This site is called Minimalist Crafter because I hope that it will inspire us all (me included) to take a look at our craft supplies, evaluate what we really need, gently get rid of the rest and use what we have to make things we’ll love. (Sounds a little like my manifesto in short form!)
But does being a minimalist crafter mean you need to choose among the crafts you love and limit your scope so you have less stuff to keep?
Inspiration in Limitations
The reason I wanted to write about this is I was going back through some old, old links I had saved and came across a post from Minimalist Home (now lost to the depths of time but you can find it on the Internet Archive).
The post says crafts and hobbies “can be nice to have,” which doesn’t sound like something a crafter would say. I’d say crafts and hobbies are essential, not just because they pay me, but because of stress relief, creative expression, feeling in control of something amid the daily everything.
The post argues that people should “pick one or two hobbies” they really enjoy and keep the supplies for those while getting rid of the rest.
You can keep “basic supplies” for the crafts you enjoy but you can always buy something if you need it later (there’s that 20/20 rule again!).
While I just want to say this person is not invited to craft night and move on, she has a little bit of a point.
If you’re focused on so many hobbies or ideas that you can’t decide what you want to make, or have so much stuff you can’t find what you need when you want it, that can be a sign that you should narrow your focus.
And it can actually be helpful to pare down your stash and choose a limited number of things to focus on (whether things is particular supplies or crafty genres) to inspire you to get creative using what you have.
Minimalist Crafter Doesn’t Mean Deprivation
To me, though, crafting is meant to be joyful. Choosing between crafts you enjoy because you don’t have space for all the supplies you have doesn’t sound joyful.
I will never tell you to cut out whole crafts unless there’s something you have had supplies for for years and haven’t done anything with it. (This is why I don’t have scrapbooking supplies anymore, though I did keep some paper for collage and card making.)
I will tell you that your crafting time, and your crafting space should feel good to you.
That means you’re excited to work on whatever you want to work on, and you like the space you have to do it.
I don’t want you to feel frustrated because you can’t find what you need or have to move around a lot of stuff to make what you want to make. (This is my struggle, too.)
I also don’t want you to feel guilty about getting rid of things that aren’t serving you. If there’s too much, stuff you don’t like, stuff you don’t remember buying, stuff you know you aren’t going to use, let it go. Remember sunk costs and be done with it.
Minimalist Crafters are Happy Crafters
To me, being a minimalist crafter doesn’t really have anything to do with the size of your stash or the space in your home.
It is completely about what makes you feel good.
What level of craft supplies feels good to you, considering the space you have for storage and the time you have for making things?
It’s not a question of how many crafts you do or how much yarn is in your closet. Does it make you happy? Are you able to craft the way you want without getting stressed out trying to find things, or overwhelmed by the stuff you have?
Bonus: if you’re excited to use the things you already have and not going out shopping for more?
Congratulations, you’re a minimalist crafter.
