Adam Savage Workshop Secrets: 14 Genius Storage Ideas Before the Holiday Craft Rush

Adam Savage Workshop videos have taught millions of makers one simple idea: when you can see every tool, you actually use it. Adam Savage worked as a model maker on films like Galaxy Quest and The Matrix Reloaded, has spoken at the annual Maker Faire since 2008 and wrote a 2019 book about his approach to making (you can read more on Wikipedia). His shop tour videos pull in well over a million views, and it is easy to see why. Nothing hides in a drawer you forgot about, nothing sits behind something else, and every project has a home. The holidays are the busiest crafting time of the year, with gifts to wrap, wreaths to build and decor boxes to dig out. These budget friendly ideas borrow that everything in sight spirit for your garage, basement or spare corner, so you spend December making things instead of hunting for the tape..

Adam Savage Workshop Rule One: Keep Everything in Sight

The big lesson from any Adam Savage Workshop tour is that out of sight really does mean out of mind. Open shelves, clear bins and tools hung where your eyes land first turn a messy garage into a space that invites you to make something. You do not need a film studio budget. Start with one wall, pull everything out, keep only what you use, and put it back where you can see it in one glance. Which wall in your home could become your making wall this weekend..

You will need: Basic open shelving or a bookcase, clear storage bins, wall hooks, a level, screws and a free Saturday.

How to make it: 1. Empty one wall and sort everything into keep, donate and toss piles. 2. Mount open shelves at eye level and hooks below them. 3. Put the things you use most in the easiest spots and save high shelves for seasonal items.

Lay Your Tools Out at Right Angles

Lining tools up at neat right angles before you start a project sounds fussy, but it is a calming habit many makers swear by. You instantly see what you have, what is missing and what does not belong on the bench at all. It also makes cleanup at the end of a long gift making night much faster, because every tool already has a spot. Try it with your Christmas wrapping supplies first. Does your bench look calmer already?

You will need: A clear work surface, your everyday tools and supplies, a few minutes before each project.

How to make it: 1. Clear the bench completely. 2. Lay each tool flat, lined up parallel or at right angles to the bench edge. 3. Group similar tools together and put back anything you will not need for this project.

Adam Savage Workshop Style Open Shelves With Nothing Behind Anything

One clever Adam Savage Workshop habit is never stacking things behind other things. If you have to move a jar to reach the jar behind it, you probably will not bother. Shallow open shelves solve this by only fitting one row. Paint bottles, twine, ribbon spools and small tools all sit in a single line, fully visible. His popular shop tour video shows this idea on a huge scale. Shallow shelves are also cheaper and easier to build than deep cabinets. What is hiding at the back of your deepest shelf right now?

You will need: Pine boards about 4 to 6 inches deep, shelf brackets, wall anchors, a drill (adult job), a level and wood stain or paint.

How to make it: 1. Cut or buy boards that only hold one item deep. 2. Mount them with brackets and anchors, checking each one with a level. 3. Fill each shelf with one front row only, tallest items on the ends.

Clear Tilt Out Bins for Small Craft Supplies

Small craft bits are the first thing to vanish in a busy holiday season. Clear tilt out bins hung on a simple wall rail let you see buttons, pom poms, beads and clothespins from across the room. Each bin tips forward, so you can grab what you need without taking it down. A blank label on the front is still handy for the odd item that looks alike. Which tiny supply do you always end up buying twice?

You will need: A wall rail or a strip of wood, clear hanging bins, screws and anchors, blank labels and a marker.

How to make it: 1. Mount the rail at a comfortable reaching height. 2. Hang the bins in rows and fill each with one kind of supply. 3. Label the fronts and keep the busiest supplies in the middle row.

Adam Savage Workshop Foam Drawer Cutouts

Foam drawer liners with tool shaped cutouts are a favorite trick in many an Adam Savage Workshop style space, and they are surprisingly easy to make at home. Each tool gets its own snug pocket, so nothing rattles around, and an empty cutout tells you at once that something did not come back. It is a lovely weekend project and makes a sweet gift for the tinkerer in your family too. Who in your house always borrows the scissors?

You will need: A sheet of thick craft foam or tool drawer foam, a marker, a sharp craft knife (adult job), a cutting mat and your tools.

How to make it: 1. Cut the foam to fit the drawer. 2. Lay out the tools, trace around each one with a marker and set them aside. 3. Carefully cut along the lines, pull out the foam inside each shape and press each tool into its spot.

A Rolling Cart for Your Current Holiday Project

A rolling cart keeps your current project together in one spot, so you can wheel it to the kitchen table for a cozy evening of wreath making, then roll it back to the garage when you are done. Nothing gets mixed into the rest of the shop and nothing gets lost between sessions. Our craft room organization ideas work well alongside this one. In December, give each big holiday project its own cart or tier. What project would you load on yours first?

You will need: A three tier rolling utility cart, small bins or baskets, and the supplies for one holiday project.

How to make it: 1. Put the project base, like a wreath form, on the top tier. 2. Fill the middle tier with ribbon, glue sticks and scissors. 3. Use the bottom tier for bulky extras like pine cones and spare greenery.

Drawer Dividers Made From Scrap Wood

Those thin offcuts piling up in the corner are perfect drawer dividers. Glue a few strips into a simple grid and your junk drawer turns into a tidy home for pencils, brushes, washi tape and twine. It costs nothing, uses up scraps and looks smart and handmade. Plan the compartments around what you actually use, not around neat equal squares. How many little scraps are waiting in your garage right now?

You will need: Thin scrap wood strips, a small hand saw (adult help), wood glue, a ruler, a pencil and sandpaper.

How to make it: 1. Measure the inside of the drawer and cut strips to length. 2. Notch the crossing strips halfway so they slot together. 3. Sand the edges, glue the joints and let it dry before filling the drawer.

Adam Savage Workshop Gift Wrap Wall

An Adam Savage Workshop approach to wrapping means every roll, ribbon and tape dispenser lives on one wall, ready to go. A dowel rack holds paper rolls flat against the wall, a second bar holds ribbon spools and a small shelf keeps scissors and tape in reach. Add a fold out table and you have a wrapping station that disappears when the holidays are over. How many gifts will you wrap this year?

You will need: Wooden dowels, wall brackets or hooks, a small shelf, a hinged fold out board with a support chain, screws and anchors.

How to make it: 1. Mount two brackets and slide a dowel through your paper rolls. 2. Add a second dowel below for ribbon spools. 3. Fix a small shelf for tools and hinge a fold out board underneath for wrapping.

Christmas Totes With Photo Labels

Instead of writing Xmas stuff on every box, print a small photo of what is inside and tape it to the front of each tote. You will find the stockings or the tree topper in seconds, and anyone in the family can help put things away. Clear totes make it even easier, because you can peek inside without lifting the lid. Store them with the photo facing out. Which box do you always open first every December?

You will need: Clear storage totes, your phone camera, a printer, clear packing tape and a sturdy shelf.

How to make it: 1. Pack each tote with one group of decor, like ornaments or lights. 2. Snap a photo of the contents and print it small. 3. Tape it to the front and store the totes photo side out.

A Rolling Scrap Wood Cart

Every maker knows the guilt of a messy scrap pile. A rolling cart with tall slots sorts offcuts by length, short pieces in front and long boards in the back, so you can actually find the perfect piece for an ornament or a little sign. It rolls out of the way when you need floor space. Many plans online use just one sheet of plywood. What would you make from your favorite scraps?

You will need: Plywood, a set of casters, wood screws, wood glue, a saw and drill (adult job) and sandpaper.

How to make it: 1. Build a simple box base and screw casters underneath. 2. Add plywood dividers to create tall slots of different heights. 3. Sort scraps by length, short in front and long in back.

Adam Savage Workshop Glue and Tape Station

Another easy Adam Savage Workshop idea is grouping by job, not by type. Everything that sticks things together lives in one spot, so when a project needs glue, tape or twine, you go to one shelf. A short dowel above the shelf holds tape and twine rolls so they unroll easily. You will stop finding three half used glue bottles in three different drawers. Where does your glue hide right now?

You will need: A small shelf, a short wooden dowel, two cup hooks or brackets, and all your glues and tapes.

How to make it: 1. Mount the shelf near your workbench. 2. Fix the dowel above it with cup hooks and slide on tape and twine rolls. 3. Line up glues on the shelf, tallest in back.

A Small Parts Cabinet for Tiny Treasures

Tiny screws, washers, beads and hinges are the hardest things to keep track of. A small parts cabinet with clear little drawers gives each one its own home, and you can see what is inside without opening a thing. Mount it on the wall above your bench so it is always at eye level. Thrift stores often have these cabinets for a few dollars. What tiny treasures would fill your drawers?

You will need: A small parts cabinet with clear drawers, wall screws and anchors, blank labels and a fine marker.

How to make it: 1. Mount the cabinet at eye level above your work area. 2. Sort parts into the drawers, one kind per drawer. 3. Label the drawer fronts and keep the most used parts in the middle rows.

A Rainbow Paint Rack

Paint bottles piled in a box are a recipe for buying the same red three times. A simple wooden wall rack shows every color at a glance, and arranging them in rainbow order makes it look like art. Lay the bottles on their sides so you can read the color on the cap or the side. Keep it away from direct sun and heaters so the paint stays fresh. What color do you reach for most at Christmas?

You will need: Thin wooden boards or slats, small wooden strips for lips, wood glue, screws and anchors, and your craft paints.

How to make it: 1. Build a few narrow shelves with a small lip on the front edge. 2. Mount the rack on the wall at reaching height. 3. Lay the paints on their sides in color order.

Adam Savage Workshop Cord and Light Hooks

Finish your Adam Savage Workshop makeover with the cords and holiday lights that always end up in a tangle. Coil each one loosely, tie it with a colored hook and loop strap and hang it on its own wooden hook. Color code the straps by length or by room, and putting up the Christmas lights becomes a quick, happy job instead of a battle. Which tangled string of lights is waiting for you this year?

You will need: Wooden peg hooks or a peg rail, colored hook and loop straps, screws and wall anchors.

How to make it: 1. Mount a row of hooks on a clear wall. 2. Loosely coil each cord or light string over your hand and elbow. 3. Wrap a strap around the coil and hang one coil per hook.