We’ve all been there: you begin to acquire more tools, and over time the workbench area becomes a nightmare of loose screws, random screwdriver fittings, and picture-frame hangers that you couldn’t pair with the right pictures if your life depended on it. This sort of chaos gets in the way when you need to make a quick repair to something around the house. Instead of fighting with it, try these methods of organizing your tools.

Get Rid of the Unnecessary

Start with the basics. Go through your tools and throw out anything you don’t need. There are often components from old projects, leftover cams, and other odds and ends that are taking up space and that will most likely never be used. Toss them out and free up a place to work.

Stackable Storage Bins

The next thing to do is start organizing things into bins, then stacking them atop one another. This helps to save space while still keeping everything easily accessible. The best sort of bins are those with open fronts that allow you to reach in without taking everything from the top, available from places like Quantum Storage. Of course, milk crates are always an option, too.

Get a Pegboard

Hanging a pegboard on your wall gives you plenty of space to hook tools. This way, all of your larger tools are presented in a way that lets you instantly see what you’re looking for without taking up much space. A pegboard can support a lot of weight, so it’s possible to hang drills, lawn tools, and more from it as long as you have the right connectors.

Use a Silverware Tray to Sort out Screws and Nails

Chances are, you’ll have a number of different screw and nail sizes, all with different heads. Separate these tools into separate, smaller containers. Nothing is worse than spending ten minutes looking for the right screw because they’re all in one jumbled mess. It’s better to gather all the tools for a project ahead of time, and doing this helps keep them separate.

Organizing the tools you use often will make life much easier and save a lot of time when those small, day-to-day projects pop up. These are just a few ways of doing so, but there are countless methods to organizing, and some people have even come up with truly ingenious ways to keep themselves sane. As with anything, it’s best to start with baby steps—get a few of your tools organized and work from there.

Guest post courtesy of:

Anica Oaks

Freelance writer and web enthusiast
Read some of my published work on my Google+ page.