Remember that time you spent 20 minutes hunting for a baseball glove while your kid's friends waited in the driveway? Or when you gave up finding the garden shears and just used kitchen scissors on your shrubs? We've all been there. Your outdoor spaces should work for you, not against you. We've tested dozens of organizing systems (and abandoned plenty that failed) to find what actually works, even with kids and busy weekends in the mix. Here are some simple outdoor organizing tips and products that we swear by.
Sports Gear
The garage can become a black hole for balls, mitts, and boards and quickly make summer sports feel hectic. The fix? Get everything off the ground and group similar items together on garage shelves. Basketball with basketball. Tennis with tennis. Simple. Oversized gear like baseball bats and tennis racquets work best mounted on nearby wall hooks.
If your garage gets dusty (most do), try weathertight bins with lids. For gear you use daily, open bins work better. Consider a slat wall for a more custom system with a mix of hooks, bins and shelves. The point is to make it easy to grab what you need and—equally important—put it back.
Pro Tip: Kids are more likely to use equipment they can see and reach. Choose lower shelves for their stuff, higher ones for yours. Makes clean-up faster too.
Gardening Station
That random pile of gardening tools by the back door isn't working. But with a little order, you can fully embrace your green thumb this summer.
Heavy-duty Perforated Baskets (complete with removable dividers) can separate small items like seed packets, plant markers, and gloves. Another reason we love this solution? It hides the visual clutter while keeping everything contained and elevated, so you can beautify your potting station, shed or garage.
When it comes to larger tools like rakes and shovels, we suggest hanging them on wall hooks nearby. This is another category that could benefit from a slat wall system.
Pro Tip: Keep a small caddy with just the everyday essentials—pruners, gloves, plant ties—that you can grab quickly for small jobs. You don't need to haul out everything for a five-minute weeding session.
Grilling Utensils
Nothing kills the grilling vibe faster than running back and forth to the kitchen for tools.
Store grilling equipment in a drawer or cabinet closest to your patio door. Long Acacia Drawer Dividers keep spatulas and tongs organized and easily accommodate their extra length. For cabinets, 16" Small Grid Baskets hold everything and can easily travel outside with you.
Pro Tip: Keep a separate basket just for grill cleaning supplies. Different task, different basket.
Tools and Equipment
Your tool bench where hammers and screwdrivers seem to vanish? Let's fix it. Start by grouping tools by type or use, whatever makes sense to you. For small items like sandpaper and spare batteries, heavy-duty Perforated Baskets allow you to separate sections without bending under weight.
A pegboard on your garage or shed wall keeps everything organized in plain sight. No more digging through drawers for the hammer you need right now. You can see everything at once, each tool has a spot, and you notice immediately when something's missing. For power tools, create a charging station near an outlet so everything stays powered up.
Pro Tip: Label everything - sounds simple, but it makes a huge difference when you're in a hurry.
Organizing Tips for Success
The secret to actually using your outdoor organization? Making it easier to grab stuff than to leave it lying around. Some questions to ask yourself:
- Can I get what I need in under 30 seconds?
- Can I put it away just as fast?
- Would someone else in my house understand this system?
If you answered no to any of these, simplify further - or maybe add labels to make your system super clear. Because summer's too short to spend it on the hunt!
GET THE LOOK
Perforated Basket
Grid Basket
Acacia Drawer Divider
Label Holder Set
xx,
The NEAT Team
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