Swedish Death Cleaning
t sounds really nasty and morbid but in reality it’s a fabulous idea. I have cleaned out my grandmother’s house, my mother’s house (twice!), mine each time I moved. Most recently a few years ago. However, I need to do it again! Somehow, I have moved a bunch of things that I no longer need.
One thing about moving into a smaller house and making a shift in your life is that you start to see all the extra stuff in your life that no longer fits in. This is where Swedish Death Cleaning comes in. Go through and purge your house as if you are going to die soon. Give things away to family, sell stuff, donate it, you get the idea. How many towels do you need? I have way too many that’s for sure. Dog towels are great, but a dozen when I no longer own a dog?
Now craft supplies. What haven’t you used in the last year, the last two or three years? Have you touched the stuff since COVID sent us all home for months? If not, out it goes. Toss old materials, they age and no longer are good. Donate supplies to schools or organizations that can use the materials in their classrooms. Equipment, I would sell. I have to do this with many things. I have an entire stash of polymer clay equipment that I am pretty sure I am never going to play with again. It makes me sad to think this but it is realistic as I don’t have the time or inclination to make it happen. I love playing with the clay but I am at a point where I am focusing and want to maximize my time. So clear out all those tubs of stuff, get it on Facebook Marketplace or Craig’s list. Send it off to a new home and excited crafter!
Finished projects, what to do with them? I have this conversation with many of my friends. We all make things, then what to do with them when they are finished? Danny Gregory suggests going through your art with a very critical eye, keep the pieces that resonate with you. You only get to keep a few not all of them!
Take that left over pile and give them away, sell them for really cheap so they go to a good home. Spread the love! Make them free art! Donate cards to places that send them out to military or nursing home residents. Or start sending cards to anyone and everyone you can think of! Send your babies off to new homes where they will be looked at and appreciated! If you have a website or Etsy shop, list them there. Watch my website, as I will be doing this very thing at some point in the future. I have lots of creations to send to new homes.
You have your marching orders! Let’s get our stashes and finished art projects cleared away!