I am truly bummed after having such good momentum to have to take a break at the minimalism game. I have been hit with not one, but two big crisis’ in my life within the last 24 hours. I fully intend to continue when these issues get sorted out. Until then I leave you with day 21 although looking closely at this picture there are 22 items not 21.

If you are playing along, I hope that you continue on to day 31. I am really gutted by this but sometimes life happens. Stayed tuned for my continuation. 

I have always liked clean and tidy spaces. I don’t like clutter and mess. I am not a die hard minimalist, however, I do like a cleaner and less cluttered look than most people. 

I was watching some decluttering and minimalism videos on YouTube last week and they suggested I might like a video called “How to Play the 30-Day Minimalism Game” (link to video below). So I watched the video and it looked like a fun, although not easy, challenge. Every day for 30 days you get rid of one more additional item than the day before. For instance, on day one you get rid of one item. On day two you get rid of two items, etc. If my math is correct, by the end of the 30 days you will have gotten rid of 485 items!!!

I’m ready to declutter a lot of stuff so here’s the first five days of my challenge. I’m not going to explain every item unless there’s something of interest to say about it. Most days will just include a photograph of the items.

I really love this tunic but it’s too big for me and doesn’t look good.

I have had that belt for years because I love it. Unfortunately I’ve gained weight and it no longer fits.

Some of the items I get rid of will be donated and some will be sold. I hope to post my progress about every five days so it doesn’t get too overwhelming to photograph all the flotsam I’m jettisoning!

So if you want to start the new year with less clutter watch the video below and see if this game is for you.

My last post showed the basic set up for my December Daily for this year. I have been faithful in documenting the days although the beginning of December isn’t quite as exciting as the middle and end of the month will be. One thing I use to embellish my pages is altered paper clips. Here is how I make mine.

Basic paper clips

Get paper clips of any size or color. I get mine at the Dollar Tree. You can use clips that match the colors and size of your journal.

Box of scraps and Christmas ephemera

More scraps and ephemera

Get out some scrap papers and ephemera that match the style and colors of your December Daily pages. I have so much scrap Christmas paper and ephemera I could not possibly live long enough to use it all! I stopped with just two boxes for this project so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed with choices.

Cut paper into banner shapes

Measure the length of your paper clips and cut strips of decorative papers a little narrower. I like to cut my ends into a fishtail shape but you could leave them squared off or cut them in a triangular banner shape.

layer papers

On this clip I layered my papers after cutting them different lengths. On some other clips I just used one strip of paper. Thread them through the long side of the paper clip and glue all the pieces together. Be careful of the orientation of your clip making sure it will slide onto the page the direction you want it to go.

Add fibers

If you want to add fibers, trims or ribbons it’s best to staple them onto the banner before adding your ephemera. I do this to make sure my fibers are going to stay put.

These are all finished paper clips I made. I used a variety of ephemera, fibers, rhinestones, liquid pearls, charms and of course, glitter, to make each one unique. 

Clip on page

Here is one of my altered paper clips on a page in my December Daily. These embellishments are so easy to make and are a good way to use up some of your scraps. You can make them in any style and use them in all of your journal projects.

So get out your remnants and work on turning a humble paper clip into a little work of art!