Lesson: "Let it Go"

Have you ever looked at a tarted up, wrinkly old lady in Juniors glittery pink tank top, skinny jeans, and a pair of heels her over bleached hair stiffly framing a botoxed face and thought to yourself...."just let it go already"?  Well, sometimes when it comes to hobbies and craft projects - specifically your own - you are just as blissfully unaware as that old lady. 

Oops...that's not an old lady....other stuff still applies.
(Photo credit: www.vh1.com) 

It is really hard to let projects go.  Every time you pass that half finished thing you think, "I am going to finish that...can't throw that away!"  Well, you need to let it go.  Let that bad boy get into the figurative age appropriate shapeless track suit and let it be comfortable in its sunset years.  
Go through your supplies and projects and organize them into something resembling the following piles:






This will be divided up into multiple postings...one per type of pile


1)  Haven't used in over 2 years.
2)  Less than 25% complete.

3) 50 % done.

4) Almost complete - just some finish work

5) Still in the planning stage

For pile #1:  Any craft that you haven't participated in for 2 years needs have some serious thought given towards it leaving your supply pile.  Ask yourself (and be honest and realistic) Am I going to use this stuff anymore?  If the answer is no - and it should be no if you haven't used something in over 2 years..  find someone to give it to or harvest it for parts. 
P.S. If your answer was yes you can apply to be on the show hoarders here.

For example:  I have a glaring pile of wrinkly old lady cleavage in the form of a paper making supplies, a pile of denim, and yards and yards of fringe.  I haven't used the paper making stuff since before I graduated high school  (over ten years ago).  The denim was when DIY project turning a pair of jeans into a cute funky skirt was popular - seams were split and then promptly shoved in a corner (at least 7 years ago).  And the yards of fringe I ordered for a great deal on eBay and when it came instead of the lovely silvery blue in the picture it was more of a garish royal blue.  (about 5 years ago)

Here's how I dealt with the items.    The pile of denim was irredeemable.  The denim was stained, bleached out. ripped apart, and let's face it the project is never going to happen.  I have long gone all establishment on my former inner-hippie.  I have no reason or inclination to dress in a multi-denim DIY skirt.   So I relegated these particular items into the rubbish bin and called it a day.

The fringe was harder to let go of.  While to most it probably would look like I murdered cousin it and hid him in the bottom shelf of my craft room.  I have an unnatural affinity towards fringe and just seeing that perfectly great pile of it that I had forgotten I even had brought back urges of holding on.  "I could use this for something"  I thought to myself.    And then I remembered why I was doing this to free up space in my room of shame.   So before I could hang on I put it on free cycle.  It isn't bad quality and I had managed to bleach it out to a pleasing bronze-beige color.  If someone else has something they can legitimately use it for then it shouldn't go to waste.

Finally I got to my paper making supplies.  I remembered fondly that I loved making paper.  I would use my mother's blender to make pulp....add in rose petals and lavender to sent the pages.  I used to make it all the time for homemade cards and little love notes.  I thought I should use this again.  (No one ever said letting go was easy!)  Then I remembered that the screens were broken years ago and all I had left of the stuff was what was in this box - bits of cut up construction paper, lavender so old it had no smell any more, and a disreputable moldy looking sponge.  The top of the box was pretty damaged but the base was good.  The stuff and lid joined the denim and I re purposed the base of the box to as a drawer organizer to hold my paints.

So for stuff you haven't used in over two years try to ask yourself the hard questions:
Do I need it?
Am I going to actually use this?
Is it usable?
Can someone else use it? ....and....
Are there things I can use in hobbies I actually still participate in?