Today in the Decluttering Sentimental Items series we're focusing on decluttering ticket stubs! Whether you keep your tickets from theatre productions, concerts, movies, sporting events, or vacations, if you've got a collection of them, take time to go through them and decide which ones you want to keep and which ones you can let go of.
Why ticket stubs are hard to let go of
Usually when we attend a ticketed event, it means we paid money to experience something we enjoy. Often we go to these events with people who are special to us who enjoy the event as much as we do. The tickets may have been a gift from someone too. So it's natural to want to remember special events by keeping the ticket stubs.
Tips for letting go of ticket stubs
Here are a few things you can think about as you decide whether to keep a particular ticket stub or let it go:
- Do I remember this event? If not, then let it go.
- Do I remember who I was with when I went to it? If not, then let it go.
- Does this ticket bring back positive memories? If not, then let it go.
- Do I have other sentimental items that also remind me of this event (pictures under the marquee, selfies inside the stadium, playbills, movie posters, etc.). If so, decide whether you want to keep the stub or the other item(s) and let some of them go.
Ways you can reuse/repurpose/display ticket stubs
Once you've decided which stubs you want to keep, it's time to decide how you will store them.
- I highly recommend a shadow box frame, especially if you have a lot of stubs or if your collection continues to grow.
- If you only have a few stubs, you could put them in a regular frame.
- If it was a very special event (e.g. first date with your spouse), you could also consider framing a picture of you at the event with the stubs.
- You can include playbills, wristbands, or any related items as well.
A couple of members of the 365 Items in 365 Days FB group shared pictures of what they do with their sentimental ticket stubs, wristbands, playbills, and photos.
- One person shared her shadow frame with tickets and wristbands from events they have attended. As she declutters her home she sometimes comes across more tickets and she just pulls off the back and adds them to the frame using straight pins. She can continue adding to her frame as she attends more events too.
I like how you can see all the different events in this frame. I've also seen other versions of a ticket stub shadow frame where the tickets are just tossed in loosely. If you have a lot of tickets, that would be easier than using pins. And you can just shake it up from time to time to showcase different events.
- Another group member keeps all the playbills for shows her daughter has been in. She frames each show with a combination of cast pictures, playbills, ticket stubs, or head shots.
What a great way to remember all her daughter's shows!
It looks pretty and I bet her daughter loves it too :)
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!
Do you have ticket stubs you've been holding on to? What kinds of events are they from? Are they treasures or clutter? What makes it hard for you to let go of them (or other event-related items)? Is there a way you can use, display, or re-purpose them?
As you declutter your ticket stubs, 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 decluttered ticket stubs, what helped you decide what to keep or what to let go of? What tips can you share for others who are going to tackle them? How do you store or display your ticket stubs?
If you've got a picture of how you displayed or re-purposed ticket stubs or other event-related items, 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!
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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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