If your garage is a mess, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Quick and cheap garage organization ideas are available. If your junky garage has been staring you in the face for way too long, it’s time to take charge. Really, you can do this.
Garages are notorious for being the dumping ground for all the things we don’t want in our homes, from old bicycles to holiday decorations. However, with a little bit of creativity and organization, you can transform your messy garage into a clean and functional space. In fact, I bet you have a lot of what you need to do these ideas sitting around. Maybe even in your garage! If you don’t have something, head to Dollar Tree and Amazon for affordable fixes.
Here are some of the best low budget DIY garage storage ideas you’ll find around. Keep in mind you’ll need time to tackle your garage. Set aside at least a weekend. Got the cleaning bug? Check out these other articles to help whip the rest of your spaces into shape.
Text HACKS to 57299 for more organization ideas and smart shopping tips.
1. Use a kitchen magnet strip for garage tool organization.
Tired of finding only flat head screwdrivers when you need a Phillips? How about finding every wrench in your garage except the size you need? No more! Use kitchen magnet strips to hang hand tools, drill bits, metal rulers—anything metal (and not too heavy). Install a few of these around your garage and keep screwdrivers together, wrenches in another spot, etc.
2. Stack your recycling bins on the wall for a DIY garage storage solution.
You’re just a few screws away from getting your recycling bins off the garage floor! We like Amazon’s recycle/compost bin hanging bracket for about $24. Consider this idea for anything you want to access frequently—doesn’t have to be just your recycling bins.
3. Hang folding chairs in your garage or on the side of your house.
Raise your hand if you hate it when folding chairs lean in a stack against a wall and slide down constantly. You can end this problem by hanging your chairs upside down against the outside of your home, inside your garage, or wherever you want them. Use garage hooks!
Level up on this idea by installing your chair hangers somewhere near the location you tend to use the chairs most often—for example, the backyard.
4. Pour leftover paint into labeled mason jars.
Make this as simple or as crafty as you like, but canning jars are ideal for leftover paint. It’s so frustrating to have a bit of paint left over, but nothing to store it in except a can that won’t seal properly. Label your jars and you’re on your way!
We’ve got every way to save money buying canning jars. But if you strike out on a deal, you can always find mason jars on Amazon.
5. Use concrete forming tubes to store sports equipment and rakes for cheap garage organization.
Don’t pay up to $50 for a dedicated bin or holder for rakes and baseball bats! Go to Home Depot or Lowe’s and get concrete forming tubes for less than $11 instead.
Be sure to set the tubes on a 2 x 4 to get them off the ground. Use a plumbing strap to secure each tube to a garage stud. Hate the look? Paint them! Nobody will know they’re DIY.
RELATED: 10 Best Deals and Tips for Finding Cheap Paint Near You
6. Drill a metal bucket into a wall to create a hose and sprinkler caddy.
Don’t throw away that old bucket that leaks! Turn it into a hose reel and storage space. All you need is a bucket, screws, and a drill. Well, you’ll also need a fence or a wall to hang it on. Make sure you remove the handle. If you don’t have a bucket and you can’t find one at a garage sale, Home Depot sells metal buckets.
You could even use a plastic bucket if it’s really heavy duty.
7. Attach a pool noodle to the wall to store fishing rods.
There’s nothing worse than fishing rods leaning in the corner of a garage. It’s such a tangled mess! Keep your lines straight and your poles in good shape with this little trick.
Screw a pool noodle to the garage wall and cut slits in it to hold the rods. Add a 2 × 4 plank to the floor if you want extra stability.
Dollar Tree is an ideal spot to find pool noodles.
8. Create a garage wall organizer: Hang flat-back buckets to store car-washing supplies.
Washing your own car is a smart way to avoid paying out the nose for a professional clean. But trying to round up everything you need can be annoying. Keep it all together and organized with this little hack.
Don’t mount the bucket with screws. Instead, hang the bucket using a picture or mirror hanger so you can remove it from the wall when it’s time to wash your car. Drill a few holes in the bottom so the bucket can air out between washes.
9. Use free pallets for all your DIY garage storage ideas.
Wood pallets are fantastic as cheap garage organization ideas, and they’re even better when you find them for no cost. To get your hands on some, check Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. If that’s a bust, consider walking into your local big-box store and asking if you can take a few pallets off their hands. They might say no, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
They’re easy to work with and make a great holder for rakes and shovels. In theory, all you have to do for this garage organization idea is lean the pallet against a wall. It might not hurt to affix it to the wall, though, to avoid it falling over. This is especially important if you have littles around!
10. Hang your extension cords using a storage strap organizer.
Extension cords are made for tangling. Especially when they’re left to twist and coil on your garage floor. But it’s so irritating! Say goodbye to the big mess of extension cords with simple heavy-duty storage straps. Just open and wrap the strap about your extension cords. Then, use one of the grommets to hang it in your garage. Easy peasy.
11. Put pallets to work as a bike rack.
Bike racks for your garage can start out at $60. Trust me, they climb in price from there! Skip all that expense and use one of those pallets you found on Facebook Marketplace. No screws, glue, or elbow grease needed. Just remove a few of the boards where the bike wheels need to sit and that’s it.
12. How to organize your garage breaker box: Color coding!
Nobody walks up to their breaker box for fun or when they have loads of time. It’s usually when your power goes out, or you’ve got contractors working at your house. No need to also be pulling your hair out, trying to figure out which breaker goes to which room. Add round dot stickers to each breaker and create a key to show what it all means.
13. Use bungee cords and wood slats to organize sports balls, creating DIY garage storage.
Not only is this a low budget DIY garage storage idea, but it utilizes a bit of space between your garage studs—helpful if it’s already a tight squeeze with your cars in the garage. You only need a couple pieces of wood and a few bungee cords to organize all those soccer balls and basketballs rolling around your garage.
Learn how to create a DIY sports organizer.
14. Repurpose a ladder to hold scrap wood.
DIY projects are all fun and games until you look up and you’re surrounded by wood scraps that you have zero storage for. Keep it all organized and off the floor with a ladder. Just stack the wood horizontally. Need it more mobile? Affix your ladder to a wheeled cart so you can move it out of the way.
15. Create overhead garage storage and hang bins full of seasonal items.
Since you only need certain items like camping gear or winter clothing a few times a year, don’t let them take up valuable real estate in your garage.
Use the ceiling instead! Amazon has an overhead garage storage rack for about $60.
16. Store spray paint in a garage shoe organizer.
Keep all your cans of spray paint in one spot and off the floor. You should be able to fit two cans into each shoe holder space. Just affix the shoe organizer to your garage wall. Use wall anchors if you can’t fit it on the studs.
17. Mount trash bags on a roll on the wall.
Boxes of trash bags scattered all around? No more. To create these trash bag holders, you just need a couple of dowels and some curtain rod brackets.
Mount the brackets, then insert the dowel into the trash bag hole. Now, you can just tear off what you need, when you need it.
Get trash bag coupons to use when you find a sale.
18. Make a DIY tape dispenser and mount it to the wall.
Only able to find painter’s tape when you need packing tape? Need duct tape but forced to settle for masking tape because it’s all you can find?
Use this tape organization tutorial to put your duct tape, painter’s tape, masking tape, and more in order. This project is a bit more involved, but it’s cheap. It’ll be worth it when you can finally find the roll of tape you need when you need it.
19. Hang a mesh storage bin on your wall to store balls or shoes.
Here’s another attempt to get more clunky sports items off the ground. If you don’t have time to build something, I found an affordable solution. This mesh storage bin on Amazon is sturdy and costs about $30. Plus, it’s a good option if you’re short on time…and manpower.
Watch for storage deals to get cheap garage organization ideas.
If you’ve exhausted all the DIY garage organization ideas and you straight up need plastic bins or racks or shelves, don’t pay full price! Check out these storage deals to save money wherever possible.
Home improvement stores often run great sales. Learn how to shop at Home Depot like a pro. More of a Lowe’s person? You can get great Lowe’s savings too!
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