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I'd like to clean out my scrap room and purge A LOT of stuff. I'm *such* a hoarder. I'd like to give it to my mom who is just starting out scrapping and stamping.
Can I do it? Has anyone else who's a hoader done a major purge? How did you over come the "I might need that someday" urge and just let it go?
good luck! I'm a hoarder too. I don't know if I could purge...maybe if I gave it to someone (or sold it) so I'd never have to see something they made with it:rolleyes: I'm hopeless!
on a good note: at least with your mom you could wangle it back (under the guise of borrowing it for a project!)
It makes it easier that you're giving it to your mom because then you might be able to get it back or borrow it if necesssary. I did a major purge two years ago and ever since then, I've become a better user of things than just a hoarder of things. The papers and other pretties I could not bring myself to use before, now I use like any other stuff in my stash. This helps make room for my major craft addiction of shopping!
Go for it!! I did this a couple of years ago an what a relief!! I found things in there that I "just had to have" and never used them - paper, embelllishments, you name it. I shuddered to think how much $$ I spent on the stuff and now it seems "old" to me. So - this is what convinced me not to hoard anymore!! That beautiful designer paper that you don't want to cut apart, or you are "saving" it for something special? Or how about those prima flowers, metal buckles, etc? Let me tell you that everything you create is special! So - USE IT!! Don't let it go to waste! By giving it to you mom, I'm sure she will let you use it if you have a project that calls for it. Otherwise, just give it to her, clean out your space and you will be amazed how refreshed you will be!
I do a purge every summer... I go through all my stuff. EVERYTHING! If I haven't used it in a year, it's gone. I have a garage sale, and if it doesn't sell there, I give it to a charity. They appreciate it (great for kids' crafts), and I get the deduction. I say "GO FOR IT!" You'll feel great when it's done, and you'll be more likely to want to craft.
Okay...I'm a MAJOR hoarder...Here's the deal...If it's SU!, I keep it. Period. I keep it under my bed, my son's bed, my closet, and his closet...If it's not SU!, and I haven't used it in 2 years, it goes into my "Let's give it to Marsy" pile....Marsy is my Best Girlfriend, and will take what she wants and then will share the rest with our other friends!
2 years is my rule. I'm serious about this. 2 years...My Donna Dewberry stuff is headed, (200+ paints, brushes, etc...) are headed to the pile! LOL!
Yes...remember you can always buy more, lol. I just had to tell myself that...if I really need something, I can always buy more.
Buying crafting stuff is like buying a computer...it will be obsolete tomorrow. New things come out every day, so don't be afraid to use it and move on.
I do every 6 months! I buy so many things I think I have to have, stuff them away and never see them again!
I go through everything about every 6 months, bring out the goodies I think I will use and the rest goes to the pre-school. Then in 6 months, that stuff that I took out and didn't use, goes!
There are always some things that we all hoard, things we will always save, but then we have to learn the things to let go of!
__________________ Karen
...My life is like a stroll on the beach...As near to the edge as I can go...Thoreau...
I would regularly get rid of a few SU sets once I knew I had used them enough. But recently I realized that I just have too much stuff and most of it hasn't been used in forever and probably wouldn't again. So I got some boxes and started putting those things in them. The more I put in, the easier it was to keep adding to it. I have 4 boxes full of stamps and other supplies. What I have done - something I read a while back - is to keep all these things in their boxes for one month. If I don't go looking for them, then they can get sold. I have found that I went back for two sets that I didn't think I wanted anymore. But pretty soon, everything else is going on ebay.
One advantage you have is that since you are giving this stuff to your mom, if you ever do change your mind about something, you can borrow it back.
Of all the stuff I have sold or given away so far, I have only regreted one item. But I can certainly live without it. And I find now that I have cleaned out so much stuff, I do not feel the need to replace it with more stuff. In fact I have been on a big decline with my stamping purchases because I never want to get to that point again.
I have gotten rid of a lot of stuff. The only thing that I sold and then re-bought was flaky friends. And recently there was a sizzix die that I was looking for and remembered I sold it. It has been 2 years so it was a safe sell and I can live without it.
Purge you will be happier!
__________________ Pia 2024 Scrapbook goals April 16/10 layouts YTD 91/120 Check out my gallery
I have to agree with the purge. Sometimes you get so much stuff that you don't even know where to start when making a project. I have never felt any desire to keep retired SU stamps and I currently am trying to get rid of those that are "hanging" around.
But patterned paper, ribbon, brads, eyelets (why do I have so many eyelets?), Primas, buttons and other embellishments are everywhere. I don't even remember what I have anymore.
Maybe I could go thru all these things and give it to a charity of somekind? Anyone got a good charity that will use these kinds of crafting supplies?
...recently I realized that I just have too much stuff and most of it hasn't been used in forever and probably wouldn't again. So I got some boxes and started putting those things in them. The more I put in, the easier it was to keep adding to it. I have 4 boxes full of stamps and other supplies. What I have done - something I read a while back - is to keep all these things in their boxes for one month. If I don't go looking for them, then they can get sold.
I did same. I cleaned out drawers/shelves and put it all in a box about a year ago. I put the boxes in my garage. Only once did I go out and get something out of the box. By the time June came around, it was easier to get rid of the stuff. I took the boxes to a friends "Stamp/Scrap" Garage Sale.
You will feel so much "lighter" & will enjoy the extra space! My scrap & stamp purchases have gone WAY down because I now have a better idea of not just what I like, but what I'll use.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
__________________ Lela -- Scrap Blog -- Come Scrap With Us ---- YTD 87 / 300 Pages 2023 -- 64 / 252 Cards 2023
I purged once - not in a huge way, but getting rid of things I hadn't used, wouldn't use again or had a newer version of...I donated the supplies - much of it to the art class at my kids' school. Some items to a lady who runs a scrapping group in the inner city.
I refuse to purge! What comes around goes around and just when you purge something it will become 'fashionable' again.
As for the joy of purging, yes it is nice, for closets and stuff, and when I get that urge to simplify my stamping room, I just re-arrange and re-organize everything. Then I feel like I'm in a new space.
I'm very particular in my craft buying process. I have to absolutely lOvE it or I won't buy it, regardless if it's paper, ribbon, stamps etc., and because of this I cannot give up anything if I love it. That's just me. Some people buy the trendy stuff and sell it a month later, and that's okay...that's them. I'm about what's in it for the long haul.
Now, if I were a rich girl, I might have a different take on the matter!!! ;)
Okay, I just went through my room and organized everything. I even sorted my scrap pile into different colored folders. In my HUGE pile of scraps, I had 3 sheets of patterned paper. THREE! So I think it's safe to say that a lot of my patterned paper is going out the door. I love it, buy it but can't really use it. No matter how much I try, it just never looks good to me. So most of my stacks of paper are going to mom.
Also a bunch of stamps that I bought forever ago. They are not in sets and not really things that I'll use anymore. Bye-bye!
Next are my embellishments and the million swaps that I did before I knew that I'd never use the returned items. (I like my scrapbooks to be done by *me*, KWIM?)
I'm debating my Sizzlet alphabets. I gave her two, but I think I'm just going to give her the rest. I have a QK, a Cricut Expression and a Klik-n-Kut. I haven't reached for them in YEARS. Some are not even out of the blister package. :oops:
It really does feel good! And the space is just an added bonus.
I don't seem to be able to get rid of anything unless there is some event or thing motivating me to do so. Otherwise, as long as I can stash it somewhere, I just keep everything.
A month or so ago, we had to have our house appraised for a new mortgage, and I had several rooms that I didn't think the appraiser could even get into.:mrgreen:
So I got busy and boxed and bagged up tons of stuff from my craft room, and also from my closet. I had a lot of office type clothes that I have not worn since I quit work several years ago.
I took everything down to Goodwill and felt really, really good about it. I visualized someone finding my stuff in the store and being thrilled to be able to afford to buy it.
Once I got started, I tried to be ruthless and not dither around and change my mind. It got easier after a few bags and boxes were full.
It's a great feeling, and guess what, I haven't missed a thing.:mrgreen:
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
I did same. I cleaned out drawers/shelves and put it all in a box about a year ago. I put the boxes in my garage. Only once did I go out and get something out of the box. By the time June came around, it was easier to get rid of the stuff. I took the boxes to a friends "Stamp/Scrap" Garage Sale.
You will feel so much "lighter" & will enjoy the extra space! My scrap & stamp purchases have gone WAY down because I now have a better idea of not just what I like, but what I'll use.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
I agree with both you ladies and I am doing the box thing right now. I have a bunch of stuff packed away for a garage sale in the spring. So I have til then to want it. It is a great feeling and now I can find stuff and since I dont see all the unused unwanted items I dont feel quite as bad.
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I'm a hoarder too...I blame my grandpa....he has a whole BARN full of stuff that he though he "might" need one day:-) I know it's hard but I've cleaned out my stuff a few times and you really do feel better when it's done. I have a hard time parting with my SU! sets but I have a TON of old stuff from when I first started stampin...lots of hero arts and stuff. Thing is I have not used it in more than 4 years!!! So I'm trying to get rid of stuff I havn't used in a year. Chances are if you havn't used it in that long, you won't...at least I don't tend to:-) So....I finally decided that the big box of stuff in the closet is going in next springs rummage sale! Good luck!!!!! And remember, you don't have to get rid of everything at once!!!! Do it a little at a time:-)
I'm a firm believer in purging. I've done it several times. This time, fortunately, I have a sister who is just starting scrapbooking (and cardmaking, too) and I'm only into greeting cards. I went through a stash of 12 x 12 paper the other day and separated out the ones that I felt would be so much better for use as a s'book page than cut up for a card. So I have a lovely selection of paper to give to her!
I also went through my stamps. Since she is just starting, I think it's nice for her to have a variety of different styles and types of stamps to discover what she really likes.
Going through everything now and then and weeding out what doesn't get used as much is a great way to get in touch with what you really love the most. And seeing all that I never used was a real wake-up call. I am so much more discriminating in what I will purchase now.
I'm one of those people that has to have a good handle on everything I have. I want to be able to picture my storage and know what's there and what's where. I'm so happy where I'm at now with all of it. So worth it!!
I just did it myself! I sent my mother 17.9 pounds of stuff. LOL! Cost me over $20 to ship it to her, but it was worth it to get that stuff out of my stash (so I can fill it up with more! LOL!)
You can do it! Just think of all the room you'll have for new things!
I WAS one of those who kept everything, but as the years go by my style has changed. I started selling some of my stuff and feel so much better. I recently bought the baby circut with my sales monies. It was nice to be able to do that. I still have way to much stuff but now it is easier to let it go. One of my problems is that I have to many Mikes and Jo's around and its hard passing up those sales, so I know I can always buy something better that I got rid of.
Ronald McDonald house is always looking for stickers, paper and other craft supplies for kids to use. Kindergarten classes, temporary family shelters, drop in centres... there are many MANY folks who would love to use your not-needed's. What a treat it would be for them to get the occasional stamp set or photo album!
Purge, baby, purge!!! There are better places for the things you will not use - and what you REALLY want to buy needs some space on your shelves! lol. You'll learn a lot about what you actually USE and will shop smarter in the future if you go through the exercise.
good luck!
__________________ Kirsten Scrap goal - ytd 0/some My BLOG - SparkGirlWorking my way to 21K... again!
What I do is put my things I think I want to get rid of into a rubbermaid container. I then put the container away for a few months. If I did not "want" anything inside the bin, it all goes up for sale or donated somewhere...no regrets!
A few years ago, I put stamps I want to purge in boxes or bags and put them in the farthest corner of the basement. I never retrieved a thing from there, so I gave a lot of it to friends. The new bag down there is going on BST forum here soon. Paper, embellies, etc, go to our church's preschool.
I talked my DH into helping me clean sweep my craft room today. His job is to hold stuff up and ask me what the heck it is and why the heck do I own it, LOL! This should be interesting!
As I was reading this post Faith aka Markiesmom posted and I checked out her blog. She did a tutorial on making some pattern paper and it would totally match your cardstock so there is your plan for future ref, thanks Faith.
I did a huge purge this past spring and had my own scrapbook/stamping garage sale. I made over 500.00 in a two hour period. I do not miss anything that I sold at all. I used most of the money to purchase a scor-it and nesties which I am happy to have now. It is very freeing to get rid of the clutter. I have since bought more crap er stuff I don't need and will be getting ready for another sale in the spring again.
Good luck with your purge. And two years is way to long to hold on to something you haven't used *wink*
I think I've purged supplies four times in the last two years. I gave away two huge boxes of papers and things to my friend's sister. I gave away all of my "extra" paper trimmers to someone. And in my last purge, I sold about 60 sets of stamps (SU and TAC) plus a new set of SU watercolor pencils that I hadn't even OPENED but it had been in my desk for three years. (Now get those spots and refills sold...)
It feels GOOD to purge. I'm a hoarder by heredity. (My dad collects lawn mowers, of all things...)
My rule for purging was that if I hadn't used it in the last few years, I probably wouldn't ever. It felt strange to just box it up, take it out to the car and then hand it over to someone else.... but it also felt good to know that I had freed up so much space!
__________________ "There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness." -- Dave Barry
I have an "ongoing" purge happenning all the time.
My LSS has a garage sale twice a year (and I've learned through experience) that it's too hard to get organized for that event at the right time. After a couple of years of trial and error, I've finally found what works.
I keep a large rubbermaid bin nearby and lots of plastic bags and labels along with a list of what's in the bin. When I'm working on a project and find something I don't like, it immediately gets labelled and goes into the bin for the garage sale. Magazines or idea books I don't see any inspiration or ideas get tossed in the bin as well.
I've found it's not a big panic at garage sale time and my stash gets weeded out slowly. If I haven't gone into the bin for something before the next sale then I don't miss it when it's gone ;)
I have been slowly purging...since my room is bursting I need to rethink how much "stuff" that I have not used that I really need to keep. There is a lady I know who is newly started on scrapbooking and cardmaking so I have been giving her A LOT of stuff...I love that I am getting more space this way too!
Blessings.
I did go through some of my stash of embellishments and loose stamps and weeded out a bunch to give to Mom. I'm taking it slowly as I tend to get overwhelmed by it all if I try to do it all at once. But I'll be taking one drawer/item at a time and eventually getting through it all.
And all of my Sizzlit alphas are going to her too. I just don't need them anymore.
Next is my patterned paper. Wish me luck LOL~ It feels good to get it all out of my room.
Now my next question is how to not buy so much that it happens again? Any suggestions??? LOL~
I did go through some of my stash of embellishments and loose stamps and weeded out a bunch to give to Mom. I'm taking it slowly as I tend to get overwhelmed by it all if I try to do it all at once. But I'll be taking one drawer/item at a time and eventually getting through it all.
And all of my Sizzlit alphas are going to her too. I just don't need them anymore.
Next is my patterned paper. Wish me luck LOL~ It feels good to get it all out of my room.
For store shopping, i.e. Michaels and Hobby Lobby, sometimes I put something in my basket and carry it around the store long enough to talk myself out of it, and put it back. I guess my advice there is, don't rush to the checkout too quick.
Hearing about neat new stuff on this board and wanting it is tougher though. Online shopping is kind of my downfall. Just a few clicks of the mouse, even in your jammies, and you are in trouble pretty quick.
I have found that the longer I have been papercrafting, the better I am about telling myself no. After many dumb purchases, I'm learning slowly to ask myself if I will really use something enough to justify the cost.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
Purge, baby, purge!!! There are better places for the things you will not use - and what you REALLY want to buy needs some space on your shelves! lol. You'll learn a lot about what you actually USE and will shop smarter in the future if you go through the exercise.
good luck!
I totally agree with this! My LSS happened to be having a big garage sale the weekend we were moving, so I got in gear and boxed up a ton of stuff I haven't used lately or didn't want any more - I was shocked at how much money (all in store credit, of course) I ended up making off of my random discarded bits and scraps. The combination of purging and moving/organizing was a fantastic exercise, because it made me realize how soon the "special" hoarded stuff I'd been keeping goes out of style, and helped me tighten up my thinking about what I want to buy from now on - the organizing helped me find a ton of stuff I'd forgotten, and now I have a much better idea of what I'll actually use if I buy it, as well as more motivation to use what I buy instead of saving it.
I purge every few months. Usually it's different things each time. I just purged chipboard and embellishments this past weekend. I have a very small space and too much stuff! lol I give stuff to my kids to use, to my sisters, to my nieces, donate paper to my son's preschool, the library story/craft time, etc. There are lots of places to get rid of it. I have been scrapbooking for almost 9 years and stamping/card making for a little over a year. I have finally gotten so I recognize my style and can be more picky about what I buy. Lots of stuff is cute, but not my style. (Like those $ stamps, some are so cute, but I never use them so I finally stopped buying them and sold the ones I had except for a few I kept for my kids to use. They aren't a good deal if you never use them.) It feels good to get rid of all that stuff that is just sitting there taking up room.
Good luck!
I do a purge every summer... I go through all my stuff. EVERYTHING! If I haven't used it in a year, it's gone. I have a garage sale, and if it doesn't sell there, I give it to a charity. They appreciate it (great for kids' crafts), and I get the deduction. I say "GO FOR IT!" You'll feel great when it's done, and you'll be more likely to want to craft.
Anne
NO WAY! I suscribe to this philosophy in my life, however when it comes to my crafts there is no way I could ever put out my babies!!! i tried to sell a couple items on ebay (mainly hostess setsI never wanted but ordered because I was a demo and got them for free) I was relieved at the ones I didn't sell!. I swear I felt like I was going to have an anxiety attack on the day the auction ended! Yes I am a major craft hoarder! as for giving stuff to my mom.....maybe.... as long as she promised to take care of it and I could borrow it whenever I wanted... oh yeah and she can't give or lend it to anyone else. lol Pretty bad huh?
With all my hobbies I find that the more I have, the less I use.......whether it is photography, scrapbooking or cardmaking/stamping. When I find myself hesitating to go "work" at one of my hobbies, I step way back, look at what I have for supplies and equipment and then I usually end up PURGING a lot of it....I have donated it to children's charities when appropriate, sold it when possible(photo gear) and just given it to folks who will use it. It helps...The less is more principle seems to work best for me.
__________________ c-mouse-If you can't say nuttin nice--don't say nuttin at all. Thumper. Pansy
Card Sketch Challenge 1-227 done only 396+ to go to be caught up!!!!!
I know it is real easy to collect stamps. However, I'm very particular @ what I collect: so this helps me not to want to buy the whole store out. It helps to be frugal, & these days those who aren't may learn to become frugal: with our economy the way it is.
I clean up & organize my stamps, etc.......: by what I like most. What I do not have space for I either sell on Ebay or in a garage sale.
Once you organize the rest of your house this way, it will be easier to keep clean & neat. Less clutter, the less messy it looks/appears.
When my husband & I sold our previous house: we learned that we needed to get rid of a lot of things, so that the perspective buyers could see themselves in our house.
We are now limited on space, so we do not have a lot of space to put much of our stuff, we are now limited by about 1200 SQ FT. We still have some things to get rid of mind you in our new/old home. We lived in Vermont & moved to Arizona. However we had gotten rid of 3/4 of our stuff (mainly my husbands stuff).
We moved three times in one year, so we are slowly getting rid of the last bit of our boxes of stuff & a few bulk items.
We will soon be building our own kitchen & then we will be making room for a murffy bed: for company when they come to visit.
Here is what works for me (a major packrat LOL) I put myself on a spending freeze and make myself use what I have for 1-3 months, It really increases my creativity and I'll design craft projects for my kids classes and give the supplies to them.
Can I do it???
Me too!
