PUBLISHED: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 by Staff

 

You find yourself with a workshop full of materialand nothing fun to work on—we’ve all been there. Have all the drawers in the kitchen been switched out, and there’s not a single wood guide in the house? Grandaughter already has a jewelry box, and your wife is joking about you working on your own coffin?


Whether you are an experienced carpenter or an amateur woodworking enthusiast, it may seem that your mind is always on the next project. With so many craft outlets and ideas available today, there is a project for every skill and interest level that you won’t even need to buy new tools for.


Too good to be true? Check out our list of clever inspirations for woodworking and organizational projects that will put your cabinetry skills to good use and help you add a few new abilities to your toolbox.

Car and RV Organization

1. Truck Bed Tool Drawer

Instead of littering your truck bed with tool boxes and loose tools that may fly out or be stolen when you are out and about, a simple solution is to install pull-out drawers in the back of your truck. They will keep your tools organized and secure.


Built just like regular drawers, the main challenge in this project is fitting them to the bed of your vehicle. Once fitted, insert dividers and labels and secure the drawers with latches or hooks. Here are some of our projects that can integrate heavy-duty and extra-long drawer slides to creatively store tons in your truck.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDGiU8PiyWV/



Sliding Truck Bed Drawer System Main Image

https://diyprojects.ideas2live4.com/2015/10/17/how-to-install-a-sliding-truck-bed-drawer-system/



http://www.woodworkerz.com/this-diy-adventure-truck-is-a-must-have-for-any-traveler-or-anyone-else/


2. Portable Solar Panels

Another great project for frequent travelers is installing small portable solar panels to car racks. Solar panels are immensely useful for providing an alternative power source when you are on the road for a long time. You don’t want the panels to be subjected to high winds and intense weathering, so putting drawer slides on them will let you slide them in and out from under your car’s top rack.


http://www.4wdadventurers.com/showthread.php?2907-Mounting-Solar-Panels-on-Roofracks


3. Slider Storage for Toolboxes

You can keep your tools organized in your RV the same way you do at home by installing a metal tool chest. The same toolbox that might seem too wide or difficult to access becomes a compact way to store your tools for RV repairs when mounted on heavy-duty drawer slides or a  locking, heavy-duty drawer slide (pictured below) that locks in the open and closed positions. The chest can be stored sideways and slide out from its storage compartment when in use.


Garage Organization

4. Workshop Tool Drawer

For power tools and bigger items, build custom compartments and label them so you know where each one goes and what might be missing. A vertical slide-out board with hooks is another option for hanging extension cords, clamps, and other large objects.



Workshop Tool Drawer for Garage

http://wonderfulengineering.com/40-awesome-ideas-to-organise-your-garage/

Nuts and Bolts Cubbies

A workshop is another area that is difficult to keep organized. You can never seem to find that specific screw or hook or bolt when you need it. All of the little pieces are hard to keep track of, but building a set of small cubbies to hold them can save hours of frustration. You can find small bins and cubbies to use in your organizer at most home-goods stores.



Great idea! Slide out Drawer in garage – compartme::

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/439804719841775748/


Laundry Room

5. Sliding Ironing Board

Most laundry rooms barely have enough space for a washer and dryer, so it can be difficult to sort, wash, fold, and iron your clothes and linens efficiently and without clutter. Adding a slide-out ironing board to a shelf or cabinet eliminates the time and hassle it takes to get out and unfold your ironing board every time you do laundry.

http://www.bhg.com/rooms/laundry-room/makeovers/easy-laundry-room-updates/?page=13


6. Pull-Out Clothes Bins

Clothes bins also take up a lot of space that you don’t have in your laundry room. Creating a hidden clothes bin cabinet will store your lights, darks, and delicates without taking up half the room. It will also hide unsightly dirty laundry and the odor of your sweaty gym socks.


https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/10-laundry-room-storage-ideas-that-ll-knock-your-socks-off-46400/organizing-laundry


http://www.thesunnysideupblog.com/2014/01/downstairs-laundry-room/


7. Pull-Out Drying Rack

Another useful laundry project is building a pull-out drying rack with horizontal bars that fits in a shelf or cabinet space. This is good for laying out clothes that can’t go into the dryer. Traditional drying racks are bulky and often hard to fold and unfold. But with this handy tool, simply pull out a drawer, lay your clothes to dry, and then push the drawer back in when you are finished.

Or pull-out drying racks.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/ingenious-ways-to-make-doing-laundry-easier?utm_term=.rbYoQN2jN#.kq5Y5OjbO


small laundry room - diy pull-out sweater drying rack, Sawdust Girl

http://www.remodelaholic.com/tiny-awkward-small-laundry-idea/


Pet Organization

8. Pet Food Containers

Instead of keeping your pet’s food in a big bin in your pantry, leaving hardly any room for anything else, install a hidden cabinet that holds the food and can easily be accessed by pulling out a drawer. Adding a sealed cabinet in your pantry or directly under your pet’s bowls, as some craftsmen have done, will help to keep your pet’s food fresh and pests out.

http://www.designsbyjolene.com/everything/pallet-wood-dog-bowl-stand-food-storage/

9. Pet Food and Water Bowls

Your dog’s or cat’s feeding bowls can also get in the way and cause a mess. A sliding drawer near the floor is the perfect height for most pets to reach their food and water without scooting their bowls around and spilling everything. When they are finished with their meal, simply push the drawer in until they are hungry again.

Cool Stuff By Creative Minds

http://www.funzug.com/index.php/creativity/cool-stuff-by-creative-minds.html

10. Dog or Cat Bed

If your dog or cat likes to sleep right at the foot of your bed or on the couch, install a comfy bed for them that you can slide in and out when they want to take a snooze. When they are awake, you won’t have to trip over their bed or worry about them chewing or tearing it up while you’re not home.

Hidden Slide Out Bed Under your Bed for your Dog

http://tinyhousepins.com/hidden-slide-out-bed-under-your-bed-for-your-dog/

Living Room

11. Kids Toy and Game Organizer

Pets aren’t the only messy ones in the house. Kids are notorious for leaving their toys and games all over the house and not putting them away properly when they do clean up. If a cabinet space has a place and label for each of their things, they can’t say they don’t know where something goes. This will also help them remember where their things are when they want to play.

http://www.homemadebycarmona.com/diy-board-game-storage-unit/

12. Remote Control Organizer

In your living room or media room, organization is important. Adding sliding compartments to your entertainment center or under your coffee table will let you store your remotes and video game controllers when they aren’t in use.

https://www.fairlyfabulousblog.com/2014/08/diy-coffee-table-drawer.html


13. Sliding Door or Room Divider

A popular home feature these days is a set of large, decorative doors that slide to open. You can turn an ordinary doorway into a design feature with trendy sliding doors. Another option is to break up a large room with a sliding room divider. Open up the room when you want to, and then simply slide the room divider back for some privacy.

http://www.remodelaholic.com/diy-barn-doors-rolling-door-hardware-ideas/3/



Office Organization

14. Desk and Table Organizer

Adding a sliding platform or small pen drawer to your desk or table can provide more desk space or organizational storage without making the desk too bulky or obtrusive. This can also work for a computer keyboard or a cutting mat for a sewing table.

Cool Diy Computer Desk

http://www.shelterness.com/cool-diy-computer-desk-with-cord-management/


15. Sewing Table Into a Desk

Nothing beats the charm of a classic sewing table. That said, these days many of them may be far from functional or lack the polish to really complement the rustic but modern decor people crave. This gorgeous example of what can be done to an old table was actually submitted by one our customers, and all it took was a 22-inch, full-extension drawer slide and some mounting brackets.


16. Printer and Computer Organizer

Desk space is always important at your home office or at work. Building a shelf or cabinet to house your printer and CPU will free up room on your desk, and making their shelves slide out will enable you to clean and maintain your electronics easily.

Craft Room / Office ideas for a small bedroom or dining room

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/scrapbook-room-update-new-house-tour/


Kitchen Organization

17. Pull-Out Cutting Board

Everyone could use some extra working space in the kitchen. Adding a pull-out cutting board to your kitchen cabinets will give you a place to chop fruits and vegetables while the rest of the counter is open for other tasks. Some craftsmen even place the pull-out cutting board over a trash can for easier clean up.


Ideas-To-Improve-Your-Kitchen-2

http://www.woohome.com/diy-2/37-diy-hacks-and-ideas-to-improve-your-kitchen


18. Kitchen Drawer Compartments

We all have that drawer in the kitchen that is home to the junk that won’t fit in any other drawer. All of those pens, batteries, rubber bands, flashlights, and receipts create clutter quite fast. Adding drawer organizers and maybe even a second sliding layer to the drawer will help you keep everything in its place.


http://www.meandmydiy.com/2012/09/make-most-of-your-drawers_16.html


19. Hidden Pull-Out Appliances


Whether it’s your washer and dryer, deep freezer, or dishwasher, appliances can take up a lot of room and are somewhat unsightly. Hide your appliances in your cabinets with matching panels on the front to keep them out of the way until you need them.

freezer built under dinette: the fit out on this narrowboat from Milburn Boats is amazing.:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/182888434842701691/

20. Pan and Platter Solutions

Plates and pans take up a lot of room in your kitchen cabinets, and they get cluttered easily. Not to mention, heavy platters can be difficult to get out of the cabinet when they have other things stacked on top of them. Add a sliding rack to your cabinet that stores plates, platters, and pans vertically.

This Pin was discovered by Katlyn Phinney. Discover (and save!) your own Pins on…:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/398216792035495257/


21. Fruit and Vegetable Basket

It can be difficult to find a good place to store fresh produce in your kitchen. Building a small crate or shelf with sliding baskets will help you store more fruits and vegetables. Add a mesh bottom to keep them fresh longer.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/477522366720651486/


22. Slide-Out Spice Rack


The spice pantry might be the most disorganized part of any kitchen. Installing pull-out spice organizing racks can eliminate a lot of the clutter and help you find the spice you need faster. This will also free up cabinet space for other things and keep them cleaner.

Slide-Out Spice Rack, Pull Out Spice Rack, Cabinet Spice Pullout Rack, Spice Pull Out Rack, Spice Rack Pull Out

http://www.withablast.net/2013/10/my-new-sliding-spice-rack-diy.html

23. Sliding Pantry Shelves

Cans and other pantry items can also be a hassle when you’re trying to find more room in your pantry or cupboard. You may have seen horizontal can stackers that save space, but these can be kind of difficult to get the items out of and make it hard to spot what you’re looking for. Installing sliding shelves will enable you to slide your pantry items out so you can see them all at once.

http://www.fabartdiy.com/how-to-diy-space-saving-pull-out-pantry-cabinet/



Bedroom Organization

24. Under-Bed Storage

Instead of shoving boxes and bags under your bed that you will have a hard time pulling out later, create an organized space that is accessible with pull-out storage. Build drawers that will fit under your bed, and attach their pulls to the bottom of the bed.


http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com/diy-under-bed-storage/

25. Space-Saving Shoe Racks

Closets never seem to have enough room, so any space-saving solution is always welcome. A vertical, sliding shoe rack is a great way to store your shoes and keep them organized.

Plywood Edge - Attach Slides-traditional-closet.jpg

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/plywood-edge-attach-slides-94930/


26. Closet Shelves

When things get stuffed in your closet, it can be impossible to find what you need. Putting drawer slides on your closet shelves will let you easily see what is stored in your closet and make it easier to organize and put things away. Add labels and individual compartments for further organization.


Before:


After:

Source: FixThisBuildThat


Bathroom Organization

27. Hidden Step Stool

For tall shelves or other things that are hard to reach, add a step stool that can slide out when you need it. This is also a useful addition for homes with young children who have trouble reaching the sink or counter.


http://www.finehomebuilding.com/2011/10/13/one-step-storage


28. Sliding Medicine Cabinets

Many bathrooms have a medicine cabinet behind the mirror, but a unique idea is to make sliding medicine cabinet drawers on each side of the mirror. You won’t have to move the mirror, and you’ll be able to organize all of your toiletries.

Clever built in storage-1

http://www.decoratingyoursmallspace.com/clever-built-in-storage-ideas-you-never-thought-of/


29. Makeup- and Hair-Tool Organizer

If you or someone in your house uses makeup and hair tools, storing them in a built-in organizer in your bathroom or vanity keeps them in place and easy to access. Instead of a mess of tangled cords, store hair tools upright in their own compartment. Styling products and makeup can fit below the tools, and then you can slide them all into the cabinet.

Yard Organization

30. Gardening Organizer and Potting Bench

Frequent gardeners know the struggle of organizing their seeds, pots, soil, and gardening tools. Building an outdoor potting bench or shelf with sliding drawers and organizers will keep your gardening materials ready for every seasonal task. Use old dish tubs for drawers and a slide-out trash can to keep soil and mulch.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/346284658818949443/


31. Outdoor Yard Tool Rack

Rakes, shovels, and other yard tools can take up a lot of space in your garage or backyard, not to mention they are easy to trip over. Create a sliding rack that keeps your tools up high and out of the way, but easily accessible and ready for yard work. Use long boards and pvc pipe to hold your tools in place, and then use drawer slides to move the rack in and out.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/405816616404196574/


32. Deck Drawers

Another great way to maximize your outdoor storage space is to create drawers that slide right under your deck or porch. This project can be a little trickier, but it is a good solution for extra storage.

Deck Drawers, Backyard Storage Ideas, Deck Storage, Deck Storage Box

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.deck-storage-drawer-hardware.1000746884.html?redir=s


33. Sliding Awning or Curtains

While you are expanding your outdoor features, consider installing some sliding curtains around your porch or sitting area, as well as a sliding awning that can be pulled out to block rain or sun and pushed back in when not in use.

http://hadleycourt.com/spring-design-ideas-for-gracious-outdoor-living-spaces/



Miscellaneous Organization

34. Hidden Compartments

Hidden compartments are a fun project to use your craftsman skills. Add a hidden compartment behind your bed or in a bookshelf that slides out or to the side. Make the outside face of the compartment as seamless as possible with the rest of the furniture piece so it blends in unnoticed when it is closed. If you’re very ambitious, you could make an entire sliding bookshelf to lead to that secret room you’ve always wanted.

Hidden Compartments, Cool Hidden Compartments, Secret Hidden Compartments, Secret Compartment, Secret Compartments in House, Home Hidden Compartments, Secret Compartment in Houses

http://makezine.com/2015/06/17/20-secret-doors-clever-hiding-places/


35. Sliding Mirrors and Pictures to Hide Safes

If you have a wall safe or hidden storage, or you want to add that feature to your home, you want it to be undetectable. Adding a sliding picture or mirror to your wall can hide your valuables while still leaving them easily accessible to you.

survival-gun

https://survivallife.com/survival-gun-safe-guide/





When you’re sure you’ve worked through every possible home improvement or repair job around the house. Think again. If wood work is your specialty, you’ll never run out of projects to better organize and declutter your spaces with these ideas. Not only are they practical, but they will also put your skills to the test. So grab your tool box and prepare to flex your carpentry muscles—it’s time to impress your friends and family with your creativity and organizational ingenuity.

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