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If you're out of ideas - or steam - here are ten easy projects to keep clutter from overtaking you.
- Sort and cull your clothing. Tackle one area at a time (shoes, tops, pants, etc.). This way you can do it in small chunks rather than feeling overwhelmed by doing it all at one time.
- Toss ten. Take a walk through your home and notice what is cluttering the flat surfaces. Toss out ten things that are not giving you value. (Examples: Kids' fast food toys, knick-knacks that are no longer special, paperback books cluttering bookshelves, old magazines and catalogs, kids' old school papers, accumulated junk mail, etc.)
- Tackle a junk drawer. Dump, divide and decide. Dump out the drawer, add a drawer divider and decide what stays and what goes. Junk drawers should be thought of as "tool drawers" instead of being a catchall for items that don't have homes.
- Dive into the hall closet. Open the hall closet and pull out anything that's been living there, untouched, for a year or more. Make space for new items by getting rid of jackets you no longer wear, worn out hats, gloves and scarves, old games and sports equipment, old shoes, etc.)
- Donate a bag of toys. Most kids are overwhelmed with toys. Get a garbage bag and collect the toys your child has lost interest in over the past year. Immediately put the bag into the car to drop at a donation site near you on your next trip out of the house.
- Declutter a kitchen cabinet. Choose the cabinet that makes you craziest. Pull everything out onto the counter top and evaluate each item objectively. Keep only the items you use all the time or that are crucial kitchen tools, and box the others for donation.
- Store and rotate décor. Walk around your house and box up about 50% of your decorative belongings (framed photos, knick-knacks, vases, etc.). Label the boxes and store them away. Twice a year, when you change your clocks, pull out the boxes and exchange the stored items for your current décor. By displaying only half the items you're accustomed to, your home will feel fresh and uncluttered all year long.
- Minimize your media. Sort and cull out unwanted DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes, cassettes and yes, even those 8-track tapes and vinyl albums you've been holding onto. Keep the ones you still love and pack up the rest to sell or donate.
- Designate homes for daily travelers. Choose one location in your home for your daily traveling items (purse, briefcase, keys, PDA, cell phone and iPod) so you can quickly and easily find them on your way out the door.
- Freshen Up Your Fridge. Ditch old and expired condiments, mystery foil packs and doggie bags gone bad. Add a lazy susan or two to create easy access to items that would normally languish in the deep recesses of your refrigerator shelves.
10 Weekend Organizing Projects: Created on April 19th, 2006. Last Modified on January 21st, 2014
