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Declutter November mini-challenge week 4: your hobby/craft stash

Posted by on Monday 21 November 2011 in decluttering | 7 comments

Ah, you knew this one was coming, didn’t you? ;)

I’ve also deliberately left it ’til last as I imagine most people will have dipped into their hobby stashes already – hopefully though having a focused look at it will help everyone (and me especially!) prune further: get rid of extra five things (or sets of things), in addition to your normal one a day.

The original idea for this was “declutter your craft stash” but I know that not everyone is crafty so I’ve expanded it to being whatever you hoard for your hobby. I’m assuming everyone taking part in the challenge hoards some stuff – if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be needing to declutter ;)

For me, I’m going to look at my yarn stash and my fabric stash, and at my books yet again because I always can prune them further. My t’other half John doesn’t craft but he hoards (or certainly did in the past) computer related stuff so I’d imagine he could find five things to get rid of there, and he’s a reader too so I’m sure he could find a few books he wouldn’t read again.

So whatever your poison – be it cooking, a craft, a sport, a game, a performance art or collecting something – have a look through your tools/equipment, your materials stash, your collection or whatever, and see what can go.

Think about what no longer any use to you – clear some space and maybe even pass it on to someone just starting out in your favourite pursuit!

7 Comments

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  1. strowger

    half of the computer tat taking up space round these parts *is* john’s, or at least 50% john’s :-/

  2. Tanya @ Lovely Greens

    No way! haha :) I’m definitely not a pack-rat but I do keep things around that I will eventually use.

  3. Millie

    This challenge makes me sad! I live in eternal hope that I will find a use for all the fabrics I have! Even though I like to buy more and it just piles up….

  4. bookstorebabe

    Oh, you’re getting me where I live now. I am a hoarder, true enough. Sigh….I doubt I’ll prune the craft supplies. Needs organizing more than anything, and I do find a use for it all. But yes, books can be pruned more. And collections? Good point. My problem is glassware. Full china cabinet, full shelves. It helps that my mom told me not to feel obligated to kept something just because she gave it to me. Nothing that’ll make me rich, mind you! Just the odd bit of old glassware she’d pick up from yard sales and the like. But I run into the problem of-‘I don’t really need this, but don’t want to send it to the thrift store, I could sell that for a few dollars on ebay, one of these days.’ But I never take the time to do that, it’s always ‘later’.
    I should just get off my duff and spend a day listing things, I really should!

  5. Debbie

    I drastically decluttered my yarn stash a few months ago, so I am not throwing any more out – is is a timely reminder to work through it and actually use it up though!

  6. sara

    It is with a heavy heart i did this..but i did find some gorgeous pink fabric at the bottom of the box…just enough to make a baby cot sheet..it will go to which ever of my daughters has a little girl..as they are both expecting next yr..but then again i might need it myself as i have just had the shock of shocks and i too will be having a baby next yr…
    I found some wool and have made pompoms..i have also donated quite a bit to the charity shop…
    thanks again louisa
    sara

  7. louisa

    strowger78: shush now. And don’t you dare try to give it back to him ;)

    Tanya: oh me too, me too. I certainly don’t subscribe to the “if you’ve not used it in a year…” philosophy but I think if I’ve not used it in a decade, then it should probably go.

    Millie: yeah, me too. But I think I need to be realistic – and I think it would be better going to someone who can/will use it rather than just being forgotten about here.

    bookstorebabe: hope you felt inspired to list it! I’m a sucker for keeping things that I tell myself I’ll put on eBay one day.

    Debbie: ok, you get a pass on this one then :) But knit, knit, knit woman! :)

    sara: wow, what news! odds are someone is going to get to use that soon then – good find :)

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