Am I reducing clutter or am I just recycling it?

The clutter buildup at my house is reaching a dangerous level!  Most of it [I swear!] is not mine, but that doesn't even really matter anymore. It just needs to go. 

If I'm only responsible for myself and my own clutter it should be easier, right?  If I take steps to clean up my own mess, then others [my husband] will see the fine example I have set and will follow suit, right? Then why is it so hard for me to part with all those scraps of fabric, yarn, plastic and paper that I keep thinking I will do something with? 

If I'm really honest with myself, I know I won't do more than half of the things I think I can do with it all. It will just sit there waiting for me to "find the time" to do it. And honestly, I don't think I will ever have THAT big of a chunk of spare time. Meanwhile, something else will grab my attention and I'll forget all about it.  If I stumble upon that pile of rolled magazine pages later I may vaguely remember the project I was aiming at, but by that time I will have lost the directions or forgot who I was making it for - or why.

 



I mean, sure I know that everyone would love a cute little basket made up of rolled magazine pages!  Why, it's so colorful, so handy, costs nothing and it's RECYCLED!  I could make a ton of them!

Reality?  I made one basket and it looked nothing like this picture. It was time consuming and I got glue all over the dining room table. What can I put in a paper basket with holes in it anyway?  And you know it's not water-proof, and is easily squashed. Oh, to hell with a flimsy, coiled paper basket!

 

Ditto, this WOVEN paper tray. Although... I suppose you could use this one on your desk as an IN/OUT basket.  Hmmmm? A paper tray to put paper in. Wait! Isn't paper what I want to get rid of?

Must. Stick. To. The. Plan.

 

A trash can made out of paper?  The only kind of trash you could throw in it (opps! I mean place in it, because you wouldn't want to tip it over, or smash it!) ...is paper.  It absorbs moisture.You couldn't toss a soda can in there or a used tissue or even spit your gum in it, unless you used a plastic liner. (Which won't decompose in a landfill!) I guess you could use it as a vase if you put plastic (again!)or paper flowers in it.

 

Just "NO", okay?

    

 

Ditto, with the "mat" made out of woven paper.  Unless you frame it and hang it on the wall as ART, it's not practical.  You can't use it as a rug, you can't use it as a table cloth, you can't hang it like a curtain.  It's paper, not cloth.

True, you CAN cut up the pages of magazines - or any colorful scrap paper - to make garlands.  How many times are you going to need a garland strung across the room?  If you make a real pretty one, are you going to "save" it  (store it somewhere) to use again later?  Congratulations! You've taken your clutter and made more clutter.

 

PRETTY clutter is still clutter.

 

 

I know, I know, The holidays are fast approaching and you want to use some of the stuff that has accumulated to make gifts.  What? You haven't been saving your empty egg cartons?  What is wrong with you?

 

You've got gifts to make,

presents to wrap,

 

 

 Gift Tags to label,

 

Wreaths to make and hang!

 

 

What are you waiting for?  This clutter is not going to pick itself up, you know!

 

Get busy!