Welcome to day 21 of decluttering to free your home and your mind. Ten more days in our series to enjoy.
What is this strange photo of mine? It is all explained at the end of the article.
We are still sorting out our clothing, one step at a time and today we focus on T-Shirts, pants and skirts.
There are many sorting methods we can use to decide what we want to keep and what we should cleanse, as well as different ways to store our clothing. My favourite storage method is the Kon Mari way of folding t-shirts. Check them out on youtube. Similar to underwear, you fold it so that it can all be seen at once in a drawer. How often do we tend to use the first available shirt on the top of a pile, and then after washing it, it becomes the top choice again? If you can see all your shirts at the same time, it is easier to alternate what you wear.
In regard to sorting out, one way is to put everything on your bed. Examine each article individually.
Is it in good repair, are there buttons missing, or does it need mending? If this is preventing you from wearing it, get it fixed, or get rid of it.
Does it still fit? Does it still feel comfortable? Try it on. Do not hang onto clothing in case you will wear it "one day". There are four seasons in a year, so in one year, you should have worn each piece of your clothing a least once. If you haven't worn it for years - there is a reason, cleanse it away.
If you truly love it, it fits, and is in good shape, store it. Otherwise, put it right outside your door. This will symbolically show that you no longer need it. Then, plan to have it gone from your home within the next week. A friend had a bag of unwanted clothes in her front hall for almost two years, waiting to fill the bag up before she donated it to charity. She had just transferred the clutter from one place to another. Determine to donate it within a week, even if it is just one article of clothing. My friend eventually did this, and gave a blessing to the clothes thanking them for serving their purpose, as she put them in the charity bin. I thought this was lovely.
A good next step is to have a friend or two come around. Use this as an opportunity to have a fashion parade and ask their honest opinions of each items suitability. I did this a few times with my teenage daughter and a friend. It was amazing the things they thought didn't suit me, that I had thought were beautiful. We had a rule, if all 3 of us said yes, it went back in the cupboard, if only I said yes, it didn't. It was fun, and my wardrobe got back down to a manageable size.
Only put back into your cupboard or drawers the clothing that you will love to wear.
I discussed in the article about tea towels how a friend made a wall hanging out of her towels. I have also seen this done with t-shirts, especially those bought from places we travel to, or bands. A theme blanket is awesome. You can also frame them as reminders.
Now to explain my photo from the beginning of this article. This is one of my pre-loved t-shirts that I repurposed into reusable shopping bags.
Lay out the t-shirt on a solid surface
Cut the arms off first, there is no need to sew a seam, as the material does not fray
Put a dinner plate around the neck, draw a circle and cut along the line (this is the hole that the groceries will go into)
Turn the shirt inside out and sew along the bottom several times, it needs to be strong enough to hold whatever you place in the bag
Turn back right side in and then you have a bag that is stronger than most grocery bags, holds more, and is washable.
I also get to see the shirt design more times than I would if I wore it
Dress up in something special after this cleanse today. You look amazing!
Please feel free to comment about any other cleansing that you experience, and enjoy the rest of the decluttering series.
Happy Travels!
