Here’s how to create an easy workbench for an open stud wall in a garage or shop:

• Cut two 1×4s and a one 2×4 for each diagonal brace.
• Join each set of the three pieces of wood together with drywall screws.
• Slip each brace around an exposed stud and attach it to the stud with drywall screws.
• Attach the bottom of each diagonal brace to the stud with a drywall screw.
• Cut a piece of 3/4″ plywood for the top, and notch it to fit around each stud.

For detailed plans of a similar workbench, see our article on How to Build a Built-in Garage Workbench.

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Hanging shoe bags work great for storing tubes of caulking, cans of spray paint, and other items in your garage or workshop. Clear plastic bags allow you to easily see the items that are stored. Since full bags can be heavy, be sure to provide plenty of support when hanging them on the wall. Watch this video to find out how.

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Who doesn’t need more storage space in their home? From closets and attics to kitchens and laundry rooms, we’ll show you some innovative storage ideas that can help eliminate the clutter around your home. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get busy cleaning up that mess!

Closets

Closets are the first place to look when improving storage in your home. Replacing old hanging rods and shelves with adjustable metal shelving and wire baskets should be high on your priority list. It’s not that hard to do, and can make a great DIY project.

Here’s how to go about it:

• Start by cleaning everything out of the closet.
• Remove the old shelf and rod.
• Locate the wall studs and mark their position.
• Secure the horizontal track to the studs on the back wall near the top of the closet.
• Hang the vertical supports on the track and secure them to the wall.
• Cut the wire shelves to length with a hacksaw or reciprocating saw.
• Attach shelf supports to the vertical supports.
• Install hanging rods, shelves, and baskets.

Under Bed

A lot of good storage space can be found under your bed. To access the stored items, build one or more large open boxes that fit under your bed from plywood or medium density fiberboard (MDF).

Install casters to the bottom of the box and a handle on the front to allow it to easily roll in and out.

Laundry Room

Your laundry room is another area of the house that can usually benefit from some serious organization. Some ideas for laundry room storage include:

• Add a store bought or built-in storage unit that has been sized to hold an individual laundry basket for each member of the family.
• Install shelving on your laundry room walls above the washer/dryer as well as along the area near the ceiling to store cleaning supplies and detergent, as well as tools and other items.
• A great DIY project that can make your laundry room more functional is to install a built-in ironing board, complete with an electrical outlet and storage for your iron, into the laundry room wall.

Attic

Attics are a great place to store items that aren’t damaged by extreme temperatures. To increase the storage space in your attic, consider building hanging shelves that are attached to the rafters.

Here’s how to go about it:

• Determine the pitch of your roof and the width you want your shelves.
• Using these measurements, build “L” shaped brackets cut from 2”x 4” lumber to support the shelves.
• Use a chalk line to mark the position of the brackets on the rafters.
• Attach the brackets to the rafters with screws, making sure the shelf support is level.
• Slide 1” thick shelving onto the brackets.

Kitchen

There are a number of ways, from lazy susans to sliding bins, to increase storage space in your kitchen. One simple way to free up a drawer and make the lids to your pots more accessible is to mount a bathroom towel rack to the inside of a cabinet door. Here’s how to go about it:

• Start by attaching one of the towel rack brackets to the cabinet door stile at the proper height.
• Next, hold the other bracket in place and measure the length of the towel rod.
• Cut the towel rod to length with a hacksaw.
• Insert the towel rod in the two brackets and screw the second bracket to door.
• Place lids on the towel rack with the handles facing out.

Bookcase

A DIY built-in bookcase in your living room or den makes the perfect place to store books or display memorabilia and photographs. Store bought models are also available.

To build a bookcase:

• Start by making a cutting list and cutting the stock (plywood, MDF, or solid wood) to size for the bookcase and shelves.
• Assemble the bookcase.
• Construct a separate recessed base below the bookcase.
• Assemble the bookcase and base.
• Attach a frame to the front of the bookcase.
• Prime and paint or stain and finish the bookcase and base.
• Install bookcase in room.

Bathroom

Bathrooms can always use some added storage space. There are a number of options available, including:

• Build or buy a shallow hanging cabinet to attach to the wall above the toilet for storing towels, soap, and toilet paper.
• Add a built-in window seat or a freestanding chest in your bathroom to serve as a place for clothes and to sit when dressing, as well as for storage space inside.
• Install a built-in, recessed medicine cabinet, such as Nutone’s locking bath cabinet on the wall above the sink in the space between two studs.

Charging Station

A recessed wall cabinet with an electrical outlet mounted inside is the perfect place to keep cell phones, iPods, and MP3 players while they’re charging. It also doubles as a convenient place to hang your keys.

Other Tips from This Episode

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Rather than throwing empty CD containers away, reuse them to hold string or ribbon in your shop. Start by mounting the base of the CD container under a shelf. Drill a hole in the plastic top to thread the string through. Put a spool of string on the container’s hub and twist the top in place.

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Shelving for the closet was made from 3/4” thick x 16” wide stock and supported by 1”x 2” cleats attached to the studs in the walls. A vertical piece in the center provided support and divided the closet in two, with one side for hanging clothes and the other for storage.

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To maximize the storage space in your kitchen pantry, attach a clear plastic shoe rack to the inside of the pantry door for storing cleaning supplies and other items. Hold the rack in place at the bottom with push pins to secure it when the door is opened.

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Inexpensive towel racks mounted on the inside of cabinet doors is a great way to store cookie sheets and cutting boards for easy access. Simply cut the racks to length, attach them to the door, and mount a plywood shelf near the bottom to hold the items in place.

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Cloth nail aprons are great for DIY projects around the home, but with only two pockets, they usually can’t hold everything you need. By cutting the top off plastic quart oil containers, you can make interchangeable liners for the pockets of the apron to hold different size nails and screws.

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Bedroom before makeover

This small bedroom received a big makeover to take advantage of every inch of the limited space. The newly renovated child’s room features a fold-down Murphy bed, built-in cabinets, a window seat complete with drawers, new closet shelving, a wall mounted TV, and an eye-catching paint job.

Bedroom after remodeling

The first step was to clear everything out the room so remodeling could begin. Next, the walls and trim were prepped for painting. Any nail holes were filled with spackling and allowed to dry before painting began.

      Installing crown molding

The electric blue and green walls—coupled with new crown molding and white trim—make a bold fashion statement. Two of the opposing walls were painted blue with green accents, while the remaining two walls reversed the color scheme with green walls.

Shelving for the closet was made from 3/4” thick x 16” wide stock and supported by 1”x 2” cleats attached to the studs in the walls. A vertical piece in the center provided support and divided the closet in two, with one side for hanging clothes and the other for storage.

            Closet shelving

The hardware and frame for the folding bed was ordered from Murphy Wall-Beds Hardware, Inc. and came with complete instructions on how to construct the cabinet and install the bed. You can also watch step-by-step installation videos online at their website to give you an idea of the process involved.

While we constructed the cabinet from 3/4” medium density fiberboard (MDF), following the cutting list and instructions that came with the hardware, ready to assemble Murphy bed cabinets are available online as well.

        Installing bed cabinet

Since Murphy bed hardware requires a precise fit, it’s important to make the cabinet to the exact dimensions given in the instructions. The cabinet was assembled with screws before being set in place.

It’s also important to attach the bed cabinet securely to the wall studs with steel angle brackets to prevent it from turning over when the bed is lowered. Make sure the cabinet is square and level before attaching it to the wall.

    Spring loaded bed hinges

Once the cabinet was ready, the heavy duty spring hardware that raises and lowers the bed was mounted on each side. The steel bed frame was assembled with a sheet of MDF on the bottom.

After the bed frame had been attached to the hinges, it was raised and lowered to make sure everything worked properly. A handle was mounted on the outside of the bed to allow for easy opening and closing.

When the bed was complete, matching bookcase cabinets were installed on either end of the wall to provide additional storage space. A window seat with two drawers finished out the wall. Colorful green curtains, a throw rug, and decorative accents tie the room together.

Finished bedroom

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This convenient shoe caddy is made from recycled 5-gallon buckets and scrap lumber. It’s great for keeping track of shoes in your garage, mud room, or closet. To make it, all you need is some 5-gallon buckets, scrap lumber, and leftover paint.

Shoe Caddy Materials List

• 6 – 5-gallon recycled buckets
• 1 – 1” x 8” x 12’ scrap lumber
• 1 – 30” x 40” scrap plywood
• 1 – Quart leftover paint

Making a Recycled Shoe Caddy:

• Use a sabre saw to cut the lip off the buckets with the rim of the bucket acting as a guide.
• Sand the cut edges on the bucket smooth.
• Arrange the buckets in a triangular shape (other shapes can be used as well), using spring clamps to hold them in place.
• Cut the plywood to size in a triangular shape so that it doesn’t protrude past the buckets.
• Screw the bottom of the buckets to the plywood.
• Cut the 1” x 8” to size at an angle so it forms a tight fitting frame around the buckets.
• Nail the four pieces of frame together.
• Sand and paint the frame.
• Slide the frame over the buckets, and screw the sides of the buckets to it.

      Cut rim off buckets.             Assemble frame.           Attach buckets to frame.

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