Organize, Projects

Wire Grid Wall: Nerf Gun Storage

How many odd places have you found Nerf darts?

There are many Nerf gun battles that take place with a house full of boys (plus their friends). Let’s not get crazy thinking that I use Nerf brand darts. Been there, done that. I am way past caring about labeling every dart and searching the yard for any that went missing-yeah, I used to do that. Thankfully there are knock off brands that you can buy in bulk for cheap. These days, I casually shrug my shoulders when I find a dart with the vacuum or in the dog’s mouth. They are everywhere, along with the guns. How on earth do you store all of those guns and darts, anyway?

I have the solution.

I wasn’t a mom that banned all weapon-based toys from our home, but I tried to not encourage them. It didn’t matter though. My boys used the vacuum extensions as “bangers” (guns) and stacked color markers to make swords. By the time my oldest had his first friend birthday party, light sabers and Nerf guns were gifted. Finally, I gave in, I knew I had to just embrace the constant desire for play fighting.

So Many Toys!

What I still can’t seem to embrace is the pile of Nerf guns and darts strewn about. With so many bins of toys, minimizing the stacked toy bins, clearing floor space and going vertical is the goal. Initially, when I looked into storage ideas, Pinterest had many ideas using peg board displays. Peg board is heavy, visually bulky, and reminds me of a garage. Stores often use wire grids to display things so I decided to go in that direction. The wire grids are lighter and more versatile when it comes to changing up the organization. I also utilized small carabiners purchased on Amazon to hook the guns and accessories to the grid. Dishwasher detergent containers bought at wholesale stores can be re-purposed as lidded bins. Over time, a few of the plastic detergent containers were saved and spray painted to use as dart and cartridge storage.

Lately, there have been requests to share my Nerf wall storage ideas. I’m finally coming around to it and letting you all in on how simple it can be. This project was completed about 4 or 5 years ago and I don’t remember it taking too long. However, in case there are a few bumps in the road, here’s a recipe. Ham and Cheese Sliders by The Girl Who Ate Everything.


Supply List


Instructions:

Step 1:

Determine how many wire grid panels you will need for your space. I hung two 2’x 6′ panels vertically.


Step 2:

Use a pencil to mark where the wire grid brackets need to go. I used three brackets on the top, two in the middle and three along the bottom. Put a bracket on the wire grid and hold it up to the wall to get the desired height. Mark the bracket holes with the pencil.


 

Step 3:

Use the level to ensure the brackets are lined up both horizontally and vertically.


 

Step 4:

Drill with a small bit in your markings for the brackets to make a pilot hole for the bracket mounting screws. If you hit a stud, hooray! Having the screws go into the wooden studs is a great way to secure the bracket and wire grid. If you don’t hit a stud, don’t despair, that’s what the wall anchors are for.

Line brackets up horizontally and vertically using a level. First, drill small pilot holes to determine if using anchors is necessary. Second, use a larger drill bit to either install screws or anchors.

 

Step 5:

Attach brackets to the wall having the hook side facing towards the ceiling. In other words, the wire grid is going to rest on the bracket hooks.

Place the wire grid on the brackets, resting a horizontal wire in the hook of the bracket.

 

Step 6:

Once all of the brackets are attached, place the wire grid on them. The grid wall will be a bit wobbly. Next, attach the Wire Grid Panel Connectors to provide stability. I used three connectors; one near the top, one near the middle and one near the bottom of the two grid walls. Once installed, the grid wall should feel solid and secure.

The connectors clamp either side of the wall grid to hold the two panels secure and aligned with each other.
The connectors evenly space the panels and give overall support when tightened.

 

Step 7:

The carabiners attach the Nerf guns to the wire grid wall. Light sabers and other swords were added onto the wall to make a complete arsenal for a possible zombie attack, or something along those lines.

Carabiners work great to hang the Nerf guns and to easily attach or remove them from the wall storage system.

 

Step 8:

Finally, complete the Nerf storage by taking empty Cascade Complete containers and spray painting over the outside container and product labels. Let dry. ( I used metallic spray paint that I had from other projects.) On the back side, drill two small holes near the center top of the container. Zip tie the containers to the wire grid wall. Cut off the extra zip tie. You now have some Nerf dart storage. I collected a few more containers over time to add storage for the magazines and cartridges.

Empty Cascade Complete containers get re-purposed when spray painted and hung for dart storage.
Use a zip tie to connect the storage bin to the grid wall. Take note of the small holes drilled into the back side of the container. The holes are just large enough for the zip tie to fit through it. Cut off the “tail” left over once the zip tie is tightened.

 

Wow! What a difference in the room. Cleared floor space makes cleaning easier and makes the room feel larger. The great thing about this wire grid wall is that it looks clean and can be used in a variety of ways to accommodate many different items. If there is ever a time when I want to remove the grid wall, I will only need to patch a few screw holes.

Not bad for three teen boys organizing things. I much prefer this wall organization to the great Nerf gun heap that was previously growing on the floor.

Now you are set to go. Share your project successes and ideas with us. Without a doubt, having an organized space is definitely a way to make a house a home. 💙


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