Decorating.

Love it or hate it – we all have to do it.

Sometimes.

And not just the big fun, fancy jobs.

But all those little bits of mending and maintenance.

Patching up some plaster and paint here.

Or some tiles or woodwork there.

AND over the years.

We all accumulate loads of little bits of decorating supplies.

Half of them are half used, dried up and worn out.

And half of them we’re not even sure what we were meant to use them for.

If we ever did.

BUT we can be sure of one thing: a whole heap of random clutter will NOT help us get those little decorating jobs done.

So today we’re going to declutter those old decorating supplies we’re never going to use …

If you’re following along with my quick daily declutter, read on. BUT if you’re new do hop back and read how just 10 things can help you declutter easily.

Just 10 Things  – Decorating Supplies

As always we’ll stick to the just 10 things rules:

• Take 5 minutes or so, 15 minutes max
• Focus on decorating supplies
• Open our eyes to the dried up, worn out, random stuff we will NEVER use
• And without yanking stuff out 
• Spot any we’re ready to let go

Keeping our eyes peeled for old …

1. Caulk
2. Filler
3. Putty
4. Sealant
5. Sugar soap
6. Sandpaper
7. Sanding blocks
8. Masking tape
9. Steel wool
10. Wire brushes

If you are letting go anything usable add it to the box we started for old paint a few days back.

With the paint PLUS painting supplies and wallpaper and today’s decorating supplies you’ll have a job lot of materials which can be easily passed on or sold onto someone else.

This is the kind of clutter that Facebook is brilliant at shifting as you can offer it in local buy and sell and community groups where it’s worth someone’s time to pop round and pick it up.

Now the big idea behind just 10 things – and the reason it works – is that MOST days it’s not brutal.

We just focus on a few things for a short time and let go of the stuff we’re ready to.

BECAUSE that way we don’t get overwhelmed.

So you may well have decorating supplies left after today’s declutter.

That is absolutely fine.

BUT the challenge now is to use them.

Putting aside just a little bit of time every week to “fix stuff” helps make sure we do.

AND curiously the mending habit CAN actually help protect us from clutter.

The MORE we focus on the things we truly value in our home and look after them and repair them so we can enjoy them, the LESS likely we are to fall for the “buy more – be happier” lies we get bombarded with in the media and at the stores.