The Craft Supplies
She reached up, took a bin off the shelf, and let out a sigh before opening it.
"This is my scrapbooking stuff. I haven't touched it in six years. But I keep thinking I'm going to get back to it."
Inside, she found a stack of patterned paper, a die-cut machine still in its box, ribbon, stickers, and a folder of photos she had planned to organize since her oldest was in preschool. Now, her oldest was about to graduate.
I come across bins like this in nearly every home. Sometimes they’re filled with scrapbooking supplies. Other times, it’s watercolor paints, a sewing machine, yarn for a sweater that never made it past the first row, or a guitar tucked away in a closet corner.
But the real issue isn’t the supplies themselves.
You’re not just storing yarn. You’re holding onto a version of yourself.
After helping many people sort through these bins, I’ve realized the hobby pile is rarely just clutter. It’s a physical reminder of the person you once hoped to become.
The person who scrapbooks every milestone. The person who sews her kids' Halloween costumes. The person who paints on Sunday mornings. The person who picked the guitar back up after years away.
That person was real. She was there when you bought those supplies with genuine intention and hope. But as life got busier, she didn’t get the time she needed.
Letting go of the supplies can feel like letting go of that version of yourself. That’s why it’s often much harder than it looks.
The first situation is when you really miss a hobby and want it back in your life, just not right now. If that sounds like you, the supplies aren’t the problem. The real issue is that they’re scattered, disorganized, or tucked away, which makes it even harder to start again. In this case, don’t worry about getting rid of them. Instead, put them somewhere visible and easy to reach, so when you have a spare twenty minutes, you can get started right away.
The second situation is when you’ve quietly outgrown a hobby, or never started. Maybe you don’t actually miss doing it, or hope to start it one day.
Neither answer is wrong. Money is often what makes this pile hard to deal with. "I spent so much on this." "It was expensive." I completely understand that feeling, and I’m not saying it’s irrational. But the truth is, the money was spent the day you bought it. Keeping the item in a bin in your basement won’t get that money back. It only adds storage needs, and often guilt, to a purchase that’s already made.
Sometimes, the kindest thing you can do is let the money represent the hope it once stood for, instead of holding onto a hobby out of obligation.
If you have a bin like this somewhere in your house, here’s how I suggest you get started.
Be honest with yourself about whether you miss doing the activity, or something you hoped to do. Take a moment to think about that before you move on.
If you truly want this hobby back in your life, put the supplies somewhere you can see and reach easily, not hidden away in a bin at the back of a closet. When you can’t see them, it’s easy to forget about them.
If you’ve outgrown the hobby, let yourself feel a little sad before letting it go. It’s normal for it to feel like a small loss, even if it’s the right choice.
Consider giving the supplies to someone who would use them now. Maybe a niece who likes painting, a friend who wants to learn to sew, or a neighbor who never had the chance. Supplies that are still useful deserve to be used, and that’s much easier to accept than just throwing them away.
Wanting to be someone who scrapbooks, sews, paints, or plays guitar shows something good about you. It means you wanted creativity and connection in your life.
If you’re facing a bin like this and aren’t sure where to start, we can work through it together in a session. You don’t have to make these decisions alone or all at once. I’d be happy to help you figure out what’s truly worth keeping space for.