In this episode of Organized and Productive, soon to be Organized and Cherish, Stephanie discusses what to do with holiday DIY projects that didn’t go as planned. Whether they’re half-finished or just not bringing joy anymore, Stephanie shares her practical and compassionate Scrap, Accept, Finish framework to help you move forward guilt-free.
You’ll learn how to let go of projects that aren’t serving you, embrace imperfection, and celebrate the satisfaction of completion—all while keeping your space and mind clutter-free.
Find all of the links mentioned in this episode at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/quicklinks
In This Episode, We Talk About:
- Why holiday DIY projects can start with excitement but often lead to stress and overwhelm.
- How the Scrap, Accept, Finish framework helps you make decisions about unfinished projects with clarity and compassion.
- Strategies to responsibly let go of DIY supplies, embrace “good enough,” or finally finish your projects.
Mentioned in This Episode:
- The Scrap, Accept, Finish framework for tackling unfinished DIY projects.
- Tips for donating, swapping, or repurposing unused craft supplies.Ideas for involving family or friends to turn unfinished projects into shared experiences.
- Past podcast episodes:
- “DIY or Outsource: When to Let Go or Tackle It Yourself.”
- “Acceptance and Letting Go with Colleen Blake Miller.”
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The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!
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Review Transcript:
Stephanie [00:00:00]:
Hey, friends. Welcome back to Organized and Productive, soon to be Organized and Cherish, the podcast. With me, Stephanie, also known as the Organized Flamingo, here to help you tackle the holidays and the rest of the year with less stress and more joy. And I mentioned the holidays because some of you, some of us, me included, we celebrate the holidays up until mid January or so. And, actually, the day that this podcast gets released, it is on January 6th, which is Epiphany, and sometimes the end of the holiday Christmas season. Fun fact, I'm at today is actually my birthday, January 6th. So, growing up, today was a holiday culturally for me. And so along the way, I've met so many people that said the exact same thing.
Stephanie [00:00:49]:
So what I decided to do when I started the Organist Flamingo is to really talk about the holidays as a season. Right? So we don't really count Halloween, although that is a holiday. Yes. Or that airy or that era of time or time frame. But we start the holiday season here around the beginning of November for the Thanksgiving holiday, for all of the different Christmas Hanukkah and everything you made to that you may be celebrating new years and then ending it with either epiphany or the day of the 3 kings, which is something that I celebrate. So I wanted to include that. So that's why I'm still talking about the holidays. This episode can be applied anytime during the year because we talk about the holidays, but today's topic is all about what to do with those DIY projects that you may have started during a season of life, like the holidays.
Stephanie [00:01:41]:
Like, we always get really excited and maybe a little too excited about DIY and all these, like, fun crafts, and then you don't finish them. So this episode will and can apply for any time during the year, but you will be hearing me talk a lot about the holidays just because that is typically when we do these DIY type of projects and we get excited about it. And then that is when we don't finish them. So that is the topic of today. Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with The Organized Flamingo. I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert. Ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you? Yeah? Well, then let's go. Now if you're anything like me or my clients, you you're probably have started or at least thought about, you know, your holiday a y project.
Stephanie [00:02:33]:
Right? Like, you thought about it, and then all of a sudden, you realized that you took on way too much and or started, actually, did start, but then just didn't have the patience, didn't have the time, and then you finished it because it just wasn't of interest for whatever reason. So it might be handmade gifts, decorations, or even organizing something special for a family gathering, something d I I mean, really DIYing that you did it yourself. Right? But these DIY projects have a sneaky way of becoming overwhelming because of what I just mentioned. Like, you just over buy or overly estimate your efforts and the time that it will take. So as we talk about the subject today, it's really more about what to do when you do start a project and then letting it go, how to let let it go healthy in a healthy way, and then some solutions I have for you as your pro organizing friend that will make you feel better about the decision to let it go because it's not easy accepting that you may have spent a lot of money and time and effort, and that guilt will disable that action of letting go. Like, it will just paralyze you into thinking that now you have to finish it. Now you have to be hard on yourself, and that is not the case. Okay? Because then when you add all of these projects and DIY efforts through the years, they start to accumulate and they collect dust and they clutter.
Stephanie [00:04:04]:
And they also don't let you move on from that moment in time to maybe start something new and make room for something you will finish. Okay. So that is the perspective we are coming at it today. We, I say we, because I do have a team that helps people do this, but, you know, me talking to you is a 1 on 1. And so that's kind of like the angle that I'm coming in. It's not about what I'm not making the decision over what you should stop doing, what is no longer worth DIY ing. That is not my goal here. This is today's episode is once you have determined that you are not going to finish it and now you don't know what to do, What would be the best case scenario? What would be something that maybe is a smarter way to donate, to let it go, and to not feel bad about it? So that is what we're talking about today.
Stephanie [00:04:54]:
First, let's talk about why holiday DIY projects can go from fun to frustrating. There was a recent survey that I read in. I always can, you know, get it a little upside down when I pronounce these. They found that 42% of people feel stressed during the holiday season because of the pressure to make everything perfect. And when you add a Pinterest inspired DIY project or 3 or 4 to your to do list, like DIYing your holiday cards, and the centerpieces, and the project for the school, whatever all the other ones that you may be adding to your plate, the stress multiplies. So, I see this all the time with clients and even in my my own life, like I mentioned, but we have these amazing intentions. Right? To save money by making gifts instead of buying them. We also do it to make something unique and meaningful, you know, for it to have purpose, to it to have some story behind it that you can tell your guests and your family when they arrive, or you just wanna channel your inner Martha Stewart, right, or your DIY your favorite DIYer person that you've seen.
Stephanie [00:06:06]:
Like, you just you have that in you a little bit. You want to explore that. You were inspired. You want to bring that out. But then what happens? We underestimate the time, the energy, or skill it takes to bring the vision to life, and then suddenly, instead of feeling accomplished, we're feeling overwhelmed, and half finished projects and supplies are all over the place. You just kind of left it half done. So here's where the scrapped, accept and finish thought process comes in. It's not new to me or to our space.
Stephanie [00:06:41]:
Okay? So you might have heard it said in different ways. It's like a scrapped accept and finish, but more you DIY it, you DIY then change your mind, you acknowledge it, and then you let it go. Right? It it's been set in different frameworks, but that, essentially, it's the let it go, accept it, you know, finish it. And it's a way to approach these projects with clarity and compassion. And if you are in the middle of a project and you're not sure and you're listening in the background, just know that this is very common to not feel bad about this happening that you're not the only one and it is very normal and very typical of humans to do this. So, first, let's talk about the scrap. So, this is about knowing when to let go of the project that no longer is serving us. So we are starting at this point.
Stephanie [00:07:30]:
We are starting at the point where if you were attracted to this episode, it's because you have a little bit of that, even if it's just an inkling that you may need to let it go, that it's time to let it go. Okay? So ask yourself, is this project bringing me joy? Is this bringing me the excitement it once did, or is it bringing me stress? So every time you think about it, every time you see it, is it stressing you out? Is it stressing you out that you haven't finished it, that you feel guilty? Like, it's bringing you more negative emotions than the positive. The next question would be something along the lines of, do I really have the time or resources to finish it? We have an episode podcast episode that is called, should you do is it worth DIY ing or outsourcing? So, basically, weighing in the pros and cons of both and making that that decision in an educated way. So it's called DIY ing or outsourcing it, and I'll put it in the show notes as well. One of the questions I ask in that episode of you is to answer for yourself is, do I really have the time or resources to finish it? Okay. I've started it. Great. It was I was in the moment.
Stephanie [00:08:44]:
I was at my local craft store, and I got carried away. I ordered all this stuff because I was in that season of life. I was smelling the holiday season. Right? I was so excited to finish this or to do this. And then now that we're here, do you truly have the time and or the resources to finish it now that the that season, that holiday season, that time of life has come and gone? And would you feel more relieved if I let it go? This is one of those questions you really need to be honest with yourself. Would you feel more relieved if it was not even in your hemisphere? Probably. Right? So here's an example. Last year, we had a client who had planned to hand knit scarves.
Stephanie [00:09:27]:
I think it was last year. 2 years ago. Excuse me. And And the reason I say 2 years ago is because we've talked about it this year, and now she's trying she goes, remember when? And so that's how the whole 2 years ago happened. But, anyway, they wanted to hand knit the scarves for all of their kids and grandchildren. So they have both and have step kids and everything. So she wanted to do, like, a whole family set of scarves for everyone now that they were starting to get a little bit older, and it would be really special and everybody would have, like, matching ones. And by around the middle of December, she had finished 1.
Stephanie [00:10:02]:
- I kid you not because we do seasonal organizing for her, and so we came around December and stuff. And I was asking her how did it go because we had made space the season right before that in the fall for this project she was taking on. And so I came in, and we noticed that the space we had created for that was not reflective of finished scarves. So she said, you know, I finished 1. And we talked about it, and then she realized she could gift the yarn and knitting pattern to one grandchild, like, one of her older ones who wanted to learn how to knit. And the other ones got just when she gave them something else, I think, with she ended up going matching scarves for everybody, and that was that. The point here is if you decide to scrap a project, think about ways to let it go responsibly.
Stephanie [00:10:56]:
And I think that's the part that made her feel so much better about, hey. I did have good intentions about this. You know, she learned how to do it with her mom and her grandma and her grandmother. And she she had a similar situation where they did make all of these matching scarves for all of their family members, and she wanted to continue that tradition. But times were different. And, also, she honestly didn't she liked the memory that it brought her, but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted to also do the same thing, and she didn't have the time. And it doesn't that that comes that comes into play a lot with memory making. When you remember something from the past that made you feel good and you want to replicate it, and it loses its luster along the way because the reason that was so special at that time was because that person who gifted you that or did that memory created that memory, that was part of their personality, part of their lifestyle, part of who they were.
Stephanie [00:11:50]:
And maybe they, you know, maybe it wasn't and maybe they it just, you know, it it worked itself out at the end and it was maybe they regret that they even did it. Right? But you have that memory, but that's like a very specific time in your life. And to recreate it, you also have to recreate the amount of time that it takes, the wish and the want to actually go do it and have all of the skill sets that came with that moment. Replicating moments is really, really hard and time consuming, and I'm not saying it's impossible, but when we try to do that instead of creating our own memories, like, our that this client did instead is, you know, is something that I just want you to think about because so she ended up creating something different. Right? They all still had the matching ones, so she has a picture of them all matching and we'll continue that tradition. And with the stuff that she did have left over, she was able to return a lot of it, but some of it she just wasn't able to because it had already been opened and and everything. And she just gave it to 1 somebody, like, one of her grandkids that did want to do it and wanted to see you know, wanted to test out if they they would do, like, knit and start their own journey. And that became a memory for that person.
Stephanie [00:13:00]:
So she created by not even thinking about it, she created a memory she did of her own with her one grandkid, but also created the memory of togetherness of everyone having the same thing for that holiday season without having to actually put in the time and effort that she really didn't have time or want to do by knitting all these. If you do decide to do this, then don't donate the materials to a local school, art studio, or charity, etcetera, etcetera. It will feel a little bit lighter, for most of you because it's more meaningful, you know, where it will go, or family member that would like to do it themselves and is showing interest in it. And there's also a different version of this. It's like what to do with all this stuff. You can host a craft supply swap with friends. So if you can't return a lot of your stuff, think about that. You just have every couple months or once a year a craft supply swap so that you can try another activity or DIY project that you may actually finish.
Stephanie [00:14:01]:
So you never know. You may not be you you you had good intentions in in getting into knitting. You didn't, but your friend is now introducing you to watercolor painting, and that may be your thing. So you also get to explore without spending that additional the additional resources. Right? So think about something like that, donating, exchanging, so that you can keep, you know, you don't feel like you lost complete, like, all that money and all the value and the stuff that you purchased because that is a stopping point for many of you, the guilt that you have over spending a lot of money on these supplies and that you want to make use of it. And I get that, but there comes a point in a in a time in your life where now it's just creating you're losing more money by stressing about it, by storing it, especially if you're you're paying extra storage to to store some of these materials. Some of your DIY projects are very large and costly and and, occupy a lot of space, you know, pottery and all those. And so some of you have those things and they're occupying time and you may be spending money on storing it.
Stephanie [00:15:06]:
And the more time that goes that that passes, some of this material will lose its original elasticity and the stickiness or, you know, whatever the material is, it will collect dust and it just won't be the same as it was once before. So think about that. You might actually be losing money by keeping it instead of actually saving, which is my which might be your intention, but it's backfiring on you. So once you do scrap the project, pun intended, then you're ready to accept. Right? This is all about embracing imperfection and making peace with what's good enough. We talk about this quite a bit on all of our podcast episodes. We have a few with some of our therapists that came as guest. Colleen Blake Miller last year, she talked a lot about acceptance.
Stephanie [00:15:57]:
So you'll want to check that out if that's something that you are having a hard time with. And if you need further assistance to definitely see a mental health professional that can help you get through that. But it's being okay with, you know what? It's okay. This was good enough. My effort was good enough. It is time to let it go and accept that and feel that. So maybe you had a vision for creating handmade ornaments for everyone in your family or sorority or neighbors in clubs, but you've only finished half of them. Instead of stressing, accept that done is better than perfect, wrap them up as they are, or make a fun family activity out of finish the finishing them all together, then let it go.
Stephanie [00:16:43]:
Remember that the holidays aren't about impressing people and really in as a whole DIY ing is not about that. They're about connecting with you doing it yourself and showcasing that work. A 2022 study from the American Psychological Association found that people value time with loved ones more than material gifts during the holidays. So let's lean into that. And I say that because that DIY journey for a lot of you in your craft areas, in your hobby areas is just about making memories, making memories for yourself. You want to make memories for other people. You want them to know how much they mean to you, how much the time spent together meant to you, and you want to create something for them that represents that. Is there a different way you can showcase that? Can you just tell them that with your words, with writing a note? Is there another way that is feasible and action inactionable that you will actually get done? Because what I've see a lot with these projects is that you will make them and you would didn't even tell the person that you had this idea or you started it.
Stephanie [00:17:56]:
So now not only do they not know how grateful and what you meant to them, and they don't even have the thing that that would have represented the feelings that you wanted to convey. Right? So let's say, in this case, we were talking about ornaments. You wanna make it create, like, an ornament that, you know, for everybody so that everybody knew that you did it. Not not so that everyone knew that you did it yourself, but because it it it just came from your heart and you wanted to showcase how much you meant to them and how much you wanted to make something for them instead of just doing something store bought. Maybe you're more eco friendly and you wanted to reuse all the stuff that you had and you want people to know that that's what you represent. Right? But if you didn't finish and they're just sitting there, those people don't even know that they mean something to you. Now you've created more of a mess, more of clutter, and it backfired. So why not find a way that you can accept that you could not finish it, that it's okay.
Stephanie [00:18:54]:
You're not a pro with this. Right? This isn't, like, your second career making these things. We're not talking about career DIYing. We're talking just DIYing, you and I who have 0 expertise or very little in the subject in doing this thing, accepting that it was not your journey this year, letting it go, leaning into that, and showcasing your love and appreciation in other ways. Now let's wrap this up with a bow. This will go 1 or 2 ways. The first is you will accept and let it go. We've talked about a few ideas of what you can be doing with this stuff.
Stephanie [00:19:33]:
You can sell it, you can donate it, you can gift it. Right? All the materials of your DIY project that you started could not finish. You will write a nice little note to the people that meant and that were meant to receive these items. And even maybe if you're relaxed enough with them, you can say, hey. You take a picture and say, hey. I really had good intentions with this. I was not able to finish it, but I want you to know that you mean a lot to me. You know? Happy holidays.
Stephanie [00:19:58]:
Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. Whatever, maybe. If you're not that close or you don't want to really be that open, just write them. Give them something completely different, which can be a card to send the the same sentiment or something very close to it. Okay? So but we've accepted, and we moved on. The other way is that you will be finishing the actual project, like, you are determined. Okay? This is not about quitting or giving up.
Stephanie [00:20:22]:
You are determined. And I hear you, so we are going to talk about a strategy for that. This is one of those projects that you really want to complete. Okay? So that's what I'm talking about. Not the ones that you've come to the conclusion that it's just it's not for you. The holidays now have passed, and even if you did finish it, it would make no sense it would not make any sense for you to to give it to them. If we are going to finish it, because we are talk we are trying to declutter here. We are trying to finish, wrap it up with the bow either way and move forward.
Stephanie [00:20:55]:
So if you're going to finish it, let's come up with a strategy. So break it down. If a project feels overwhelming, divide it into smaller steps. We have a whole podcast about that, podcast episode about that. For example, if you're making DIY gift baskets, let's say, focus on assembling 1 per day and see how many you need to do per day to accomplish your goal by the date that you need them by. It couldn't maybe you're just going to have to be a little bit late, and that's okay. Better to finish, get that done, get yourself through the finish line, and then not at all and have them collect dust, have zero value, and you feeling guilty about it for the next year. Another strategy is to time block.
Stephanie [00:21:34]:
You can dedicate 30 minutes, an hour, whatever that may be to the project and use time, that timer to stay focused. Some of you really love and some of you and some of me, included. We'd love Pomodoro method or the sprint method. So you just do 15 minutes sprints as many times as you can, and whatever you get done is whatever you get done. This is, a great strategy for the type of DIY projects where you don't have a specific number in hand. So you just want to get as many of them done. And then what you can do is instead of every every person in the family gets one of these items or your friend friend groups. Right? You can do maybe 1 per household.
Stephanie [00:22:12]:
So now you just get as many of them done and see how many you did get done or what you did get done and who can be the, you know, the recipient of these items and not worry so much about a specific number. Time blocking is great for those type of projects. You can also ask for help. You can invite a friend or family member to join you because, like we mentioned, it turns out that people like quality time. They like spending time with you. So this could be a really great learning opportunity for a loved one and spending time with someone like a friend or your kiddos and have them learn how to do this as well so that next year, maybe they can help you. So don't forget to celebrate when you finish, though. Regardless of which path you took to get to the finish line and have that clear counter space of the DIY project that you did not finish, like, you are going to get through the finish line here.
Stephanie [00:23:04]:
Either way, it's going to be clear and clean and tidy. We will get you there, but don't forget to celebrate when you do get to that place. Snap a photo, share it with a loved one, with me, with us, with your friend, you know, celebrate it, or just take a moment to admire your work, however you would like to celebrate, so that you can see how good it feels to finish something and to move on to the next holiday, to the next project, to the next thing with a clear conscience. Before we wrap up, though, I want to remind you of something really important, that the holidays are not a competition. It's not about how many crafts you complete or how Pinterest worthy your decorations are. It's about the memories you create and the love that you share. The projects are just a bonus. There was a question last week about DIY projects, so I'm bringing it here to the end of the episode if you made it this far.
Stephanie [00:24:04]:
Sarah from Denver asked us, how do you prioritize which DIY projects to finish when I have so many on my plate? And so, Sarah, that is such a good question. I know many of us could relate to that. So here's my take as a pro organizer to first think about which one will bring you the most impact or joy or satisfaction. Now, again, we're not talking about if you're going to be selling this. Okay. So this is not money related or, like, you're not doing this in a on a professional for your job or something. So in this case, it's really about the impact, the end game. Like, which one would is going to give you the most of that and then putting that as a priority.
Stephanie [00:24:44]:
Have a clear deadline or purpose with this item as well. Because if when you have a clear deadline, they can help you work backwards. Okay. Well, I need to finish this by the end of January, and if you're trying to make potted plants, DIY potting plants, and they are not going to bloom by the end of January, then that project does not belong in this equation. Right? So think about deadlines, when you need this by, what do you need it to look like, and make sure that it works with your deadline. Another example of that is the holiday projects. Right? If it has a Santa on it, and it says Merry Christmas, and, you know, it is now January 8th, I mean, I guess you can bring it to, you know, to fruition and finish it and then deliver it, but it's a little off, it's a little odd, So think about those things. So think about the deadline, and does it work with where you are right now? And then the third is something that I tell I I ask people and tell people to think about is, are you already halfway done and you just need a little push to finish? Like, is this just like a matter of well, like a marathon.
Stephanie [00:25:51]:
Right? Like, I'm a runner. And is this like you're on mile, you know, like, 18, 19, 20? But you're you're pretty close. I mean, it's closer than you were at the beginning. And you're you just need a little push or not just, but, like, that's what you need. Right? If you had someone to motivate you or some a a better playlist or if you just took a break for a minute and then continued the next day, could you get your mojo back? Awesome. So go on and go finish it. But if you are not if you barely started, the holidays have come and gone, we're on to, you know, Easter. You are now on some other, you know, spring break and these are holiday ornaments, well, then maybe it's just time to scrap it literally, figuratively, and then move on to the next and or recreate something that is more appropriate to that season of life.
Stephanie [00:26:44]:
Alright. I hope that helps, Sarah. Thanks for your question. Okay. Let's do a quick recap here. So if there's a project that is not worth your time, scrap it. If it's good enough, accept it. And if it's close to being done, finish it.
Stephanie [00:26:59]:
Like, if I were to just give you those 3, like, a 3 tips for this episode, that that's what it would be. Remember, I mean, you have permission to make this holiday season and the aftermath as easier as possible for yourself. Like, I want you to have that and not have the clutter be there to stop you from living your best life in this new year and new season of life. That being said, we will be back next week. Quick reminder, the episodes are continuing on, but the name of the of the podcast will be changing at the end of the month, around the end of the of January 2025 to Organizing Cherish. So just a heads up that our format will change not too much, but we will be talking more specifically about organizing tips and subject matters that align with people that are helping others organize. So your loved one, a caregiver, sandwich generation, the people that have inherited a lot of stuff. Those are the topics we will be, focusing on going forward, but all of them will be organizing and productivity and efficiency.
Stephanie [00:28:04]:
More more on the efficiency, more on the cherishing, having compassion, but making some movement so that you're not living in this cluttered world that now has accumulated because of the circumstance of combining households and having to inherit a lot of stuff or helping a loved one that just is not able to move on. So we're really focused on that. We will talk to you next week. Happy organizing. And, always, don't forget to check out our email newsletter. It goes out every Wednesday. It's free. I give you tips on there.
Stephanie [00:28:37]:
I give you extra stuff that, you may not have caught on Instagram or or any of the social media platforms here on the podcast. So, like, this the the email newsletter just gives you a very weekly via email recap of everything we've talked about during the week and if the special events that are coming up and everything like that. So until next week, until next time, happy organizing. Bye bye. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources, head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast.
Stephanie [00:29:19]:
Happy organizing.
