I hope you are all enjoying your weekend! Here is a quick re-cap of last week on the blog:
Paint Gallery Madness! Galleries of Paint Colors and Projects to Share
Curbside Buffet Makeover in Behr Chalk Paint, Green Agave
This weekend we are continuing some house projects, such as cleaning out our basement and garage. Read on!
At some point, you eventually realize that your unhealthy relationship with Amazon Prime and next day delivery has wound up costing you all your remaining storage space. Eventually, something just has to go in order to make way for something new and the cycle begins all over again. See my closet below for an example!
Rather than the traditional method of just throwing something straight in the trash, what are you going to do if the items in question are something you either like or actually need to keep for the long term? Or, what if you canāt bear the thought of them rotting in a landfill? Well, luckily there are a few alternatives for you to consider rather than throwing your items away.
Upcycling
You all know that I am a huge fan of upcycling! Sometimes, something has been just sitting gathering dust in your house while waiting for its true purpose to be revealed. Instead of throwing the item away, consider how it could be re-used instead. Old clothes can be turned into bags, cushions, or chair covers if you are willing to take the time to apply yourself to the work needed. Upcycling does take a bit of skill and some creative flair in order to produce something both usable and aesthetically pleasing. But if you have to learn machine sewing to upcycle then go for it. A new skill is always a good thing. Check out these awesome clothes from the Etsy shop, Rebound Threads – amazing!
Put something into storage
Sometimes you know you need to keep some larger items but havenāt really got the room right now. Maybe itās boxes of keepsakes or some furniture youāre keeping for a move you have planned in the near future. Try having a look around for your nearest storage facility such as Locktite storage. If you have items you want to keep for the long term but you know you arenāt going to need them right now, then having them placed in storage is a better alternative to just throwing them out. We just placed all of my son’s college furniture in a storage facility for the summer. Easy peasy!
Charity
Rather than just throwing something out, why not consider giving it to charity? Providing that it is still in a useable condition of course. As the saying goes, āone man’s trash is another man’s treasureā.
It always amazes me at what I see out on the curb in our neighborhood on trash day. Try and make charity donations the priority over the curb because you never know how much your old items can affect or help someone elseās life. Before you donate, make a point to contact local shops in the area to see what their current needs are. Some may want furniture but no clothes and another may want clothes but no furniture. Make sure you are aware of their donation procedures before you drop anything off. I saw a sweet doll in a play stroller just the other day sitting in the neighbor’s trash and I knew that it could have made another child happy if it had been donated instead.
Unless they are damaged beyond repair and completely unusable, then your pre-loved items can go on to serve another purpose elsewhere either for someone else now or for yourself in the future. Not everything is destined for the landfill!
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