Minimalism Challenge 2024 - Craft Edition, Days 3-10...

While I've made good progress, choosing to do a 30-day minimalism challenge in only one room is proving to be harder than I thought it would be.   It's not that I wouldn't be able to come up with 465 things to rehome from this space in 30 days - I'm sure that is entirely possible.  But some challenges have become evident that I didn't anticipate:

• Emotional ties to old visions I had for making some things have been renewed.  And along with that, there is a very real sense of inspiration being stirred up again as I see things that I haven't encountered since unpacking them from moving boxes over two years ago.  Not only do I not want to let some old things go, I'm finding myself wanting to make new projects, too!

•  A boredom factor of focusing on only one room for so long has begun to set in.  

• For reasons explained below, it's getting confusing to take photos of things for a weekly post.

The emotional aspect of being unsure about getting rid of things is dealt with by pulling out and setting aside those items for a few days.  Letting these things "cool off", sometimes helps me see clearer what to let go of, and what makes sense to keep - at least until another sort.  Encountering these feelings reminds me that downsizing one's stuff is often easier done in layers.

In terms of the boredom factor, and the confusion aspect, I've decided some change is needed.   

Some days I don't have the time to work on this, and some days I simply don't want to sort through things.  So I've hit upon an obvious solution.  I simply sort through as much as I have the time, energy and motivation for on any given day.  That means I may remove twenty things one day, and 2 things another day.  At first, I started putting things together in numbered lots and planned to account for them as "Day 3 things, Day 4 things, etc.  That's what was going on in the photos below.  

But I have found that cumbersome to keep straight.  Sometimes I'd forget where I was, and I'd photograph 2 or 3 groups of 8 things, for example.  Ugh.  I don't want to devote that kind of time and attention to carefully creating a photograph record of everything leaving by the day, so that stops here.  After this post, I will simply photograph items that leave the room on any given day. And those pictures will show up in their weekly post. 

To be clear, when I've done this challenge in the past, and posted a photograph each day of the month, I found it easy enough to do.  I would pull together a specific number of items for each day, photograph those items, and then they were out the door in short order.  Aside from the confusion that's been happening this time around, as I collect stuff for photographing in specific numbers for different days, leaving stuff in a pile waiting to be counted and photographed is sometimes counterproductive in that after contemplating stuff over a period of a week, I change my mind about getting rid of some things.  In retrospect, doing this challenge with a weekly posting isn't nearly as effective as posting every day.

So, I'm just going to photograph things as I set them aside to leave - regardless of how many items are in the picture.  I am going to continue counting items leaving, and record the number in each (probably weekly) post.  Though, if something deserves a post of its own, you already know I'll be all over that. 😄

Also, I plan to continue with the sorting in this room for a period of 30 days from when I started.  Whether or not I sort every day, finishing on May 11th is my plan.  I may or may not end up rehoming 465 things, or maybe I'll surpass that number.  It doesn't matter.  My success in this challenge will be counted differently than I set out to consider it in the beginning.   

So... all that said, here is the next haul of items leaving the room where I store most of the craft supplies:

The "Houses" quilt, I purchased at a fund raiser over 4 years ago.  It's cute, but it's not really my style as something I'd want to hang on the wall, and I don't have a young child around who might enjoy it as a dolly blanket.  It's okay to let it go.  It's not in any way precious to me. The other two items are pre-printed panels I think my mother-in-law had started quilting.  After her passing, I thought I might enjoy finishing them off, but now, nearly 4 years later, I can honestly say I have no motivation to finish these things.  Maybe someone else will like to finish them, though!   (3 things)

Inexpensive pillows purchased once upon a time to serve as pillow inserts I was excited about crocheting at the time.  I have other inserts if I want to make more pillows.  I'm tired of shifting these things around, so they can go.  (4 things)

A Bible puzzle book that was gifted to me when I felt too sick to work in it, and now am too busy to - someone else will love to have it.  Here is also an extra seed catalog that someone else will benefit from, and three embroidery transfer packets that I no longer have any interest in using.  (5 things)

Crocheted stars that were fun to make - just to learn how to make them, but I haven't used them, and don't foresee using them.  Out they go!  (6 things)

A few years ago, a friend handed me a bag of yarn she didn't want anymore.  This week, I pulled out some skeins I might offer to knit her something with, but it's time these yarns find someone who'll love them.  (7 things)

Clockwise:  A lace panel that would make a nice table covering for someone else. Three colored sheer curtain panels I used in our other house (of 23 years) - I am over them. Two pillow covers I bought on clearance at Hobby Lobby and never used. Shabby, tabbed curtain panels that were in this house when we moved in, and I replaced relatively quickly.   I will not miss any of these things when they go.  (8 things)

Years ago, in the early 90's, a friend and I made crafts to sell at craft fairs.  I don't remember if we did this for more than a couple of fairs, but was fun however long it lasted.  It was also hard work, and we probably only made enough to cover our expenses - because, I'm sure, we were afraid to charge too much for our hand-made items.  My friend made adorable large-ish stuffed bunnies and I made large-ish sort of rag dolls wearing pinafores - why oh why did I not take pictures of those?!?   There were also smaller sewn crafts made.  These little baby ornaments above, were (surprisingly) kind of popular and sold readily, but here are nine leftover and forgotten ones I had stashed away - for what purpose I don't know.  When I uncovered them, I toyed with the idea of keeping them and tying them onto baby gifts, but even I think they're a little weird now, and I don't imagine giving nine baby gifts anytime soon.  Don't know whether to toss them, or donate them, but they are leaving.  (9 things)

And lastly...  some miscellaneous fabrics, and pre-printed panels for pillows and ornaments.  All of this came from my mother-in-law's stash.  (10 things)

At this point, I think I've gone through every space and container in the room I am working in and have brought a better order to things overall.  From here on out, I'll be focusing on specific containers/shelves/drawers and doing a deeper sort.  The goal will be to consolidate even more, and whittle down the number of containers.  I have found deciding to own no more than an allotted container can hold is a very effective rule in helping one choose what needs to go, so at this point, Dana White's Container Concept will be my guiding principle.  

Thanks for stopping by!  If you're doing some spring decluttering, I'd love to hear about it!

Minimalism Challenge 2024 - Craft Edition 

Tally:   55 things gone.