Are you sentimentally attached to so many things, but have no space for the very things that you don’t want to part with? I can relate. I have an emotional connection towards a few things here and there, but as my son and husband bring more things into our living space that requires its own space, I’ve learned that I needed to become more clever at organizing and storing things away with the space that we have.  After scaling the pages of Pinterest, and finding so many ways to save space in our closets, on our shelves, and in our attic, I’ve learned and come to grips with letting go of a few things that are replaceable and finding other ways to preserve the things that are more sentimental to me.

Maybe you have a few of these similar things collecting dust in your space. Here are 4 easy ways that you can decorate with or preserve things that are sentimental to you.

1.  BABY CLOTHES – Oh man, I get it! I was literally feeling sad every single time I looked at Braylon’s old baby clothes in his closet. I decided I would keep them there forever. When it was time for me to guide him in finding something to wear, I got a joy from seeing his little clothes next to his current “big boy” clothes. After hearing him ask me several times, “when was I  going to take the other stuff out” I decided to move them into my closet instead. I wasn’t ready to let go just yet. When my daughter was born, I read a cool idea on Pinterest about turning your old baby clothes into a quilt. Well, I couldn’t do that, but I knew once again that I would not be able to part with her “first things”. Instead of looking like a mom that just can’t let go, I decided to store the clothes that both of my children wore home from the hospital in a shadow box.

Now, I can look at them every time that I walk through my hallway! Ha!

2.  OLD MAGAZINES OR BOOKS –  Are you still holding on to that old Ebony Magazine with the Obama family on it? Yep, I am too! What 20170830_125130_HDRabout that textbook from College Literature that you will never read again? Me again, place them in a basket in your family room, or on a bookshelf near a piece of art. You can stack them and place your jewelry box or makeup brush holder on top, or place them in the drawer of your guest bedroom. There are so many ways to style them into your space without losing its sentimental value.

3.  That OLD PAN, POT, or bowl that has been passed down for forever.  Maybe it belonged to your grandma. You know you can’t cook with it, and it definitely isn’t BPA free. Don’t throw that out just yet! You can use that old pan to make adorable crafts to display in your home or on a patio. DIY & Craft Blogger Vanessa Beaty, has dedicated a post to repurposing that old kitchenware.   I also have one old bowl in my kitchen that I just can’t seem to part with. Over the past 5 or so years I’ve had my son fill it with Halloween candy for Trick or Treaters. This year, I think I’ll let him and his sister add Halloween stickers to it.

4.  BROKEN OR MISSING PIECES OF JEWELRY – I have this small acrylic drawer on my closet shelf and it’s full of broken and missing pieces of faux jewelry.  Trying to figure out a way to hold on to its sentimental value, I stumbled upon a cool business that specializes in using stones and faux diamonds for customized home decorations.  I would advise that you use your real diamonds, pearls, silver, or gold pieces to decorate smaller items such as a lapel. You could even add one of your more expensive pieces to a handkerchief or an embroidery applique. About 12 years ago, my husband brought me my first pair of diamond and emerald studs. I’ve lost one, but I refuse to part with the other. Now that I have a daughter that also shares the same birthstone with me, I will one day repurpose that single earring into a pendant for a future necklace for her. This is also another way that you can repurpose your authentic broken or missing pieces of jewelry. Take them to a local trusted jeweler and have a new custom piece created. These items will not only have a sentimental value for you but can also become family heirlooms as well.

I hope that these tips have helped you or sparked a few ideas for your own special things! Please share ways that you repurpose or store your sentimental items?