There are lots of decluttering rules out there, or guiding principles that you can use to help you clear out spaces. And while these tips are really helpful in some aspects of decluttering, they’re really not helpful for crafters.
Let’s take a look at three common decluttering rules that I don’t think work well for crafters, and what to try instead.
The 90/90 Rule
This one is from The Minimalists (read more about their book that isn’t really about minimalism) and it says that if you haven’t used an item in the last 90 days, and don’t expect to use it in the last 90 days, it’s OK to get rid of it.
The idea, I think, is that this applies to those “just in case” kinds of things, not sentimental items or, say, seasonal clothes.
While “I might need it some day” does get a lot of crafters into trouble, I don’t think decluttering rules that put a time limit (at least such a short one) on stash and supplies is really that helpful.
I don’t use my serger or my knitting machines every 90 days, but they’re useful when I need them so their storage is justified. And obviously I’m not going to use all my yarn or fabric or embroidery floss in the next 90 days, or even the next year, but that doesn’t mean I should necessarily get rid of it.
What to try instead: you can try thinking about your craft supplies with a longer window of time. Have I had that tool more than a year and still haven’t used it? Do I honestly think I’ll get to it this year or do I just want to be the kind of person who does paper quilling? Maybe it’s time to release supplies for crafts you haven’t tried if they’ve been sitting in your house for a long time. Let the guilt and the sunk costs go.
When it comes to stash, it can be a little harder to determine what to keep and what to let go of. You might think you know how much you can use in a year, but it’s also probably a lot less than you think. I am trying to get my stash to fill particular spaces in my office — the cedar chest for fabric, the glass-front cabinet for yarn — but it’s still a work in progress.
But when I look at my stash I try to think of projects I could use things for that will get me excited about using it, and if there are things I don’t know what to do with (don’t remember buying, don’t like, don’t think I’ll ever use) those are easy things to get rid of.
The 20/20 Rule
I thought this was from someone else, but it turns out the 20/20 rule is from The Minimalists, too. This decluttering rule says if there’s something you’re holding onto just in case, you should let it go if you could replace it in less than 20 minutes for less than $20.
Of course this one assumes you live close enough to a store that it would only take you 20 minutes to get there (and shop? and get home? I don’t know what we’re supposed to be able to do in the 20 minutes. Order online?).
The post about this one says they’ve rarely had to replace a just in case item they threw out and when they did “we’ve never had to pay more than $20 or go more than 20 minutes out of our way to replace the item.”
I guess this works for crafters in the sense that very little we use for crafting would be affected by this rule. I keep a jar of buttons just in case, which I guess I could get rid of, but lacking a local craft store I frequent (the nearest one I’m willing to shop at is 45 minutes away) I couldn’t go buy new buttons in 20 minutes.
What to try instead: Crafters generally have a huge supply of just in case items, and if you’ve lost access to a big box craft store, it can definitely be hard to let go of things you might need that wouldn’t be as easy to replace now. And buying online isn’t always a good option when you’re in the middle of a project and just really need some black yarn.
I think again the limiting factors for just in case items should be the kinds of crafts you typically do, how much space you have and how easy it would be for you to replace things regardless of cost if you need them. So maybe this is one of those decluttering rules that almost works for crafters, but you have to be a little more thoughtful about it.
More Decluttering Rules That Don’t Work: The Time Capsule
I don’t know that there’s a person who can be credited with this decluttering idea, or even what the right thing to call it is, but this decluttering rule is for things you aren’t sure you should keep. Just put them in a box, tape it closed, put it somewhere out of the way and put a date on it, probably something like three to six months in the future.
When that date comes around, if you haven’t gone hunting for anything in the box, donate it.
I don’t think this works for crafters because most of us (well, I know I do anyway) have a certain amount of stash blindness, where even if things are right in front of us we don’t really see them or acknowledge how much we have.
I think that inclination not to see it would cause us (OK, me again) to ignore any reminders to go find the box. Or we’d find the box and go through it and decide we probably really do need those things after all, even if we didn’t use them or miss them while the box was closed. Because now they feel like new things and we’re excited about them again.
What to try instead: I’ve written about this concept before (I called it decluttering purgatory) and said this might work for crafters if you add an inventory list to the box (especially if you have more than one box). That way if you decide you need the sequins you put in the box, you’ll know where to find them.
It can be helpful if you feel regret when you decluttering, thinking that you’ll immediately want something back, because most of the time you won’t.
Maybe you can try it with non-craft items and see if that helps, and then it will make just getting rid of craft items easier, no purgatory required.
Need more help decluttering your craft supplies? I’ve got an ebook to help!
