Pegboard Storage Hacks: 5 Ways To Make Cheap DIY Pegboard Baskets

Bins and baskets are a great way to organize the pegboard in your office, craft room or garage. But the store-bought pegboard accessories can be expensive. Which makes these cheap and easy-to-make DIY pegboard baskets a great alternative.

One of my favorite ways to organize pegboards is by using baskets.

They easily hold things (like staplers, erasers and measuring tapes) that don’t hang well and the sides prevent things from falling off the board.

Store-bought wire baskets hung on a pegboard

However, these wire baskets* that are meant for pegboards can get really expensive if you need a lot of them.

Which is why I often use my own version of pegboard bins to organize my tools, office and craft supplies like these DIY pegboard baskets.

1. Hang Decorated Tin Cans

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Decorated tin cans used as DIY pegboard baskets

One of the most economical approaches to making a DIY pegboard organizer is to use aluminum cans (the kind that canned vegetables or soup come in).

You can use the cans just as they are, however I like to make them look a little better.

Tin can

To do this, remove the label and wash the can to get rid of any leftover paper (or food) that may still be stuck to it.

Wallpaper cut to the size of a tin can

Then cut pieces of wallpaper that are a little wider than the height of the can and long to enough to wrap all the way around it.

You could also use good-quality wrapping paper for this if you prefer.

Tin can wrapped in wallpaper

Brush wallpaper paste* or glue onto the back of the paper and stick it onto the can.

Then trim off the excess paper.

Wallpapered Aluminum Can With Hole Drilled just below the rim

Use a drill to make a hole in the can about half an inch from the top.

Check the size of the hooks to figure out what size of drill bit you need. My hooks were 3/16″ so that’s the size I made the hole…just big enough for the hook to go through but small enough to keep the can from moving around too much.

I drilled the hole on the side of the can where the wallpaper ends meet…that will make sure the seam is facing the board.

DIY pegboard organizer hung on the pegboard with a hook

Hang the can from the board using a pegboard hook.

Pegboard clips* (that’s the little black thing in the picture) will make sure the hook stays in place so your can doesn’t move around too much.

These are the perfect size for pens, pencils, paint brushes, screw drivers and other tall, thin items.

2. Re-purpose Plastic Containers

Clear tupperware containers

I have also used plastic containers for DIY pegboard baskets because they have more size options to choose from.

And you can keep the lid on the container if you want to.

Plastic containers hung on a pegboard as storage bins

They aren’t quite as nice-looking as the wallpapered cans, but you can see through them. So you can easily tell what’s inside.

To hang them, drill a hole in the side of the plastic container just like we did with the can.

If you want to use a lid with it, make sure the hole is far enough down the side of the container that the hook will fit through and the lid will still close.

Plastic containers used as DIY pegboard baskets hung with a hook on pegboard

Then hang your container on the pegboard with a standard hook. For wider containers, use two hooks…one at each end.

Add Electrical Boxes

Electrical boxes used as DIY pegboard baskets

The next option on our list of DIY pegboard baskets is electrical boxes.

These are the really inexpensive electrical boxes meant for new construction that cost less than a dollar each.

And they happen to have 2 nails that are exactly the same distance apart as pegboard holes.

So you don’t even have to use pegboard hooks to put these up. Just put the nails in the holes.

These make awesome pegboard bins for things like measuring tapes, stud finders and other small tools.

You can find more creative ways to organize your tools HERE.

4. Put Up A Pencil Holder

Pencil holder used as a DIY pegboard basket

This pegboard hack is especially useful if you already own some desk supplies like pencil holders.

My problem with all of those organizing products is that they clutter up the top of my desk which cuts down on the space I have available to work.

So hanging them on a pegboard behind my desk is a great solution.

Pegboard hooks holding up a pencil holder

If you happen to have mesh ones like this, you can put a couple of hooks through the mesh and then attach them to the board.

Wood box hung on pegboard with shelf brackets

For solid bins like this wood one, a couple of pegboard shelf brackets* work well. Just space them out far enough so your pencil holder (or other storage bin) fits on top.

This is also a useful way to hang pegboard baskets that you want to be able to take down easily.

5. Make Wood Baskets

The last DIY pegboard organizer on the list are these homemade wood baskets that are meant specifically for pegboards.

You can make them exactly the size you need to fit whatever you are trying to store. Which is great for maximizing the storage space on your pegboard.

Find out how by watching this video:

Other Pegboard Ideas You Might Like

Do you have any other suggestions for DIY pegboard baskets? Tell us in the section below.

This post was originally published on January 21, 2020 but was updated with new content on January 8, 2022.


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