Do you have stacks of tools taking up valuable space in your apartment? Not to worry—there are lots of clever ways you can organize, sort, and store your work tools without cluttering your living space.

Here are 12 easy ways to store all of your tools in your apartment.

2

Toolbox

4

Adhesive Hooks

  1. Adhesive hooks turn any vertical surface into storage space. Some people like to organize their bathroom hairstyling tools on adhesive hooks.[6] Test out this handy storage trick with your own tools! Find a section of open space in your home—this might be an empty wall, the inside of a cabinet or something else altogether. Follow the packaging instructions and arrange multiple hooks in rows or columns along your wall—this way, you’ll make the most of your space. Then, hang a lightweight tool on the hook, like a wrench or a pair of scissors.
    • Look for tools that have an opening drilled along the bottom—these will be easiest to hang up.
    • Double-check the weight limits on the hook before hanging anything up. Some hooks can hold up to 15 lb (6.8 kg) of weight, while others can’t hold quite as much.
7

Mason Jars

  1. Mason jars fit snugly in a drawer when turned on their side. Find a drawer that you don’t use very much. Place the bottom end of several mason jars along the back edge of this drawer. Then, arrange the jars so they’re flush against one another. At this point, sort and organize your tools into each jar.[10]
    • You don’t need to glue the jars in place—just open the drawer gently when you grab your tools.
    • This hack is officially recommended for kitchen tools but can work well for any type of thin, narrow tool, like a ruler or screwdriver.
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11

Closet or Cupboard

  1. Closets and cupboards help keep your tools out of sight. Take a look at what’s in your closet right now—can you rearrange or move your belongings to make some extra space?[14] Similarly, see if you can dedicate a shelf or cupboard of kitchen space to some of your tools.
    • For instance, you might store a pipe cutter, chisel, and hand drill in your kitchen cupboard, and keep your larger tools, like a jigsaw, drill, or sander, in your closet.
    • You could also use multi-functional furniture, like a coffee table with drawers, to keep your tools.[15]
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12

DIY Organizer

  1. Create a mini organizer with foam balls and a dowel. Drill a hole down the center of multiple foam balls with a 58 in (1.6 cm) drill bit. Then, mount a 58 in (1.6 cm) dowel onto a wooden bracket so it stays put. Slide and glue the pre-drilled foam balls onto the dowel—this creates an organizer “tree” of sorts for your tools. Once the glue dries and cures, stick small tools, like drill bits, screwdrivers, and Allen wrenches directly into the foam. Place this organizer on any open surface in your home, where you can easily grab what you need.[16]
    • A construction adhesive works best with this project. Double-check the drying and curing time before sticking any objects in the foam balls.

Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How can I add more storage to my small apartment?
    Karen Parziale
    Karen Parziale
    Home Stager & Interior Designer
    Karen Parziale is a Home Stager, Home Organizer, and the Founder of The Real Estate Staging Studio based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Karen has over 15 years of home staging and decorating experience and has staged over 5,000 homes. She specializes in project management, space planning, material selections, and builder, architect, and client relationships.
    Karen Parziale
    Home Stager & Interior Designer
    Expert Answer
    Try thinking outside of the box with your storage options. There's lots of multi-functional furniture on the market right now, like a coffee table with a pull-out drawer. Underbed storage is another handy option.
  • Question
    What's the best way to organize tools in a small apartment?
    Karen Parziale
    Karen Parziale
    Home Stager & Interior Designer
    Karen Parziale is a Home Stager, Home Organizer, and the Founder of The Real Estate Staging Studio based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Karen has over 15 years of home staging and decorating experience and has staged over 5,000 homes. She specializes in project management, space planning, material selections, and builder, architect, and client relationships.
    Karen Parziale
    Home Stager & Interior Designer
    Expert Answer
    Unless you have a ton of really bulky, heavy tools, you probably don't need a dedicated tool box. I would just find a dedicated drawer and use dividers to keep the tools organized. That's a good functional solution if you're short on space!
  • Question
    What's wrong with just using a tool box?
    Karen Parziale
    Karen Parziale
    Home Stager & Interior Designer
    Karen Parziale is a Home Stager, Home Organizer, and the Founder of The Real Estate Staging Studio based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Karen has over 15 years of home staging and decorating experience and has staged over 5,000 homes. She specializes in project management, space planning, material selections, and builder, architect, and client relationships.
    Karen Parziale
    Home Stager & Interior Designer
    Expert Answer
    There's nothing wrong with using a tool box. They're just kind of bulky, and they can be super bulky, which isn't ideal if you're short on space.
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About This Article

Karen Parziale
Co-authored by:
Home Stager & Interior Designer
This article was co-authored by Karen Parziale and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Karen Parziale is a Home Stager, Home Organizer, and the Founder of The Real Estate Staging Studio based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Karen has over 15 years of home staging and decorating experience and has staged over 5,000 homes. She specializes in project management, space planning, material selections, and builder, architect, and client relationships. This article has been viewed 18,265 times.
6 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 9
Updated: August 25, 2021
Views: 18,265
Categories: Featured Articles | Storage
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