It's cute, it's creative, it's current, it's cluttered

[Frugal Nurse]

When I walk past my sewing room... uggh.
I can't take it!
It's painted a pale pretty yellow with some pretty white shears dangling.
But it's Soooooo depressing!


I try to organize it, I really do.
And!! I'm such an organized person. So, I don't understand why I'm having this problem.

I tried, as part of the decluttering challenge, and I just COULDN'T part with anything.
"I might need this... I might need that. No sense to get rid of it... if I might have to buy it again the future." Kind of thing.
"but I paid so much for it"
"what if"


Here's an example: 2 years ago I picked up some baby clothes- new and free. Along with some diapers. new and free.
Why am I saving these? I don't have babies and my children are not ready for babies. Or are they? See what I mean?

I have a dozen mugs. I got them free. My intention was to fill with treats and give as gifts. That was 3 years ago. No treats- no gifts. But what if? uggh

I have tons and tons of fabric for quilting. It costs so much to acquire, but it will take a lifetime to use. But what if I need THAT particular color for that particular project... see! I can't part with it. uggh.

I have lots of trinkets of various sorts- for some project I might need it for.

I've got a HUGE bin filled with scrapbooking stuff, fancy scissors, cutters, stickers. I haven't scrapbooked in 3 years because I don't have the time. But what if?

I just don't seem to have the time to do any projects... but what if I do run into a time in my life when I can do the projects and then I'll have to buy everything again!

That's just the surface.
Does anyone else have the 'possession' problem? Hate to part with it because you might have to rebuy it.

What do you do to get past that?

[perSue]

i TOTALLY understand.

and this is what "I" do...

if it's something I see no use for in the next 6 mos... donate it!!!
(ie, the baby stuff... there are LOTS of moms out there who need that stuff NOW... try a local women's shelter)

the coffee mugs... what about using those as gifts for ppl a work during the holidays? Fill with candy, pens, whatever. But GET RID of 'em!

The trinkets... do the same as above perhaps.

Now, here's the HARD part... I can't say "get rid of fabric"... especially if you paid lots for it... but this is what "I" would do:

start a project. any project. just start it.
make a schedule... where if you have ONLY the weekend to work on it... you work on it for an hour each weekend (or however much time can be spared).
BUT, you're justifying HAVING the stuff.

I made a promise w/myself, since I have SO much yarn and SO many "half done" projects. I work on ONE thing at a time. I buy NOTHING til ONE project is done. (unless it's that one really cheap thing you need to finish it)

What "I" am working on for this weekend... is making myself a schedule.
I have things I need done by certain holidays, etc... so I'm making a schedule.

I want "by this day/date" "this project" completed. So I have something to work toward - I'll make enough wiggle room in case I dont get a chance to work on it... but it'll be done in time, if not far before and I can work on something else.

Just like exercise or anything else we ENJOY doing... you will make time to work on things if you want to.

that's what "I" would recommend.

Good luck!

[frugalfriend]

I do the exact same thing, lol! But, I have been able to part with a lot of stuff through yard sales. It sounds like you need to have one! Then at least you are getting something back on what you have paid for things and making money on the free items! Make flyers to distribute around the neighborhood for a multi-family yard sale and get everyone in on the fun!

[Dancing Lotus]

Don't talk to me about cluttered. I have been forced to move all my crafts stuff into the dinning room. This makes for an awkward situation because the dinning room is open to the entire back of the house. And the kids are free to get into it. When I need to use the table I have to push all the stuff into the corner.Whats worse is have this ugly broken dresser in the dinning room to hold all my fabric. Dh has promised to close the porch in to make me a craft room. I won't hold my breath.

I will show you my mess to make you feel better, but no one else is a allowed to look.

[Frugal Nurse]

I took pictures of the mess in my sewing room... but I'm too embarassed to post them. lol!

Oi... I just have to get past that.

I like the ideas thus far. thank you!

[FrugalMomof3]

My craft room is beginning to look like a tornado hit it, DH has been doing some embroidery for his job on some collar shirts and he kinda took over and made a mess, lol... thank goodness there is me to pick up everything and put it back in it's place

[nuisance26]

~You all crack me up with your messy craftspace comments. I'm soooo jealous of some of you that have a sewing room! I have a 6X5 foot corner. Wanna see a mess? Haha, I win!!!
I've been able to get rid of some stuff by finishing projects and giving them away. I've come across alot of things in my stash that I actually don't like anymore so they were easy to part with. My tastes change every 3 or 4 years. I doubt you'll regret purging from your stash because the list of projects you'll want to make 3 years from now will be very different from the ones you want to make today. And other crafters(like me!) can pick up your fabulous donated fabric at the thrift store!~

[ellebee]

Craft supplies are my hardest thing to part with too and organize. One thing I did with things I am not going to do anything with right away but wanted to keep was box them up and mark it and move it to a storage area (garage). That way my room wasn't so stuffed and I could see the projects I really wanted to do right away. Also after a year or so I have gone through these boxes and some things were easy to get rid of at that point or it was like Christmas and got my creative juices flowing for more projects. HTH