The Clutter Fairy Weekly #153

Ask Us Anything: Clearing Big Stuff | Art & Craft Spaces | Getting Out the Door

In this “Ask Us Anything” (AUA) show, we’ll answer your questions and discuss topics suggested by our viewers and listeners.

In this episode:

  • How to declutter large or cumbersome items
  • Recap: Organizing a family art or craft space
  • Organizing tips to get you out the door

In episode #153 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers audience questions and discusses these topics, as well as other organizing and decluttering issues.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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Weekly Tittle

The Weekly Tittle is an exercise designed to focus your attention on a specific space, aspect, or challenge of decluttering and organizing your home. We assign a new tittle in each webcast/podcast, then check on your progress the following week.

Art is Long, Space is Short

Most of our audience members practice at least one form of art or craft, so this week’s assignment is to apply a few of the principles we talked about today to manage your art or craft materials more effectively:

  • Simplify—Do you keep supplies and tools for more than one craft? Think about whether there are any that you’re ready to eliminate or downsize. Consider letting go of any forms for which you no longer have the physical strength, stamina, manual dexterity, grip strength, hearing, vision, or just plain interest. If you think you might one day return to the practice in question, keep a starter set of the most essential items you’ll need to pick it up again.
  • Thin the herd—Do you have an inventory of raw materials that no longer wow you? We understand the impulse to collect cool and beautiful materials. But it’s perfectly normal to lose interest in your past choices, and you should only hold onto things that stand a realistic chance of getting used within a reasonable timeframe. Decide what capacity you can store, and keep only the stuff about which you still feel excited.
  • Tools—Take a moment to examine your tools and equipment. Do you own anything that you tried and didn’t like, beginner tools that you’ve outgrown, or items that are uncomfortable or difficult to use? Share your excess with someone who’s just starting out in your hobby.
  • Reference materials—Review your art or craft books, magazines, clipping, etc. Check that the content is still relevant to the work you do and appropriate to your skill level or ambitions, as well as fun and interesting. Filter and donate anything that doesn’t make the cut.

And here’s an assignment for people who don’t have any art or craft stuff to wrangle (and the over-achievers among our community):

  • Boost your morning routine—Analyze the flow of your morning rituals to work out how long you take to get ready to leave the house, or to start your work day if you work from home. Look for sticking points that tend to eat up a lot of time or energy. Give careful thought to any tasks that you could shift to handling on the previous evening.

For the full discussion of this week’s tittle, watch the Weekly Tittle segment on YouTube.

4 replies
  1. Merry Hearts Medicine
    Merry Hearts Medicine says:

    TITTLE:

    Ed & Gayle,

    I can definitely tell what the sticking point was for my routine this morning….it was when one of my kittens jumped into the toilet before I could lower the lid. So, I spent exactly 25 extra minutes bathing the cat, scrubbing half the bathroom (including the walls), & starting a load of laundry for the clothes & towels soaked during the event.

    My plan for the future is to be more aware of where the cats are when I’m using the restroom so we can skip this entire process. Lol

    Thought that might entertain you. Thanks for all you guys do, Lela Watts

  2. Marsh
    Marsh says:

    Going with the obvious flow…For me it’s boosting my morning routine the night before as now I’m creating a new habit by before lights out, the last task I do is write out an essential intention list the night before. Includes timeline to complete, coffee break or two, kudos when I finish each intention and what can move to the next day. Yeh!

  3. Peggy Monroe
    Peggy Monroe says:

    I have a large laundry room which doubles as a craft room. I do mostly Dollar Tree DIYs such as wreaths, plaques, and tiered tray items. Yesterday, I went through everything putting all wooden things together, ribbons in visible hanging pockets on the door, and reorganized my paints. I have a pegboard for my tools, but it was overcrowded. I took bigger, less-used tools and hung them on a pegboard just outside the laundry room door in the garage. They are still easy to access, but give me more room in my crafting space. So—tittle accomplished!

  4. Peggy Monroe
    Peggy Monroe says:

    I have a large laundry room which doubles as a craft room. I do mostly $tree DIYs such as wreaths, plaques and tiered tray items. Yesterday, I went through everything putting all wooden things together, ribbons in visible hanging pockets on the door, and reorganized my paints. I have a pegboard for my tools, but it was overcrowded. I took bigger, less used tools and hung them on a pegboard just outside the laundry room door in the garage. They are still easy to access, but give me more room in my crafting space. So—tittle accomplished!

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