Garden Shed Challenge

This post today is about a challenge I took from my other half to sort out his shed. Usually the shed is left to him and I stay well clear. Its also usually a dumping ground for stuff I really don't want in the house. I said to him before to let me organise it and yesterday he asked when I was going to do it, also adding “I don't think there is much you can do though” and I swiftly responded with a loud “HA” and “I'll show you”  (does he really not know me?).

I lifted from my seat, headed to the shed and opened the door to this....

[Insert Scream here]

OK so I know it is a shed after all but it is a nightmare for an organising queen fanatic to look at. You can see there is left over blocks from the path he just paved, tools and paint on shelves and everything else just thrown/tossed/chucked inside. I of course had to take into consideration that this is a “man” space and that my normal array of baskets and cute displays would not cut it in here.

He already had sufficient shelving so I didn't have to worry about that. I started by completely emptying the whole lot out, to start with a blank space and think about what I needed to do. I still cannot believe the amount of stuff this small space was actually holding - A major fail on my part for not taking a photo of everything outside the shed.

I had already given him some jars to keep the nails and screws he had, but was not being used and he had some things in butter tubs but I don’t think these are the greatest of storage solutions as they just look untidy. I used jars instead and now must remember to keep more in future for him.

So now things had to go back in the shed I started by sorting through all of the screws and nails and labelled the jars the best I could with my label printer. I used old Oxi clean tubs for the odd ones. I put these on the top of the shelves he had already put up. I also put 3 little tin buckets on the bottom shelf for other bits and bobs he may be using and I think they look lovely.

For his power tools I thought about just placing on the shelves and leaving it but that would not be in my nature just to leave it just like that. Grabbing the label printer again I got to work creating little homes for each tool by labelling the shelves to where they should live. An old basin held his sanding sheets nicely.

For his fishing hooks, reels etc I put it in the big wooded box (that he made himself) which is under the pink box which I put his spare hand tools inside. 

On the top shelf to the left of the picture above, I put his drill which he uses a lot with his box of assorted screws. Beside that is car fluids, fence paint and the lawn feed is in the black container which used to be protein shake in there. Another basin on the shelf above the ladders has gardening tools like the trowel, fork and gloves.

I placed all the other equipment like his workbench, hose reel, spades and power washer he has around the shed.

Coming home from the park with our daughter he looked in the shelf and smiled. Asking him what he thought he asked “what's missing?”. He's pleased with the space he now has and the test is to now see how long it will stay this way.

What do you do to keep your shed tidy and organised? 

Perfect Happy Home


Linking to: 
A Bowl Full Of Lemons, Say Not Sweet Anne and Family, Home and Life