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Craft and Hobby Clutter
If you have a hobby that uses materials, you probably have a “stash”. If your hobby involves equipment, you may have older models or versions. These are prime candidates for decluttering.
Ask yourself:
- will I ever use this again?
- Does it still meet safety or environmental standards?
- Is it still in fashion or totally dated?
- Is the quality up to what I now use?
- Do I still have the tools needed to use or maintain it?
- Is it worth more to someone else than it is to me?
- Has it degraded in storage?
- Could I use the money I’d get by selling it, or the space it’s occupying, better for something else?
- Would it be easy to replace if I ever needed it again?
You may also have information resources for your hobby – books, magazines, videos, CDs etc. More questions:
- Do I have the technology to use/read/play this?
- Is the information still relevant, or outdated?
- Are my skills now well beyond this level?
- Am I still interested in this facet of the hobby?
- Can I find this information elsewhere?
Decluttering your hobby or craft “stuff” can free up space, energy, time or money to actually DO the thing you want to do!
Master the chaos by the door
Create a “landing zone” by the exterior door you use the most, whether that’s the front, kitchen or garage door. Use it to hold all the things you put down as you come in the door (keys, wallet, purse, car door opener…) and the stuff waiting to go out next time you go (library books, video rentals, dry cleaning, thrift store donations…).
Size and type depends on your family and lifestyle: it could be anything from a single shelf to a set of cubbies, hooks, bins and shelves for each family member.
Security tip: make sure keys and wallet are not visible or reachable through a window or mail slot.
Where to start decluttering?
Every room in the house has some clutter – but some are worse than others. On the other hand, I spend a lot more time in some than in others. It’s a tradeoff between how much junk there is to get rid of, and how often I see it. If I were to pick Most Cluttered, it would be the basement laundry room. Most Lived In would be my home office – but the clutter in there is mostly my daughter’s and when she moves out it will go with her. Hmmm.
See more progress on: declutter my house
10 good reasons for decluttering
- Begin a process of positive change
- Lift your spirits
- Reduce your stress
- Make your home seem bigger
- Be proud to invite friends over
- Make others happy by giving them your spare stuff
- Reduce maintenance cost and time
- Love and value the things you keep
- Feel happier in your home
- Create space for new directions in your life
You don’t have to do it all at once. Just get started, and declutter a few items every day, and things will start to change.Â
Clear off that kitchen counter
Not necessarily ALL the counters, but clearing everything off the stretch of kitchen counter you use most for prep and baking makes a big difference in how easy it is to work. It makes for less cleaning, too, when you don’t have to wipe spatters off half a dozen doodads sitting at the back of the counter!
If there are often-used things which deserve to be “always out” in that counter area, try mounting them on the wall: magnetic strips hold knives and other items, mini-shelves hold condiments and spices, hooks and racks hold cups and mugs. Need to have a small appliance sitting there? Try an under-cabinet mounted version to get it off the counter.
Once you have a clean sweep of counter to work on, you’ll cherish it.