27 Genius Garage Storage Ideas to Get Your Gear in Order

In this extra garage bay, customized shelves up high store Christmas decorations, clothes, and sports equipment. Open baskets and bins down low encourage kids to put things away. Hooks store bikes vertically, maximizing wall and floor space. A bench, kids' table, and area rug allow the space to serve as a bonus playroom.

If you're running out of storage space in your kitchen or basement, utilize the garage to stash items that won't fit elsewhere. Here, 16-inch-deep shelves hold a huge amount of household goods, such as bulk paper supplies, canned and bottled drinks, kitchen pots, and large loose items. Small bins contain cleaning supplies.

When organizing your garage, consider the most practical location for each category of item, such as placing shoes by the door. Here, deep 20-inch shelves house the family's footwear near the entrance into the house. With a shelf for each family member, the home's "no shoes" policy is easy to follow.

Shallow drawers and bins are better for stashing small items than large lidded containers. In this garage, hanging drawers stow frequently used home utility items, such as small tools, paintbrushes, extension cords, and extra lightbulbs. Drawer dividers keep small things from getting lost. Up top, storage bins hold bulk purchases of water and soda.

Bring order to heaps of sports equipment with a combination of adjustable shelves, baskets, and bins. Here, a movable basket for smaller odds and ends hangs off the front of one shelf, freeing up shelf space for larger items. Below, big mesh bins feature casters so kids can easily roll out all the sports gear at playtime.

To put vertical space to work in this garage, the homeowners hung drywall on one side so they could install a wall storage system that hides gear inside crisp white totes. The system is mounted high enough off the floor that wheeled toys can tuck underneath. Colorful magnets on the fridge and freezer, a glossy metallic floor, and artwork above the workbench upgrade the garage with personalized style.

Create an organized station in the garage to stash tools and provide workspace for projects. On this workbench, power tools are tucked on a bottom shelf and magnet hooks hold light items on the side. Make sure to locate workstations near electrical outlets so you don't need to move equipment elsewhere to get started.

This garage storage system includes sliding drawers that give easy access to frequently used family necessities. No more moving heavy bins stacked four-deep to get to items at the bottom. For a bright touch, use leftover paint strips to create colorful labels.

A snap-in tool bar ($19, The Home Depot) makes quick work of corraling long-handled garden and snow tools. If you have a garage refrigerator, try hanging lighter items from super-strong magnetic hooks on the side. Stock a caddy with cleaning or gardening supplies and slide it on top of the fridge for quick access.

Bicycles can take up a lot of valuable garage space if they're simply wheeled in. To keep the floor clear, install a pulley system ($26, The Home Depot) to hang bikes from ceiling joints. Mount hooks nearby to keep helmets handy.

A garage is an optimal place to organize and store tools, outdoor gear, and off-season belongings. This space utilizes a variety of garage storage ideas, such as a freestanding shelving unit to hold things like cleaning supplies and dog food and a pegboard for tools to maintain a sense of order. A wooden shelf was installed over the door to tuck away seasonal supplies.

Storing boots, bins, soil, and watering cans upright on adjustable shelves frees up space and eliminates clutter on the floor. With adjustable shelving, it's easy to make room for different-size objects as your storage needs change. Simply remount the shelves at different heights to accommodate new items.

Take advantage of your garage to create the ultimate workspace. Outfit a multi-purpose work area that includes a potting table, a metal toolbox on casters, overhead cabinets, and wall-mounted hooks to hang bags and aprons. Lay down a durable area rug or carpet tiles to soften the hard flooring.

Free up closet space by relegating out-of-season clothing or hand-me-down items for the next child to garage shelves. Use clear, same-size containers with lids for a neat look and the best use of space. Since these items don't need to be accessed often, they're OK to store up high. Apply labels to help identify the contents from below.

A pegboard takes simple tool storage to a new level. An assortment of hooks helps keep frequently used gear at hand, such as the screwdrivers, hammer, and twine shown here. Customize your pegboard with hooks and bins in various sizes that suit your tool collection.

Add a bit of color to your garage storage. Paint squares on a pegboard to designate spots for specific items. Hang the pegboard on wall stud and equip it with bins for an innovative storage system. The sideways bins stow often-used accessories that are not easily hung from hooks, such as gardening gloves and hose nozzles. Mount a large bucket to the pegboard for an alternative to a hose reel that also offers storage.

Cohesive and functional, these plastic bins are a practical way to bring organization into your garage. Look for a system that can simply click into place along a slatted wall. Transforming the unused space beneath a cabinet into a neat row of bins for regularly used items, such as seed packets, pliers, and painter's tape, means never having to search for small items again.

Slatted wall panels ($170, The Home Depot) allow you to mount cabinets to the wall without leaving holes in the drywall. This also grants you the flexibility to reposition them whenever needed. This 24x24x12-inch cabinet, for example, can support up to 150 pounds and is coated to resist corrosion.

Curtains aren't just for showers or windows; they are an inexpensive and easy way to neatly conceal garage storage. For a quick fix, install a rod and curtain panels in a corner of your garage. Use this garage organization idea to disguise unsightly equipment or clutter for a clean look.

A slatted wall panel can increase your garage's storage capacity by allowing walls to store large gardening tools. Be sure you use appropriate hooks for heavier items such as shovels, rakes, and power tools. Place the hooks at varying heights for convenient access.

Take a tip from your kitchen and use spice containers in your garage. These petite canisters ($10, The Container Store) are perfect for organizing screws, nails, and washers. The clear lids also make it easy to see what's inside, which saves time when you're looking for the right object. Mount a magnetic panel to a pegboard to hold the canisters when not in use.

Rout holes in wooden display shelves for a convenient place to store miscellaneous items such as scissors and zip ties. These small buckets fit neatly inside the holes for an easy garage storage idea. Handles allow you to quickly grab the containers and take them elsewhere if needed.

Simple modifications helped transform this potting bench into a fully equipped garage workstation. Large holes routed into a shelf now offer storage for everyday tools. A metal ruler screwed to the bench top is always ready for a quick measurement. Jars, hooks, and magnetic clips provide easy access to tools and workshop necessities.

Combine a variety of garage storage ideas to make a complete workstation. This traditional potting bench provides a large surface area for working, while a pegboard keeps tools within reach. Clip-on light fixtures provide focused lighting for working on projects. Mesh bins outfitted with caster wheels and labels sort and store recyclables underneath.

These general-purpose hooks can secure unwieldy tools without consuming too much wall space. Mount hooks to a channeled panel with enough room in between to avoid creating clutter or knocking handles. Great for tight spaces, this low-profile garage storage idea still leaves plenty of room to walk past.

Easy-to-install screwdriver racks ($21, The Home Depot) keep tools in order. Select a design that displays the tool tips so you can easily identify items at a glance. Mount this garage storage idea near your work area so you don't have to reach far.