Welcome to Day 11 of the 30 Days to Less of a Hot Mess Challenge. Today’s focus is craft supplies: decluttering, organizing, and reclaiming your space so your home feels calmer and easier to live in. If this is your first time joining the challenge, consider starting from the beginning to get the full plan. Affiliate links used for your convenience.
For years I was a collector of craft possibilities. I kept broken items, leftover bits, and every thrift-store find because I convinced myself “someday” I’d turn them into something beautiful. I loved the idea of repurposing, and I still do—when it’s intentional and useful. But when those supplies prevent you from opening a closet or make you dread entering a room, they’re no longer serving you.
Repurposing can be an amazing, eco-friendly way to create. But keep it from becoming a burden. If an item has been taking up space for years and the project never moves forward, it’s usually time to let it go. Part of creating a home you love is making decisions that keep your space livable and peaceful—sometimes that means donating or tossing things you once thought you might use.
5 Craft Supplies to Throw Away (or Donate) Today
Donating is a great alternative to tossing—local thrift stores, community centers, schools, and art groups often welcome craft materials. Whatever you choose, the goal is the same: lighten your load and clear the clutter.
1. Thrift-store and yard-sale impulse finds
We’ve all been there: you find a charming lamp base or a box of unlabeled trinkets and buy it because the price is right and the possibilities seem endless. But if that item has been sitting in a guest room or closet for years and the idea hasn’t become real, give it away. Let someone else make it special. If the inspiration hasn’t arrived in a reasonable amount of time, keeping the item is just keeping clutter.
2. Broken items you hope to repurpose someday
In tougher financial seasons it made sense to keep broken things to fix or repurpose. If that’s still your reality, hang onto what you need. But if you can replace items when they break, don’t let “fix someday” become a permanent home for junk. Be honest: if you haven’t fixed it in months or years, it’s probably not going to happen. Free up space by parting with the broken pieces.
3. Old, half-used supplies and random leftovers
Glue that has dried, paint that’s separated beyond recovery, or odd bits from past projects—like three mismatched pom poms—cost you mental energy every time you see them. Sort your supplies and toss anything that’s expired, no longer usable, or clearly never going to match anything else you own. Keeping random leftovers in the name of potential projects usually leads to more clutter than creativity.
4. Half-finished projects
We all start projects that never reach completion. Those beads you tried to turn into a chandelier, the half-stitched embroidery, or the unfinished wreath—all of it takes up space and reminds you of unfinished business. If finishing the piece no longer fits your style or motivation, dismantle it and donate the usable materials, or let it go. Someone else might love what you abandoned.
5. Unused, unopened supplies you’ll never use
Maybe you bought a cute stamp set at the dollar spot years ago, intending to try stamping, but never did. If you don’t plan to learn the craft, donate those brand-new items so they can get used. If you decide to take up stamping (or any new hobby) later, you can buy fresh supplies when you’re actually committed—no need to hoard unopened kits “just in case.”
Here’s a simple action plan you can do right now: pull all your craft supplies into one area and sort them into three piles—keep, donate, and trash. Be decisive and follow through immediately: drop donations off, recycle what you can, and throw out the broken or unusable items. A “someday” pile is just a future source of stress.
I still enjoy crafting and repurposing—when it’s intentional and tidy. Letting go of the endless “maybe” items has freed up my home and my mind. What craft supplies will you let go of today?
Related:
Top 10 Colorful and Organized Craft Room Ideas
The Messy Work: Pull everything out, sort into keep/donate/trash, and complete the process right away. Your future self will thank you for not leaving a “someday” pile to haunt the closet.
In the mess with you, Laura
More posts you may love:
- How to Organize a Messy Garage
- How to Organize a Linen Closet
- Under the Bathroom Sink Storage
- How to Declutter Your Home in 5 Simple Steps
- How to Organize Christmas Decorations