16 August 2007

2Peas Blog Challenge: Stash-Busters

Today's blogging challenge on Two Peas is this: How do you get rid items in your stash that you no longer need or use?

This topic is fresh in my mind, since I've been spending time recently organizing (as you can see in the photo...ha!). Here are some ways I periodically reduce my stash:

1) Make cards. Then make more cards. In my early days of scrapbooking, I purchased a lot of patterned paper that is perfectly good but likely won't ever work on a layout. I set it aside for card-making. I also periodically weed out my embellishments and put some in my card-making stash. Last year I made a BUNCH of Christmas cards just from scraps.

2) Sell it at a garage sale. I recently sold quite a bit of scrapbooking stuff at my garage sale. This is the third time I've sold scrapbooking items at a sale. Even my bags of scraps sold.

3) Sell it at a benefit garage sale. My friend, Darci, recently organized a garage sale at our LSS to benefit JDRF. I sold several items at that sale. It's great to be able to reduce your stash and support a great cause at the same time.

4) Donate it. After my sale and the JDRF garage sale, I still had a few things left over. I took them to our local Easter Seals office to donate to their upcoming garage sale. Again, it's nice to contribute to a very worthy cause.

5) Give it to a pre-school teacher or Girl Scout leader. Check first, of course, to see if your items would be needed. I've donated tons of leftover stickers, paper and cardstock scraps this way.

There are many more ways to reduce your stash, but these are the ones I've tried most recently. I would never think of throwing anything away. I always challenge myself to use it or find a new home for it.

2 comments:

toners said...

Great list! I know schoolteachers are always grateful for those supplies; they can put them to use very easily with all those kids :)

Maureen said...

I am always amazed at what sells at garage sales.... good ideas; I know I have a lot of paper I will never use....