I invested in one of the rolling tool carts (Menards). It is fairly large, and I can keep most of my tools that I keep in the garage in the cart. Even the circular saw fits in the lower drawer. I have built four work benches in the last year, since I moved into this place. All have a lower shelf I use for the bigger stuff (chain saw, a large mitter saw, etc.). The blower hangs (by its handle), as do most of the extension cords. In the house I have a bench (with a lower shelf) with a 5 gal. bucket with one of those tool caddy things that fit the bucket, with various tool boxes for socket sets, drill bits, etc. So I just grab the tool box I need. Don't get me wrong, I am not that organized, stuff still ends up everywhere! Oh, I do have peg boards with all my benches, for all the small things that can hang. In the garage I hang everything possible (with lots of that "cheap" shelving). Good luck!

A disclaimer: all "you's" are general. Do you truly spend your time on it? Then the tools you use for that hobby deserve their space. If you are a hopeful gardener, rather than an actual gardener, then you may need to make an effort to be honest with yourself about what you're truly going to do. I'm a sewer. A few years ago, I had to really look at the fabric stash and say, "right now, you are *not* a sewer. And that's OK. You might start sewing in the future. But you aren't right now, and you could use that space for something much more valuable." It felt good, getting rid of that fabric stash. I have never regretted it. I have also gotten a new fabric stash--but I've also started sewing again. (Especially now that I can't bake w/ regular flour anymore and am not wiling to experiment w/ the other kinds.) I do, however, now need to look at my fabric stash and say, "which of these fabrics are 'hopeful' fabrics, and which are ones I will use?" It's hard, because I all of that stash is currently "hopeful," but three times in the last less-than-a-year, I've dipped into it and capitalized on something that was there. So it's hard to say, "I'll never use this" when for all I know, I will. But, I'm also at the point where I'm ready to say, "this fabric = this garment--let's go!" I did keep the equipment--sewing machine, tools. Because I was pretty sure I'd sew Halloween costumes, plus mending. And I didn't want to have to replace them. I decided I had space that they could take up, and that other things could be sacrificed for them. Hobbies aren't all bad, even if they are stuff intensive. It's just that they need to be *real*--like, really you plant tomatoes, which is probably why you regret getting rid of those cages. For your specific situation, if you feel that your gardening stuff is crowding you, and become a problem. then it's time to look with open eyes at how you spend your time. If you make time for gardening, then you should make space for it as well. Do you have stuff you -don't- use? What do you have, in terms of stuff, that you *don't* make time for? It goes. And then everything else shuffles around. Also--I live in an apt., so I feel your pain in terms of not necessarily having a garage or backyard shed for the traditional stuff that goes there. My advice to you is: Reject stereotypes. Store the gardening tools in the buffet, if that's what works for you. There's also the importance of compact tools, and multi-purpose tools. And when space is tight, sometimes you have to spend money in order to have space--which may mean buying tomato cages every year. (Or spending more to get collapsible ones that store in less space.) But basically, when you truly spend your time on a hobby, *it* is the thing you keep, and other stuff is what you toss.

it's just so daunting a task that we last for a few days then give up. Then it's worse because he just drags everything back out and when we work up the nerve to tackle it again we just are re-doing what was already done. Organizing is a process, not something that is ever "done". The Shaker motto is: "A place for everything, and everything in its place" ... you need to start by making a place for everything, even if it's temporary, so that you don't backslide too badly. ORGANIZING METHODS: There are two basic ways to handle tools ... each has its strong and weak points. Which would suit him better? Discuss this with him, because having a system that works the way he works is critical to his maintaining it. 1 - Group by function, so all wrenches are hung together, all hammers, etc. Advantage - Fewer duplicates. Disadvantage - Have to pick tools to take to the job if you can't bring the job to the bench, have to put tools back at least weekly, or it all falls apart. WORKS BEST FOR naturally organized person, a "handyman" who works in a single area, one who has wall space to make it all visible. Pegboard and hooks would make this work. BIG pegboards. 2 - Sort tools into labelled, task-specific toolboxes so the "plumbing" box has the pipe wrenches, the washers, etc. The "wood work" box has the rasps, the wood chisels, etc. (a variant of this would be to have different workbenches or drawers or pegboards, each with the tools for that task) Advantage - Faster to pick and store. If you are working on a faucet, you grab the "plumbing" box and it has the pipe tape, the washers, the wrenches, the valve-puller, the fittings, and the commonly used screwdrivers for faucets. At the end of the repair, you replace the used supplies, put it all back in the box and put the box on the shelf. Disadvantage - Duplicate tools needed, usually the common types. You can get around the duplicates by having one box of the generic tools: screwdrivers, common wrenches, a good hammer, etc. It means grabbing two boxes for any job - the generic tools and the specialty box. WORKS BEST FOR "handyman" who works in several locations and can't take the work to the workshop. I got used to this working on rental properties. Also works well for the person who finds the first method to be too "nit-picky" ... just dumping it all into the box may be enough organization for them. ======================= It may make sense for any power tool to have its own toolbox with its blades or bits, chuck key and extension cord, and ear and eye protection, etc. When I grab the "multi-tool'" box, I get everything I need to use the tool. When I grab the door planer box, I get everything. Ditto for the drills, the circular saw, etc. ======================= GETTING THERE - for either system - starts out by finding and sorting it so you know what you have. And it assumes you have some shelf space. FIRST STEP: Get a bunch of bins - shoeboxes work well - label them with categories and start tossing things into them. This is a speed exercise. You are doing a fast top-level sort, trying to clear the clutter into small chunks of clutter. Pliers and wrenches Screwdrivers Hammers Drill bits, hole saws (anything you attach to a drill) Scrapers, chisels, sanders, rasps (anything that shapes wood) Fasteners - all rivets, screws, nails, bolts, etc. (recycle plastic jars for this) Power tools and accessories (blades, guides, etc.) Files and rasps Painting tools Drywall repair Demolition (sledges, prybars, wrecking bars) Put the boxes on the shelves. MAINTENANCE for this phase is just tossing things back in the right box. It may be enough of an improvement that you can stop here. SECOND STEP PREP: If you are going for the "all on the wall", next you put up the pegboards and also shelves for boxes of things that can't be hung. If you are going to do the project-specific boxes, find toolboxes. Any box should be large enough to hold ALL the tools for that task, but not much bigger. My plumbing box holds the torch and a small snake as well as the wrenches, so it's honking ginormous. THIRD STEP IMPLEMENTING: Here's where the project box method makes it easy. Any time you have a certain kind of project, grab the box for it. If there isn't a box, go through the bins from Step 1 and collect your tools and fill a box for it. If you are using method 1, sort each box into finer categories if it makes sense: phillips versus straight versus funny-shaped screwdrivers ... pipe wrenches versus Hang them up by type. ============= As time permits, sort out the fasteners into smaller categories. The trick is to NOT get too finely divided with the main containers because that is its own sort of clutter. If I grab a box that says "drywall screws" from the shelf and inside it there are 17 containers with various sizes, that's great. If those 17 containers are on the shelf, no matter how nicely labelled they are, I have to look at every container to make sure I have all the drywall screws.

Sorry, not for me either. Too much clutter. I have some plastic pullout drawers that fit perfectly under my sink. In the top drawer I keep my dishwasher tabs. In the second drawer I keep my sponges, dish brush, vegetable brushes (in a separate small container inside the drawer), etc. In the third drawer I have backup supply of sponges and dish brush, and, finally, in the fourth drawer (the largest drawer) I keep microfiber cloths for wiping down the appliances and granite counter tops. On top of the drawers I keep a supply of liners for my garbage can , and I keep a very small dish drainer between the side of the cabinet and the plastic drawers. No muss, no fuss.