Logga in   
Swedish

clothes

1 May 2010

#121 Sell things you don't need

Just as potted plants in the home increase the oxygen level, an excessive amount of unnecessary stuff makes it harder to breathe. There is no need to store things you do not use; clothes you never wear, ornament dogs or porcelain angels you still have just because someone gave you them as a gift. There is really no reason to fill your home with crap that can also be of value to others. So. 1. Go through all the things you own – clothes, books, CDs, movies, trinkets ¬– and scrutinize the validity of each object with the following questions: - How often do I use this thing? - How would I feel if it disappeared? - Could anyone else get more use of it? Make sure to be tough and unsentimental, and think of how much space you can free-up (create). If you have four cheese grinders you can get rid of two. Do not forget to check the attic and basement. 2. Collect things in bags, boxes and crates. Find out how you can easily get rid of them. You can sell stuff on Craigslist, and eBay. Other potentially suitable places are charity shops, second-hand book stores and specialized stores for CDs and movies. You get the point. Make a list of your stops and take a full day to sell shit. 3. Add up all the money you have collected and calculate the sum. Donate it to charity or buy something you actually need.

Required time: 
One full day.
Cost: 
Free.
Cons: 
It can be a bit strange at home with half-empty shelves and half-empty cupboards. Relax, you will realize the beauty of it after a few days.
Pros: 
You don't have to dust as much, you get more space to live, and you're doing something good for people who have it fucking hard.
Taggar: unnecessary things, the things you own end up owning you, recycling, clothes, cleansing
30 January 2010

#30 Dye your clothes

Creativity by mistake is still creativity.

Creativity by mistake is still creativity.

I like the idea of things happening by mistake that turn out to be creative. Take me in the laundry room for example. It’s early and I don’t see the red sock that’s sneaked its way in to the whites. Luckily that load wasn’t very full. Luckily only my white clothes become pink. Luckily I’ve been tired of my white T-shirt with the print that looks like some sort of Lauryn Hill/Bob Marley-combination and I could never figure out who it’s supposed to be. So the T-shirt has become pink, and a hundred times better to boot!

Throw something colorful and something white in to the laundry. Crank it up to 60 degrees. Bear in mind the item might shrink, so take something a bit big if you want. If you want to be sure of the outcome, there’s dye for clothes in hobby stores.

Required time: 
An hour.
Cost: 
None if you use your own items. Ten Euros tops if you buy dye.
Cons: 
Sometimes the thread is made from a different material than the item which can result in the seam deviating from the color. If the item is made from a material that doesn’t absorb colors well, the result can be unpredictable.
Pros: 
You make a new piece of clothing from an old one. Instead of buying a bunch of new things, you use what you have at home and it still feels like you’ve gotten something new. And that’s a pretty nice feeling.
Taggar: renew, recycling, dye, clothes