Today is Day 11 of the 30 Days to Less of a Hot Mess Challenge! We’re clearing clutter, reorganizing and letting in fresh air to build a home we love. New to the challenge? You may want to begin at the start. Affiliate links used for your convenience.
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You might be surprised by this post. I don’t keep many craft supplies lying around anymore.
I really did, once!
I used to hang on to broken household items because someday they might become a craft project. I also kept things I didn’t love, figuring a coat of spray paint could turn them into something new. Or I’d buy some Mod Podge and glitter and make it all fabulous.
No matter the reason, I was always saving a pile of things for … someday.
I adore a good craft project, especially a free one that uses things already sitting around the house. Giving old items a second life is a wonderful idea, and I fully support it.
But not at the cost of your sanity or your home.
If stashing craft supplies for future projects is keeping you from opening a closet door, or making you avoid your spare bedroom (ahem, preaching to the choir here), it’s time to let some of those goodies go.
Crafting with repurposed things is great, but if an item has been in your way for 3 years and the vision never came together, maybe it’s time to let it go. Right?
When I first started this blog, we had just moved into our current house. It had very little personality and needed a lot of love before it felt like ours. I was the girl who would pull over on the side of the road to haul someone else’s castoffs home and turn them into something we could love.
Several of those pieces are still in my home today, and I love them!
I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but I’m giving you permission to toss some of that junk. Lighten the load and move forward with calm instead of stress, because the house is so cluttered!
5 Craft Supplies to Toss Out Today!
Or you could donate them instead. Whatever works for you!
1. Yard Sale or Thrift Store Hopes & Dreams.
Remember the day you scored this gorgeous lamp base at the thrift store for $1? You pictured something beautiful. Now it has been sitting on the floor of your guest bedroom for 2 years, waiting for inspiration. Let it go! Pass it along to someone who is eager to grab a can of spray paint. I’ve learned that an idea can seem great in the moment, but if it has taken years to start, it’s time to move on.
2. Broken things you think *might* become a good project someday.
There was a time when we had to save everything, since we couldn’t afford to replace things when they broke. I had to repair them or turn them into something else. Those days are behind us, and now we can replace items when they break. I can also wait for inspiration before buying craft supplies. I don’t have to be a hoarder crafter anymore. If money is still tight for you, that’s completely fine. But if it isn’t, let go of the clutter!
3. Half-used, old supplies and leftovers!
Go through your supplies and toss the old stuff and anything that no longer works. Throw out the odds and ends left over from past projects, too. The chances you’ll ever need 3 random black pom poms again are slim to none. The mental energy it takes to “keep up” with that clutter just isn’t worth it!
4. Unfinished projects.
I have started and abandoned more craft projects than I can count. There is a beaded “chandelier” I tried to make several years ago, and it’s been sitting in a box gathering dust. I spent ages on that thing, but it just never worked! It’s time for it to go, so someone else can put those beads to use. The truth is, my style has changed so much since I started that I wouldn’t even want to hang it if I finished it!
5. Nice craft supplies that were never used.
Years ago I bought an adorable little stamp set from the dollar section at Target. I never got into stamping, and I have no plans to start. I could have kept it on a shelf to gather dust, or given it to my daughter, but she already has plenty of craft supplies. So I donated it. If we ever decide to start stamping, we’ll buy a nice new kit then. Until that day, someone else can have fun with it.
I hope this little list helps as you purge your home during our 30 Days to Less of a Hot Mess! I feel so much lighter now that those half-done projects and random supplies are gone.
What supplies are YOU letting go of today?
RELATED: Top 10 Bright and Tidy Craft Room Ideas
The Messy Work: Pull all of your craft supplies out and sort them into 3 piles: keep, donate and trash. Then act on them right away. A “someday” pile is just clutter.
Right there in the mess with you, Laura
Ready to find calm in your home again?
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