, like peg hooks for tools, shelves for extra pots, and even storage bins for bulbs and seeds.

Corral Your Cords

Electric cords have to be one of the most annoying items to store in the garage—they somehow always end up in a massive tangle that takes hours to undo. Luckily, this easy DIY from Family Handyman solves all that. This quick and straightforward cord rack boasts grab-and-go ease, allowing you to hang your extension cords within reach without worrying about knots or twists. You can even make a few and use one to hang holiday lights when not in use.

Design a Wall of Shelving

This project is so pretty, you’d never guess it resides in a garage. Creator Sarah Wimberley pulled out all the stops, designing and erecting an expansive storage unit that’s part mudroom, part retail-worthy display. A design like this effectively transforms an empty wall into the storage zone of your dreams, making it a great option if you have a larger three-bay garage with a lot of underutilized space. You can use it to stash outerwear, camping gear, extra outdoor pillows, etc.

Take It To The Ceiling

If the floor in your garage is all sucked up by cars, lawnmowers, and snow blowers, it’s time to look to the walls—and ceiling—for sneaky storage space. This clever DIY from Family Handyman allows you to nest storage bins right up against the ceiling of your garage, out of sight and out of mind—until you need them, that is. Just make sure to hang these cleats out of the way of your garage door tracks so they don’t interfere with your daily comings and goings.

Stash Your Spray Cans

Frequent DIYers keep a lot of supplies on hand, from gallons of half-used paint to staple guns and drop cloths. If you’re looking for an easy way to corral all your spray paint cans (and keep them from rolling about every time you open a cabinet), look no further than this easy project from The Handyman’s Daughter. The vertical storage unit houses up to 25 cans of spray paint, with bottom hooks where you can stash painter's tape and spray paint trigger.

Rack Up Your Rakes

You could lean your rakes and brooms against the wall and hope they don’t tip over—or you could rack them up vertically to save space and ensure their stability. This peg rack from Bayou State Built can hold tools of different shapes and sizes, providing a practical place to stash shovels, brooms, weeders, and more.

Set Up a Pro-Worthy Workstation

Serious builders need a space as legit as their projects—and this DIY workstation from Chris Loves Julia is just that. The pair relied on a few cabinets and durable butch block countertops to transform a corner of their garage into a pro-worthy workshop for their many DIY projects. Practical add-ons—like slatted wood walls and overhead racks—add to the functionality of the space.

Related: Organizing the Garage Checklist

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