Today in the Decluttering Sentimental Items series we're decluttering cards and letters. These could be from old friends, parents, grandparents, boyfriends, kids, etc. Most people have lots of these in their homes... especially if they like to keep sentimental items :)
Why cards and letters are hard to let go of
Cards and letters are hard to let go of because they bring back so many memories. People we love took the time to write them and send them to us. And in today's digital age, cards and letters are becoming a thing of the past, making them that much more special to some people. But if we keep too many then they take up a lot of space, they're harder to look through, and they can become overwhelming instead of being a treasure.
Tips for letting go of cards and letters
Here are some tips if you're ready to declutter your old cards and letters:
- Find the treasures in the piles and keep those but let go of the others.
- Keep cards that have special notes written in them but say goodbye to those with just a basic signature.
- Let go of any cards or letters from people you don't remember.
- Also declutter any cards or letters that bring back negative memories now.
Here are a few more tips from members of the 365 Items in 365 Days FB group:
- "I have limited myself to a small box that I keep special letters and cards."
- "Another idea is to take picture of the handwritten card and save it on a file or even better to the cloud."
- "We got rid of a lot of wedding cards last year. We kept those with the best sentiments and those of very close family."
- "We slimmed down letters and cards we wrote to each other over the years...many of them said the same thing...probably still have too many. It takes time to whittle the sentimental things down."
Ways you can reuse/repurpose/display cards and letters
For those you decide to keep, find a way to bring honour to them. Here are a few ideas:
- You could make a scrapbook of the most special ones.
- You could frame some really treasured ones.
- If you keep a bunch, put them in a pretty box on an easily accessible shelf so you can smile when you see the box and flip through the cards and letters from time to time.
- If you want to digitize some of your special cards and letters, Keepy is a great app for this. And don't forget Keepy {affiliate link} is offering a 20% discount off photo products for From Overwhelmed To Organized readers until October 31, 2016! You can make a photo book out of your favourite cards and letters.
Don't Start Your Decluttering Journey With Sentimental Items
Just a quick reminder that if you have "regular" (non-sentimental) clutter in your home, it's better to deal with that first and set aside your sentimental clutter until your home is less cluttered. Decluttering your everyday items will likely make more of an impact on your daily life than sentimental decluttering will. And sentimental items are generally more difficult to tackle so it's better to build up to them.
Whether you're decluttering sentimental items or general clutter, join our 365 Items in 365 Days Facebook group! You'll find lots of encouragement, motivation, and tips as we all declutter our homes and lives together. You can find more details about the 365 Items in 365 Days challenge here too.
For More Decluttering Sentimental Items Tips
Want more tips? Check these the 31 Days of Easy Decluttering series!
Or the Decluttering From A to Z series from last October!
If you'd like more decluttering ideas, you can check out my Decluttering/Purging Tips & Ideas board on Pinterest.
Your turn!
Why do you find it hard to let go of cards and letters? If you've decluttered yours, what made it easier to let some go? What tips can you give to someone who is currently decluttering theirs? How do you store your sentimental cards and letters?
As you declutter your cards and letters, take pictures and share them on social media using the hashtag #declutteringsentimentalitems so you can inspire all of us to declutter our sentimental items!
If you've got a picture of how you displayed or re-purposed cards and letters, please share it in the comments or on one of the series' social media posts. I'd love to see how you are giving honour and respect to your sentimental items!
Happy
Here are all the posts in this challenge in case you missed any or want to share some with your friends or family!
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