The Pebble in her shoe

Photo by Alejandro Escamilla on Unsplash

Decluttering is a pebble in her shoe.

“I tried to declutter my bookshelf,” my friend said the other day, while we were having coffee.

“But it did not go very well. In the end, I put everything back on the shelves. The thing is, I do not know where to start and how to sort through it all. 

“The trick is to approach it systematically”  I replied.  “Let me break this down into five doable steps for you”.

“How to Declutter my Bookshelf in 5 easy steps.”

Step #1

Photo by Alejandro Escamilla on Unsplash

Set Up Your Work-Space Area

 

  • Get a couple of boxes. Label them “Donate” and “Recycle.”
  • Buy a roll of book cover paper that you like. See Step #5 as to why.
  •  Clear and create a work-space area around your bookshelf.
  •  Take a “before” photo of the bookshelf.

 Step #2

Photo credit: ¡arturii! on Visualhunt / CC BY-NC-SA

How to Sort and Group your Books

 

Taking each book from the shelf ask yourself:

  • Have I ever read this book? If not, why? And if I did, would I really be reading it again.
  • Would I classify this book as a favourite of mine?
  •  Would I ever refer back to this book?
  •  Does the subject matter still interest me?
  •  Are the contents relevant for today and could it still be put to good use?

     

    Video by Miguel Á. Padriñán from Pexels

    Your answers to these questions would determine where the book goes –

    • on the pile for books to go back onto the bookshelf or –
    • in the box for recycling or donating.

    • Oh and do remember to give each book a quick flip through. You never know what long-forgotten item previously used as a bookmark you may find between the pages of a book – e.g. a photo, a card or note…you absolutely do not want precious memorabilia ending up in the recycle or donation box.

       

      Step #3

      A Good Clean, Wipe Down or Paint


      Give each empty shelf a good clean and wipe down.

      If the bookshelf is painted, give it a fresh new coat of paint. Preferably white and if not then a neutral colour.

      If the shelves are adjustable, why not move one or two to a different height to create a different look.

      Image by congerdesign from Pixabay 

      Step #4

      Sort the Pile of Books

       

      I can almost hear you thinking – what, sort again? 

      Yeah! But wait there is more – trust me on this, you’ll be glad you did.

      While sorting the books into the following groups –

      • Colour
      • Size
      • Topic
      • Adult
      • Children

      – repeat the questions listed in Step #2.

      You will find yourself putting more books into the recycle or donation box.

      Image by ATDSPHOTO from Pixabay 

      Step #5

      The Book Is Judged By Its Cover

       

       

      • Remove book covers that have become tattered and torn before putting the books back on the shelf. A couple of uncovered books add texture and diversity to the appeal.
      • Remember the book cover paper mentioned in Step #1? Cover some of the books with this paper.
      • Investing in these changes add panache to your freshly styled bookshelf.

      Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash

      All Done and Dusted –

      Well, Not Exactly

      Styling your bookshelf

       

      Good job! You’ve made it to here.

      The next step would be to put the books you have decided to keep, back onto the shelves.

      Only this time the books will not be all standing upright, and we will add a few decorative items too.

      This is called styling your bookshelf.

      Bookshelves must draw the eye, create interest, look nice and be your inspiration.

      So keep a look out for our next blog “How to Style Your Bookshelf”.

      Image by Mystic Art Design from Pixabay