14 Thrift Store Finds You Can Turn Into Useful Garage Storage Solutions

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Like many spots in the home, the garage is one of those places where there's never quite enough storage space. Garages are often small and become the dumping grounds for a range of items. Whether you're tucking items onto shelves for long-term storage or carving out a workshop area with tool storage, it never hurts to have extra organizational systems, shelving, or storage devices. But buying specialty items, brand-new, adds up quickly, and fancy gear isn't always any better than thrifted finds you can upcycle into storage solutions. In fact, there are plenty of budget-friendly ideas to organize your garage that start with some unexpected items, including many that you find at thrift stores. 

An obvious choice to look for at thrift stores is anything that's already intended for garage storage — shelves are the easiest way to keep your garage organized that you're probably overlooking, for example, and storage bins, pegboards, and workbenches also offer dedicated organization. But we're looking beyond the obvious to items like file drawers, ladders, paper towel racks, and over-the-door shoe storage. When used creatively, these items keep your tools handy and your storage items tucked away in designated spots. You might have some of these items around your home already. If not, check thrift stores — some of the items are more likely to be at Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations or similar secondhand spots. You can also check garage sales, estate sales, auctions, and other secondhand options for inexpensive garage storage solutions.

With so many creative ways to repurpose milk crates in and around your house, you'll want to grab them all. In your garage, use them to contain items stored on shelves. Our inspiration garage uses a number of identical plastic crates — you likely won't find enough matching crates at the thrift store, but you can spray-paint them to make them look similar if you prefer this consistent look. Adjust the shelf spacing if possible to match the height of the milk crates to maximize the use of space. Labels on the outsides of the crates help you easily locate what you need.

All of those cute metal office supply and mail holders that end up at the thrift store are easy to upcycle into lightweight garage storage. Mounted to the wall, they're ideal for holding lighter tools and supplies, like paintbrushes, sandpaper, and work gloves. Or, use them for tool manuals, books, or a clipboard with plans for your upcoming projects. If the wire holder looks worn, spray paint it for a fresh finish. If you want to separate large sections, slide in narrow dividers like these acrylic cube organizers by Epakh.

Scout thrift store shelves for old desk organizers or divided caddies to use on the top of your workbench. The sections in the box let you easily organize items like screwdrivers, scissors, craft knives, thin dowels, tape measures, and other tools. Pick smaller items that you use frequently and want within easy reach to go into this caddy. If you find an open wooden box, you could add wood dividers yourself by cutting pieces of wood like these craft wood squares from Walmart to size. Give it a coat of glossy acrylic paint if you want to refresh the box or give it a sleek look.

A bunch of old jars will transform the way you organize tools, and the thrift store could offer an inexpensive source of those containers. To create the storage, screw the lids to the underside of a garage shelf or a piece of lumber. The lids stay secured to the wood. Then, fill the jars with screws, bolts, nuts, and other small items. Simply screw the jars onto the corresponding lids to hold them in place — they don't take up shelf space, but are easily accessible.

There are many clever ways to repurpose a ladder you find at a thrift store, including scrap wood storage in your garage. You want a step ladder — the kind that folds out to create an A shape. If the ladder has sturdy rungs on both sides already, simply lay long boards across them horizontally for storage. However, you may need to attach short pieces of wood opposite the flat rungs and fix them to the supports. You can also build a wooden platform with casters on the bottom to make the wood storage portable.

Turn old filing cabinets into the perfect deep-drawer garage storage solution inexpensively by thrifting vertical or upright file cabinets. The durable metal construction means the cabinets will last in the garage, and you can put magnetic storage solutions on the sides. To take up less floor space, snag upright cabinets. Go with lateral drawers if you want a lower solution that slides under a workbench. A coat of spray paint will give the drawers a new look, and you can take advantage of drawer front labeling systems to help organize the contents.

Reuse a thrifted frame to DIY a clever tool organizer for your garage by putting the frame around pegboard — storage can be useful and attractive. Check for inexpensive pegboard at ReStore locations if you don't already have some. Then, pick a frame at the thrift store, and refinish it with paint or stain. Attach a section of pegboard to the back of the frame and hang it. Or, if you have a large pegboard wall, attach frames to the pegboard with a heavy-duty adhesive for a gallery wall effect with different types of tools within each frame.

Your school days may be long gone, but those metal lockers you used back then work quite well for garage storage. They keep items hidden and protected from dust, and the smaller compartments let you easily organize tools by type. If you find smaller sections of lockers, you can put them in several smaller spots throughout the garage to better fit your space. A coat of paint makes all of the lockers look similar, even if they're from different places. And, magnets should stick to the metal for labels you can easily change. 

Repurpose old kitchen cabinets into a reliable garage storage solution, whether you remodel or thrift them from ReStore. Lower kitchen cabinets make an ideal base for a workbench — leave a gap between sections of cabinets with one long countertop if you want a spot for a stool. You can also thrift a piece of countertop from ReSstore, or DIY a simple workbench top with plywood. For more vertical wall storage, attach upper kitchen cabinets throughout your garage. If you paint the cabinets, use semi-gloss or gloss paint for durability and washability.

Instead of an expensive hose reel, grab a large galvanized tub to store your garden hoses and accessories. Attach the tub with the flat bottom against the wall. Then, wrap the hose around the outside of the tub. You can store items, like different hose nozzles or sprinklers, inside the tub — the inspiration project includes an added shelf attached to the center of the tub. You'll need to cut the sides at an angle to fit the slant of the tub. 

Check the stock at ReStore for old gutters and end caps to make narrow storage shelves for your garage. Carefully cut the gutters (using proper hand and eye protection) with a hacksaw to the desired length, and slide end caps on, so nothing slides off the ends. The depth of the gutters helps keep items from falling off the shelves — they're perfect for cans of spray paint, bottles of adhesive, and similar supplies, or use them for lightweight tools and other gear. Or, try another genius way to repurpose gutters in and around your home. 

Grab an old paper towel holder at the thrift store to keep all of your tape in one spot. A model with a thin bar is ideal, so all sizes of tape rolls will fit well. Open-ended holders also allow for easy access to the tape rolls. Mount the paper towel holder to a garage wall or to the side of a wooden shelf. You can also use a countertop-style upright holder. Then, slide the tape rolls onto the bar of the paper towel holder to keep them all contained. 

The garage is one of several clever spots to use thrifted towel bars to organize your home. Attach it to a wall near your work area, so the items are easily accessible. One option is to balance your clamps over the towel bar to keep them all aligned. Or, close the clamps around the bar. You could also hang items from the towel bar, or use hooks to hang buckets from the bar to give yourself extra storage to hold smaller items. 

Those inexpensive over-the-door shoe racks can work for a lot more than shoes. In the garage, they're ideal for bottles, like caulk, adhesive, and spray paint. But the pouches can be used for lots of smaller items, like gardening tools, work gloves, and fasteners. Hang the holder over a door, or use Command hooks to hang it anywhere in the garage. If you thrift a clear holder, you can easily see what's in each pouch, but opaque shoe holders will also work.