I am sure by the title of this article, you are wondering, just who does that?  Well, that would be me.  I actually managed to stand on the wrong end of a rake in our shed and guess what?  I got smacked with the handle in the head.

You may wonder just how this could happen, especially when I am safety conscious, because if there was ever to be a crazy gardening accident it would be to me.  I can always find a way to hurt myself in the garden.  So this autumn I decided it was time to organize the garden shed and be a bit more proactive for safety, plus be able to see just what tools I own.

When we moved into this house, there was a dark and creepy shed in the back corner.  It was still functional, a few holes near the floor where some rodents had chewed through (yes this is a wooden shed) that are to be covered and fix by my hubby (he promised!).  But I realized that because it was not a very inviting shed, things were just thrown in when not in use.  Things I used to tell my kids off for were now being done by me.

7 Ways to Get it Together in that Backyard Shed

1.  Open the door and keep it open – I used to just run in and grab, as I was always scared there were spiders and bugs, so I propped the door open with the wheel barrow and started hauling things out into the yard one by one wearing gloves. 

I grouped them into piles on the lawn, such as rakes and spades and long handled utensils in one pile (ever so careful with that rake).  Then the lawnmower and its accessories including the gas can in another pile, and small hand tools in another and the last pile were bags of soil and peat moss etc.

2.  Sweep and Clean – Get to know your shed well, and sweep it out.  I even hauled out the shop vac and went into those corner webs and up at the ceiling to get rid of old wasp nests (not active) and just stringy things that always seemed to get me in the face when I entered. 

I then stood back and looked at what room and walls were available and just how I could organize them in a better way.   I figured out which tools I use the most, and worked on making them accessible.

3. Lighting

I don’t have any electricity running to this shed, and since it has no windows and is a scary place for me to visit, I thought I would invest in battery operated lighting.  This particular one is designed for sheds, attics, garages etc, and I think is an affordable investment so that you will stay in the shed to look for things and to at least put things away properly, instead of throwing them in.  A window would have been nice in here, but I am not about to put one in, so the battery operated light will have to do.

4. Corner Utility Rack for Long Handled Tools

Corner Utility Rack for Long Handled Tools – The more you can utilize the space you have the better.  It is amazing just how much space those rakes and spades can take up especially if your idea of storage is simply leaning them against the wall.  It wastes so much space this way.  I always get them tangled up in the lawnmower when trying to steer it out. 

The corner could be the best place in your space to really utilize the space.  You can get these on wheels as well, but I love the idea of it sitting stationary in one corner.

5. Simple Shelves but Heavy Duty

You can get these simple yet heavy duty shelves that you attach to the supports in the walls of your shed.  I prefer the idea of the shelves running across the back so as to keep the width, but it all depends on your space as these are pretty deep, but are perfect garden accessories and power tools to keep them off the floor.

6. Free Standing Shelves

Someone had put an old wooden bookcase style wall unit in my shed and all that happened is the veneer came off over time, and mice ate into it and because it had a solid back up against the wall spiders thought that would be a great dark place to hang out.  We took that out right away, and now are looking at adding a free standing metal shelving unit for the smaller hand tools.  Using household furniture is not really the answer, you need something designed for these storage areas.

7. Get the Bikes Out

If your garden shed is not that big and you have been storing them in there will the lawnmower, get them out into their own storage area or bike racks.  I found storing them in there for the winter might be a grand idea, but in the summer time when you are trying to haul out the lawn mower or rake, there just wasn’t the room.

You can get wall style bike hooks if you have the wall room to get them off the floor.  I found this to be the real key for keeping the shed organized, but I also found this separate storage ideas for the bikes that would work too.  It all depends on your budget and the room you have available and if your yard has a gate and lock for security.

The above ideas are an investment, but if you are handy you can make your own storage hooks and shelves.  This video might inspire you to do a bit of DIY.

It is amazing just how well you can utilize a small space especially when it comes to organizing the garden shed.  It turns out this one is just the right size for us. So consider giving this space a good cleanout and reorganize.  You can even get creative with just a few hooks, whatever it takes to get things off the ground so that you don’t get hit by that attack rake!