The end of the month is nearly upon us and for many in these parts, the school year is just beginning. That means new school books and new things coming into our homes for both school and work. If you’re starting to feel a little overwhelmed by it all, doing a little bit of tidying and decluttering can make you feel a little less crowded and a little more ready for the year to speed up (as it always seems to do). An easy and achievable way to do this is to start small, so today I’m sharing some ideas on how to do it for your bookshelves.
What you’ll need:
- 10-30 Minutes of your time
- A Bookshelf to get stuck into
- A Dusting Cloth to get rid of any dust whilst you’re there
- A Box for all the books you’re going to re-home
If you’re anything like me, books tend to come into your home easily but never really leave. They help to fill our minds with great (and sometimes not so great) ideas and are sometimes full of wonder. I’m a big fan of reading great books over and over, so my bookshelves are a place I visit whenever I’m feeling a little bored or restless. But, there are some books that I won’t ever read again (or were added to the bookshelves unread) that could really do with going to a home that will love them much more than me. Here’s how I do it.
How to:
- Pick a shelf and remove all the books you instantly know you don’t want to keep anymore. Place them in the box to give away. There might not be many, but there might be a few.
- Next, have a look at each of the books that are left and see if any are also ones that you either don’t want to keep or would be better on another bookshelf or given to a friend. I have a few books that we studied at school that could probably go to someone else.
- Dust all of the books on that shelf that you have decided to keep, and line them up in the bookshelf as it suits you. I have a little system that only I understand.
- Start on the next shelf and repeat until the whole bookshelf is complete.
- Have a cup of tea/coffee/drink of choice and marvel at how great your bookshelves now look
- Box up all the books you’re don’t want to keep and take them to the charity shop so that you don’t end up with a box that sits in your house for ages afterwards
The one thing that I think is key to any decluttering exercise, is to not get rid of things you really want to keep because you think that someone else wouldn’t approve of you hanging on to it. I have some really special books that I don’t really read, but would never dream of parting with. Some things have sentimental value, and it’s more than ok to keep them. But you also don’t need to feel pressured to keep things you don’t want to.
If you have kids of varying different ages, you might find that what is no longer a good fit for one child is now perfect for another. It can be a lovely thing to make memories by reading books together and sharing good moments – no matter their age.
I like to also remember that by tidying and decluttering some books now, I’m making room for more books in the future, and hopefully they’re great ones that can be loved for years to come.
Do you tidy and declutter your bookshelves often? Or is it somewhere you forget about?
If you do try this, I’d love to see a photo or hear about how it went! Tweet me your pics at: @danniellecresp or instagram me at: @dannielle with the hashtag: #styleforahappyhome