Whether you’re overwhelmed because your whole space is a mess or you just want to start with some easy wins, these 5 things to declutter now will get you on the right track in your craft space.
I wanted to say one of them is things that don’t belong in your craft space, but I already mentioned that in my post on how to get crafting fast when your space is a mess, so consider that thing .5, a really great place to start.
But assuming you’ve already moved stuff that shouldn’t be in the space, what are some more easy wins for decluttering a craft space?
“Expired” Things
When you’re cleaning out the fridge or the pantry, a great place to start is with expired food, so let’s start our craft room decluttering with “expired” craft supplies.
This might literally mean things that have gone bad, such as dried out paint and markers, broken tools, stained or moldy fabric, and so on.
It might also be things you left out from a finished project that your current need for has expired, so they just need to be put away.
Maybe there are also supplies your need for has expired in general, such as the baby fabric you bought for a project and the baby is now a tween.
Or if there are supplies for crafts you no longer do, or specialized equipment you no longer need (looking at you, Cricut that hasn’t been used since the Obama administration!) it’s time to let those things go. And please don’t fall into the trap of thinking you might need it some day. You haven’t so far.
Abandoned and Never Started Crafts
I think we all have good intentions when we buy supplies for a new to us craft. I always think I’m going to start scrapbooking every time I come home with a stash of paper. It’s yet to be true.
I have had good intentions around paper quilling, weaving and metal stamping to name a few.
Maybe you tried knitting and hated it, or you bought a cross stitch kit five years ago and never cracked it open.
Or your covid hobby got left behind when the world opened back up and it’s still sitting in the back of your craft closet.
Free those supplies to find the person who will love them, and you’ll free up space and energy in your craft room, too.
Unfinished Projects
A little more specific than abandoned hobbies, these left behind projects are one of my top 5 things to declutter now if you do it in a thoughtful way.
Most projects get left unfinished for a reason, whether it’s because you messed up and don’t want to/don’t know how to fix it, or you feel like something is beyond your skill level or you decided you just don’t like the project or it’s not going to fit or whatever.
The key thing to remember is that unfinished objects are clutter, and they take up mental space as well as physical space. Gather the projects you can find and sort them. What do you really want to finish? Plan a finishing spree soon.
I was recently cleaning out a doom box (where everything goes when I just can’t look at it anymore) and found a project that just needed the ends woven in. About four minutes later it was done and stored where I’ll want to find it in winter instead of taking up space in my office. That’s what this is about.
Some will take more time of course but a quick win is a quick win.
And if you find projects you don’t want to finish for whatever reason, you can rip out the yarn or salvage the fabric or just toss the whole thing if there’s not something there to save.
And feel good about it because, again, you’re freeing up energy to work on the things you really want to make.
Old Patterns/Books/Magazines
This one dates me a bit because I don’t know if people buy craft books and magazines anymore. I used to review knitting (and other craft) books and I still have quite a collection even though I’ve decluttered a few times.
Now I have stacks because I took some books off when I was decluttering my bookshelf and I need to figure out if I’m keeping them.
I also used to get knitting magazines back when there were several every month. At some point I decided I was probably never going to make any of the patterns I was saving the magazines for and recycled them.
That approach is good for books and printed out patterns, too. If you’ve already made the thing and don’t plan to make it again, you can get rid of the pattern or the book it was in.
I’m all for keeping some craft books for reference, but again when it comes to pattern books try to think about if you’re really going to make the thing you’re keeping it for.
If the answer is yes, make a plan to make it soon. If no, let it go.
Things You Don’t Like
If this is a countdown list this might be number one of the 5 things to declutter now, but it kind of ties into all the other ones, too. Get rid of the things you don’t like.
I don’t know if this is a sunk costs problem or what, but I feel like we all hold on to things we know we aren’t going to craft with a lot longer than we should.
This could be abandoned projects and hobbies like mentioned above. It could be supplies for that super popular knitting project everyone is making but you know you’ll never actually wear if you do ever get around to making it.
That paint in the color you’ve never really liked. The scratchy fabric.
Anything that doesn’t make you feel good or excited about making it.
Life is too short to make things you don’t love, or to hold onto the supplies for things you won’t love making or using.
Let’s get rid of craft supplies, projects and hobbies that don’t serve us and spend more time with the things that do.
