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Weekend Project: Great Organizing Ideas

by | Oct 24, 2008 | Organization

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Weekend Project: Great Organizing Ideas

Now I am sure you all have perfectly organized and decorated garages, basements and tool areas. We, on the other hand, do not. My garage is brown, ugly and disorganized {hangs head in shame}. Our tools are tossed in cardboard boxes and nails are in a broken tool chest {sorry Martha}.

Yes, we are the type of family that has six drills somewhere (not sure where), goes out to buy new screwdrivers every time we have a project because we can’t find one and if that isn’t humiliating enough, we keep all sorts of broken things around just in case we might decide to repair them someday. We are due for a garage makeover. So glad I saw these inspiring photos and ideas from BH&G!

Organizing ideas to love:

  • Fresh colors on a whimsical checkered pegboard wall
  • A bunkbed style ladder on a rail to slide across storage areas
  • An old wood hanger used for string and tape
  • Cute shelves to store items
  • A towel rod to store paper towels within easy reach
  • A magnetic strip to hold those tiny drill bits & tools
  • Storage lockers to keep things organized
  • Tools hanging in plain sight on painted peg boards
  • Nails in glass jars
  • Drawers painted with chalkboard paint for quick labeling

A garage makeover not only makes sense, but in my case it would make “cents.” Finding everything we have in a matter of minutes would save us lots of money each year in those quick trips to the hardware store to buy yet another screwdriver!

Do you have any organizing projects planned for this weekend?

photos from: Better Homes & Gardens

You might also enjoy these articles on organization for other rooms of the house:

Home Office Organization

Decorating & Organizing Children’s Rooms

Pantries: Frugal & Stylish Ideas

41 Comments

  1. Angela (Cottage Magpie)

    You have been peeking in my garage! How many times in the last week did I say this: “Honey, where is just ONE of our 47 drills/screwdrivers/paintbrushes/rolls of tape….” I mean seriously, it’s getting ridiculous. Oh, you know things are bad when you get flushed over pegboard.

    Mmmmm…..pegboard.

    Thanks again for your great tips!
    ~Angela :-)

    Angela (Cottage Magpie)s inspiring blog post..Pear Tree Cottage Open House

    Reply
  2. Melody from ~Pennies In My Pocket~

    I’m so impressed that you can READ MINDS! In a way, I kinda wish you didn’t post this because now I want to get some organizing action going on in the dreaded garage. Maybe I’ll just fully delegate it to the hubby. ;-) Hey, it’s his ‘domain’, right? Actually, he’s been in the garage the past two days trying to clean it up. Poor guy.

    Seriously though, the painted peg board- SO CUTE!

    ~melody~

    Reply
  3. Kristen

    Oh this is a post after my own heart. While I don’t have a garage or basement, I do love to organize. And I love nifty storage stuff and I love creative uses for old things (like that hanger) even more! Great, great post full of great, great ideas! Thanks, Melissa!

    Kristens inspiring blog post..Help!

    Reply
  4. Jennifer

    Hubby and I keep talking about spiffing up our garage. We leave it open a lot so the dogs can get to their water and I would prefer people driving by not see that as a first impression of our house with the way it looks now. LOL! It isn’t really a mess because we have a pole barn for the mess but it is just drab, unfinished walls.
    Smiles!

    Jennifers inspiring blog post..Free Taco Anyone?

    Reply
  5. Jinx

    We are fortunate to have a beautiful solarium that runs the length of the back of the house.

    Beautiful, that is, when it isn’t a catch all spot for everything!

    Now that I am hosting more people than I thought for Thanksgiving, I’m motivated to get the space “company” ready….starting this weekend! I have a LOT of organizing to do!

    Jinxs inspiring blog post..Caramel Apple Pie

    Reply
  6. Jeni from Kansas

    You’re speaking my language right now! We also have an unsurmountable number of drills (which the fiance claims each have a “special” purpose…hmmm..riiiight) that need to be heavily organized. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Jeni from Kansass inspiring blog post..No Leftovers

    Reply
  7. Vee~A Haven for Vee

    The clothes hanger with the tape…oh my! I can DO that right now! Thanks…

    Vee~A Haven for Vees inspiring blog post..Journal Making

    Reply
  8. Kara

    This is JUST what I needed to get motivated for the weekend. Thank you!!

    Karas inspiring blog post..Weird Bloggy Habits

    Reply
  9. please sir

    These are wonderful tips – love the color blocks in the tool area and those glass jars. I like seeing what’s in there!

    please sirs inspiring blog post..Bathroom Idea

    Reply
  10. teresa

    Okay, so yesterday, I ripped into our file cabinet at the Nut House- kind of like a mini garage- {because everything gets dumped in there} I may need to redo it again , after reading your post. Thanks for some good ideas.

    Reply
  11. lylah ledner

    It’s funny your post is on the garage today. Two days ago, after I purged 2 filing cabinets of 19 years of “stuff” in the garage: http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-to-declutter-20-years-of-stuff-in.html)
    I began to “attack” the other side of the garage. To say the least, I’m proud of my work and the ideas above are fabulous! There’s just something so nice about walking through the garage (no car in there yet) and being able to not trip and find things. No car – because of kids and grandkids moving back home and a gazillion bikes back in there. Would rather have the gazillion bikes and kids and not car :-) Great post, my friend!

    lylah ledners inspiring blog post..what in the world is twitter and who are tweeples?

    Reply
  12. Cre8tiva

    perhaps this house would sell if the grage looked like this…hugs, rebecca

    Reply
  13. Shelly

    Oh, your timing is perfect! We just moved the garage shelves out to the shop…I was trying to figure out how and where to hang the old pegboard….wahoooo! Now I need to decide what colors to paint my groovy new pegboard grid. Cool post, thanks for all the great ideas.
    ;)

    Shellys inspiring blog post..Playing Tag

    Reply
  14. kayellen

    I love getting organized and doing little facelifts around the house…seems like I am always helping everyone else with there projects!!!
    I need to take some TLC time for my house too:)

    Thanks for the reminder:)

    Kay

    kayellens inspiring blog post..Feeling Better

    Reply
  15. Deb

    Okay, you’re just going to HAVE to check out the most organized way you can go for the garage (the new company my hubby works for): http://www.mobile-shop.com

    Debs inspiring blog post..Fatness Friday

    Reply
  16. Penny

    I love the checkered peg board idea! Alas this weekend I am nursing my injured hand…so no organizing work for me. Typing this one handed….
    P

    Reply
  17. sarah

    we are half way through a garage clean up, we painted the floor and then it came to a halt, too much like hard work!

    nice inspiring photos, the coathanger with the ribbon has given me and idea, thanks

    Sarah

    sarah @ a beach cottages inspiring blog post..ABeachCottage House Tour

    Reply
  18. Karren

    Readers may be interested to know that wall storage and organization manufacturer storeWALL, LLC has launched the “My car goes where? In the garage?!” contest, which ends on October 31, 2008. This new contest is designed to educate and inform consumers about how to safely store items in their garage while maximizing space to park their car(s) – especially important as winter approaches.

    Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/storeWALL/garage-organization/prweb1357854.htm or http://www.storewall.com

    Reply
  19. Emily

    OK Melissa you are making my idea links tab a mile long. Love these ideas! Most of them are so simple and useful. I just bought to large metal cabinets, but not for the garage–for my basement to store decor items.

    Reply
  20. gloria

    Hi Melissa. You really did read my mind. I have been after my husband to please clean out the garage. I am going to show him this post so that he can get ideas. Thx for sharing. Gloria
    Have a great weekend.

    glorias inspiring blog post..MY S and T FRIDAY Number 4 and ON MY 100TH. POST!

    Reply
  21. Brenda Kula

    We SO need to do this. We have almost no storage at all in our garden home. I have a guy finishing our home remodel, and he’s talking to me about making more in the garage. So I can find things too!
    Brenda

    Brenda Kulas inspiring blog post..Planning, planning…

    Reply
  22. mary (megardengal)

    Thanks for the organization tips- heaven knows most of us need all the help we can get!!
    I am calling all my blogging buddies in asking for a big favor! Would you drop by my blog and read my contentment therapy blog and about a giveaway. (I came up with this idea from your blogs iwth the fall decorating and driveby porches!) Would you consider joining me in this 30 day therapy (a Mr. Linky link is at very bottom of the blog) and leaving a note on your blog to inform others about it – or email friends- I would love for this to be great time for lots of us. I don’t have a huge following on my blog but would like to get the word out. Please let me know what you think and any suggestions too! Thanks so much!

    blessings to you! mary :)

    mary (megardengal)s inspiring blog post..Contentment Therapy- would you please join me? Got mr linky going to sign up!!!

    Reply
  23. Brandie

    Great article! Along the lines of the glass jars for organizing nails: use empty baby food jars. Get a piece of board and screw the lids onto the board. Hang it over the workbench either horizontally or vertically and voila! Organized bits and pieces. ;)

    Brandies inspiring blog post..Erin Doland of Unclutterer.com, The O Myth Recap

    Reply
  24. Julianne

    My dad (and now my husband) put a 2×4 on the bottom of one of his storage shelves in his workroom. Then he nailed the lids of old baby food jars to the board. Then he filled the baby food jars with nails and screws, and then twisted the jar back onto the in-place lid. That way, when he wants a certain screw or nail, he just unscrews the jar from the lid, and only has the jar in his hand (and doesn’t misplace the lid), and then when he’s done, he twists it back onto the lid.

    I don’t know if that all makes sense, but it is genius, and keeps all the nails and screws in a visible and cleaned-up space!

    Reply
  25. Julianne

    OK, that’s funny — the lady before me, Brandie, suggested doing the same thing, only in less words!

    Reply
  26. Fifi Flowers

    I love these photos… they really inspire me to want to organize! I am constantly organizing because I am constantly working on TOO many projects and my space becomes TOTALLY disorganized… how do I make it PERMANENT… hmmmm

    Fifi Flowerss inspiring blog post..Hooked on House Tours…

    Reply
  27. Pam

    I would love to have a garage like that, still waiting for my husband to make shelves for me (been waiting three years so far)……

    Reply
  28. Debbie

    I used to have a very clean and organized garage! BUT then my husband closed his office and moved it home. All of the extra stuff ended up in my garage! I want my clean and organized garage back.

    Actually, Greg is generally more organized than I am. So maybe over time … he will sort things out when he has more time. Nothing like starting another company to keep you busy. Lord, please give me patience!

    Debbies inspiring blog post..Joy on This Thankful Thursday

    Reply
  29. Melissa Lewis - Off The Wall

    Great tips, love them all! Those chalkboard drawers are a FABULOUS idea!!!!

    Melissa Lewis – Off The Walls inspiring blog post..A Day At Off The Wall Studio

    Reply
  30. Manualidades

    Espero que estas fotos los inspiren a tener todo en orden.
    Encontrar todo lo que tenemos en cuestión de minutos nos ahorraría mucho dinero cada año en los rápidos viajes a la ferretería a comprar otro destornillador!. Comenzar pintando con colores alegres, colocar estanterías para almacenar diferentes elementos, las herramientas colocarlas a la vista, los clavos en frascos de vidrio, cajones etiquetados….
    Una muy buena idea que encontré en The inspired room. A ponerse las pilas y a organizar nuestras herramientas!

    Reply
  31. Mary

    Thanks for all your ideas! I am so glad I found your website!

    Mary from KY

    Reply
  32. gail gray of a fresh start professional organizing

    As a professional organizer, your post really made me smile! I look at these beautiful photos and it makes my heart sing…I know I need therapy! Thank you for sharing your inspiration to get organized. It is a heart warming feeling to see people want to get their homes in order!

    Reply
  33. Trish

    Thank you so much for these ideas. I admit it I am so challenged when it comes to home organization….your blog is so inspiring and I have bookmarked it to help me through my struggles so I can have a pretty home for my family…
    Thanks
    Trish
    .-= Trish´s last blog ..Over 50 Printable Valentine’s Day/St. Patrick’s Day Printables =-.

    Reply

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  1. Hatch: The Design Public ® Blog » Blog Archive » In Case You Missed It: Around the Web this Week - [...] realize I will NEVER have a garage that looks this neat as I read The Inspired [...]
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