Turn Wood Planks Into A Budget-Friendly Way To Add Hanging Garage Storage
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It's common for the garage to become the go-to storage spot for everything, from essential garden tools to spare car parts. Often, though, once something gets stored there, it's rarely seen or heard from again. Over time, you may find things getting more cramped in the space as you continue to park more items. Luckily, one clever TikTok user, @feralcathomereno, showed us a wallet-friendly way to add more storage space to your garage — without spending a fortune on custom-built cabinets or expensive shelving units. In this creative DIY, she fashioned a hanging storage rack for her garden tools using only boards of scrap wood.
The rack has two sections intersecting at a corner wall, and two tiers, which combined, can hold over a dozen tools, including rakes, shovels, bypass loppers, and a leaf blower. After repairing and painting the garage wall, she secured a single wood plank of about 2 inches by 4 inches by 6 feet, to the wall horizontally. Afterward, she added multiple sets of smaller wood pieces to it, to serve as forked slot holders.
One of the best things about this project is its simplicity. You can duplicate it using your own scrap wood pieces, or you can buy a few wood planks from The Home Depot for about $5 apiece. You'll also need a few smaller pieces of lumber for the fork slots that will sit perpendicular on the rack (e.g., a board measuring 1 inch by 4 inches by 4 feet costs $1.28). As far as tools, you'll need a screwdriver, level, stud finder, and exterior-grade deck screws or coated wood screws that'll hold up outdoors. For the screws, something like 3-inch screws should work for anchoring the rack, and 1 ¼- to 1 ½-inch screws for the holder pieces.
Steps to build your garage rack
The first step is decluttering your garage to know how much space you have to work with. Also, if there are any small dents or holes needing repair on the wall, it's best to fix these areas before you begin adding your rack. Once your pieces are cut to size, use a stud finder to map the wall studs so the rack lines up for proper support. Use your level to ensure the main plank will be straight, then screw it into place.
@feralcathomereno The easiest DIY garage storage you'll see. This didn't cost me anything bc I used leftover scrap wood for this just used a 2x4 and some 1x2s 🤘🏼#diy #garagestorage #diyhome #garage #diyproject
For the forked slots, from the top of the rack, screw in a pair of smaller cut pieces about 3 inches apart; repeat this step every 16 inches across the plank. Next, go beneath the plank and repeat the same process, this time securing the small wood pieces along the rack's underside, but place the first pair about 3 inches to the right of the top row's first set. The bottom row will have one fewer holders for a staggered, intentional look.
Once this longer rack is in place, use the remaining wood to create smaller racks if you like. In the DIY, the creator added two additional racks to fill a smaller area of the garage wall. To these racks, she added hooks instead of slots, including a metal hook.
Creating different looks for the build
This easy hanging rack build can be customized in so many ways, helping you maximize your garage space to the fullest. For example, if you want a more rustic, weathered look, consider using light and dark-colored chalk paint to create a distressed, layered effect. A driftwood gray or walnut stain can also be used for a more natural look against your garage wall. With the walnut stain, you can use a light grit sandpaper, such as 120-grit, to gently go over the stain to create a more worn appearance.
If your garage has a more modern theme, consider painting the racks a black or moss green, and using a lighter-toned accent color for the forked slot pieces, such as cream or light gray. Also, instead of using smaller wood pieces as hanging slots, you might try hooks, like an S-hook or painted heavy-duty storage hooks, like in this 20-pack set from Sedy (Amazon, $22.99). They can save you time on wood cutting, as well allow you to add some smaller garden tools, like trowels and pruning shears.
Another great way to customize this design is by mixing up the layout to maximize functionality for your specific tool collection. For example, in addition to shorter racks dedicated to quickly accessing those small tools, securing a pegboard alongside the main storage rack is another upgrade to bring this idea full circle, helping you keep your garage organized and tidy.