Tiny tool shed - includes construction tips

Sunset, May, 1999 by Peter O. Whiteley

Built from recycled materials, it holds all the essentials

Instead of lugging their garden tools out of the garage every time they want to work in the planting beds, Diana and Shawn Tibor just head for a slender structure in the backyard of their home in Davis, California. They store their basic gardening supplies - shovels, trowels, pots, fertilizers, and potting soil - in the 6-foot-tall, 2-foot-square shed. It's tall enough to accommodate rakes and hoes but small enough to be unobtrusive.

"I have a love of weathered farming structures; their simple lines and appearance inspired this shed," says Shawn. He made most of the building by recycling materials on hand, including old cellar doors from his house and a piece of corrugated metal roofing from a doghouse. His only real expense was the $7 pie-tin panel he ordered from a catalog (Rockier Woodworking & Hardware; 800/279-4441).

The weathered wood not only created an antique look but also camouflaged Shawn's limited carpentry skills. 'A few bent nails and crooked cuts only add to the appearance we were after," he says. It took about six hours to construct. He points out that the design is very adaptable; by varying the materials, you can create a range of looks.

Construction tips

* Stiffen the structure and ease construction by reinforcing the inside corner joints with 2-by-2s.

* Anchor the shed to a fence by securing it to posts or rails with lag screws through the back.

* For a sturdy freestanding version like the Tibors', either fill the base frame with cement or secure the back side to a 6-foot-long 4-by-4 set 2 feet in the ground.

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