Thinking about packing it all up.....

You said your kids are teens, they should be able to figure out something to do without you sacrificing your space. Is there an alternate place you can set up a ping pong table, like a garage or a back covered patio? Ping pong tables do fold in half so I know a few people that have it in their garage or backyard. Also, the kids should not be making you feel bad for your hobby, especially if it's something you enjoy and do regularly.

If you don't have an alternate space to have a ping pong table, as a compromise, maybe you can figure out a different organization system or you just need to purge some stuff. If the amount of stuff you have is stifling your creativity (which is doesn't sound like it is) this might be a good time to let go of some things that you don't really use or know you may not use.

I feel like as mothers we sacrifice so much for our families and we don't feel like they are appreciative of the sacrifices we make on a daily basis. I'm trying really hard not to go off on a feminist rant about how misogynistic the world is and women are always getting the short end of the stick.

Anyway, maybe talk it over with your partner and see if they have any ideas how to solve this without you having to pack away your stuff and sacrifice some of your joy.

Hope what I said helps and good luck with your decision (I still stand firm that you shouldn't have to give up your space).

I had teenagers. I had a ping pong table. It didn’t take long for it to lose its novelty and is currently covered with scrapping supplies.

So…your mileage may vary 🤣

I vote that if you are going to pack up then you switch to digital for a little while. That's what I did. When Jeremy and I first moved together, we were 7 people in 900 sq ft. Not even a basement. I switched to digital for those years.

When we moved into our current house, 1250 sq feet with a finished basement, I took a little corner in my living room and returned to paper scrapping with a very small stash.

Now that my kids are out I have one bedroom for a craft space (I haven't officially used it yet for crafting) and one very small room as my home office. Digi was 4 years. Space in the living room was 4 years. Small office 3 years. And now two rooms. So it really seemed like as they were growing up and we expanded our living situation I was able to adapt. And nothing was permanent so don't do anything permanent.

But I was never willing to give up my hobbies. And I'm firmly on the no side of you having to give up yours.

I think your hobby is just as important as your kids having friends over. I'd look for options to downsize/destash, but I wouldn't give up my space or hobby.

If you are actively scrapbooking and using your supplies, then no, I would not give up my entire space. If there are some items you have not used in over a year (I am looking at you, embossing folders!), maybe those can go to storage to save a bit of space. But I wouldn't pack everything up. Access to my crafting supplies is important for my overall happiness, and my family knows and respects that. And you deserve your happy place too!

I would try looking at the kid's half of the basement and see if some furniture can move around or be replaced with something more suited for the size of the space first. Does it need more storage, more seating? Purchase them a mini fridge and load it with snacks. If their mouths are full, they can't complain about being cramped. Lots of options to look at before packing things up, lol!

And I wouldn't invest in a ping pong table unless I knew they would use it. I would purchase a set of paddles and a net that can be used on a dining room table first, to see if the interest for a real table is even there. Our air hockey table growing up was a great place to fold laundry! 😆

My first thought was to switch to digital, as jeremysgirl said. I switched from paper to digital scrapping in 2018, and now my scrapping supplies take up as much room as my laptop, and I can scrap anywhere and anytime. I love it!

If I were in your situation, I would want to make space for my teens to hang out too. It won't be long until they've moved out of home, and you will have all the space you want! But in the meantime, I think it's nice for them to have space for themselves and their friends, in your home - where you know they'll stay safe and out of trouble!

If you think you definitely want to stick with paper scrapping, I would look at different storage option that will make more room in the basement, but will allow you to still scrap when you want. 

Maybe one of them wants to move into the basement and give you their bedroom for your crafting space?

A couple more thoughts:

When I was growing up, my family had a ping pong table. After the initial fun of having something new, it never got used. Never. It just hogged space. I guarantee that a ping pong table won’t be used enough to justify the cost or space, and the same would probably be true of an air hockey table, or anything big with just one function.

I suggest that you consider getting some collapsible card tables and folding chairs, and offer a variety of table games for both small and large groups (my adult kids like Villainous, Dungeons & Dragons, and a few others). When the tables are not in use, they can be put away and the area will seem extra roomy.

Reorganizing, rearranging your craft area, and adding or switching to more vertical storage may seem as much work as downsizing, but you can do it in smaller chunks of time rather than doing the overwhelming “box up most of the stash for storage” plan, and you will probably be happier, even with a smaller space.

As you reorganize your craft area, start with the area closest to theirs, so that you can potentially give them a little more space sooner. They already have half of the basement, but the couches and video game area presumably take up a lot of the space. There should be a way to compromise and still give them a bit more of the basement without you being reduced to a tiny corner and a fraction of your stash. If you can add more vertical storage, you can hopefully take up only a third of the space, maybe even only a fourth of it, rather than half, without depriving you of your own fun. Go to Ikea if you have one in your area, and see if you can get some ideas on how to better arrange your space.

And honestly, if you give the kids a lot more space, there is also the possibility that they will just invite more friends, and then still complain that they don’t have enough space.