I am the odd one out on tools as stash, I think! For me it depends on if I use them or not. If I pick up something because it’s a great deal (like an embossing folder) and it just sits in my embossing folder box and never gets chosen. And for instance, I inherited a bunch of knitting needles and I had a drawer of knitting needles for over a decade. I don’t knit and I never really wanted to learn, so that was stash. I donated it a few years ago, though, so hopefully they found a good home!
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I’m kind of with you on that @TheMistressT, tools are in a liminal space for me stash wise but I prefer to keep them pared down so I can find what I need quickly
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I agree - tools I don’t use and am unlikely to ever use are stash, but the things I do use aren’t stash. Like the cheap crochet hooks I tried & didn’t like, so I never used them? Those were just taking up room, so I’d consider them stash. 
(I did rehome them last year!)
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I guess for me niche and duplicate tools are stash (one function, used only occasionally like my pompom maker or my spare needle gauge). Sewing Scissors? Absolutely not.
The question then comes with things like my bone folder hoard: 3 different types with very subtly different uses and I’m eyeing a 4th (hmmmm… teflon…)
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Let’s overthink this, and divide it all into categories:
Durable Equipment that doesn’t get used up, but may need repair or replacement. Not stash, but can be over-accumulated.
–Electricals: sewing machines, 3D printer, glue gun, heat gun
–Hand tools: pliers, scissors, knitting needles, embroidery hoops
–Needles, pins, 3D hotends, drill bits
Stock supplies kept on hand; may be used for many projects, replenished as needed. Stash, but not guilt inducing.
–thread, interfacing, pattern paper
–3D filament
–paint, glue, tape
Materials that would get mostly used up in one or two projects (if ever). Full-on stash, overwhelming in volume.
–fabric, scrapbook paper
–beads, jewelry findings, buttons
–interesting boxes, miniature furniture and accessories
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I like those categorizations!
Add yarn to the materials for me…wooden birdhouses…I guess anything I have more than five of? Styrofoam balls…pillow forms…anything you don’t have to run out to the shop if you want to make it NOW?
I do tend to stock pile scissors and duplicates of my favorites even though they are guaranteed for life…
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Oh, I want a teflon folder too!
What about supplies that are just basic things to have on hand, but not tools, like adhesives and white thread? I call my sewing thread, embroidery floss, glues “stash” but I don’t at all think of them as a hoard, like I do my paper or fabric.
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Love this discussion. The more I get into knitting, the more tools I’m accumulating, and it’s becoming more apparent the needles I reach for way more often than others.
In my destash progress, I finished a large crochet project basket/bag from various scraps of worsted+ yarn that I just had small balls left of. Cleaned up my scrap balls wonderfully! And now I have a bag that I can use when I’m working on something larger like a sweater.
I thought the colors were so ugly together, but the longer I look at it the more it grows on me lol .
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I think it came out great Em!
It’s gorgeous. I don’t need any more baskets but I’m finding it SO HARD to resist making some of these.
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Oh, I think it’s lovely! It’s the colors of a high elevation lake at midnight.
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I clearly had not overthought this enough 
I don’t actually have a ton of tools, so I never paid much attention to that category. I didn’t really have a lot of tools I didn’t use - I mean, I’ve got one pair of embroidery scissors that gets used nearly every day, one pair of fabric scissors, a zipper pouch full of sewing notions such as pins and a seam ripper that are in constant use.
But as of yesterday I have two die cutters and a LOT of dies and now I can certainly see how that kind of stuff can accumulate quickly. Mine came with a bunch of dies that the previous owners bought on clearance, got for their birthday from a well-meaning family member with no taste, dies they bought for a single project but that never served any other purpose, etc. I suppose this is why so many people recommended I get a digital machine instead of a die-cutter I’ve been looking for something to make simple shapes with, I’m going to play with those dies but I’m sure I’ll never use at least half of them. I think in a couple of months I’ll get rid of any that I haven’t used by then.
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I think the manual ones are great if you want to do a lot of the same thing and/or like collecting dies. I know you can also buy specific dies that coordinate with stamp sets so they’re popular with card makers. I have a Sizzix big shot and I think I’ve used it twice (if you lived closer I would have just give it to you :)). I always find uses for my electronic cutting machines - making window and wall decals, cutting vinyl numbers for our garbage cans, enlarging the opening on photo mats, cutting out fabric for masks, making my own stencils and templates (dollar store cutting mats are great for this), making stickers/decals for our laptops, etc.
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I’m making progress on destashing and am to the point where I wish someone would just come and take everything. If I were starting over now I think I’d probably only rebuy maybe 10% of what I have.
In addition to crafting supplies I’m mainly donating and weaving books and supplies that I’m selling, I also want to do a general house purge. We have so.much.stuff. and it’s a bit daunting. I’ve been waiting for when the mood sparks then grabbing a few things. I wonder if I should do the take everything out and make myself put back anything I want to keep method.
I feel like this is going to be a year long project.
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The Big Shot was also released as the “Sizzix Big Kick”, a Vintaj branded jewelry making tool. You can get folders that emboss or etch metal disks, that can be enameled and used as charms.
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The only thing with that method is the “it all gets much worse before it gets done and I’m exhausted so i’m tossing everything or sitting here crying*” aspect. Or alternatively the “living in the chaos for as long as it takes” aspect.
(*but maybe that’s me, your mileage may vary)
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Oh that would definitely be me. I don’t deal with chaos well so it would probably lead to a lot of stuff going.
I’m tired just thinking about it so that’s probably not the method I’ll take 
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I’ve mentioned her before, but Dana K White of “a slob comes clean” has the gentlest declutter method I’ve read and it really speaks to me.
I don’t really do podcasts, so I can’t speak for it, but I read her book and loved it.
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We decided to get some rugs to make it easier for our aging dog to move about. Putting them down required moving furniture, of course, and so it was also an opportunity to do a thorough cleaning of the floors - under everything, etc. I had to move a barristers cabinet that we keep lots of barware in. TheMisterT used to be a big beer nerd and has all these specific Belgian beer glasses, then wine glasses (white and red), coupes, sherry, etc. A lot of freaking glasses that I am going to insist we use - even if it’s for the “wrong” libation. BUT we did purge some things out of there while I had it all set on a table so I could move the cabinet. WOO!
In terms of craft stash, I have dug into my fabrics lately and my papers for a few projects. I have been reinvigorated to look to the stashes for inspo rather than seeing if what I have will work for what I want to make more often than not.
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I’ve been trying to focus on my fabric stash lately, because it’s really gotten out of hand. I’m in a smaller living space, so currently I have 3 bins full + little bags and scraps here and there, and I’d like to get down to 2 bins total. So my first full stash buster project was to replace a warming face mask that I had bought from the store a while back. It worked nice, but it’s made of plastic, and my cat bit it, causing the liquid on the inside to leak out and smell funny. I did try patching the hole with duct tape, but that just ended up shrinking in the microwave. Here’s the replacement that I used with old fabric, plus some bias tape that’s been in my stash forever:
The elastic was from the old mask; it was still in good shape, so I pulled out the stitches and kept it.
It’s filled with jasmine rice, so it smells much nicer, although I did stuff it a bit too full. That can always be fixed, though. I’ve already tested it out and it works great!
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