One of the common things I see when helping people downsize or de-clutter is the oversized piece(s) of memorabilia. Memorabilia is especially hard to part with because it brings back fond memories of an event or occasion.  It could have been a memorial board put together for grandpa’s funeral or even a good luck poster for a big tournament.

Whatever the case, the end result is that following the event the item ends up taking up way too much space and many times gets damaged along the way because it doesn’t have a proper place or way of being stored.

The best way I have found and my recommendation is to take a picture of the item(s).  This allows you to preserve the memory, yet at the same time not have to feel bad or guilty about the item being damaged or continually moved around to get it out of the way.  With digital cameras being so advanced and amazing, you can zoom in on the item(s) even enough to read the handwriting on them!

Once the memory has been preserved with a photograph, I have found it to be much easier (and often times a relief) for clients to let go of and dismantle the oversized memorabilia.  Many times there are still parts and pieces of the item(s) that can be kept, but now much easier to store.

So when you find yourself with an item(s) that presents an organizing challenge, stop and think if there is a more creative (and easier!) way to preserve the memory without the actual item. When you think about it, there are quite a few options out there!