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How do you purge/thin your stash?
Right now I am almost ready to stop papercrafting... I am so disgusted with my craft room clutter and shopping habits!
I hate going into my room... there is soooo much in there. And I paw through it and sit in there looking around... BUT CAN'T GET RID OF ANYTHING! I have finally made a pile of stuff that I know I won't use (can you say Sticker Binder?) But... I have a 5 year old daughter who might actually love all these leftovers some day for craft play... See? I can't get rid of it?!?! How do you purge? What goes? WHERE does it go? HELP! --Amy |
donate to family members, so you can always use just in case ;)
but you will see once its away from your space, you will be happy you purged ;) |
If your daughter is in school, I'm sure there are teachers who would love extra stickers, ribbon, papers, etc. I had great plans over my spring break to clear out all my stash of extras and take it to school for my art area..best laid plans--I didn't do it. But one day.....
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Funny you started this thread today! I walked into my craft area tonight and looked around and decided that I have got to purge. And you are right! It's disgusting how much stuff I've bought over the years that I now know I will never use! The first item to go will be a ton of fiber stuff! I'm better about buying things now that I have figured out what I actually like to use but in the beginning I bought whatever was new or on sale and just Knew I would find a way to use it. Ya right! Maybe we can make someone else happy with all this stuff. Let us know how you make out with purging.
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Seriously, you just have to go in there and start section by section. Get a large coffee or soft drink, turn on some music and just pick up the first item and if you have had it for more than a year and it has not been touched it needs to be given away. Start thinking about getting touch with a LSS store and find out if they are having a garage sale. Or just donate it to a school. They will use all the stuff for sure.
I just did this in my area and we are having a sale this saturday at my house. I have 600.00 of my own stuff priced. I had a friend over a few weeks back and sold her 300.00 of stuff since she is just starting out. I had to talk her out of some stuff too. LOL It is just taking the time to purge. Once you do it you will feel so much better. Lorri |
I just purged!!!!! I spent two days in my craft storage area. It was great. I took all of my stickers and kept essentials that I know I will use now that my scrap/stamp habits have changed. The rest are on their way to a women's shelter downtown that has a craft night.
The rest is easy, look at those stamps!!! How many "Snappy Birthday" cards did I truly plan on making? I sorted through my SU hoarding stage (I belonged to a club) and over 20 sets are headed for kijji or my garage sale. I remember last year a lady on the buy/sell offered up about 30 stamps sets for free, just pay shipping. I'm toying with this pay it forward idea.... My spending habits have changed... At first if it was a deal I bought it, now I'm focusing in on what I use. I use altered art bits, good quality paper, Tim Holtz type inks etc. of course tools that I need. These things last a looong time and don't take up much space. I scrap too but my pictures take up the most room and paper. I've tried to get away from all of the "stuff" and zoom in on how I scrap. Card making is really in the background right now although it is so much fun. my 2 cents!!!!! Jen |
well, lucky for me i have 2 friends who are very new to crafting, so i pass a lot onto them! otherwise we would have to build an add-on to my room LOL.....
i also like to donate to our local seniors center, they have craft days twice a week, and are always happy to get donations. they even use some of it for bingo prizes! |
instead of looking at the room as a "whole room". take care of it in sections. a wall,a shellf at a time.
or do all paper, all ribbon,etc another piece of well learned advice-to the thing you hate the most-FIRST! that way it's out of the way ! things are easier after that. |
Great advice ladies! I'm going to give it a go this weekend. I know I will feel so much better if someone is actually enjoying my extra stuff. Special thanks to Amy for getting me motivated!
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I just finished purging. I was a homeschool Mom and my DS just flew away. I had so many crafting items just for schooling. Then I have my own crafting item. My DH crafts. What a mess! I did one purge after my DS left home and just finished the other one. Now, the craft room is perfect for my DH & I. I love it because it's frugal and luxurious at the same time.
I give things away to family because if I made a boo boo my Mom's a hoarder. ;) I have a pile that I will be selling on Ebay. |
I am going to attempt to purge this weekend. I know there is A LOT of stuff I can get rid of. Like others mentioned, I bought everything that could even remotely be considered a good item for stamping. I have a ton of items I bought to alter, but I don't enjoy altering items much so I still have them. :rolleyes: I feel suffocated by all the stuff so I am cleaning out. :)
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It is amazing how much more creative I was once I purged all of the "junk". So much stuff and it was overpowering the things I really liked.
I did a garage sale and put all of it out - but didn't price a thing. I had a big sign - make me an offer and I advertised it that way. Most successful garage sale I ever had... and the easiest as well. The stuff that didn't sell... all packed up to a thrift store that supports abused women. Good luck with the purge! |
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jen |
what? you mean that we are supposed to either USE it or get rid of it??? gasp!!! lol!
That said, I can seriously relate! I am overwhelmed in my stamp room just with old SU minis and catties and cardfront samples, etc. Why I think I need to save all the stuff from past SU campaigns I have no idea....one of my friends offers to help me organize whenever she comes over. Kinda makes the hoarder in me nervous but I'm about to take her up on it even though that's a scary thought! the fact that I can't find a dang thing when I need it tells me that it's long overdue and it will really look and FEEL much better if I take drastic and immediate action. So I will..maybe tomorrow? maybe next week? well, one of these days for sure. No, really, I will. ;-) Jan |
Oh I love this thread you guys are AWESOME!!!!
UPDATE: OK! I worked last night for a while and made myself go back in there after getting my kiddo on the bus this afternoon... Magazines: purged. New rule: will not keep more than 12 issues of each title. Ribbon: finished putting the last few spools in my new organizer and it is DONE Brads/eyelets/buttons: I had two different organizers going... so I picked one system and purged what didn't fit. (Square brads? In 6 colors? Really?) I decided to start ONE box of stuff to keep for DD. Whatever fits can sit in the basement--but no more than ONE box. So far I am putting all my stickers in it. I emailed the sub association prez last night and found out the subdivision garage sale is in May. So I hauled up a big rubbermaid container and I'm putting my purge stuff in there... then it is going in the garage. And if I don't do the sale it is going somewhere but not back in my house! I'm on a roll!!!!!!!!!!! I've got 1 hour before DD comes home so I'm goin' back in... wish me luck! Oh... and I found my ironing board. I put it away and told myself that it is NOT a work surface if it is just holding the sewing box and pile of pants that need to be hemmed... |
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Helpful thread...thanks to all for the motivation and tips.
A few things I do: -use BST here regularly -put a sticky note on sets as I use them and mark the note each time I use them again...keeping sort of a running tally of the sets I actually use. At some point, no sticky-no keepy. --Deborah |
you've gotten great advice so far! and it sounds like you've taken the plunge and are making GREAT progress!! The only thing I would add is if you find yourself undecided about something; "oh this is cool but I've never used it..yet...maybe... THEN I say put it in a box that you can stuff in the basement or something. Don't mark it for garage sale or donation or your daughter...it's just stuff that you aren't using right now. IF, after it's been boxed up "out of sight out of mind" and you don't miss any of, then put it in the NEXT garage sale or donate it or whatever. I've got a smallish box of some stickers, discontinued ribbon from SU and some designer paper that I've boxed up and it's been a few months now. Don't miss it, don't "need" it so it will probably go in the next yard sale. Good Luck!! Keep up the good work!
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I've been going through this as well! Just yesterday, I was re-organizing a bunch of stuff that at one time I HAD to HAVE for SOMETHING -- but I haven't touched in forever. I know that if I sell it it will be at such a loss from what I paid for it...ugh, it's just very overwhelming.
I already have a whole rubbermaid containter FULL of stamp sets, and I have paper, and embellies to add to that too. I think I may contact my DD's school to see what they might need/want, and the Sr. center too...then see what's left... |
What a fun thread! I was looking in my room last night and feeling overwhelmed with the clutter. I am somewhat organized with things, but have a bad habit of taking things out to use them and NOT putting them away and then end up with a huge mess on my work surface--which then gets "neatly" piled somewhere. If I purged the things I don't need/want/use, I might actually have room to have the other things organized and more readily available!
My nephew spent a long weekend with us this winter and we made a couple cards for a couple friends of his. He really got into it! My SIL took him shopping for cardmaking stuff and he's been making cards. I decided to start a box for him and put things in there as I purge. I have lots of stamps that I bought that I know I will never use! They are the See Dee kind in the CD cases. I am going to go through them and give him the ones that are just collecting dust--along with some acrylic blocks. I think he'll be thrilled. Now to get motivated to tackle it all . . . :) |
Great ideas ladies, I so need to get myself organized too.
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I moved 3 times in 4 years and two of the moves were to different states. Everything I owned had to fit on one 26' truck.
I was not into rubber stamping then, but I had a ton of other craft/ household stuff. My philosophy as I purged was if I had not used something in a long time and could easily buy it again if I regretted getting rid of it, then out it went. I don't think I re-bought $50 in replacements Marketing guru's have conditioned us to believe we must buy it now or it will be gone. Well if it is gone I'll bet I will find something else I like. LOL |
I'm just NOT ready to purge! I am still trying to fit it all in my craft room though. i am wondering if there is enough scrappers/stampers near me who would like to do a Supplies Swap". - small town, M's is an good hour away. I still feel like I can get my room better organized so I can find and USE my stash better. Loving this thread, very interesting!
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I just finished purging last night! I'm moving in a couple/few months and have to lighten the load. I found things I forgot I had, got rid of junk I've had for a few years and am trying REALLY hard not to fill back up the spaces that are now empty, LOL!
SO, good luck and you really will feel SO much better when it is done. |
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You can always donate to a local school. I teach middle schoolers how to scrapbook so I am sure there are schools in your area that do that too.
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Before I moved the last time I had a neighbor who taught primary school in a poor area. She spend a fortune of her own money buying supplies for the kids whose parents couldn't afford them.
She was delighted when I unloaded things on her. I gave her things like decorative scissors, felt squares, colored pipe stem cleaners , styrofoam balls and even excess quilling paper . Barbara |
Get rid of those altoid tins. If you haven't altered them you probably won't. When you do need to alter "1" of them go and buy one, eat the mints and alter the tin.
I had 12 tins that I bought from Michaels that I thought I would alter... 1.) All twelve tins are still in their unaltered state. 2.) Do people really want my altered altoid tin? Who knew? Jen lol |
If it is something that I think I will use someday, I keep it. It isn't liek stamps or paper have an expiration date. If my tastes change or I outgrow stuff (like my patterned crafty scissors) I pay it forward to a friend who I think might like it or donate it to the local Ronald McDonald House- they always seem to like craft supplies.
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Has anyone watched Hoarders? That'll make ya purge REAL quick!!!!
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Ok, I'm poking my head in again to update. Paper. Paper. Paper. Wow. I have a lot. Some really ugly busy designs that will be easy to purge. Some really nice stuff I didn't know I had, found a big stash of vellum.
I sat and talked to my DH for a minute... and he said a few 'a-ha' things, some I have heard here already: If it is something you would buy again--keep it. After scrapbooking/card making for 15 years, you are bound to have some stuff that is out-of-date and won't get used. Purge it. If you purge it and then need it again--you can probably buy it (maybe even better one). Then he compared it to his hobby: video games. How would his 'hobby area' look if he kept every gaming unit, every software box, every controller that he bought/used in the last 15 years? OK, going up for a few more minutes and then heading to bed. |
I am impressed by your efforts and of those of others on here that purged. My craft supplies sale is this saturday and I am thinking that I will ask as some of the seniors places if they could use my leftovers. Great idea.
Lorri |
This is a GREAT thread! I am really in the mood to get rid of things too. I am going to be putting some of my stuff on my blog to giveaway and the rest is going to Goodwill. I am tired of looking at all the stuff I don't use.
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Subbing to the thread, and plan to update next week--it's spring break then, and I can do some purging in the afternoons after work. I'm tired of being the Hotel California for craft supplies...
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Lots of good tips here! Just a couple more to add:
1) have 2 boxes with you, one for "keep" and one for "give away" (or sell or whatever) when you tackle a pile. That way, you don't have to keep getting up and trying to find a place for everything. The "give away" box can be carried out of the room, and once you have some more space cleared, you can start to organize and put away the "keep" stuff 2) if you have a hard time getting rid of things because you might need them some day (I know I do!), here's what helps me: I put everything like that into a box in the basement/storage. Then I leave it for 6 months or a year. If I go looking for it in that time, it comes back out. If not, I don't look in the box and I get rid of it (if I look I may get attached again, you know?!). This gives me a more secure feeling, because I am not being rash. I do this with everything, not craft things necessarily... so far I haven't been able to get rid of many craft things, because I try not to buy trendy things anyway. I buy stamps that are versatile, for the most part. Some things I did pass on to my daughter, and then there's WishRAK or swaps... HTH! |
Recently I donated 5 HUGE bins of stamps to Salvation Army, sent a huge box of ink pads, ribbon and paper to a charity and gave away a bunch of other stuff to my neighbor.
It helps a lot. However, I still have too much junk... |
I'm still checking in here for good ideas. I like the idea of having the two (for me it may be 3) boxes. I am ready to get organized this weekend! :) My area is 1/2 of my dining room and I want it to look decent since you can see it as soon as you walk in the front door of my apartment. Plus I just have a hard time functioning with clutter.
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Sherry I must stamp in my dinning area too. Therefore I not only weight the cost of something, how often I will use it, but also the storage space it will need. :) The under the bed box with the punches is full so if I absolutely must have a new punch one of the punches I have must go.
I have 2 Iris drawer carts and 4 Iris 3 drawer sets that sit on top of the carts. I cut cheap black Walmart cardstock to fit in the front of the drawers so it looks tidy . I also must put everything away the minute I finish using it. The bonus is I never have a scrap room to clean up :D Someone said that our processions expand in direct relationship the space we have. LOL |
OMG! This is me! I love this thread and it's great to hear how you all are purging! I've got soooooo much stuff I'm overwhelmed and don't even feel creative anymore! I've got stamp sets I just had to have and never used them but I love them and don't want to get rid of them! I know I have to though cuz this is getting ridiculous! I have spent so much money and still spend money but I did recently put a halt to that. I've completely taken over the dining room with shelves and tables and I'm soooo out of control. At least I know that much and can admit it...that's the first step in fixing it right?
Renee |
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