When/How do you clear out your Hobby/craft supplies?

**Momto2Boyz** · 05-28-2008, 09:17 AM

I am by no means a pack rat regularly...but when it comes to my craft supplies, I hate to throw ANYTHING away! It is all so expensive, that I just hate to throw things away. I save small scraps of fabric...just in case, paint with just a little bit left in the bottom...just in case.

We are having a garage sale, so I was thinking about selling some of my stuff just to get it out of the craft closet.\

Does anyone have any rules about getting rid of craft supplies? My normal rule about everything else, is that if it doesn't get used in 6 months, then it goes. But I hop between craft projects so much, that I might not use my beads for a year, then I get the bug and decided to make some jewelery, so that rule doesn't really apply!

Any help on how you guys clear out the clutter would be appreciated!

**lwlynch** · 05-28-2008, 09:20 AM

I have 4 of those rolling towers. I also keep bits of stuff. but I have a few of the drawers with baggies of the bits.. I watch kids so we are constantly pulling them out. I have made just one tower.. kid friendly.. mostly the little stuff for them to use up. Anything else if it doesnt fit... it has to go...
good luck.. i am a hopeless keeper..

**FrugalMomof3** · 05-28-2008, 09:22 AM

My motto is if you havent used it in a year then I probably wont use it so I either sell it, donate it or throw it away.

I would say though, the paint jars with just a little bit left, I would throw away.

**IntlMom** · 05-28-2008, 09:37 AM

Now I am the anit-pack rat of the group.....I keep NOTHING! But I scrapbook, my only crafty thiing. I don;t throw away anything from that room! I just go through spells where I try and challenge myself to use up the old-outdated stuff and try and make it look fresh and new......
Good Luck!!

**imforpeace** · 05-28-2008, 09:43 AM

I have two of the rolling carts as well. I keep a drawer for each craft I have done or will do. When the drawer is too full, I then weed stuff out to donate.

Scrapbooking has a different rule...he he! My craft room is really full with scrapbooking tools, paper holders and embellishments. As I use a sticker page or paper pack I keep an eye out for ones I won't ever use again. Sometimes, when I go to the Dollar Tree, I find a sticker page that I really only want a couple of stickers off of. The remaining ones go in a bag. As well as die cuts or paper that came in a pack that I won't use. Whenever I go to a crop, I take that bag and have everyone look through it and take what they can use. It helps me keep clutter down.

**knitnmom** · 05-28-2008, 09:59 AM

I'm a knitter, crocheter, quilter, etc. I have a craft room where I store my fabric, yarn, and books. Well, as a rule, when I started to feel like the walls were closing in on me- I would go through and clean out what I need, wanted, and what I would "really" use in the future.

But then, I started working at home and needed an office. I had to perform a little miracle and go through stuff again and remove my entire book shelf! I weeded through and got rid of a few, but the rest went in my closet!

I have not brought in any new yarn or books- but I do occasionally go to the quilt shop to oogle the new fabrics and always come home with something! I need to stop. It's just so hard. I think I'm going to challenge myself to finish a project or two so I can open up so more room!

**Tater** · 05-28-2008, 10:35 PM

CLEAR OUT?.........CRAFT SUPPLIES?........

**Tater** · 05-28-2008, 10:37 PM

Was going to say "I didn't know you could use those two phrases together in a sentence!" but I hit the wrong button and posted before I was done!!! LOL

**Michelle** · 05-29-2008, 08:19 AM

Craft supplies are the hardest thing for me to keep under control/declutter. I just gave away/sold TONS of fabric...I'm talking 3 garbage bags (the 44 gal size) full last month.

I really should do the same with my scrapbook supplies. I "collected" a bunch of stuff and then never did much with it because I got into quilting & sewing.

Sometimes it comes down to wondering what a fair price would be--especially for things that are rare or OOP (eg like my Stampin' Up stamps).

Plus I have crafty kids, and I worry that I'll get rid of something that they'd like to use for an activity. And let's not even get started on the stuff they use from my stash for school projects.

I have condensed my fabric *almost* to the point where I don't think I have too much. I went from 2 shelving units and about 10 18-gal totes to just one shelving unit and 1 tote. I am hoping to get that down to just one shelving unit. It feels so good to sell what I don't need and declutter at the same time. In fact, I made a good deal of money to put toward CC debt by selling my fabric on a site where I knew I'd get top dollar

Anyway, I'm babbling, but to answer your original question...I understand what you're saying about keeping say your beads because you may decide to use them in several months, but is it possible to just pare down the supply vs. getting rid of all of it? If you do decide to sell some craft stuff at a yard sale, I'd say you'd do well to put things in lots vs selling things one at a time---like a bunch of skeins of yarn vs. selling them one skein at a time.

HTH, and good luck with whatever you decide

**kaykwilts** · 05-29-2008, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by Michelle

I have condensed my fabric *almost* to the point where I don't think I have too much. I went from 2 shelving units and about 10 18-gal totes to just one shelving unit and 1 tote. I am hoping to get that down to just one shelving unit. It feels so good to sell what I don't need and declutter at the same time. In fact, I made a good deal of money to put toward CC debt by selling my fabric on a site where I knew I'd get top dollar

What site did you sell on where you got top dollar?

**Twinkle** · 05-29-2008, 08:33 AM

I try to clear out my fabric, cross stitch, yarn stash once a year - sometimes you find that things that appealed to you before do not now (i.e., I bought what I thought was some beautiful fabric and a year later, it doesn't appeal to me at all).

**MirandaK** · 05-29-2008, 08:50 AM

As far as scrapbooking supplies, I used to sell creative memories product...years ago. I had a whole bunch of unused albums and paper packs and stuff. I listed them all on ebay at the end of November and beginning of December. Lots of my stuff sold for higher than retail!!!! Mostly men buying xmas gifts for their wives. My plan is to do this every year...sort my stuff and put together some ebay listings just before xmas.

**Michelle** · 05-29-2008, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by kaykwilts

What site did you sell on where you got top dollar?

A sewing forum that I belong to. I'm not sure if it's appropriate to post here, so if you're interested, plmk and I can PM the name. It's a community similar to this one except the focus is sewing vs. frugality.

**Frugal Nurse** · 05-29-2008, 08:59 AM

Oh dear! I'm in BIG time trouble.

At least I don't feel as bad that I have a HUGE room filled with stuff.

It's inspiring that Michelle sold her stuff though.

I think I'll try that out.

Now Michelle.. do tell.

**stinkbug** · 05-29-2008, 11:38 AM

I swamped out my sewing/craft room a few months ago. I gave away an entire box of magazines. A large bag of fabric. And 13 boxes to the thrift store!!!! It was terrible in there! Seems that if people know you craft or sew they are always giving you stuff. So much of it just wasn't my style, or I knew I'd never use it....
Also, I have helped two friends clean out areas, and it made me reevaluate my own stuff. Now I know exactly what I have and where it is. However...now I've taken up beading.....