How To Not Waste Time With Sentimental Stuff When You Move
Posted in: I'm Moving, Moving Advice, OrganizationLife is full of wonderful memories. Unfortunately for people moving, homes are too.
In one survey, 65% of people said family photos are on their list of most prized possessions, compared to family heirlooms that only made 49% of the lists. It’s no wonder that family memories accumulate over time to become “sentimental clutter,” a major time sink when it comes time to move out.
If you’re on a space or time crunch, here’s how to effectively save (and part with!) sentimental clutter.
1. Get in the Right Headspace To Part With Memories, or You Won’t
It’s vital to declutter only when you’re in the right mindset, or sorting it won’t work.
Remember, it’s tough to make emotional decisions when you’re already upset, tired, or even hungry. Ensure that you’re well-rested, fed and in a calm state of mind before you declutter sentimental items. If the going gets tough, take some time to re-center before tackling the rest of your project.
Organizing legend Marie Kondo advises tackling sentimental items at the very end of your decluttering efforts because of the unexpectedly challenging nature of old memories.
Pro-tip: If for whatever reason you don’t foresee yourself reaching equilibrium any time soon, never hesitate to ask a professional for help with overwhelming clutter. Paying a handyman or a service like Neat Method can be a great way to practice self-care.
2. Limit Yourself to One Item Per Memory
You’ll have a lot to sort through when decluttering sentimental items. Don’t hang onto the picture, t-shirt, and ticket stub from that one concert you attended a decade ago. Instead, pick one sentimental thing from the bunch and get rid of the rest, which allows you to hold onto the memory without the excess clutter.
3. Upcycle Heirlooms
Are you still hanging onto your mom’s ugly old China cabinet? Upcycle oversized items like tables, cabinets, and chairs to give them utility.
For example, refinish, repaint, and swap hardware on drawer handles or change door hinges, adding a fresh, modern take to your favorite sentimental heirlooms. Give items a personal touch, and you won’t be keeping old furniture in your home without the intention of ever actually enjoying it or using it. Use Pinterest and other DIY sites for inspiration to upcycle your furniture.
DIY extraordinaire Kathy Bates, The Budget Decorator, refinished a dining set using sandpaper, primer, paint, and painting supplies. These types of projects can be done over a weekend to allow ample drying time for primer and paint.
4. Combine Keepsakes (Turn Old Clothing Into Functional Decor)
Make a quilt out of your collection of old t-shirts from your childhood or band tees from your favorite concerts. You can do it yourself, or try online services to help you create something new.
If you have a lot of keepsakes from hobbies you enjoy, ask others who also partake in the same hobby what they do when getting rid of sentimental items. For example, runners can donate medals or repurpose their race bibs into clothing and décor for new use.
Turn cherished clothing, baby blankets, or other fabrics into a custom pillow you can add to your sofa or living room chair.
5. Donate Heirlooms to Causes Your Loved One Believes In
Larger items like furniture and homewares are challenging to get rid of, especially when they’re family heirlooms from older family members. Many of these items are too valuable to throw away, like cedar chests, sets of fancy dishware, or vintage dolls and toys.
You can hire a moving company to remove bulky items, but it’s nice to honor the memory of your loved one by donating items or giving them to a person or a cause they would love. Here are some ideas and examples to consider:
Reputable Donation Organizations
Furniture: Give heirloom furniture to a local church or nonprofit organization your loved one supports. You may also be able to give it to thrift stores that support specific groups of people like domestic violence shelters or veterans thrift stores.
China and dish sets: Offer an inherited dish set to some newlyweds you know or look for collector groups on Facebook who appreciate these types of items. If your loved one had a passion for fine china, you may be able to help others keep their own sets complete by donating or selling it to the International Association of Dinnerware Matchers.
Antiques and dolls: Seek doll collectors or museums that will appreciate a donation. Some antique stores specialize in specific items like dolls. You can also recycle Mattel brand dolls and toys so that their materials can be recycled and reused.
Clothing: If you’ve had a loved one pass, consider repurposing some clothing into blankets or pillows and sharing those memories with others in the family. You can also donate old clothing to thrift stores, especially those that are specifically geared towards domestic violence assistance or employment like Dress for Success and JailstoJobs.
6. Keep a Photo Memory Instead of a Physical One — Take a Picture!
It’s tough to get rid of certain items because we’ll miss looking at them later. Before contacting movers to get rid of your more considerable clutter, consider taking a photograph or several photos of the items you love before throwing them away. This way, you can always look back on these items whenever you’re feeling sentimental without accumulating or holding onto too much clutter at home. Add the photos to your digital photo album or put them in your digital scrapbook.
You can even splurge on getting professional photos taken to turn possessions into meaningful artwork.
7. Turn Old Photos Into a Digital (or Real) Scrapbook
Convert those loose ticket stubs, handwritten notes, and other memories into a scrapbook, allowing you to display your memories without hiding them in a box. Be intentional about what to include in your scrapbook. The key is to save your favorite memories without turning one type of clutter into another.
You can also transfer old photos to a digital scrapbook. Companies like Canva make it easy to help you remove clutter while preserving your favorite memories at the same time.
Look for different layouts and try your hand at a few new techniques like “virtual” beveling and embossing that will turn your precious sentimental items into an awesome digital scrapbook you can share with others.
8. Finally Get Around To Digitizing Papers and Photographs
If you have a closet full of photo albums, you can transfer them to a digital photo album to reduce clutter. Use an online digitization service, or pay a friend or neighbor to help you scan old photos.
After you digitize everything, connect the images to a digital photo frame like Frameo, allowing you to hang onto and cherish special memories even more than you ever would if you stashed them away in shoeboxes or stacks of photo albums.
If you decide that you want a physical photo later, simply open your digital photo album and print it out or have it printed onto a throw blanket or pillow so you can enjoy it in your home.
9. Preserve it With Other Senses
There will always be some sentimental items that you’ll never want to throw away. Be intentional about going the extra mile to preserve the important things to you — this will keep you from feeling a sense of loss or regret after decluttering your home.
Remember, there are also ways to preserve unconventional memories:
Preserving smell can be tricky, but sometimes our scent memories are our strongest connection to people and places. To preserve smell, find a completely dry plastic zipper bag and place the item inside. Remove all the air from the bag or vacuum seal, and open sparingly so the smell doesn’t escape over time.
Preserving a sound can only be done if you’ve recorded it on video or audio. If you have a recording of a sound, like a voicemail or video, consider uploading it to a digital photo frame. Many options will play videos and sounds just like regular slideshow pictures, so you’ll be able to enjoy the sound passively in your home.
Making New Memories
Keep these tips in mind to help you get rid of sentimental clutter without destroying cherished memories. Whether you repurpose heirlooms or create a digital scrapbook, there are countless ways you can hold onto things that are important to you. With the right mindset and some creativity, you’ll enjoy a clean, decluttered home that’s still full of fond memories.