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How to Organize and Declutter Family Keepsakes and Inherited Items

If you happen to be between the ages of 50 and 80, chances are clutter in the form of keepsakes has found its way into your home: It’s the stuff your kids have left behind, the stuff you have inherited, and the stuff you’ve personally accumulated over the last several decades.

Whether you are considering childhood memories or keepsakes that have been passed to you by a loved one, following these guidelines will help you to organize and declutter family keepsakes.  This post will also help you make decisions with confidence and simplify your home so that when you decide to downsize and/or move, it won’t be an overwhelming process.

1. Do you have family keepsakes you are only keeping out of guilt?

How we value our belongings is very personal. And the memories attached to an object are personal as well.  It is easy to hold onto items that do not have any personal value to us simply because we think that someone else would be disappointed if we let them go.

But if you think about it, why would your loved one want you to hold onto a family keepsake that you don’t really want? Letting them go to someone who will love and appreciate them is an honorable thing to do.

2. Don’t keep any family keepsakes that trigger negative memories.

When making a decision about a given family heirloom, pay attention to the way each item makes you feel.  If it sparks joy and a happy memory, then keep it; if it does nothing for you emotionally, or if it triggers any negative thoughts, by all means, let it go.  Why keep anything that brings us down or reminds us of something negative?

3. Just because your mother treasured a set of china does not mean you are obligated to treasure it as well.

Decide for yourself how each family heirloom makes YOU feel. If it does nothing for you, it is okay to let it go to a new owner who will treasure the china and give it the love it deserves just as your mother did.

The same goes for keepsakes that have meaningful memories attached to them for someone else but not for you. For example, your father’s golf trophy, just because he cherished that achievement and proudly displayed his 3-foot trophy, doesn’t mean you are required to keep it.

4. Find an honorable home for personal family photos and family keepsakes.

If you have too many vintage family photos and other antiques from past generations, choose the ones you want to keep and offer the others to any family members who might be interested in having them, then call your local historical society or a local museum to see if they want what is left.

Museums appreciate these items, and what better way to honor family heirlooms than to proudly display them for others to see?

5. Declutter family keepsakes last.

Sentimental Keepsakes are the most difficult category to make decisions about, and they also trigger the most emotion, so if you have a large amount of decluttering to do, hold off on these items until the end.

When you’re ready, be sure to start at the beginning of the day when you have the emotional and physical energy to go through them and make decisions. This will allow you to give yourself time to walk down memory lane, without getting frustrated.

6. Consider only keeping a sampling of your loved one’s collection.

Rather than keeping an entire set of your grandmother’s dishes, consider keeping one place setting and let the rest go. If your mother made multitudes of beautiful quilts, choose a few of your favorite ones and gift the rest to others so that they can enjoy them.

A sampling of a given keepsake collection will bring you just as much joy as the whole set.  It will also allow you to honor the memory of your loved one without taking up too much storage space.

7. Keep in mind that we hold special memories in our hearts, not just in material objects.

You don’t have to turn your home into a shrine of the past in order to hold onto or honor the memories of a loved one.  Material objects will never measure up to the memories that we have in our hearts, so it is okay to be selective about what to keep.

8. Set tangible limits for yourself.

If family heirlooms are taking up too much room in your home, reduce your load by setting parameters for what is an acceptable amount to keep. For example: Choose 1 or 2 plastic totes, and tell yourself that you are going to stay within that limit.

As you sift through it all, place only the most cherished items into the bins, and when the bins are full, be willing to let the rest go.  You can also take photos of items before letting them go and place the photos into the bins with the rest of the keepsakes.

9. Consider displaying your family keepsakes.

If you have made a decision to keep something, consider displaying it in your home rather than leaving it stored away in a box.  After all, if they are worth keeping and you enjoy them, perhaps others should enjoy them too.

10. How to store family keepsakes.

As for the other items that you have decided to keep but not display, I recommend storing them in a sealed and labeled clear plastic tote that will protect them from water damage, dirt, and critters.  Photos can be stored in a linen photo storage container or an acid-free cardboard photo box.

Keepsakes and photos should be stored in a temperature-controlled, dry space.  Since you will not need to access them often, store them in deep storage. An out-of-the-way location, such as the very back of a closet or storage room, is perfect.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, deciding what to do with family keepsakes and inherited items doesn’t have to be a stressful, guilt-ridden process. Remember that your loved ones’ memories live on in your heart, not just in their belongings.

By setting boundaries, keeping only the items that truly spark joy, and letting go of the rest, you can honor your family’s legacy while maintaining a peaceful, clutter-free home.

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