Turn An Over-The-Door Shoe Rack Into The Perfect Garden Tool Storage Solution

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

The shed, the garage, the junk drawer. What do all of these common home locations have in common? They're famous for making items disappear! This can be particularly frustrating in the shed because most of the items that are traditionally kept in there — such as pruning shears, gloves, bags, and spades — are highly practical and are needed often for regular yard and garden maintenance. So, if you're sick of digging around in a musty shed looking for that one particular trowel that seems to have vanished, you may want to look into this clever organizational solution, which makes use of a rather unlikely hero: a shoe rack.

This simple shed organization tip involves repurposing an over-the-door rack to hold the miscellaneous tools that tend to go missing amongst the chaos of the average garden shed. There are multiple benefits to using this slightly unorthodox yet highly practical method. Firstly, it helps you make the most of the vertical storage in your shed so you won't have to eat into valuable floor space in order to keep your smaller items from getting disorganized. Secondly, it ensures that there are more items kept within view, meaning that you can more easily check when it is time to remove rust from your gardening tools or oil the handles. Now, while this may seem like a relatively straightforward hack, there are actually a few ways you can make the most of this clever idea to get the clean, organized garden shed of your dreams.

The best way to start this solution in your own shed is to find the type of organizer you want to use. If you have one laying around at home already, you could repurpose it for an environmentally friendly option. Otherwise, you should purchase one that will be suitable for what you'll be storing inside it. For example, if you have lots of heavy tools, try looking for a rack with deep, sturdy pockets — like the Mefirt over the door shoe rack — to help spread the weight. Alternatively, if you have a range of smaller tools like trowels and handheld shears, you may want to opt for an organizer that features lots of pockets overall.

Then, you will want to consider where to hang the rack. Placing it on the back of the shed door is a great option because the organizer will likely come with all the hardware necessary to loop it over the top. In addition, this will mean that your tools are always handy from the second you step into the shed. It is likely a better idea to place it on the inside of the door rather than on the outside as this will mean that the tools will be protected from the elements and less likely to rust or rot away. To make sure your new tool organizer is sturdy and long-lasting, you may also want to place the heaviest items near the bottom. This will stop it from being top-heavy and potentially ripping or pulling away from the door. But, in general, this trick is super easy to customize, so you can use it for organizing gardening tools in your shed in whatever way makes them easiest to manage and more accessible for you.