Craft Area Clutter

/

Here is a copy of this week’s newsletter. Crafting is a popular hobby but one that can create a lot of clutter if it isn’t organized and controlled. Below is one way to organize your projects.

Decluttering Tips – Craft Area
Volume 2, Issue 25

An area lots of people have problems with clutter is the craft room. It could be a whole room or the corner of a bedroom closet. Either way, if you work on more than one project at a time, like most people I know, you need a way to keep it organized.
One easy way is to use zip-lock plastic bags and/or plastic containers. Small projects like needlepoint or cross stitch work well in plastic bags. Keep all the supplies and instructions for each project in a separate bag. Larger projects such as quilting or clothes sewing work well in the plastic containers. I’ve even used the 2 gallon size plastic zip-lock bags for clothes and home decoration projects. You can also use the jumbo zip-lock bags for the larger projects. They are easy to store under the bed or on a shelf.

Any craft projects that have sharp or bulky items such as jewelry making/beading, painting, scrapbooking, or other papercrafting projects are best stored in plastic containers. Be sure to put only the supplies you need for a particular project in to one box. That will make it easy to take out and work on it, then put it away when you are done.

Keep another box or basket handy that has the general tools you use for multiple projects. These might include scissors, pin cushion, thimbles, tape measure, and other general purpose items.

When you want to work on a project just grab your bag or box and the general tools basket. Go sit down and enjoy! When you are finished pack up your project and general tool basket and put them away until next time.

If you have a different way of dealing with the clutter in your craft area I would love to hear about it. Please leave a comment to share your ideas.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice Scissors
https://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Craft Area Clutter Read More »

Happy July 4th!

/

It’s been beautiful weather here all week but of course it is pouring down rain today. So much for walks in the park or barbeques. Maybe it will stop long enough this evening for the firework shows around town. I hope the weather is better where you are.

If it isn’t do you have a plan B in place? If you are looking for things to do if the weather has interfered with your original plans then check out these sites. There are crafts, games, and fun facts about the history of our country. There are plenty of ideas to keep your children, grandchildren, or even your inner child busy.

http://holidays.kaboose.com/july-4/

http://fun.familyeducation.com/fourth-of-july/holidays/32874.html

I also want to let you know I have completed my eBook, “Best Tips From 2008”. I have taken the best newsletter tips and blog tips from last year and put them together by subject. Through out the year I jumped around from subject to subject according to the time of year and also to present a variety of tips.

Now if you need help with paper clutter all the tips can be found within a few pages. If you are getting ready to travel on your summer vacation then check out the chapter on travel tips.

Here is a brief list of some of the chapters: Paper Clutter, Garage and Garden, Clothes, Travel Tips, School Routines, and several more.

This is a free eBook for all subscribers to my newsletters. If you are a subscriber already then you should have received an email from me with the link for the download.

If you are not a subscriber then it is easy to become one. Just sign up on the right sidebar in the blue box where it says “Send Me Tips! to start receiving the newsletters. Every week you will receive tips to help you declutter and organize your home and life.

After you sign up you will receive the link for the eBook.

Have a Happy Fourth of July!

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Happy July 4th! Read More »

Carpe Diem

/

Yesterday was beautiful weather after 11 straight days of the heat index being over 100 degrees. With it being a Sunday I decided to “seize the day”. We went to a local park. Forest Park is to St. Louis like Central Park is to New York. It’s a park that was established when the 1904 Worlds Fair took place.

With all the stress going on with the economy and our cluttered lives, it is good to take some time to enjoy the outdoors in a pretty setting. Here are some pictures.

IMGP1632 IMGP1658

IMGP1655 IMGP1652

The Baseball All-Star game is being played here in St. Louis this summer. That’s what this small arch is all about.

Carpe Diem, Seize the day!

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Carpe Diem Read More »

Summer Clutter

/

Before I talk about summer clutter I want to first apologize to anyone who may have sent me a comment during the last couple of months that didn’t get posted here. It seems that all comments ended up in the spam folder and I forgot to check them. After 15 days the blog company (WordPress) automatically deletes the spam so any legitimate comments before that time are lost. I’ll be checking the spam folder daily so please feel free to leave a comment or share an idea or suggestion. Thanks.

Now, to get to the summer clutter.

Today I was going through the Target weekly ad and noticed some items that are destined to become clutter. First there was the ad for the ingredients for s’mores. I love roasted marshmallows squeezed between crisp graham crackers with melted Hershey bars oozing out. What caught my attention in this ad was the 4-pk s’more skewers. What happened to the wire hangers or long handled BBQ fork? Unless you have s’mores several days a week why would you take up the drawer space to store such a specialized item?

On the next page I saw an item called a Bubble Generator. It’s a battery operated bubble blower. What happen to the small bottle of soap solution with the bubble blowing wand? When my boys were small they loved to go outside and blow bubbles. They would see who could blow the most bubbles or the biggest ones. There is no challenge with a toy doing all the work.

On another page I did see an item that was not clutter when my children were young. It is the Wham-O Slip ‘N Slide. They spent hours in the summer heat running, giggling, sliding, and cooling off with that toy. It was also an easy toy to pack away when they were through with it for the day. Just roll it up. That was a good thing because if it was left on the grass too long you ended up with a large brown area in the middle of the yard (it happened a few times).

Sometimes the specialize tools and toys can actually take the fun out of the activity instead of adding to it. If they are not fun over the long haul they sit on the shelf and become clutter.

Do you have summer items that have become clutter? Please share your story in the comment section. (I promise I will check for legitimate comments daily.) By sharing our experiences we can all learn to avoid adding clutter to our homes.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Summer Clutter Read More »

Struggling with Clutter

/ / 3 Comments

Decluttering Tips – What area do you struggle with?
Volume 2, Issue 23
June 23, 2009

This past year I’ve written about many areas where I struggled with clutter. Most of my readers seem to have the same problems. But I was curious. What areas do you struggle with?

Over the years I have read lots books, researched online, and talked to many people about how to control clutter. I’m always willing to share my knowledge (this newsletter, website, blog). I am also always looking for new ideas and ways to control the clutter in our lives.

I have come up will several questions and would love to hear your opinion on them. Please leave your answers, ideas, suggestions, in the comment section.

Here are the questions.

1. What areas do you struggle with and would like some tips on? Kitchen, clothes/laundry, children’s toys, paper clutter, sporting goods, garden/lawn tools, holidays, gifts received/given, or any other area.

2. Do you like receiving the newsletter or would you prefer a more interactive media like my blog where you can post comments or ask questions? This way you can also contribute ideas from your experiences.

3. Do you like my monthly newsletter with the website links for different holidays and events going on during the month? You can always check out the current month newsletter on the sidebar of the blog.

Decluttering is an on going process. Life doesn’t stand still. My home always needs constant decluttering and organizing to keep it under control. Than being said, it rarely gets more than 15 minutes away from being clean, not perfect, but respectable.

Please a comment on the above questions. This way we can help each other learn to have a lighter load along the way.

If you would like to receive the blog updates in your email box please sign up on the side. This is a separate sign up from the newsletters.

Thank you,
Janice Scissors
https://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://organizebythemonth.com
http://twitter.com/jlscissors
http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

Struggling with Clutter Read More »