Craft Gossip

The largest independent craft review site since 2007

Giveaway: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

by

tidying-up-2

This book has been on the bestseller list of Amazon for a while now, and we had even organized a giveaway last month.

You can see why it is so popular:

This #1 New York Times best-selling guide to decluttering your home from Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes readers step-by-step through her revolutionary KonMari Method for simplifying, organizing, and storing.

Do you think this is something that you would benefit you or someone you know?

We have one copy of this book to giveaway to one lucky CraftGossip reader.

Leave a comment, telling us why you want this book! Ends 3rd of May.

Open everywhere Amazon.com ships this book!

Read These Next

Comments

  1. I am changing the way I live by embracing minimalism in all things. I’ve been wanting to read this book for a long time.

  3. Who doesn’t want to have a tidy home? Would like to read this book and pass it on to others! Thanks!

  6. I definitely need this book. While I’m pretty good at avoiding new clutter, I still have difficulty getting rid of some of the old. Thanks for the giveaway!

  8. I’m number 54 on the waiting list for this book at the library! The sooner I get it, the sooner we can tidy up this joint!

  10. Oh good golly, if you could see my house! 8 kids! Seems every room and surface has a dumping ground. I need HELP!

  11. I will very soon be an empty nester so now is a perfect time for me to focus on my home and on the deculttering process. Thanks!

  12. I am so desperate for organizing solutions in my studio AND entire house. Would truly love a book like this to inspire and get tidy! Thanks for the chance!

  13. As I look around my household this morning and prepare to tidy up (again) I feel overwhelmed by the task at hand and think that there must be a painless way… I think this book would be helpful! Otherwise, I procrastinate and do as I am right now… Getting list in my iPad!!!! Lol

  14. My sister and I are working together to declutter our homes. This book could help two for the price of one; even better if the price is free!

  15. I need this book in my life. We are doing a house shake out this summer. A plan of action would be great!

  17. I need to tidy and declutter! This would be great to get me started!! Empty nest needs to be tidy!!

  18. With three kids under 5 years old (two of which are twins) I feel as if I am in a constant state of decluttering. I NEED a guide to help me figure out the chaos and bring serenity to this home!

  20. I woul like to have this book as a resource because managing a home with 3 adults, 2 special needs children and working full time is a challenge for me. I need help!

  22. I need this book because I am changing careers. I’ve been a teacher for 19 years. You may not know this but teachers collect stuff! Lots of stuff! The anxiety created by just thinking about how to cull this stuff is like being frozen in time and space. I want to be free of this stuff and do it without the guilt I am experiencing.

  28. My sewing room is usually tidy, most of the time. Oh but the rest of the house is seriously lacking. I need to tidy up!

  29. Wanting to figure out a system for our home so we can spend more time on our relationships and less on maintaining our stuff. I requested this book from our library and am 200 or so requests down on the list of holds!

  32. I could really use a book outlining the exact steps to take to declutter. When company is coming, there are a lot of drawers and cabinets that I stuff full to hide clutter. Unfortunately, the clutter stays there to this day!

  37. Our house has so much clutter that I just don’t know where to begin! I think this book would be a great help with that…now if I could just get everyone else in the family to read it too. 😉

  38. We are in the process of cluttering our house, I would love to have some advice on how to get it done without the overwhelming feeling I currently have.

  39. I love to learn how other cultures do things and I could really need some help decluttering

  42. I have always believed in “a place for everything & everthing in its place”- but sometimes there are no more places-I think the ideas in this book will help me find some!

  43. I have SO much ‘stuff’ that I’ve collected over the years and I’d love to eliminate some/most/all of it .. I just don’t know where to begin. I think this book could help and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to win it. Thanks for the chance Craft Gossip!

  45. I not only need this book to declutter my house but since my mother-in-law passed away in December I’ve been trying to declutter my father-in-law’s house too. Anything that would help would be greatly appreciated. After seeing the job that my in-laws’ house was going to be I am determined to reduce the clutter in my house too. Thanks so much for the chance to win this helpful gem!

  46. I have just bought a new home and would like to start from the beginning to be well organized.

  54. My life has become so chaotic, at least my definition of chaotic. I am late making payments, I miss meetings and my bank account is so low I am afraid to look at it. There are major repairs needed to the house but I can’t seem to find a way to get enough money because of late fees. I barely fit on my queen size bed that is full of unopened mail, unread journals and attempts to create organized piles (if such a thing exist). Even after opening mail I forget about what needs to be done. I have been looking at this book for over three weeks wondering if the information would help me out from underneath the chaos.

  55. Oh wow, would this ever help my poor daughter! She works 40 hours a week, raising 3 kids on her own PLUS has a home based baking business! Never enough time in a day, never enough space in the dressers, no time to fold the washed and dried clothes………she needs help ORGANIZING HER HOUSE..HER LIFE!

    Please consider this a plea for HELP!!

  56. Definitely need this book!! especially as clutter/hoarding has got worse over the last year and need to get on top of it. It would be very interesting to see how Marie Kondo helps with thiis.

  57. Nothing has worked for me so far. Two of my brothers visited and I suggested that they help. One of them said we would need a dumpster.

  58. As my youngest daughter is moving out this weekend learning how ad where to start would be fantastic!

  59. I’d love to win since I live in a small apartment… I have my craft stuff and my husband has tools, guitars, and a home office.

  60. The library has a long waiting list for this book. Sadly I don’t have the money to buy it. I woukd love to get this book. Get our 3 generations home tidy, wonderful and beautiful. I would then donate it so I could share the wisdom I hope to find within it.

  62. WitH three kids all in different activities, anything to help me save time in my home would be wonderful!

  63. I have been trying to declutter and am gradually making headway, but feel that I could learn so much more!

  64. I have several cluttered areas in my house, and I just can’t seem to organize them. I need help!

  65. I guess I am like everybody else – craft a lot and craft supply is everywhere. Nobody ever teaches us how to organize and keep our places clutter free. I need the book, asap! 🙂

  69. I’ve been a collector most of my life! Oh, who am I kidding, I’m a pack rat!! Help me change my wicked ways and pick me to win this book. I really need it!

  70. I would love to win this book cos I am an ardent crafter n a hoarder… My house is fully messed up n I need help organising my stuff…

  72. De cluttered home is my goal
    To revise and refresh my soul
    Now the kids have flown the coup
    No more hanging on to poop

  75. i moved to a smaller place and really need help making everything fit! I really need this book! Please and thank you 🙂

  76. Still trying to declutter & tidy up after 30+ years and five children! Downsized our home after moving, still very much in need of a source to get the tidy-declutter-simplify job done right. There’s so much living to do, simplifying would free up lots of time to enjoy, to volunteer & to relax.

  77. I need this book !! My house is a mess, for the last year i have not been able to keep up with my house due to my shoulder, i only had 2 ligaments attached to my shoulder and a massive (my drs. words ) tear in my muscle , I had rotator cuff surg. @ the beginning of march , and I am now on the long road to recovery physical therapy 2x@ week but I still cannot lift anything heavy (thats where the boys come in handy !) I NEED THAT BOOK, TRUST ME MY ENTIRE FAMILY WILL THANK YOU !

  78. Both of my parents whom I cared for have passed away, both of my children are off at college and starting new lives and my husband and I need to down size our lives. All the ‘stuff’ in my life needs to be organized and simplified. I NEED HELP PLEASE!!

  80. I really need this book because I am a craft packrat I collect craft stuff. I just see things that I think I can use and now I have a room full so yes this book would come in handy. Thanks for the giveaway. Have a great day.

  82. My family & I have made 5 moves since ’05, & though we have tried to purge w/ ea. move, I think we need some fresh input/psychology to the organizing task, so that we can REALLY achieve that calm & order in our home & belongings. The next move we make is to be our last, to the very best of our knowledge. What a blessing this resource would be, I feel. Thanks much for the giveaway! 🙂

  83. We just moved to a home half the size of our previous one. Need help continuing to downsize and keep our little house clutter-free.

  84. Need a little more peace in my life, surrounded by too much stuff sucking out my joy.

  85. Would like a copy of this book to not only help my household but those of my daughter’s and grandson’s as well

  87. I would like this book because I want to think differently about organizing and cleaning and ‘tidying up’ and I think think this book could help me! ????

  88. I want this book because i need to tidy up my place. I live in a really big house and seemed to never finish declutter and organize my stuff, i keep losing things. Hope this book can help. Thank’s for the chance to win..

  89. I just moved together with 4 friends and have to say we really need some help to organize our home! With 5 tv, 5 sofa, 5 dining table etc this place is quite a mess!

  90. Hi! There are a lot of reasons why I would like to have this book:
    -Last december I gave birth a wonderful baby girl and her room used to be our office and working space. I want her to have HER space.
    -My mother in law lives with us, so I can’t use the third bedroom as an office.
    -We moved (or at least all my house menage did) to another state in Mexico, but my husband’s work didn’t function as we thought, so we came back to our older house and we have a lot of things, and by “a lot” I mean A LOT!.
    -My husband and I would like to have a functional-minimalistic house.
    -I just want a beautiful HOME, where our family can really LIVE and flow, without feeling trapped.

  91. I would so love to have this. the hubby & I started out this year decluttering everything… including our 2 out buildings. 1 of which is done the other not. It seems as every time we clean a room or closet in 2 months time it looks bad again. need some help

  92. I am a bit of a “pack rat” and I married a “pack rat” so between the two of us, we have a lot of stuff! We need to cull, but where to start? This would be a great help!

  94. My sister just told me about this book; then I watched one of her clips. Marie is amazing and I would love to win this!! Thanks for the chance!!

  95. After looking thru all the comments so far, I doubt I would win this book, but I’m certainly not alone in my (our) need to declutter our home of 40 years. I was just diagnosed with sleep apnea, the reason I don’t get much done after surgery removing my broken leg. My DR. sais it wasn’t due to medications for the pain, but my inability to reach the deep restful sleep needed nightly. I’m hoping with treatment, I can get back to some organization projects in our home, as both of us are pack rats! Thanks for offering this book.

  96. I have been trying to declutter for years, but have a hard time fighting my packrat tendencies & can use all the help I can get.

  99. would love to win: I’ve been on the library’s waiting list for ages, still many folks in line ahead of me.

  103. Two primary school aged boys is why I want – no, need this book! (And a scattergun approach to trying new crafts might have something to do with it too!)

  104. Imagine wearing a blind fold, walk into a room and your foot slips from some randomness laying around or worse you stub your toe ….this is my life….every room in my home is so very lived in, I truly believe it is intervention time. Our family life is fast paced that my home is not the most organized and is filled with the excessive. Every year we participate in 2 community garage sales in attempt to declutter our home. We are tidy and clean but own one to many things…especially child items…there are accessories galore for little girls. Bottom line…I would love an opportunity to win a copy of this Life Changing Magic….does it come with a magic wand too?

  105. Help! All my “stuff” is weighing me down! Would definitely benefit from reading this book!

  106. I have a number of stashes in many different craft areas, so I would like to see if this book can help my organize and minimize their clutter-piles.

Have you read?

How to Rip Out Cross Stitch Mistakes

I’ve recently been doing more embroidery than usual, and while I do tend to be rather intuitive when I stitch rather than planning it out too much or caring if all the stitches are perfect, there was a particular section that I felt the need to rip out. Twice.

In cross stitch as well as embroidery, there may come a time when you need to rip out a few stitches or a big section of a project. Maybe you put a stitch or a few where they didn’t belong, used the wrong color or just didn’t like the look of something once it was on the fabric.

What’s the best way to work back in cross stitch? As with most things, the answer is it depends.

But for a look at your options, I don’t think I’ve seen a better rundown than this post from Sirious Stitches. There’s a video in the post if you don’t want to read it all, but either way there are some great ideas and things to think about when you need to rip out stitches.

I think we’ve all stitched backwards from time to time when we put a stitch or two in the wrong place, but it’s helpful to know what the best solution is when you’ve got more ground to cover. Or uncover, in this case.

Personally I was a little afraid to use a seam ripper but I’m glad to see that’s a valid option if you’re careful.

The post also has good tips for cleaning up your project after you rip things out, since you might have some stray thread tails of fuzzy bits that need to be dealt with before you get back to stitching.

There’s lots of great stuff in there worth reading before you need it and keeping handy in case you need to remove a bunch of stitches from a project.

Have you ever ripped out a lot of cross stitch? I’d love to hear how you went about it.

[Photo: Sirious Stitches]