Transform your yard with innovative, budget-friendly outdoor storage solutions to keep gardening tools and supplies neatly organized and accessible.
17 Tips for Tidy Outdoor Storage
Updated on Oct. 04, 2024
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Overhead Storage for Garden Tools
Anyone who has ever stepped on or tripped over a rake, shovel, broom, or any other long-handled item is more than ready to learn some outdoor storage ideas to keep a tidier garage. Get rid of tripping hazards with an overhead storage rack!
How to build overhead storage
- To make a rack, cut two pieces of plywood to 12 inches by 48 inches.
- Next, drill matching 2-in. holes in each that are spaced about 6 inches apart.
- The finished rack can be mounted with cross ties below your garage roof rafters.
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Garden Hose Tool Rack
If you have an old hose, you can create an easy-grab system for your garden tools. You’ll use hose pieces as soft vertical clamps for your tool handles.
How to build a garden hose tool rack
- Simply cut an old hose into as many 7-in. pieces as you need to accommodate all of your tools.
- Slice each piece without flattening out the hose’s natural curve.
- Next, nail the pieces to a mountable vertical wood board.
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2-minute Tool Rack
Bunch all of your garden tools with pointed tips in one spot off the ground using this quick trick to make your garage or storage shed safer.
How to build a 2-minute tool rack
- Just screw 16-in. scrap 2x4s at a slight upward angle to each side of a wall stud.
- Slide in the tools with the sharp end up.
NOTE: While you want the tools to be off the ground at just above eye level, it’s also important to avoid mounting the scrap too high above head level because tools could fall down over your head when you reach for them.
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Yard Tool Organizer
A yard tool organizer is one of the most effective outdoor storage ideas for your shed or garage. “They’re perfect for keeping garden tools off the ground and tucked away, which frees up a lot of space,” says Aaron Traub, owner of My Professional Organizer Dallas.
How to make a yard tool organizer
- To make it, drill a series of two-inch holes along a piece of 1×4 board, spacing the holes to accommodate the tools that you want to store in them.
- Leave a half-inch slot in front to slip the tool handles through to remove and hang them.
- Screw that board into another 1×4 board and use 45-degree brackets to hold the organizer in place.
- If you wish, pound nails into the vertical board to hang even more stuff. No more tripping over the shovels to get to the rakes!
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Lawn Tool Carrier
Tired of lugging gardening tools from the garage every time? You can use a custom carrier tool if you find an old golf bag. If you’re not a golfer, look for one being sold cheaply online or at a thrift store. The large wheels designed to traverse hilly golf courses are perfect for gliding through your yard. The long, deep design of the bag is perfect for holding garden tools. You can even customize a golf bag by sewing on mesh pockets for smaller tools.
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Wheelbarrow Rack
Stop sidestepping your wheelbarrow every time you need to walk through your garage. While heavy, wheelbarrows are very mountable using a centered 2-ft. 1×4 plank across two studs.
How to build a wheelbarrow rack
- You’ll want to mount it about 2 ft. above the floor.
- After bolting it into place, drive 3-in. screws through metal mending plates to put the 1×4 into the studs. Leave about 3/4 in. of the plate sticking above the 1×4 to catch the rim.
- As pictured above, rest the wheelbarrow on the 1×4.
- Mark the studs 1 in. above the wheelbarrow bucket. Drill pilot holes to screw ceiling hooks into the studs. Twist the hooks so they catch on the wheelbarrow lip to hold it in place.
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Propane Tank Carrier
Here’s one that merges smart garage storage with the best grill tips. We all cringe when we hear the sound of a 20-lb. propane tank rolling around in the car trunk on the drive to refill it. Fix it with an old milk crate. The crate’s wide, flat base will keep the tank stable.
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Garden Tool Hideaway
Don’t throw away your old mailbox the next time you get a replacement. Installing a mailbox near your garden provides a convenient, quick-grab home for your small garden tools. If you don’t have a spare mailbox, small mailboxes cost less than $10 at most hardware stores and home centers. If you want extra room, king-sized models cost around $25.
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Egg Carton Bulb Storage Solution
Gardeners, take notice! If you have tender spring bulbs that need to be overwintered indoors, there’s a neater way to do it. Store your canna lilies, freesias, caladiums, dahlias, tuberous begonias, and more safely nested during the cold season in egg cartons. This is a free bulb house with built-in ventilation holes to prevent mildew and rot, and the best part is that you can easily identify each bulb by writing its name on the top of the carton.
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Hose caddy
For anyone ready to scream if they trip over the garden hose one more time, this outdoor organization tip is a lifesaver! Grab a steel bucket, laundry basket, classic orange bucket, or any other round container big enough to hold a coiled hose. Then, hang the bucket or basket on a hook on the garage or shed wall, and you have a hose caddy!
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No-Tip Garbage Cans
Never rescue your garbage cans from the street or your neighbor’s yard again! There’s no need to build a complicated apparatus to keep garbage cans in place. You’ll just need two 3/4-in. screw eyes and a 30-in. hook-end elastic cord from the hardware store for each can. After fastening the screw eyes to an exterior wall, simply strap the cans in place
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Lid Leash
If your garbage can lid has drifted off like a rogue Frisbee in the wind more than once, it’s time to secure it in place. Like any smart fix you may not have thought of on your own, this is one you’ll use forever.
How to build a lid leash
- Start by drilling a small hole just below the rims of the can and then drill a second hole near the center of the lid.
- Next, thread a 24-in. length of rope through the holes and knot the ends like you see in the picture above.
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Milk Jug Tarp Weights
There’s no need to buy expensive weights. Start putting milk jugs aside once empty for one of the easiest outdoor storage ideas. You can fill empty milk jugs with water or sand to create cheap DIY weights. While not aesthetically beautiful, this hack is great for weighing the ends of a tarp in windy conditions.
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Potted Tools
If you’re outside gardening daily, you know that lugging spades, hand shovels, and trowels back and forth between the garage and garden can be tiresome. Use a large clay pot filled with sand to store these small handheld tools. You can simply reach for the handle you need as you garden. To turn this nifty organization tool into a garden feature, paint the pot with images of flowers, birds, and butterflies.
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Kitchen Rod for Spray Bottles
Nail a simple kitchen rod to a wall in your garage or shed to make grabbing spray bottles easy. The trigger lever of each spray bottle should hook into the rod easily. By keeping the bottles “floating” instead of stacking them on shelves, you can prevent them from rolling away or tipping over. Clearly write the name of the liquid on the exterior of the bottle in marker for easy visibility.
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Old Tackle Box for Seed Storage
If you plan to save your seeds from your garden for next year, an old tackle box provides easy compartments for separating seeds. Tackle boxes also have airtight seals that keep out air, moisture, and critters. When stored in a garage, a tackle box full of seeds can meet the requirement of providing a cool, dark, and dry location that’s needed by most seed species. Simply add sticker labels to keep track of what’s being stored.
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Garbage and Coffee Cans for Salt Storage
If you live in a place with snow or ice, you know how important salt is for keeping driveways and walkways usable. Here’s the best way to store salt outdoors! The bags that salt comes in are vulnerable to moisture. After buying salt, immediately pour it into a lidded metal trash can that can be stored near your front or garage door. Add an empty coffee can to the mix to spread the salt when snow hits!
About the Experts
- Aaron Traub is a professional organizer and decluttering specialist who works with homeowners in all areas of their homes. He has worked with hundreds of clients to organize and declutter their homes to increase space and functionality and make it easier to maintain organization.
- Julia Jackson has been helping families transform their homes into spaces of peace and joy for over a decade. She specializes in simplifying cluttered environments and creating easy-to-maintain systems that support a stress-free life. From detailed guides and online courses to one-on-one support, Julia empowers you to take control of your space, bit by bit, so that your home feels like a place you truly love. Her methods are practical, fun, and designed to bring harmony back into daily routines—because it’s not just about clearing the clutter; it’s about making room for what really matters.
