Declutter Challenge 2026 - Day 21 - A Few Last Things

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It once seemed so far away. And 21 days later, we are just about done!!! 

This morning as I stand in my sewing room, I see all the clean surfaces and it makes me smile. 

In the past weeks, I have run the gamut of emotions. One day I felt so overwhelmed I didn’t know where to start. Then I turned on my timer and repeated the question of the day and the task was done in three turns of the dice.

Another day, I found myself so angry at myself for letting a category get out of control. I saw yardage I had yet to make into garments. Then, I had to remind myself that I did make two skirts. 

Then the shame of seeing all my fabric in a big pile hit. But, as I was returning the fabric to my stash, I realized that no only did each fabric have story behind it, but I also had a plan to make it through each one. 

It’s funny how back on Day 1, I really thought that there was not much for me to do this 6th year of the challenge. But I was hit on Day 3 with some hard decisions. 

But now I’m at the end, the promise of reclaiming space has come true. The physical space, the mental and the emotional space. Last year was hard for me as it felt like I was holding too much in my head.  Maybe in a normal year it would have been okay, but with world events filling me with worry there was not a lot of extra room for creativity. This challenge has allowed me to step back and see what is no longer working for me. My hope is that you have been able to do the same.

There does remain a couple more things to do.

• I still need to get my ladder and check out what I have on top of a cabinet.

• I have a collection of reading glasses over here that might take a 5 minute declutter.

• And I still have to find time for my beads. I have been able to put them on a more accessible shelf so hopefully that will make a difference.

If you are still on day 15, or 5, or you are just starting out, you are not behind. Our lives are moving at different speeds on different roads. This might take you the whole month of January, or until Spring. You might try it again in the summer. The videos and the handouts will still be here.

So what’s today’s challenge?

FIRST

If you have enjoyed this challenge please do me the favor of subscribing to my YouTube channel. I am trying to get to 500k followers and I would appreciate your support.

SECOND

Follow through with your boxes. Take out the garbage and the recycling which shouldn’t be too hard. A bit more challenging will be items that you want to donate and the items to sell. They need to get out of the house so that they do not talk their way back in. Ask me how I know that one. And don’t just move them to the trunk of your car to drive to around with for months either. Find out through your contacts who can benefit from your stuff.

If you are part of a guild, donations may be easier. There might be particular projects or new quilters you might want to assist. Or there might be a donation table. If you are not part of a guild, share the items with your online friends. As I mentioned my TMQG is having a garage sale at the end of the month that my extras will be going to.

For the items that you want to sell, you’ll need to figure out what platform you want to sell them on, take the necessary photos, write descriptions, decide on a price and shipping costs. Once you know how much effort it will take, some items might move to the donation list. 

THIRD

Cull all your excess boxes, bags, and containers. Containers can be project boxes, plastic containers, Rubbermaid tubs. Try to eliminate by type or by size. 

FOURTH

It’s time to take a look at your quilts. Are you making for a particular charity and do they need to be dropped off? Or do you have a couple that you have not found a home for? All over, natural disasters and financial stress have left people and families without shelter. Consider donating to one of these. 

FIFTH

Now it’s your turn to share. Please leave your comments below with how your challenge has gone. Did we miss anything? Anything we can do differently next year? And don’t forget to share photos of your fresh clean space online with this year’s hashtag #declutterchallenge2026. 

I want to thank Gina for all her support and endeavours throughout this challenge and my editor Nicole for keeping up with the schedule. And thank you to the Facebook moderators Norma, Nancie, Shirley, Fiona, Melissa, & Lauren for all your efforts. We have a wonderful community and, in these divisive times, that is something we can all be very proud of!

Take care and I’ll see you next time.