2024 - No Craft Spending - I WILL bust my stash and make pretty things!!!!!

Christianne1957

Late to the party (story of my life) but please can I join in?

Just retired at 66 with huge stash of not-started/part finished craft projects that I've put off for years "until I retire". That day has now dawned but feeling a little overwhelmed by the volume and diversity of all the projects

Starting small - working through my stash of Christmas & Birthday cards this weekend to repurpose them into gift tags, shopping lists and mini-gift boxes

So many lovely & inspiring makes on these pages but I will have to be strong & refrain from buying any more craft items until I worked through what I already have!

daisy_1571

Welcome christianne,

You can 'shop from your stash' whenever you feel the urge to get something new.  If you're anything like the rest of us,  you will have loads of projects you have forgotten you have lol.  


perhaps, if you are overwhelmed, start with anything - if your stuff is stored in boxes, sort through one box.  Put into don't want to actually do, definitely want to do, expired in storage.   Last category,  chuck as you go.   Its surprising that when you have the time you just might not actually fancy some of the projects you have kept.  Thats fine.  If they are still usable you need 3 more boxes or places:  sell, donate or give away.  Try not to have loads of stuff lying around in unmarked piles - you'll just end up having to go back through redeciding what category that was. 

Sort like with like and gradually you will get some order.  You will then begin to see if you have amassed too much of something (what we call sable - stuff accumulated beyond life expectancy).  It's easier to release things back into the wild if you can see you have 50 large x stitch kits for example.   Suddenly its easier to categorise into favourites and less favourites when you see them all together than scattered around. 

Good luck, enjoy your retirement,  try not to selfish impose new deadlines on yourself,  its your time to do the things you enjoy so release projects you no longer want to do.  We will be here cheering you on, 

Daisy xxx

Katiehound

Now this I like- made me snigger as I am not sure what I could release into the wild!!

Sort like with like and gradually you will get some order.  You will then begin to see if you have amassed too much of something (what we call sable - stuff accumulated beyond life expectancy).  It's easier to release things back into the wild if you can see you have 50 large x stitch kits for example.  

Errrrrmm I'm sure I have a lot of sable- not the fur you understand!!

off to sew a donated duvet cover now cut into 4, to start the doggy duvet factory again!

old_fogey

@Christianne1957 Daisy has given you some great advice.  I also have a huge quantity of old WIP, and when I started sorting through it last year, I asked myself several questions.  How long will it take to finish? -  if not long I will try to get it done anyway, even if I don't like it, as I could then donate it.  Will I enjoy doing it?   Will I like it or use it ?(life and tastes change).  It really helped clarify things in my mind.  Some Items, such as a big cross stitch picture I had done a couple of square inches of, I abandoned, and cut up the fabric for possible future use/donation, other things I even put in the bin!.  I still have a long way to go in using my stash and finishing WIP, but am starting this year feeling clearer.

Looking forward to seeing your makes!

Dizzycap

Hi folks:-)

Just stumbled accross this board and please may I join in?

Looks like there's some wonderful projects happening here and I do like a good crafting 'make do' session

I stopped buying craft items last year as I have far too much stuff in my stash already:-) I only use my stash, donated items, and/or forage items to make all my crafty items now. I'm also selling loads of items including some expensive pencil & pens at the moment as I've had all these items for well over a year, not used them, and probably never will! I have donated some items to the local charity shop but I object to donating items to raise money for over paid manager wages and not for the charity itself!

I do a lot of crafting during the Autumn & certainly Winter months. I finished making all my Birthday & Christmas cards for this year during the first week of January & I've just finished all my outside hanging Easter egg decorations for the tree in the front garden along with Easter bunting with lights for the porch & 2 Easter front door wreaths - 1 Dachshund disguised as an Easter Bunny (I'm a Daxie mummy!) & 1 Easter Bunny Duo.

- You've got have a bit of fun, haven't you!

I've also been totally decluttering the house, which is now clutter free with the exception of the artroom as I did that last year and mainly to organise everything so I know where everything is. Plus, I've always got some project on the go, so it always looks well used & lived in!

I've just had a wonderful donation of  wreath rings, florists tape, florists wire, artificial foliage & flowers along with unused Christmas baubles of all sizes. So I've decided to make friends & family Christmas wreaths as their Christmas gift for 2024 which I'll give out in early December

sammy_kaye18

Welcome @Christianne1957 and hope you enjoy the board. Lots of us in here have plenty of WIP (works in progress) I know I do. I tend to clear through my desk area every so often and see what is there to finish and put it into a box, then I focus on those otherwise I bounce between things and nothing gets finished.

@daisy_1571 and @old_fogey gave some great advice and I agree with going through things to see if your tastes change as well. I have a cross stitch to start and a wood burning kit to try which I have only realistically used to make holes in plastic to grow plants in! Im not sure how much I will realistically use it to be honest so may end up selling it. 

Welcome @Dizzycap love the easter rabbits! and wow you have a long signature! 

Christianne1957

Thank you for your much appreciated words of advice - I think that starting one box at a time is the way forward and I have promised to either do the project or donate/bin it rather than popping back in a cupboard "for another day"

daisy_1571

It takes a year to fully settle into 'retired' rather than 'on holiday' so you will find it gets easier as your mindset changes.   Its nice to sit on a weekday morning sorting rather than getting so far and realising its Sunday teatime and it all needs cleared away till next weekend and you get another few hours to yourself again. 

Dxxxx

suzeesu2000

Currently making a cloth bag using fabric scraps. Will use it as a “project bag” to hold whatever I am working on. Started this evening and will be finished before I go to sleep. Hope to start patchwork pillow shams tomorrow. 

Have a great week groupie chums

Dizzycap

sammy_kaye18 said:

Welcome @Christianne1957 and hope you enjoy the board. Lots of us in here have plenty of WIP (works in progress) I know I do. I tend to clear through my desk area every so often and see what is there to finish and put it into a box, then I focus on those otherwise I bounce between things and nothing gets finished.

@daisy_1571 and @old_fogey gave some great advice and I agree with going through things to see if your tastes change as well. I have a cross stitch to start and a wood burning kit to try which I have only realistically used to make holes in plastic to grow plants in! Im not sure how much I will realistically use it to be honest so may end up selling it. 

Welcome @Dizzycap love the easter rabbits! and wow you have a long signature! 

Thanks sammy_kaye18 & sorry about the long sig. I've decided to ramp up on all the challenges but can reduce the decluttering list as the house is clutter free now:-) Artroom sort of not included because I have stuff that I really want & will use in the future. I already gave away to other fellow arties a whole load of stuff to fill up their depleting stash, so it was just a case of organising everything I have left and listing everything down so I know exactly what I have.

I was going to do some arty stuff today but deided to spend some time in the garden clearing up a few plants and dead leaves and the fresh air did me good.