DIY shed plans to store bikes, tools, and garden gear, from full-size backyard sheds to lean-tos, and bike sheds.
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You know the drill. You go to grab the mower, and it’s pinned behind the bikes, the wheelbarrow, and three bags of mulch. Half of it ends up on the driveway just so you can pull the mower out, then you cram it all back in when you’re done. Meanwhile, your car hasn’t seen the inside of the garage in years.
The solution is a shed. It gets your gear out of the way. Whether you want a full-size shed you can walk into, a slim lean-to for a tight spot, or somewhere to stash the bikes, garden tools, and firewood, I rounded up eleven DIY sheds you can build yourself.
Before You Build
Before you cut a single board, spend a little time on the boring stuff. Start with your local building codes because they can vary. In my area, for instance, a shed on a concrete slab needs a building permit, while the same shed on skids doesn’t.
A few other things worth considering:
Setbacks and property lines. Your town probably has rules about how close you can build to the property line. If you’re in an HOA, it likely has a few of its own. Sort this out before you decide on a spot.
Call 811 before you dig. Digging footings or setting posts? Call 811 first. It’s free, and they’ll mark where the gas and power lines run so you don’t hit one.
Drainage. Pick a level spot where water runs off rather than pools. Low, soggy ground will rot a floor fast.
Access. Leave yourself a clear path to the door for a mower or a loaded wheelbarrow. And make the opening wide enough for whatever’s going inside.
Room to grow. Build bigger than you think you need. A shed fills up fast.
Full-Size Shed Builds
Need room for the mower, the wheelbarrow, and whatever else has taken over the garage? One of these full-size sheds organizes a lot of clutter in a single build.
1
fixthisbuildthat.com
Modern 10×12 Shed
Brad built his shed to look like the pricey ones from the home center, but his was less than half the price. The low roof and lap siding give it a polished look, while the row of windows lets daylight reach the back corners. The double doors open wide enough to roll a mower or wheelbarrow straight inside.
Toni built this 8×10 storage shed to move the seldom-used gear out of her garage, then tucked it onto a backyard hillside. A simple gable roof sits over painted siding with contrasting trim. The single wood door gets a little extra character from the angled detail across the front. Inside, simple shelves line the walls, tall enough to stack storage bins.
Ana White built this classic storage shed to be roomy and low-maintenance without looking like a kit. The whole structure sits on skids, so it can be moved to a new spot or taken along if you move.
Kandice built this compact 4×8 shed along the fence line, sizing it to fit a small yard. It sits on a poured concrete slab, with gray-painted siding and white trim to match the house. A window and flower box soften the look.
These smaller sheds fit where larger ones can’t. Each tucks against an existing wall, fence, in a narrow side yard or area behind the garage.
5
ana-white.com
Cedar Fence-Picket Shed
Ana White designed this small shed to function like an outdoor closet, and her friend Gina built the first one from cedar fence pickets to keep costs down. The pickets cover a compact frame under a single-slope roof, and the pair of paneled doors open wide for easy access inside.
Vikkie Lee built this lean-to shed with just three walls so it could sit right against her existing workshop, using that as the fourth side. Tongue-and-groove wraps the frame under a single sloped roof. A stained door on heavy hinges opens to a slim storage space inside. She built it to keep garden tools and car gear separate from her main shed.
Brittany built this open-front firewood shed from reclaimed fence pickets, leaving them raw so they’ll weather to a soft silver-gray. Four posts support two shelves keeping kindling and split logs up off the ground. A corrugated panel creates a slanted roof that sheds rain to the back.A shed like this is one way to organize logs. For more, take a look at these DIY firewood storage ideas.
Bikes and garden tools tend to pile up right where you trip over them. These projects give them a home of their own.
8
livinrealwithlarissa.com
Cedar Bike & Garden Shed
Larissa built this bike and garden shed as a lean-to against the side of her house, on a slab that once held a trash-can shed. Cedar fence pickets clad the walls, and a cedar shingle roof caps it. Wide bi-fold doors fold back to open the whole front. Inside, hinged hooks hold the family’s bikes upright, then swing out of the way when needed, allowing seven bikes to fit in this shallow shed.
Vikkie Lee built this 7×4 bike shed to get the family’s bikes out of the house without leaving them exposed. Double doors bolt shut from the inside, and the heavy black hinges are bolted on rather than just screwed on.
Donna turned a broken-down greenhouse into this rustic garden shed, wrapped in weathered gray boards. A barn-style door anchors the front, planter boxes spill flowers below the windows, and a little pallet porch gives it a real entryway. Off to the side, an old rake hangs on the wall as a tool rack, next to hand-lettered garden signs she swaps out with the seasons.
Not every shed project is a whole shed. Sometimes it’s the one part that finishes the job.
11
thehandymansdaughter.com
Cedar Shed Door
Vineta built this shed door to replace a set of louvered closet doors that had rotted out. Tongue-and-groove cedar boards make up the center panel, framed by wider boards on all four sides.
Hi there – I’m Scott, a woodworking enthusiast and creator of Saws on Skates, a site I started in 2015 to share easy-to-follow tutorials, space-saving shop tips, and project inspiration for DIYers at any skill level. Learn more about my woodworking journey here.
