Now that the Melbourne Cup festivities and winter are behind us, and the height of summer sunshine is approaching it is a perfect time to edit your hats and scarves.
So how do we decide what stays and what goes?
Revisit the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge to assist you in making decisions about these items.
Additionally, think about whether the item is fulfilling a necessary function.
If you have a hat that you can see through when you hold it up to the light whether that is a decorative feature or due to the weight and type of material, it needs to go. If it doesn’t provide sufficient protection from the sun, it isn’t fulfilling its purpose. I have a lot of spots and see a skin cancer annually for a checkup and she said the same should go for thin clothes as well as you can still damage your skin even though we think we are covering up.
If you have well-loved hats that are a bit thread bare or tattered, it is time to discard them as well.
What do I do with the keepers?
There are some good storage options for hats these days, including over the door and wall mounted hooks, storage bags and boxes, racks and specialty baseball cap racks.
You might like to add a coat stand to your entry – perfect for keeping your hat, coat and handbag. Just be sure to not overload it as it will look like a giant mannequin shadowing your front door!
An important thing to consider is maintaining the integrity of the shape of the hat and whether the fabric needs any special considerations.
Scarf organising options are nearly endless! From coathangers with curtain rings attached, to over the door hangers and old tin cans, you will find some creative ideas here. You can also purchase something like this from Kmart, or this from Ikea Australia.
What do I do with the ones that no longer have a purpose for me?
If your hats and scarves are in good condition, you could sell, swap or donate them. If they are well worn, have holes or stains etc. they probably just need to go in the bin.
- Sell or Swap:
o Swap with your friends or family
o Attend the Alternate Threads Clothes Swap in Canberra tomorrow (Saturday 18 November) where each attendee is asked to donate up to 10 items to add to the swap collection.
o Gumtree
o Facebook Marketplace
o Ebay
o Garage Sale
o Sell to a second-hand store such as Down Memory Lane in Fyshwick noting that they don’t accept everything so worth giving them a call to discuss in advance.
- Donate options:
o Heads Up Kippax (see additional information below).
o Charities and community organisations that support the homeless or people at risk.
o Charity shops such as the Salvos or Vinnies
o Green Shed (Mitchell or Mugga Lane)
Heads Up Kippax is a not-for-profit organisation run by trained volunteers that provide a service for ladies who have lost their hair from the effects of chemotherapy, alopecia or surgery.
They are always after hats in good condition including berets, turbans, newsboy caps, beanies, sleeping caps, sun hats, and silk and cotton scarves.
They also accept brooches, artificial flowers, necklaces and earrings – things that can act as embellishments for a bit of sparkle! They will also happily take cotton jersey fabric and knitting wool for some of their special projects, including sewing sleeping caps.
Heads Up Kippax is based in Holt, just up from the Kippax Shopping Centre. They are open Tuesday through Friday each week from 10am til 4pm and can be contacted on 02 6254 4403.
How did you go?
Feel free to share your successes, challenges and tips on our Facebook page.
Happy decluttering!
Melissa x