Inventive and Low Cost Shelving Options for your Shed

One of the most important things is choosing the right shed style and size for your storage needs! If you just need a little extra space, then our Garden Shed model could be the right fit for you.

Or if you are looking for a heavier duty building to hold, large heavyweight items than the Lofted Barn could be a better fit.

But the one thing every shed owner has in common is the need for more vertical space. A great way to maximize your walls and keep as many things off the floor as possible is with shelves.

If you don’t have the do-it-yourself skills to build your own and want to reduce the potential costs of adding shelving to your shed, we have you covered! Here are some of our favorite DIY shelving options to incorporate into your Cook shed.

And, for more creative and inexpensive shelving ideas from Cook, click below to watch our short, informative shelving How-To video for February.

Repurpose what you have

First, look around your shed, closets, basement or attic and check out what you are storing that is broken, chipping, peeling or just needs to be spruced up or given new life. You could have tons of potential storage at your fingertips and not even know it!

For example, simple wooden boxes can be hung with just a power drill. Choose different sizes depending on what you want them to hold. Old drawers can also work for this project. Add paint or contact paper to the back to incorporate some color into your building!

If you have an old ladder sitting in the back of your shed or garage that has been around for decades, (it seems like we all do) than invest in a new one. Instead of throwing it away, repurpose it by hanging it horizontally and making it into a bookshelf.

Utilize cheap materials

When looking for the perfect shelving solution for your shed, dollar and thrifts stores are your friend. Remember you can always add a coat of paint or refinish these items to match your existing decor.

For example, a stand-up magazine or file holder can be turned on its side and hung. This solution provides storage that is two-fold, on top and inside the item.

Or thrift stores are always full of old, dusty (but often colorful and eclectic) books for nearly no cost. Hang brackets and place books on top for an easily made shelf. To learn more, check out this tutorial!

Get crafty with it

OK I know we said earlier that these tips were for the shed owners who aren’t skilled at hands-on projects. But, there are still some super simple ways to create your own shelving options without spending all weekend on a seemingly never-ending craft project!

For example, with heavy duty rope and a few wooden planks you can create a multi-tiered rope shelf. All you need is a drill and the color you want to paint the wooden shelves. Check out exactly how to complete this project in this tutorial!

Or if you are feeling really ambitious or can convince a family member or friend to help, cut down standard pallets into sections of three, so each one provides space to hold signs, pictures frames, etc.!

For more tips from our How-To Video series, check out the Cook Video page by clicking the button below!