10 Tool Organization Ideas That Look Cool and Keep Everything Together

You’ve thoroughly cleaned your kitchen. You’ve organized your kids’ bedrooms. And you’ve decluttered your home office. But there’s one oft-neglected area that rarely gets attention: your tools. 

Whether you’re a serious woodworker or an avid gardener — or you just have the bare essentials of tools for easy home repairs — your tools need to be organized, too.

Before you even think about organizing options, you need to figure out what you have and what you want to keep. There are a handful of decluttering methods out there where you start by assessing what you have and decide what to keep, donate, or toss. This way you are only dealing with the items you need to organize, and this should shrink the work.

Here are 10 creative tool organization ideas to arrange all the things that help you get the job done.

Wall-mounted pegboards are great for organizing just about anything, from spices to coffee cups. They’re practical, affordable, customizable, and, when designed right, super cute. So it makes sense to use them to organize and display your go-to tools for easy access. There are pegboard kits that include pegboard panels, hanging bins, shelves, and assorted hooks and brackets.

Put unused wall space in your shop or garage to good use by installing a wall-mounted tool organizer shelf, like this one. There are a variety of styles, from minimalist ones that hold just cordless tools to larger organizers with multiple shelves to store way more.

Workbenches can serve two purposes: They can provide you with additional workspace, as well as storage both beneath the work surface or above it, with shelves, cabinets, and pegboards. This can be a more expensive option, although you can build your own for cheaper.

An inexpensive way to build a rack for your tools is by using PVC pipes. These man-made polymer plastic pipes are strong, durable, and versatile, and come in a variety of sizes. Build a rack with pipes (2- to 3-inch diameters) and secure them to the wall to hold your tools securely upright or have a compact version on your desk, like this DIY by Dunn Lumber, to hold smaller tools.

Glass Mason jars are a great way to store small items like nuts and bolts while bringing that farmhouse chic vibe. Label them with what’s inside and store them on open shelves for easy access.

Not everything fits on a pegboard or in a Mason jar. For those awkwardly sized tools and accessories (think: paint rollers, duct tape, extension cords), use plastic bins to organize and store them on open shelves. (Don’t forget to label them!) And your garage could look like this one on TikTok.

If you have a lot of wall space in your garage, wire shelves are an easy and affordable way to store your tools while maximizing floor space. You can get shelving systems at any home-improvement retailer or online. Many of these systems can be customized with hooks, baskets, and shelves. Make sure you check on the weight capacity for these units so you’re not storing something too heavy on them.

Repurpose an old mailbox into storage for your small garden tools, as this TikTok user did. Your tools will be protected by the elements and out of the way — but accessible, too. Here’s a quick DIY.

Who doesn’t love an upcycle hack? As this TikTok user points out, an old wood pallet is great for gardening or yard tool storage. The tools will stay enclosed and secure; you don’t have to worry about them falling over. Get a wood pallet, prop it upright, and store rakes, brooms, shovels, and anything tall. You can refinish or paint the pallet — or leave it rustic.

Get an old golf bag with a cart and transform it into a garden tool caddy. Store shovels, rakes, and other gardening gear in the club pockets. The cart makes it easy to haul your tools around with you. Use the smaller pockets — the one for golf balls and tees — for smaller tools. You can also use a rolling cart like this TikTok user did to store yard tools. That user’s exact rolling cart can be found here.