I’m sharing how we turned an old backyard shed full of junk into my new She Shed, with before and after photo’s.

She Shed’s have became increasingly popular for the stay at home mama who needs to escape the house to get some work done. Over the last few years I have tried finding a balance of creating a small business while I stay at home with my babies. This has been a pretty difficult task at times. I shared a craft room with my kids playroom. (I know not the smartest place to store my projects.) As you can imagine it was difficult to keep it clean and keep the kids from playing with my work.

Scrolling through social media one day I saw an Instagram mama working in her she shed and thought maybe one day I could have a beautiful space like that to call my own! I quickly realized there were two old sheds in my backyard full of junk. I entertained the thought of one of them potentially becoming my she shed and went outside to investigate.

As a creative person I saw so much potential! My husband on the other hand thought I was totally crazy to think I would want to work in a spider infested shed instead of our temperature controlled house. I instantly began working on cleaning out the shed. Dreaming up what it might look like after it was finished.

What to look for when considering turning an old shed into a work space.

A strong structure is the first and most important step. You don’t want to be working in a potentially dangerous shed! Please make sure the structure is in great condition and you are able to easily fix any problem areas.

Make a list of any repairs and what you need to get the job done . An example a window in our shed had been broken before we bought the house and needed to be fixed. There was also a panel on the outside that needed to be replaced to keep the weather and bugs out.

Getting Started

Start by cleaning out everything in the shed. Re-home anything you want to keep and create a dump pile for the things you don’t want. P.S: Keep an eye out for any furniture you can re-purpose and use in your she shed. Then measure all your walls, floor and window(s). With a list of repairs, measurements and supplies needed, walk around your local hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes and calculate the costs. I know for me I always underestimate the amount of money put into a project.

We knew I’d need a window, 1 outside panel (plywood), insulation for better climate control, interior walls, paint, paint brushes, flooring, nails, cocking foam for gaps, and an electric sander.

Repairs

I recommend starting with any repairs needed to keep the weather and bugs out. We started by fixing the outside panel and window. The window we bought didn’t fit and to save money from a custom made window, we decided to use plexy glass as a quick fix. This doesn’t bother me, as I know it’s just a shed and it gets the job done nicely with little cost.

Next, the interior walls. Using a face mask, gloves and safely glasses, install the insulation. This is optional but recommended for climate control. For our walls I decided on shiplap plywood. This gave me the farmhouse look I wanted.

Do your best to get your panels to fit but don’t worry to much about gaps. It is a shed after all. We used cocking foam to fill in the corners and gaps. After all your walls are up you can begin painting, don’t forget about the exterior as well. I waited to do the floors last, so that no paint dripped on them.

Designing your space.

Now it’s time for the best part decorating! You also might want to consider a small space heater, ceiling fan or swamp cooler. My shed already had a ceiling fan and I just open the window, during the summer to allow a drift. During winter, when it’s not too cold I will head out to my she shed with a space heater to work on a few projects.

For furniture and decor I highly recommend thrift stores or items you already have in your home and aren’t using. My desk was a $15 thrift store find that I painted with homemade chalk paint I already had on hand. A lot of the decor in my shed are pieces from my house I wasn’t using.

Let me know in the comments below if you found this post helpful and if you plan to create a she shed of your own.

PIN IT FOR LATER!!!