Is there a place for Minimalism in scrapbooking?

I'll tell you it absolutely feels very satisfying to me when I can use things up.

As I am organizing my crafting/art space and seeing so much unused material in a smaller space [gave my crafting room to my 1 year old] I too am thinking more of buying less product. I want to limit myself to designs I really love that match my aesthetics. I have come to realize that Kelly Purkey moreso circa 2015-2017, and Jamaica's design styles are my absolute favorites! So, I will buy anything from Jamaica as she never disappoints and will only purchase what I really love from KP. I believe I am phasing out of Ali Edwards and will only purchase what I really love from her brand after my subs are up--no FOMO. Sometime, minimizing is just as simple as sticking to your aesthetics and your most used items.

 
Yes, exactly. 

Such great stuff on here. The only thing I would add, is when I find something that works these days for a layout or in my Project Life, I just use it. No more "saving it for the perfect project". I'm using a ton of stuff up that way.

100% agree on buying stuff myself verses kits. I was an FJ subscriber for a couple of years. That really piled up. Now I check out her new releases, but only buy the products from the kit I know I will use.

Thanks for bumping the thread. Good ideas and reminders for all of us!

For me, it's yes and no.

Yes, to a smaller space. Switched to different type of storage, that holds the same amount of stuff but isn't as big or bulky and is also on wheels so it's movable.

No to scrapbook supplies. No minimalism here.
I don't buy expensive shoes, purses, clothes, fancy drinks/coffee, etc... Not a foodie.
Scrapbooking is my passion, my thing, my therapy, etc...
My splurge is scrapbook supplies. If I see something I like, I buy it (as long as my budget allows). There is always room for more scrapbook supplies.

I have a fairly decent sized stash, but definitely not too many... I am happy with the amount of supplies I have. When I first started scrapbooking I had almost no budget and no space, so I didn't buy a lot. Because I had such limited supplies, I often hoarded things for that "perfect" project and many times I never used them at all... the supplies became outdated, were no longer my style, or simply got old (e.g. rub-ons).

Now I have a large craft room (except for right now I don't temporarily) and comfortable budget so I am not restricted in that way, so I buy a lot more than I used to. I don't want to drown in supplies, but I found a "happy medium" for myself in-between overbuying (so that I don't use what I have) and underbuying (so that I don't hoard what I have because it is too precious).

Some tips I have/things I do:
1. Track your incoming/outgoing products. I did this for the entirety of 2019 for project life cards and intend to continue this year. Each month I tally cards in and out of my stash and keep a YTD running total with the ultimate goal being I use more than I buy. I am hesitant to pick up additional cards because I know it will hurt my tallies, especially grab bags. On the flip side, I love when I finish a spread and get to check off all the cards I used! It encourages me to use more cards than I would have otherwise.
2. Invest in products you use. I know what types of embellishments and papers I frequently reach for and make sure that before I purchase supplies it is a type I will use. Some things are super cute, but I know I won't use them--or I rarely use them and already have some--for example wood veneer, so I know not to buy it. In contrast, I use chipboard all the time, so I am happy to pick up a set if I really like it.
3. Minimize purchasing in sales or subscriptions. This is one that took me a long time to figure out. I know us scrapbookers love our sales and I was guilty like everyone else of buying up all the grab bags & black Friday deals. But then I realized, the stuff I get from these sales is the stuff that often just sits in my stash. I realized it's much better to just buy products at full price if it means I am going to actually use them... and i'm still getting a better value for my money that way. Sometimes I will take note of specific products that I want and go back and get them when on sale, but I rarely pick up grab bags anymore and when I do I usually regret it. I also cut all my subs except for Ali Edwards because I do actually use the majority of the products and enjoy the class content. For other companies I have found it's a much better deal for me to just pick products up if I like them.
4. Do stock up on basics. Another thing I learned is that there are certain "basics" you will always use, and that is what you should utilize sales for. These are things like albums, page protectors, white cardstock, adhesive, etc. When there are those black Friday sales and I just want to partake, I use it as an opportunity to buy the basics. The things I know I will use at some point, even if I don't need it right now. Of course, don't stock up on albums if you already have a ton, but if you know that you always grab 6x8 albums for random projects, it's not a bad thing to have a stash of a few of them in the closet.
5. Do invest in tools. If you have a larger budget but don't want too much "stuff" use your budget to invest in high quality tools instead. Buy that large format photo printer, a silhouette cameo, a typewriter. Make sure it's a tool you will use and you have room to store it in a way so that it's easily accessible.
6. Take the time to organize your supplies in a way that works for you. One problem I think a lot of people have is they store supplies in such a way that they don't know what they have so they forget to use things. I could write so many tips on how to organize supplies, but some main ones I have are: (1) come up with a system for your non-consumable supplies--for example, my stamps are labeled by brand & number and I have books where I stamp out each sentiment based on theme and then can easily locate the stamp I need; (2) keep your supplies out--I use a rolling cart and have lots of supplies on my desk, if things are stashed in drawers/cabinets you are less likely to use them; (3) limit your space for consumables--I use wooden boxes from ikea and allow myself 2 boxes for chipboard, 1 box for alpha stickers, etc. If I have too many to fit, I need to purge some before I can add the new ones in... I don't just get a new box.
7. Donate/purge as you go. Don't just go through your supplies once in a blue moon to purge, that takes forever and is an overwhelming task that you can procrastinate on... and then once accomplished you have a false sense of cleanliness and quickly fill up the space you made. Instead, purge supplies regularly as you scrap... flipping through your chipboards for something to fit your project and come across a sentiment you know you'll never use? Purge it, and keep scrapping. As new kits come in, I immediately put cards I don't want in my purge pile.

I could come up with many additional tips/thoughts from my experiences, but I feel like this post is long enough already! But one last thought--I think there is a big difference between a minimalist scrapbooking style and a minimalist scrapbooking stash. While they might correlate at times, you can be a scrapper that creates extremely embellished pages and still want a minimalist stash/supply organization. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and inspired to create when surrounded by your supplies... if you feel overwhelmed or stressed, it's probably time for a change!

Absolutely! I pared down my stash quite a bit before moving. I kept out only things I needed to work on current layouts and projects and the rest of my stuff went into a storage unit. I learned that the majority of the stuff that was in storage I really don't need and don't use. The crafting process was a lot more enjoyable without the weight of all the stuff everywhere that I normally need to look through to find what I want to use.

My shopping habits changed quite a bit since I realized this. I still have more stash I need to get rid of now that I'm all settled in my new place.

Here are 3 ways to use up supplies in a smaller way; make smaller scale albums, make greeting cards, or make ATC's www.wikihow.com/Make-Artist-Trading-Cards
I like ATC's, I meet with a group of women and swap cards, I also have swapped in on-line groups.
All these suggestions require smaller tools, smaller work space, smaller materials and uses up your scraps.

I love this thread! I need to go back through and read it completely as so many of your responses sing to me.

I have a dedicated scrapbooking room and I don’t have a budget however I sit in the camp of ‘I actually refuse to spend crazy money on supplies’.

When places like Ali Edwards have a sale on - I go wild and order all the chipboard at the discounted prices. I like them, can afford them full price, I just disagree with some of the prices that are placed on these items. So I don’t purchase them until I am prepared to part with what I think is a fair price, during a sale.

This also helps me keep my supplies to a minimum as I am not purchasing constantly.

I think there is absolutely a place for minimalism in scrapbooking. Keep your supplies to a minimum by keeping only what you love but use it too. Tomorrow many never come. Use those supplies that bring you joy in the present. Don’t hoard stuff because it’s too pretty.

I hold onto supplies for future projects but I try not to put supplies on a pedestal now. I am worthy of using those cute items. I deserve to play with them and not leave them to collect dust.