Decluttering your Papercrafting Supplies - Day One (part b)

Okay, so hopefully you are in the right mindset to get started decluttering.  This will NOT be a set of organizational posts, we're not organizing, because, as I said, you can't organize clutter.  Instead you are going to be getting rid of scrapbooking, stamping, and papercrafting items that you are NOT USING.  I am not asking you to dump stuff that you are using, that's not clutter.  Clutter is those huge tablets of pattern paper that you thought were such a bargain and you ended up not liking the weight, or the texture, or only found two papers in the stack were pretty, you got it home.  That's clutter.

Papercrafting supplies are just like a closet stuffed with clothes.  There are some that don't fit, some that are ripped and torn, some that aren't the right color, some that just aren't "you", and some that are completely out of style.  Are you nodding your head?  I thought so.

Let's start with idea books.  Oh, we do love those, don't we?  I mean, if you are a crafter, you need ideas, right?  The problem is, when was the last time you looked at one of those books?  And if you say, "yesterday" then pick up the book you looked at and put it in your keep pile.  Now take another look at all the rest.  Whether you have five or fifty, I guarantee there are some in there that you do not use.

Look again at those questions discussed above about clothes and apply them to your idea books.  Which ones don't "fit" your style of scrapbooking anymore?  Which are ripped, worn, mildew-y?  Which are outdated and which have a style that you don't even use anymore?  Be strong, take out the ones that meet those criteria and any that you haven't used for years FOR SURE!    

Your keep pile should be smaller than your giveaway pile!!

Now you have two choices on what to do with these.  Throw them away (yes you can) or give them to Goodwill.  Now you'll notice I didn't say to save them for a trash and treasure table at your next crop, I also didn't say save them for your friends to look through.  You know why?  Because you are too good of a person to put the burden of clutter onto your friends.  If they are not working for you, they are not going to be good for them either.  Send them to Goodwill where people who can't normally afford them can CHOOSE, not take them because they are your friend, but actually CHOOSE to buy them.  So that's it, trash or Goodwill.  Go sort your idea books right now.

REMEMBER, YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO SPEND 15 MINUTES ON THIS.