There are times when I feel like, “Why do I have all this stuff?” While I appreciate my craft and all that it contributes to my life, sometimes I look at my scrap room and think, “Should I give it all away?”
I never feel like I should stop scrapbooking, but sometimes, I think it is a good idea to clean house and get rid of some things. It can help you re-focus on your scrapbooking, analyze what supplies you really need, and get back into it again. This is a really good idea if you’ve been feeling like you’re in a slump, and don’t know how to get out of it.
Here are some ideas to “clean house” in your scrap space:
1. Sell some things. I went through my things one time, and made a huge box of papers, embellishments, etc. that I just didn’t think fit with my personal scrapbook style. I had somehow accumulated it along the way like all of us scrappers do, but, had no need for it. So, I tried posting it on craigslist for $50 and to my amazement it sold. And quickly.
2. Give them to a friend. Every time I get together with friends to scrap, I like to give away supplies. Don’t you wish you lived close to me? But, seriously, there are always things that my friends say, “I LOVE that paper” and I am usually always willing to hand it over. Mainly because if it’s still sitting there, then it’s something that I just haven’t figured out how to use just yet.
3. Donate it. Find a school that you could donate your extra supplies to. You could even try an after-school program in your community, or even a church might benefit from your supplies.
4. Participate in a swap. Many websites have swaps where you send someone your supplies, and get some of theirs in return. This is a great way to change things up and inspire creativity with new supplies. The only flaw to this plan is that you aren’t really purging, and may still end up with things that you may not be that crazy about.
It is always good to go through your supplies. Sometimes, you forget what you had, and if you’re anything like me, will get inspired to use that thing that you forgot you had! Get rid of that stuff you don’t use so that you can start fresh in 2011.
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