20 Small Shed Ideas Any Backyard Would Be Proud To Have

If you feel like stuff is starting to pile up in your home, perhaps it’s time you had your own small shed. Nothing too big or complicated, just a storage shed where you can keep your gardening tools and supplies.

Small Shed

And maybe a few other things as well. Turn this into your next DIY project and check out some of these inspiring shed ideas before you get started.

How to Build a Small Storage Shed

Before you start building, you have to decide a few things first.

Location – Where do you want to put your storage shed?
Dimensions – How big does it need to be?
Materials – What will you build it out of?

You can check out local hardware stores during spring for top deals on materials.

How to Build a Small Storage Shed

Once you’ve made the decision, it’s time to start building.

First, decide if you’re going to build it on a foundation. You don’t need deep footings and concrete. You need a secured, solid platform with good drainage.
Then build the floor. You’ll want to double-check your measurements because the base is critical for building the walls.
Next, put up the frame for the walls and roof of your structure.
Now you can measure, cut, and attach your walls to the frame.
Then build and attach your roof trusses.
Add your windows, doors, and any necessary electrical wiring and components.
Finalize with a custom exterior design, painting, and anything else you want to add.

What is the average size of a small shed?

Anything bigger than 80 square feet is arguably not a shed but more of a garage or storage unit. The average size of a small storage shed is around 6 feet by 4 feet. Bigger or smaller will depend on what you intend to use it for.

Do you need a foundation for a shed?

You don’t need a foundation for your small storage. However, it’s recommended that you provide some additional structure for support. Placing it on a foundation will also help with ventilation purposes.

Outdoor Storage Shed Ideas

Customized Storage

If you already have a small storage shed then you can use this opportunity to customize and organize it a bit. You can always replace existing features with something better-suited for your own storage needs. You can find a few ideas on thecavenderdiary.

Outdoor Storage with Carport

There are several steps you need to follow to build your own outdoor storage. You need to create a plan, decide what materials you want to use, prep the ground, add the foundation and then build the frame. There’s a lot of prepping to do so, be sure to check out this tutorial from imgur for more info.

Small Wood Shed

Isn’t this little wooden shed adorable? It looks like a miniature house with a door but no windows and a pitched roof. It doesn’t need a foundation so you can just a pick a spot and start building. You can paint your new storage to it look even more beautiful. Paint can help it blend in or stand out, depending on your backyard decor. Check out instructables for more details.

DIY Storage Shed

Obviously, if you need more than just tiny storage shed that’s entirely possible too as long as you have the space and resources. This one was a DIY shed project by Joseph Sandy. It looks amazing, with those patchwork wooden walls and the corrugated metal roof. We love the space at the top which light and air inside the outdoor storage shed.

Yard Shed

Outdoor storage can turn out to be surprisingly space-efficient if you know how to organize it. You can use it to store everything that’s currently cluttering your garage, sports equipment, gardening tools and more. As far as the design, that’s up to you to decide what’s best for your backyard. Personally, we enjoy this shed featured on instructables, specifically the little windows.

Simple Storage Shed

A storage like a simple wooden box with doors is actually a very practical design option. You can find the shed plans on ana-white along with instructions. Check out this project and add your own personal touch to the design.

Small Storage

Here’s an even smaller version of the outdoor storage we just mentioned. As you’ll notice from the tutorial shared on ana-white, building a small storage such as this one is fairly easy. Your shopping list includes 2 sheets of plywood, some 2 by 4 boards, gate-style hinges, 2 handles, a latch, roofing material and wood for the doors. Remember to add any materials you’ll use to customize the build.

Small Modern Storage

A shed can be more than just a little box-like space where you can keep your garden tools. You can turn your outdoor storage into a garage for your motorcycle or your bikes. Think of it like a miniature house in your backyard. You can give it doors, windows and even a garage door and a ramp. See more of this design on diyatlantamodern.

Small Garden Shed

On the other hand, if all you want is a tiny garden shed, don’t make the shed bigger than it has to be. Check out this wooden structure made of teak wood, featured on frontgate. You could build something like this yourself but, it’s nice to good that there are also ready-made options such as this one.

Narrow Shed

A garden shed doesn’t necessarily have to be all closed off and built like a wooden box. You can give it windows, a glass door and even skylights. Check out this quirky design featured on acultivatednest. It looks like a small green house so it could potentially also hold a few plants if needed.

Storage with a Green Roof

Another very cool idea is to give your outdoor storage shed a green roof. It looks nice and it also blends into the landscape beautifully. It’s even cooler if you build it low, sort of like an outdoor storage unit. This one seems like an awesome choice. We found it on pinterest.

Shed for Trash Bins

This isn’t exactly a storage shed but the design is inspired by one and we find it very interesting and inspiring. This thing is a sort of cover with an opening for the trash bins. This actually makes sense if you want to keep your yard clean and organized. And if you also don’t want the trash to ruin your view. Check out fixundfertighaus to find out how to build something like this yourself.

House Extention Storage

If you want you can treat your storage shed as an extension of the house and make it look like a sort of exterior pantry. This idea came to us while seeing it featured on finehomebuilding. It seamlessly and naturally it blends in. The shutter doors are also super cool.

Storage Shed with a Deck

If you decide to physically connect your new storage to the house, you can give it a rooftop terrace which you can access from inside the house. This is one of the most awesome ideas we encountered so far and it comes from panofish. It applies to all materials or even a prefab cabin that you have in mind.

DIY Shed

An easy way to make your backyard storage stand out is to give it a barn door and to paint it in an eye-catching color. Check out this bright white and red combo and that lovely small sign. This could be your next DIY project. Check out the youtube tutorial to find out more about it.

Colorful Backyard Storage

Give your existing storage a makeover. You can stick with painting the exterior to make it fun, colorful, and also trendy. Also, it could be fun to add a few accent details like a window planter box or shutters, a new door, a new roof color, etc. Let this beautiful green shed featured on mysweetcottage inspire you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ

How much is a mini shed?

They typically cost around $100 to $500 for plastic or metal material. And you can get them from any retail store near you or online for top deals.

What is the smallest shed?

The smallest you’d want to go for outdoor storage is 2 feet by 2 feet. Anything smaller wouldn’t be big enough to hold much of anything.

What is the cheapest type of shed?

The cheapest option is pallets. You can get them for free from most stores. If you purchase an already constructed shed, metal is typically the most affordable option.