Loose screws, nails, washers, nuts, bolts, and other small fasteners have a remarkable ability to spread throughout a workshop. A handful of leftover hardware quickly becomes a drawer full of mystery pieces, and before long you are buying screws you already own simply because you cannot find them.

A well-designed DIY hardware organizer solves that problem while making better use of wall space, drawers, scraps, and overlooked corners of the shop. These free hardware organizer plans cover everything from removable French-cleat bins and compact multi-drawer cabinets to flexible wall systems and custom small-parts storage. Whether you want a quick scrap-wood project or a more substantial workshop upgrade, there is a practical idea here worth building.

1. DIY Hardware Storage Bins from Wilker Do’s

Overview: April Wilkerson’s hardware storage system uses individual wooden bins mounted on French cleats, giving each group of screws, bolts, and other fasteners its own dedicated container. The project includes three bin sizes, so you can reserve small bins for everyday screws and washers while using larger versions for lag bolts or bulkier hardware. The bins lift off the cleats when you need them, which means you can carry an entire container directly to the workbench instead of making repeated trips to the storage wall.

Why it is great: The removable French-cleat design is easy to expand, rearrange, and customize as your hardware collection changes.

Link to original plans: DIY Hardware Storage | Organize Your Hardware

2. 30-Drawer Screw Organizer from I Build It

Overview: John Heisz’s compact screw organizer is built around 30 shallow drawers designed specifically for screws, finish nails, washers, nuts, and other small fasteners. Much of the organizer is made from 1/4-inch plywood, and the drawer bottoms also function as runners. The projecting drawer fronts double as handles, keeping the design clean while eliminating unnecessary hardware. The cabinet is modular too, so the individual sections can be built separately before being joined together.

Why it is great: It packs an impressive amount of labeled small-parts storage into a compact workshop footprint.

Link to original plans: Making a Screw Organizer

3. Small Parts Organizer from Rogue Engineer

Overview: Rogue Engineer’s organizer combines two useful storage styles in one compact plywood unit. Six open bins sit near the top for supplies you want to grab quickly, while six portable small-parts cases slide into dedicated compartments below. The lower organizers are especially useful for screws, nuts, bolts, anchors, and specialty fasteners because each case can be removed and carried directly to a project. The free tutorial includes dimensions, a cut list, assembly diagrams, and a printable plan option.

Why it is great: It combines easy-access open storage with portable closed cases in one well-organized cabinet.

Link to original plans: DIY Small Parts Organizer Plans

4. Homemade Screw Organizer from Mazay DIY

Overview: This clever screw organizer from Mazay DIY turns scrap sheet material and repurposed plastic milk bottles into a practical small-parts storage system. The wooden cabinet creates a structured home for the individual containers, while the recycled bottles become removable drawers for screws and fasteners. The project page includes dimensions, a downloadable plan, a 3D model, and the accompanying build video, making it especially useful for makers who like to work from both visual and measured references.

Why it is great: It turns inexpensive scrap and recycled materials into a surprisingly functional hardware storage system.

Link to original plans: Homemade Screw Organizer

5. Removable Small Parts Bins from 100 Things 2 Do

Overview: These generously sized plywood bins are designed for real-world quantities of screws, nails, bolts, and other workshop hardware. Each bin is built from 1/2-inch material and hangs from a French-cleat rail, allowing it to be removed independently whenever you need its contents at the workbench. The original build uses 15 bins and was made from workshop scraps, making this an especially appealing project if your offcut pile is starting to become a storage problem of its own.

Why it is great: The design is inexpensive, scalable, and ideal for storing bulk fasteners in containers you can carry directly to a project.

Link to original plans: #OrganizeThis – Small Parts Bins

6. Hardware Organizer Cabinet with Box Joints from Instructables

Overview: This hardware organizer cabinet gives the small-parts storage idea a more refined woodworking treatment. The cabinet is built with box-jointed corners and internal dadoes that support rows of shallow hardware drawers, creating a sturdy organizer for screws, bolts, nuts, washers, and other commonly used fasteners. The tutorial breaks the project into manageable steps, including cutting the plywood, making the box joints, routing the shelf dadoes, and assembling the individual storage components.

Why it is great: It combines serious workshop organization with attractive joinery, making it as satisfying to build as it is useful afterward.

Link to original plans: Hardware Organizer Cabinet Made With Box Joints

7. French Cleat Wall Storage System from Fix This Build That

Overview: A French-cleat wall is a useful foundation for a hardware organizer because it lets bins, racks, cabinets, and small-parts holders move whenever your shop layout changes. Fix This Build That explains how to rip the wooden cleats, cut the 45-degree bevels, locate wall studs, mount the rails, and build storage accessories that hang securely from the system. Once the wall is installed, you can add custom screw bins, shelves, small drawers, and tool holders without committing to one permanent arrangement.

Why it is great: It creates a flexible framework that can grow from a few hardware bins into an entire modular workshop storage wall.

Link to original plans: French Cleat Wall DIY Tool Storage System

8. French Cleat Tool Storage Wall from Crafted Workshop

Overview: Crafted Workshop’s French-cleat wall replaces traditional pegboard with a plywood system built to support custom racks, shelves, bins, and holders. The original project uses both 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch plywood and is designed as a manageable weekend shop upgrade. For hardware organization, the real advantage is the ability to create removable screw bins or small-parts cabinets that can be repositioned anywhere along the cleat wall as your storage needs evolve.

Why it is great: The system makes future hardware organizers easy to add, move, and rearrange without drilling new holes every time.

Link to original plans: How to Build a French Cleat Tool Storage Wall and Clamp Rack

9. Scrap-Wood Drawer Organizers from DIY Huntress

Overview: DIY Huntress shows how scrap wood can be turned into custom drawer dividers sized precisely for the tools, fasteners, bits, and small accessories already in your workshop. Instead of trying to force a premade plastic organizer into an existing drawer, the dividers can be cut to create exactly the compartments you need. The pieces can be secured with wood glue or a pin nailer, and the layout can be changed later if your hardware collection grows or shifts.

Why it is great: It turns drawers you already own into purpose-built hardware storage using little more than scrap wood.

Link to original plans: 5 Tips for Organizing a Small Workshop

10. Ultimate DIY Small Parts Organization Caddy from Darbin Orvar

Overview: Darbin Orvar’s small-parts caddy is designed around rows of shallow drawers that keep screws, electronic components, craft hardware, and other small supplies easy to sort and easy to see. The published cut list uses both 1/2-inch and 1/4-inch MDF and includes dimensions for the base, shelves, dividers, drawer bottoms, drawer sides, fronts, backs, and cabinet back. With 20 small drawers built into the design, it offers plenty of room for creating very specific categories.

Why it is great: The large number of compact drawers makes it ideal for anyone who likes to separate hardware by size, type, or project.

Link to original plans: Ultimate DIY Small Parts Organization Caddy

A good hardware organizer is one of those workshop projects that pays you back every time you build something. Instead of digging through coffee cans, half-empty boxes, and miscellaneous drawers, you can see what you have, grab the right fastener quickly, and know when it is actually time to restock.

The best approach depends on how you work. Removable French-cleat bins are excellent for bulk screws and hardware you carry to the bench. Small drawers are better for large collections of different fastener sizes. Custom drawer dividers make sense when you want to improve storage you already own, while a full French-cleat wall gives you room to expand for years.

You can also combine several of these ideas into one system. A row of removable bins for everyday screws, a drawer cabinet for specialty hardware, and a modular wall for tools and accessories can turn even a modest workshop into a much more efficient place to build.

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