Garage Organization Tips
The Mr. is laughing hysterically at the title of this post because if anyone needs garage organization tips it’s me. Apparently I’m not qualified to be doling out advice on this one, but I’m trying!
One corner at a time, I’m getting the mess under control.
This month Ace Hardware paired us up with another Ace Blogger and I was thrilled to work with Julia from Chris Loves Julia. We were challenged to pick an item from Ace Hardware and each use it our own way. Apparently we are both hurting in the garage organization department so we were pretty excited to pick this Gorilla Colossal Shelving Unit/Workbench from Ace.
These shelves are nice and sturdy, easy to put together and hold about a gazillion things. I even added a few tricks to mine to make it work better for our family.
So TIP 1 – Organize your shelves by topic.
I did the top shelf with all gardening equipment (and stuff I don’t want my kids getting into like dirt, fertilizer, sharp pruning shears etc…)
The next shelf is the Mr.’s ever growing pile of triathlon gear. He seems to pick up a new gadget every time he competes in one, wet suit (I tried to snap a photo of him with this hilarious full body thing on but it was a no go :) ) shoes, tire pump, bike rack. Everything a guy needs to torture himself push himself at a saturday morning race.
Then I did my paint supply shelf, let’s not dwell on how many cans of spray paint I have, when they are all together like this I realize I may have a bit of a problem ahem..
Ok the ball shelf!
Here is TIP 2Â – my first little tricked out thing I added to these shelves. I bought 20 ft of this nylon rope (they cut it for me right at my neighborhood Ace Hardware) and strung it thru the holes on the shelving unit to create my very own ball cage. Now the balls that used to just roll around the backyard inevitably floating away in the lake have their very own spot to call home and my kids can easily pop them in and out.
For TIP 3 I bought these $2 metal clips and threaded them thru the holes as well. They make the perfect hooks for my kids to hang their bike helmets on. I love having a spot for them that is easy for my kids to navigate.
The bottom shelf holds all the carwash goodies.
I can’t even tell you how nice it is to have one spot organized and pretty looking in the garage. And I say one spot because well, full disclosure, this is what the rest looks like.
This never ending construction project is kicking my butt this summer! Sigh, hopefully someday we will actually park in here once again, or you know, make it to the door without breaking an ankle…
How about you, is your garage a disaster area? Could you use one of these awesome Gorilla Shelving Units yourself? Lucky for you I’m giving away $100 Ace Hardware Gift Card so you can complete a summer project of your own!
Just enter via the rafflecopter below. The contest is open for 1 week and the winner will be notified via email. Good luck!
Disclosure: I’m a member of the Ace Hardware Blogger Panel. Ace Hardware provided me with products and compensation for this post, but all opinions are 100 percent mine. All opinions and positions here do not necessarily reflect those of Ace Hardware.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
That is a genius idea with the nylon rope. I wish I would have seen that when my boys were little and the balls were bouncing all over the garage. Our garage is a disaster. We never park in there!! It seems to be the holding spot for all unwanted things.
You have some great ideas. The hooks on the side and the rope to hold back the balls, never thought of it. We are in the process of finishing our garage this fall and I will be needing lots of storage so I plan on using your ideas, thanks for sharing.
Our garage is a MESS!!! It seems like anything we don’t want to deal with at the moment finds its way to the garage!! I love that shelf and the nylon used to keep the balls in one place.
your garage looks like mine! ….and I don’t mean the organized half!!!! Full of wood and constant projects!!!! Nice work, though!!!
which is why i would use it for the same thing you did!! ESPECIALLY the sports shelf! love that!
Oh girl, my garage is a DIY disaster area, I think that should be a new show btw, they crash your garage because its a DIY disaster area:)
Boy does my garage need help!! Haven’t parked a car in there in years. Need, need shelving! I have a path right now!
My garage could use a little TLC and a lot of tough love! Not sure one shelving unit would even come close!
I JUST found your blog….and LOVE it!!! If I were to win the gift card…..I would buy …paint…lots of paint. Hides a multitude of sins!!! (Which my 1949 built and built on over the years house has A LOT of!!!)
I think I would use a gift card to start my kitchen DIY update. I would love to take my 90’s oak cabinets and transform them into a lighter and brighter white!
We want to start on our outdoor fire pit… of course yhe idea came from none other…
we have a new house and I would love to get some organization in there!!! it’s almost suicidal to try to get to the back door!
Great organization tips! I liked the idea of adding the rope to the shelves to keep the balls in. My garage could definitely use some sprucing.
I use those carnivore hooks e all over the garage to hang light things up. Like the rope tip, though I might modify that with those bungee cords you can buy with hooks at the ends, woul make it easier to slip oversized thing on and off the shelf between them.
Our garage needs organizing badly…especially before winter arrives!
Thanks for the chance to win this gift card! Our garage could totally use some help!!
I would totally go nuts with paint if I won the gift card! There is always a wall that needs a little love.
I would buy a little of this…a little of that..stretching 100 $ as far as we can!!♡☆☆☆☆.paint. gorilla shelving. Gardening tools. Home decor!
Man, I need a couple of these shelves! p.s. love your paint collection.
I would buy stain for our kids’ playset.
I want to redo our basement bathroom, new faucet, paint the whole works
your kids are so cute!
My honey needs some BBQ tool organization STAT! They are taking over the kitchen! He needs a self help group for BBQ tool hoarders. Actually, I don’t really mind because I get to eat all the yummy food! :)
I need shelving like this! I have way too many paint cans and spray paint cans. I think shelves like this would help in organizing them
I would get garage organization products, as we are working on getting the clutter controlled!
I love the ball holder idea!
We just purchased a 100 year old home and would definitely use the prize to add to our power tool collection!
I could really use one of these! My garage is a mess and can’t wait until I can park in there again!!
These shelves look great! Talk about a mess, I will have to clear a spot for this to even start on my garage. I think everything is in my garage but the kitchen sink and I mean this. These shelves would be a dream come true. Thanks for sharing.
With just moving into a new home and having downsized, organization is going to me my new middle name. Thanks for the offer.
Kathy
The shelves are great. I would like to organize and get things off the floor.
I really could use shelves. I need to clear up floor space. Thanks!
I would use this shelving in our basement because we were not lucky enough to get a garage – but my next house will have one. We have straightened out the basement and this would help tremendously. Thank you for offering it.
I have the exact same shelving unit in our garage, I really need to organize like you have, it looks great. Love the idea of the kids helmets on the side….one thing I did do is fasten one of those broom holders onto the side, it’s the length of the side and holds the rake, broom, mop etc. I need to buy some storage buckets to organize the shelves, to put all the kids outdoor sports toys into one (baseball gloves, basketballs etc), our exercise equipment (small things like skipping ropes, small hand weights etc).
Thanks for the inspiration and motivation to clean our nightmare of a garage.
I don’t know where I would start. I am in an organizing funk right now. I really like the idea of the gorilla rack for the garage. Something like this is exactly what I need to get me started. Love your ideas! So smart!!
This is such a problem area for us as well! We started organizing with shelves still but have yet to “containerize” the mess so all the stuff is still out and visible (and ugly).
Both my mom and mother-in-law have passed away in the last 2 years. I have been given so much of their things. A garage organizer would be a huge blessing for me!
If I win, I will let my husband buy all the bits and bobs with names I do not know that he wants.
I hear ya, girlfriend!! I lovingly refer to my garage as “the black hole”. And I’m single, so no male in the house to clutter it up!! Thanks for the tips and the opportunity to participate in this give-a-way!!
Oh gosh, the projects are never ending around here. Probably paint!
I’d love to win!
Oh how our garage needs help, it looks like a tornado hit it. Please help me!! Thanks for the giveaway.
I also need garage organization. That shelving unit looks awesome! Thanks for the opportunity!
I have so many projects I could do with this awesome giveaway! I probably would start my own spray paint collection since I have a lot of things to paint. :) Thanks for the giveaway!!!
Paint would be awesome!
I need more paint! I’ve got quite a few furniture redos I’d like to get on, but just haven’t gotten around to buying paint for yet.
My hubby already organized our garage this summer with an awesome pegboard system so I would use $100 to ACE for DIY materials once the kiddos are back in school :)
I would buy a shelving unit like the one featured on your blog. My husband ran into mine (yes, we have a little room in the garage to get the cars in) I may need to paint it bright orange to avoid any further mishaps, but I would put my plant pots and gardening items on it and direct my attention to that spot whenever I enter my garage…so not to see the mess elsewhere.
I could definitely use a $100 gift card to Ace. I have a small spray paint addiction as well but those shelves would be awesome in my utility room to help keep all those odds and end that collect there neat and organized.
Kelly, thanks for the tips. I love the nylon rope idea. Wish I would have thought of that one! Also, I attached a hook on the side of a similar shelving unit to hang our outdoor chair cushions. So much better than storing them folded, especially if they are damp and they don’t take up any wall or shelf space. I have a three tiered rolling cart full of spray paint. My husband likes to tease me about it too, but who doesn’t like all those pretty colors right at your fingertips ready to go?
Love your paint idea. I need a garage stretcher too so I can get two cars inside.
this is perfect, and I love the rope idea to contain the balls!
My son attends a school across town, that is two doors down from an Ace Hardware! With school starting in less than two weeks, I’m getting excited about time for projects! I have already selected Clark &Kensington Exterior paint colors for our home. Fall is great painting weather here in Florida!
gaaaaaa! i have 16 days till my daughters wedding……i could use an organizational tool or 2! how about an ORGANIZER?? : )
Looks terrific! I love the idea of using the ropes around the balls. That’s genuis!
My master bathroom tub/shower has mold and we are ripping it out ourselves!
I’m stealing your paint can idea! Just placing the crate on its side instead of upright, brilliant. Now I don’t have to pull it out every time just to see if I have a certain color. We just moved from Michigan to Florida in May and I’ve been trying to organize the garage ever since. No hope of getting even one car in there anytime soon ;-( thanks for the great ideas.
The nylon cord is genius! I have 4 boys and about 132 balls, so I would need two gorilla shelves with the nylon rope!
I sure could use the gorilla shelving!
I would love to corral the stuff in the garage with a shelf like this!
We could definitely use $100 for a little garage organization! KIDS TOYS EVERYWHERE!!
There are so many ways that I could use $100 at Ace. I’d probably start with some way to corral all of my painting supplies/tools. Thanks so much for the chance to win a great prize!
Would use these nifty shelves in our basement for storing extra supplies!
Well, I certainly wouldn’t go into my hubby’s garage domain — heaven forbid I move something accidentally and not put it in the exact same spot where it was. I could use if for ALL of my garden supplies in the shed. There kinda scattered here and there and this would make it so much easier. You did a very nice job on your shelf plus using clever little ideas with the balls and helmets – you didn’t say anything about your spray paint :( They almost look like bottles of wine waiting to be used.
Wanting to rip out a closet and build a study nook for the kids so this gift card would come in handy for some great supplies from ACE! Great job on the garage!
ha…we are in the process of pulling the garage together so anything from ace will come in handy. my problem is not always getting it clean, it’s keeping it clean. Good luck with yours.
My husband has been looking for a good workbench for a while. I’m thinking ACE might have one. If not, I would get some yard stuff – I’m trying to make my backyard look decent for entertaining. :)