what to do with your “no” pile

So you’ve taken everything out of your closet, sorted, and now have this mountain of NO’s staring at you.

What do you do with things that no longer fit or *spark joy*? I almost always do one of the following before tossing it in the trash.

donate

Find a local donation center that accepts clothing and drop off your items as soon as possible. Don’t let them hang out at the back of your closet or in your trunk. You’ll feel lighter the moment they’re out of sight.

give to a friend

If and only if said friend wants whatever it is you’re giving away. You don’t want to be the person who dumps their garbage on someone else to deal with.

sell

Some brand name items that are still in great condition might sell online through services like Thredup and Poshmark, but keep in mind the amount of time you will have to invest in photographing, listing, managing, and shipping each item. Chances are, the sale price may not even be worth all that work.

repurpose

Old t-shirts can become the best cleaning rags or scraps from a patterned dress might go into a fun craft project. Look at your closet rejects in a different light and see if they can continue on in a new life.

alter for a better fit

Sometimes you can update an old favorite with a new hemline, so if you love it and sizing is the only issue, consider tweaking it to perfection.

repair

If you decide to repair/alter an item, just be sure you care enough about the original piece to actually fix it. There’s no point in holding onto a boring top for another year just because it needs a new button.

Hopefully this list preps you for your next closet clean out – no excuses! Once you get through the editing process and free yourself of unwanted clothing, try incorporating these 5 closet keeping tips!