How to Downsize, Declutter, and Preserve Special Items

Blog Category: Lifestyle

If you are looking to declutter or downsize, one of the biggest obstacles is letting go of some things that hold significance to you. And even when you do decide to pass off special belongings, it might burden others to receive all your stuff. Here are some tips to consider when deciding to toss out, give away, or revamp your things.

Capturing Memories

While ultimately, you’ll have to either sell, donate, or recycle your belongings, you’ll find many things you want to capture digitally. There are many benefits to having digital versions of memorable things:

  • No damage, ripping, or discoloration
  • More space without piles of papers and photo albums
  • More accessible to make copies or share through email and social media
  • Easy to photoshop or correct undesirable parts like red eyes

If you’ve never preserved things digitally, here are three easy ways to try:

  • Scanning photos through a printer or through companies like Shutterfly
  • Using apps on your phone like Notes or Google Photo Scan
  • Taking photos on your phone instead of a separate camera

Sentimental Items

If you have kept or been gifted sentimental items and don’t know what to do with them, it helps to break them down into three categories to allow you to consider them more objectively:

  • Financial: Things that you can later resell for financial gain.
  • Gifts: Gifts can be very sentimental but are usually just trinkets. If the gift giver is no longer with you, don’t let nostalgia or guilt get the better of you. You can’t add the complexity of guilt when analyzing the value of your sentimental clutter.
  • Paper: When it comes to papers and photographs, scan them so they’re accessible in one place. We know you love the drawing your child made for you when they were five, but it can give you just as much joy as a digital copy. After scanning, keep these things together in this category.

Unwanted Family Heirlooms

If you wish to pass down family heirlooms to your loved ones, consider if they would be a benefit or a burden to them:

  • Books: Unless your books are rare and could hold some great monetary value, the best home for them will likely be a second-hand book shop.
  • Porcelain Figurines: Porcelain figurines like Hummel’s and Precious Moments are mass-produced and, sadly, not rare and aren’t likely to match the aesthetic of your child’s home. 
  • Silver-Plated Objects: Your loved ones might appreciate silver-plated items from Tiffany, Carrier, Christofle, Asprey, and other notable manufacturers, but otherwise, it’s best to donate them.
  • Heavy Antique Furniture: These beautiful pieces can take up a lot of space and end up no longer comfortable or pleasant to use. Unless your loved ones like collecting vintage and antique items and have the space for it, it’s best to let it go.
  • Linens: Your loved ones likely already have linens in their preferred style, though you can always ask before discarding or recycling them.

Recycling Special Keepsakes

If you find yourself struggling to let go of some precious keepsakes, consider these practical and creative ways of repurposing them:

  • Furniture: Consider what furniture you want to replace to see what pieces you’ll have left to upcycle. A headboard could become a bench or decorative shelf, and a dresser drawer could be the foundation for your pet’s new bed.
  • Clothing and Fabrics: Leftover clothes and fabrics could be turned into throw pillows, blankets, quilts, scarves, table runners, or new clothes altogether!
  • Photographs, Documents, Letters, Awards, and Other Papers: You can always scan your items for easily stored memories, create a digital photo frame, have the digital version printed onto objects like pillows, or adhere them to other belongings or decor with decoupage.
  • Souvenirs and Collectibles: Turn silverware into jewelry, put collectible items in a shadowbox, transform small trinkets into ornaments, or create a special destination box with all your souvenirs from a trip you can reminisce about.

Ready to take your downsizing and decluttering journey to the next level? Check out our ebook, Unlock the Power to Declutter!

At Life Enriching Communities (LEC), we’re committed to ensuring patrons feel well-equipped to plan their future and age how they wish. Explore more resources on senior living or contact us today to learn more about our legacy of services and programs that bring meaning and purpose to every stage of life.