Organized Garage: 15 Must-Have Tips To Transform Your Space

Is your garage a cluttered mess? Transform your messy space into an organized garage with these easy-to-implement garage organization tips and ideas!

The garage is the easy “dumping spot” where many people keep everything from lawnmowers and yard tools to bikes, sports equipment, and more.

With so many things stored there, it’s no wonder why some people can’t fit a car or walk through their garage.

I say this entirely without judgment because I was that person for a long time! We used to have so much stuff in our garage that we could hardly walk through it – and we definitely couldn’t park our car in it!

Since we were seemingly always in the middle of a remodeling project, our garage was home to all our standard garage stuff, plus all the remodeling tools and in-progress project items.

I reached the point where I couldn’t take it anymore and desperately wanted an organized garage! After five years, two houses, and some serious effort from Scott to clean our garage, I could finally park in it!

Best organized garage tips and ideas

If your garage clutter is stressing you out and preventing you from quickly getting to what you need, it’s time to turn it into a beneficial storage area.

Use these garage organization tips to help you get there! 

1. Storage jars

Do you have small items like screws and nails sitting around your garage? Several companies sell garage organization products.

However, as Southern Yankee DIY demonstrates, sometimes the best tools to create an organized garage are the ones you probably already have: mason jars!

2. Velcro straps for cords

This idea from Thrifty Decor Chick is genius! We have tried SO many ways to store long extension cords, including everything from hanging the rolled-up cord on a long nail to using cord holders.

No matter what we tried, we ended up with messy cords that didn’t stay rolled up. These velcro straps are so simple but more effective!

3. Floor to ceiling shelving

Single shelves or shelving cabinets are great when you have a few things to store. However, if you use your garage as a storage area, you’ll need more than a shelving cabinet to reach the goal of an organized garage. 

That’s when you need to adopt Living With The Lazoores’ approach and “bring out the big guns,” otherwise known as large floor-to-ceiling shelves!

4. Locked cabinet for tools

If you have young children, this garage organization tip from Life On Virginia Street is for you! Cabinets are also ideal for anyone who wants their stuff out of sight.

I love this idea of being able to close (and lock) a cabinet that holds tools and other potentially dangerous items.

Bonus: you can also set up this system to allow openings to plug in cords so you can charge your rechargeable batteries!

5. Baskets for garden supplies

Gardening supplies are SO tricky to organize well because there’s no uniformity in their shapes or sizes.

Life On Virginia Street hit a home run with this basket idea too! I now know what I’m going to ask Scott for this Christmas!

6. Rack for everyday supplies

Are you tired of digging through the corner of the garage or the closet to find the broom or duster? Yep, me too! So, it’s Ikea to the rescue (again).

Just A Girl And Her Blog found a great system from Ikea to eliminate that problem. This rack will get those items off the floor and up where you can easily see and grab what you need.

7. Clear totes for an organized garage

Lela Burris from Organized-ish overcomes a hurdle many people don’t think about until it’s too late.

Plastic totes are GREAT for storing items and protecting them from water and bugs. However, the traditional colored totes don’t allow you to find what you need easily.

Use clear, see-through totes instead. Problem solved!

8. Heavy-duty hooks

Various types of shelving work well for tools, totes, and more. But they DON’T work for ladders.

We had a tough time figuring out how to organize our ladders (and step stools) until I came across this idea from The Navage Patch.

Heavy-duty hooks will take your garage organization efforts to another level!

9. DIY pegboard wall

If you aren’t worried about young kids getting to your tools, you can DIY a pegboard wall like The Mrs. & Co. There’s plenty of space to organize all the tools in your garage!

Plus, since you build it, you can customize this garage wall organization idea any way you want.

10. DIY slat wall for an organized garage

Just when you think you’ve seen it all…you come across a new brilliant idea. This slat wall from Our Corner Of The World is my new favorite way to create an organized garage!

It’s 100% customizable, and you can even use it to get those bikes off the ground so you stop tripping (or driving over) them.

11. Rolling storage shelves

If the “only constant in life is change,” why would anyone want to create an organized garage system that can’t be moved or adapted as life changes?

I love this idea from HGTV because it can grow and adapt as you do!

12. Space-saving ball storage

Have you tried storing all your balls in bins? Me too – and it just takes too much space.

This ball organizer from 100 Things 2 Do makes storing balls easy and keeping them organized (and off the floor) even easier!

13. Grab-and-go storage buckets

Certain garage items, such as folding chairs and pool noodles, are challenging to organize. Creating Mary’s Home came up with a creative solution – use large tote buckets!

It keeps the garage organized plus makes it easy to put those items in the car on your way to the baseball game or fireworks show.

14. Mini mudroom

Do you drool over those Pinterest images of gorgeous mudrooms that seemingly keep your shoes (and life) organized? Yep, I do too!

But since I don’t have the space for one in our home, this mini mudroom idea from Jenron Designs makes perfect use of an organized garage to add that functionality! 

15. Paint organizer

If you love to craft and DIY, you probably have a paint collection that looks cluttered. Place Of My Taste transformed their messy space into an organized garage with some clever tips.

I love this idea of using a plastic shoe holder to get spray paint cans off the floor but keep them visible. 

Garage organization ideas that work for everyone

If your garage has become the unfortunate dumping ground of anything (and everything), I hope these garage organization ideas help inspire you to get to work.

With a little work, you can turn that cluttered space into a functional space that makes life a little easier.

More organization inspiration

• How To Organize Kitchen Cabinets
• How To Organize A Craft Room
• Home Organization Goals You Need In Your Life Today
• Organizing The Hall Closet