Over the past couple of years I’ve started to really get into gardening, planting and landscaping. I’ve also been really interested in learning more about building things and despite B’s already full plate, I’ve been asking him for tips and instruction so that I can start tackling some projects of my own.
One of those projects I got in my head was building a little tool shed strictly for gardening tools. Yes, we have a huge two-story, three car garage, plus an actual shed and I still wanted a mini tool shed of my own. It all started this spring when I ventured into our shed to collect my gardening tools and found them spread everywhere, rakes tangled in the weed wacker…you get the picture. These items don’t always store neatly unless you have a proper system.
Then I saw this picture:
I immediately knew something like this was exactly what I needed to keep my gardening tools and supplies separated and organized. Maybe selfishly I knew I’d be able to keep my things neat and tidy if it wasn’t mixed in with everything else too. 🙂
I decided to build my own little shed inspired by this little cutie but I wanted to do it completely by myself. I decided on the size and then got to work building my “construction plans” so that I could figure out just how much lumber and supplies I’d need.
Lumber supply list for DIY Garden Shed:
- 20- 2 x 3 x8
- 3 Sheets T1-11 Siding
- 2 Metal Door Hinges and 1 latch
- Metal Roofing (already had scrap)
- Peg board for inside
- Paint
- hook kit for pedboard
- 4 x 4 pressure treated for feet
- plywood for floor (already had big enough scrap)
Total Cost: ~$250
I didn’t get a lot of progress photos because at the time, I wasn’t sure I was going to blog in detail about it but I’ll do my best to share with you the steps I took to build this little guy.
I started with my platform, the floor or base of the structure. I wanted the finished shed to be 36 inches wide and 24 inches deep (outside dimensions). I built the frame and added bracing in the middle and then topped the frame with a piece of plywood cut to the same dimension.
Next I built my walls. I built them on the ground; all four sides framing out the hole for the door and adding bracing in between the corner studs to make sure it was sturdy.
Once I had all four walls built, B helped me stand them up and get everything put into place.
Next up was the roof. I honestly wasn’t sure how to do it and B and I went back and forth discussing the best way to get it down. I wanted a peak, not just a single slope, but I knew that for such a small structure, I didn’t need anything super crazy. In the end, we figured it out and after getting the framing done, B helped me put on the metal roofing panels and the cap at the top.
We then cut the T1-11 siding and attached that to all four sides caulking the seams to make sure it was as water tight as possible. Once it was fully assembled, I painted the exterior of the structure. I painted the trim white and the body a pretty sage green which I think looks really good with the black metal roofing.
Oh and I also added 4, 4 x 4 pressure treated “feet” to the bottom so the base sits up off the ground a couple of inches.
Finally I built the door, added the siding and B helped me hang it with hinges. I painted the door and then we added the latch bolt to keep the door closed.
The inside isn’t technically finished as I think I’d like to add some white pegboard and a couple of shelves on one side for any planter pots or other things like that. I’m also thinking I want to paint the inside just to make it cleaner looking. It is a “she-shed” after all.
I love the finished shed though I think it borderline looks like an outhouse. That’s where I’m hoping that the finish work we plan to do in the garden will help it look better and less like an outhouse.
My finished shed isn’t quite like the inspiration photo but I’m super excited about it because it was my first real build of any kind. Now that it’s in place, I’m ready to add some trim and then get to work on the rest of the garden area which I’ll be sharing more about next week.
Have questions about my little shed? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
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