Do you ever look around your house and wonder how you acquired so many things? Are you feeling crowded inside your home these days? Perhaps its just time for a change — a new “look” if you will.
Reducing your stuff and redecorating are actually easy to accomplish simultaneously.
Here are five easy steps to reduce clutter and redecorate your home in the process.
- The first step in de-cluttering is cleaning out your items. Go through each room systematically and make three piles: keep, donate/sell, throw out. You will likely be surprised how many items don’t head for the ‘keep’ You’ll likely find out you really don’t need those items after all.Keep the items organized so that you can easily get them ready for the next step.
- For anything that you deemed throw out (and hopefully there is not much of it) make sure you dispose of it appropriately. Check your local city’s bulk garbage day if necessary. Not sure if what you have is trash or recyclable? Check out our recycle search and recycling guides.
- Check social media for local sharing and swap groups. Many towns have Facebook groups dedicated to people sharing and selling items they do not need. These groups are often excellent places to give items away that charities may not be able to use, but are in good condition. Go to Facebook and search “swap” and “your town or surrounding town. “eBay and Craigslist are also great places to sell items that are of a higher value or may be a specialty item that certain collectors may be looking for outside of your general area.
- Consider donating items to a local charity such as a shelter, or children’s services organizations. Check with the organization first as some have different rules about certain kids items like cribs, pack and plays, and strollers. Animal shelters are always in need of blankets, sheets and towels. Got books? Consider donating them to a local library, used book store, or Little Free Library.
- With the de-clutter now complete, its time to focus on redecorating with the items you decided to keep. First ask yourself, “Where do the items that I want to keep need to be?” Are your cookbooks in the guest room on a book shelf on the second floor? Consider moving the book shelf down to the kitchen or even dining room. No room for the book shelf in those areas? Get some shelves to hang on the wall and put your favorite books up there.
Do you have some posters that you have not purchased a frame for yet? Take the posters out of the closet and grab two pants hangers put one on the top and one on the bottom. This will help the poster stay open and let you hang it up. For more tips like this, head to our Pinterest board for more great ideas.
What is your favorite decorating idea with your own items?
Feature image courtesy of ohsohappytogether