Important Tips for Storing and Organizing your Tools

Do it yourself Hand Tools

Whether you like to do DIY, carpentry, restore furniture or decorate by recycling, as if you are a handyman (or you have the campaign to make the house repairs), you will need primary and essential tools in your workshop or at home.

The list and variety of tools for DIY projects and carpentry is a long list. It can be challenging to store your items in a practical and orderly way.

You can always use solutions for the storage of tools that you will find in shops specializing in DIY and equipment for factories and workshops, but you can also resort to the ingenuity and use some of the tricks and tricks that you will find below to store and organize DIY utensils for your workshop or storeroom.

Most of the ideas for organizing and ordering tools below are reused containers and materials that are easy to find at home like cans, and jars. Also, with materials such as PVC pipes, wooden strips, nuts, there are lots of storage you can do.

Some of the ideas for organizing and storing utensils are also based on some recurring elements such as metal shelves, drawers, trays, stackable boxes, storage boxes or perforated boards that are used as panels for tools.

Storage of Screws and Small Parts

In storing the different types and sizes of nails, screws, nuts, plugs, drills, and other small pieces; it is essential to put them separately and in an organized way to be efficient. Through this, you won’t be confused as to which item is which when you need them.

Keeping the tools tidy is an easy task as you only need several containers, preferably transparent to be able to see their interior. If you use opaque, make sure to mark on the lid what they contain so you don't have to open them to check every time you need it.

The tricks you will find below for storing and organizing small pieces will save you a lot of time, and you will be able to optimize space efficiently.

Hanging Jars

(Either nailed to a shelf or from a bar)

Glue magnets to a wooden batten or vertical surface.
Reuse PET bottles as containers to store the little screws and small parts.
Put the nuts, rings, and washers in curtain rings, so you do not lose them.
Use bags with snap closure; hang in a module with slots.

Home Dispensers

Ropes, cords, adhesive tapes, wire coils, insulating tapes must be well-organized as well to prevent them from getting tangled or mixed up with each other.

You can make your own dispensers very cheaply by reusing funnels, glass jars, plastic bottles, CD or DVD jars and even a hanger.

Tool Hangers

Organizing tools on the wall is a great idea for storing tools and utensils. Using wall hangers or hanging from shelves can solve space problems while keeping the tools visible you need to have at hand.

Most handle tools have a hole in them for one reason: so you can hang them. A good option is to hang them as you see below, on individual hangers on a bar, with a metal hanger or even a rod that you can place under a shelf:

You can also hang other tools such as pliers, mallets, hammers or wire strippers.

Electric drills and screwdrivers are also utensils that you should keep handy even if you don't use them every day. If you have several or don't like having to walk around taking them out and putting them in a toolbox, you can reuse a bottle of washing machine soap and turn it into a hanger.

Or you can:

Puncture some PVC tubes and screw them to a shelf.
You can also use a cloth hanger with storage pockets for boats, and tools.

Shelving and Wall Storage

In line with the previous section, the shelves are an excellent idea to store DIY tools, carpentry or any other type. Organizing tools on the wall is ideal so that they don't take up space and you can have them in sight.

Make pallet shelves for storing and organizing do-it-yourself tools.

Another option is the shelving furniture. For any shelf, you can reuse drums and turn them into large and spacious drawers where you can store a lot of tools.

Organization of Tool Panels

Tool panels or perforated boards are a very ambivalent alternative to hang a lot of tools of all kinds and many different shapes. Thanks to the holes you can fit drawers or flat surfaces, and also hang tools of all kinds to have them in sight and very close at hand.

[If you do not want to spend money on a perforated board, you can use a porexpan or foam board (polystyrene) as an alternative.]

A couple of tricks to add accessories to your tool panel: use plastic cups and cut PVC tubes.

You can also make homemade hangers with clip clips to hang sharp objects from your dashboard, such as the edge of a saw.

Systems to Make the Most of Space

Roof storage, using rails and boxes.
The ladder is much better hung up on the ceiling.
A storage system in shelves hidden in drawers is wonderful, so you don't see a crowded space.
Also, you may take advantage of the area behind the doors: nail a wooden plank with a basket with hooks, a magnet plate, and several hangers.

Labeling and Aesthetics

Cables are always crazy in any workshop, or workspace. These ideas for sorting and organizing cables with flanges will help you keep everything in order:

To store all types of wires and ropes, you can reuse toilet paper rolls.
If you have leftover paint, put it in smaller jars instead of storing the original jars which will be much larger and take up more space (as well as making the paint come into more contact with air and spoil earlier). Use labels to indicate the type of paint and keep everything better organized.
Using transparent boxes where you can see the contents is very practical or colored boxes where you can differentiate with a code what each color contains.
Finally, if you have large boxes with tools or other things stored in your workshop, garage, or storeroom, wipe them with gift wrap to make them more pleasant.

It is not enough to have high-quality tools at home; any item needs proper storage and maintenance. Take care of your things so that you can use them for a long time.

Last Updated on June 16, 2021 by Nelson