How Many Unfinished Craft Projects Do YOU Have?

One of the things I hear most often from our members and clients is that getting organized would finally give them some time to pursue their passions–usually having to do with arts and crafts, writing, and other creative endeavors.

What I have seen in person with clients is that those who like crafts often have many projects unfinished. (Some people refer to them as UFOs, “Un-Finished Objects!”) In our Clutter Diet® online organizing program, we talk about how organizing is a lot like losing weight, in that both efforts require Prevention, Reduction, and Maintenance. Let’s examine the “UFO” problem the same way.

Prevention

• Are you easily attracted to new crafts, always wanting to start a new project, and getting ideas all the time? Do you suddenly jump at “bright shiny objects” and distract yourself? Recognizing this trait is half the battle. This tendency probably will not go away, but now you can catch yourself and take a moment to think before jumping into something new.
• If you are into knitting and then decide to take up painting, hold on a minute before buying that easel and canvas. If you are really serious about learning the new craft, COMMIT. Sign up for a class and learn from an expert so you’ll know how to do it right, reducing the chances of more unfinished projects.
• You might also think of ways to borrow supplies and equipment instead of purchasing them yourself, preventing clutter from accumulating if you abandon the new interest, and you’ll also save some money.
• Stop and think about why the projects you have now are not finished—did you simply become bored with the project? Did you get stuck and not know how to complete it? Did you make a mistake that you didn’t know how to fix? Extract all the learning you can about why you didn’t finish these so you can look for ways to prevent that in the future.

Reduction

• The “UFOs” that you already have around need to be finished or otherwise resolved, especially before you start something new. One way to do it is to hire someone to finish the project for you! Local shops like bead and fabric stores are great places to find someone to help.  I have a client who did this with a quilt and was so happy to see it finished! It didn’t matter to her that she wasn’t the one to finish it—she was just glad to see her idea come to fruition. If you can’t find someone locally, you can try going to Etsy.com to post a custom request there.
• If your hobby is portable, put an unfinished project into a bag to take with you as you wait at the doctor’s office or sit through a ballet lesson. Keep it near where you put down your purse and keys so you’ll see it when you walk out the door, or you can also keep it in your car.
• Projects of all kinds get completed more quickly when there is a deadline. Could you create a deadline for some of your projects? One way is to decide that the project is a gift for someone else. The deadline of the birthday or holiday will be a push for you to get it done.
  
• If you have given up on a particular hobby, it’s time to make that decision final and find a new home for the equipment you collected. Craigslist is a great way to sell some of your supplies, as well as posting notices in popular craft stores with bulletin boards.

Maintenance

• As you move forward from resolving your Un-Finished Objects, create a set of project drawers in your craft area using an inexpensive plastic drawer cart that you can purchase at any discount store. Make this your limiting container for current projects. In other words, you can have everything you need for one project in each of the drawers, and when the drawers are full, that is your limit for what you’ll currently do. Make a rule for yourself that you can’t start any new projects until a drawer is available.
• If you find yourself stuck on a project, get to the root of why you’re stuck and take steps to get that resolved as soon as possible. If you don’t understand the instructions or have made a mistake, find someone who can help you. If you are bored with the project, find a way to give yourself a deadline, and don’t let those projects linger.

Making your passions more orderly may not sound quite right, but neither does letting your home be taken over by unfinished business that bothers you and tugs at your conscience. May your passions bring you nothing but positive challenges, fulfillment, and satisfaction of a job well done!

Do you have unfinished craft projects nagging at your conscience? Share in the comments!

(This is an edited version of the February article I wrote for Connections for Women, a great site that I contribute to monthly. Click here to read the full version on their site.)

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