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3 Convenient DIY Attic Storage Ideas (With Pictures)

Old wooden attic interior with old cardboard boxes for storage or moving

Attics are made for storage. However, getting an attic organized and able to store many items can be challenging. After all, it’s hard to organize a large, open room. If your attic had some storage built-in, then it probably isn’t enough. If your attic had no storage, you might be looking at it and wondering how you would instill a sense of organization.

Luckily, many others have walked this path before you. There are tons of ideas out there that can be used to organize your attic. Most of these are easy to accomplish and require little work.

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The 3 Convenient Attic Storage Ideas

1. Easy-to-Install Storage System by Porch Day Dreamer

DIY Attic Storage
Image Credit: Porch Day Dreamer
Materials: Closet organization system, peg board, heavy-duty hangers, ribbon or wire
Tools: Power drill, drill bits, level
Difficulty: Easy

Install a closet storage system in your attic for instant storage. The example shows hanging wreaths on this storage system, as well as stacking various boxes. However, you can use this for practically anything. You could store old coats, clothes you don’t wear, or just about anything else. These systems often come ready to install and are pretty straightforward to put up.

Therefore, they are an excellent option for those looking to add some storage to an attic quickly. You can even hang more than one system for wall-to-wall storage, which take very little installation time.


2. Stair System by Instructables by Instructables

DIY Attic Storage
Image Credit: Instructables
Materials: Skateboard bearings, 5/16 inch washers, 5/16-24 nut, 5/16-24 X 1-1/2 bolt, 2 pulleys, 50ft of paracord
Tools: Nail gun, saw, clamps, socket wrench, 3D printer, drill with bits, speed square, tape measure
Difficulty: Medium

Sometimes, getting boxes and storage items into the attic is the issue. Being able to take pre-packed boxes up to your attic can make storage much easier—and it makes it more likely that you’ll take the box up to the attic.

This pretty simple system can be used to quickly move boxes into your attic without dangerously carrying them up. This straightforward pulley system is pretty easy to install, though it is a bit more involved than some of the other ideas on this list. Plus, a few different tools are required, so it helps if you have some DIY experience.

You do need a 3-D printer to create some of the materials, and these can get expensive. Therefore, this likely limits the usability of this plan a bit.


3. Add a Shelf by Tom Builds Stuff

DIY Attic Storage
Image Credit: Tom Build Stuff
Materials: Various cuts of wood, nails
Tools: Hammer, screwdriver, saw (optional, depending on the wood you purchase)
Difficulty: Medium

An easy way to add more space is to add a shelf to your attic, which is precisely what this plan outlines. With some pretty basic steps, you can easily add a shelf to the side of your attic, allowing you to store more boxes with ease.

This will require some know-how since each attic is a bit different. However, it shouldn’t take much previous experience to be able to install another shelf easily. The main issue is getting the shelf flat, so spend plenty of time leveling.

The steps in this plan are simple to follow and come with constant pictures. There are probably more pictures that the plan needs. However, for visual learners, these pictures may it extremely easy to follow the guide.

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Conclusion

There are many ways you can effectively add extra storage to your attic. If you’re using your attic exclusively for storage, then keeping everything nice and organized may not seem like a huge deal. However, keeping everything organized makes it much easier to find stuff and can keep you from avoiding the attic altogether.

With a few simple systems, you can quickly turn your attic into a storage haven—instead of a place where you just shove everything. In this way, you can be much more effective and store more items.


Featured Image Credit: A-photographyy, Shutterstock

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