Organizing and Decluttering 10 years worth of Stationery
Gotta make space for more, you know
I’m no Marie Kondo, but since I became a hardcore stationery lover 10 years ago, I’ve accumulated quite the collection of things and always had the itch to organize and declutter my stash. After three years of consecutive stationery events (pen shows, creative expos, and stationery-themed travels), my studio, which I shared with my husband, had reached the point of no return. With the second half of 2025 packed with more exciting stationery adventures to look forward to, I’ve decided that it’s now or never to finally take stock of my stationery collection and give it a much-needed detail session.
Coincidentally, this side project of mine became a welcoming distraction at times when I’m fed up with doomscrolling or feeling weary about stressful world events. Although it may feel at times that cleaning and decluttering my stationery is a form of productive procrastination, I’m glad I am slowly reaching the finish line on this journey.
It all started with me getting fed up with piles of stationery that slowly surrounded my desk — I like to dump things into boxes or bags to “categorize” them and leave them for “later”…which of course never came. My deep dive into the stationery world started in 2014, when I started making “adult money” for my “childish hobby”. The obsession continues as I move to the United States for work, and created so many meaningful friendships and connections via the stationery community. I kept my collection tight and nimble since the first few years of my journey were quite nomadic. However, once I settled down into my forever home in Seattle in 2020, the collection exploded.
While I still have the desire for new stationery, I also know that there are treasures and items hidden deep inside my closet that I haven’t touched in years. This year, I wanted to be more intentional and “use my good stuff”, so the natural conclusion is for me to conduct a purge and only keep what brings me joy, and let go of the rest.
Making a plan
Set a time constraint: To ease into this stationery decluttering project, I graciously gave myself a two-month timeline. May and June are the two months I have to wind down from a busy first two quarters of the year (I went from Seoul to Taipei, then to Los Angeles, followed by Chicago, and finally Houston).
Determine declutter objectives: The broad goal I divulged to my husband (whose nagging kept me accountable) is that I will let go of at least 1/3 of my entire stationery collection. I also wanted to sell off some of my goods, reclaiming the monetary amount I spent on purchasing a new Nakaya pen back in late March (I’m pleading the fifth on the $ amount).
Creating a space for decluttering: To take stock of my existing collection, I knew I needed more space to spread out and display things. I set up an additional folding desk in my studio (alongside my work desk and my stationery desk) to be a holding space for organization.
Obtain containers for categorization: Upon initial inspection, I knew I needed more storage solutions for my growing collection of washi and PET tapes, as well as more mobile containers to store used notebooks and refills. I ended up getting portable containers with handles and holds just enough weight so that I’m not daunted when I need to move things around and dig through stashes in the future.
Getting my hands dirty
The actual decluttering process happened across a few weeks, typically on a Friday evening when I’m ready to take a break from work and dive into the weekend. If you’ve ever gone through a cleaning binge, you’ll know that the process always looks worse until it gets better. Therefore, Friday evenings worked out well because I feel at ease about having the weekend to clean up any mess. Usually, the first 20 minutes immediately transform your studio into a stationery war zone, but there’s nothing else you can do other than just power through it. I’m also aware of the fatigue I may run into, so I always focus on one category at a time, ensuring I don’t overwhelm myself in one go.
The first round of decluttering is easy. I prepared a 45-qt empty bin, and the objective is to throw in anything that I do not mind parting with. In this first phase, I already have an idea of many things that I’ve always wanted to sell, or items in plain view that I know I no longer use as much. This category ended up being most of my notebooks, leather bags and cases, full-bottled inks, and stationery accessories that are just taking up space in my drawers and shelves. I had to make quick decisions; things I’m decluttering at this stage shouldn’t take more than a few seconds to consider my attachment. I’m surprised that the bin filled up quickly, and all the items within are ready to find a new home.
Take stock of what I choose to surround me
A big part of this decluttering process is not just destashing, but also organizing and placing new items into their dedicated storage spot. This will allow me more visibility into things I own, as well as how to find them when I want to use them. As I sort through each category of things, I’m also able to pick out things I want to destash and toss them into the “Out of here” bin.
Here are a few of my favorite categories to organize:
Washi Tapes and PET tapes
My stationery journey begins not with pens or paper, but with washi tape. From the OG mt masking tapes, to artists-featured ROUND TOP, and eventually the trendy PET tape that’s popular these days, I’ve collected over 1000+ rolls of tape in my lifetime. The organizing process is a fun one. I try to organize by theme and type, while reminiscing on the stories of how I acquired them when I look through each and every individual roll.
I’m also not afraid to toss the ones I rarely use into the giveaway bin. After all, there is only so much notebook space for me to utilize these tapes. To improve the chances of me using my stash, I decided to move the tape drawers (purchased from Michaels) out of my deep closet and place them where they’re visible and easy to access. I consolidated my collection so that bulky PET tapes are stored in containers with handles, while lightweight and decorative washi tapes are ready at hand by my desk.
Sticker Sheets
Sticker sheets are my ride-or-die and my greatest vice. They are so affordable and are easy things to pick up whenever I visit a shop. The downside is that they are flimsy outside of their packaging and could easily accumulate or get lost. My huge collection keeps up with every new release by my favorite brands such as Mindwave, GAIA, Furukawashiko, and more.
I was lucky to score some last stock of the Recollections sticker sheet storage spiral ring binders. These are the perfect size to store a standard sticker sheet, and easy to flip through and find the pattern I want. I dug through all of my piles and consolidated my stickers. A huge destash came from this exercise, and I reluctantly let go of half-used sheets.
I had to give myself a firm talking to a few times to let go of things, especially since some of these half-used sheets have just been sitting on my desk for over a year.
Pens, Fountain Pens, and Inks
Thankfully, my fountain pen and ink collection are already quite organized, so there’s not much work I need to do with this collection outside of the initial purge. I proudly showcase my fountain pens and glass pens at the forefront of my desk. I consolidated my ink collection into three 12.9-QT bins, which I store on the floor in a cool corner (these are heavy boxes and can warp a shelf!)
My ballpoint and gel pen collection has always sat steadfast next to my desk on an IKEA rolling cart. I do admit that fountain pens have taken the limelight for the past two years, so I didn’t hesitate to destash some rarely used pens on this shelf.
Stamps and Inkpads
Wooden stamps are wildly popular in the Taiwanese stationery circle, and I couldn’t resist picking up a few whenever I visit home. My collection soon became brick-like, stacks of stamps that all hold their little stories. Again, my objective is to go through all of the stamps I own, reminding myself of their possibilities and keeping them at arm’s reach.
As for ink pads, it was hard to resist Shachihata’s reliable color options. However, a year ago, I downsized my full-size Shachihata ink pad collection into mini portable ones. I repurposed a stamp drawing into an ink drawer, making it easy to access the colors I want to use.
Postcards and Letter Sets
As an analog enthusiast, I’m also very into snail mail. However, I had to admit that I haven’t sent out more than 10 pieces of handwritten mail in the last year or so. I had accumulated quite a collection of postcards by a variety of artists, all waiting for their opportunity to shine.
This category was not spared from my downsizing efforts. I was ruthless in picking out duplicates and designs that I no longer feel as strongly about, and set them aside as a pile for the “Away” bin.
My final collection fits nicely into two storage bins, organized by artist, so I can easily find what I want when the whim to write hits.
TRAVELER’s notebook and PLOTTER
TRAVELER’S COMPANY and PLOTTER are my two favorite stationery brands so far (biased, you might say). I did accumulate quite a few things from releases over the past few years, and they finally are all curated in one place for me to reach for.
All of my PLOTTER Leather Binders are labeled inside their boxes and stored in a bin. Refills have their own separate bin, sorted by size. All of my filled TRAVELER’S notebook refills also sit nicely side by side in a 12.9-QT bin, with a desiccant packet placed for moisture control.
My TRAVELER’S notebook covers continue to be part of my desk decor, sitting nicely in an exposed bin right in front of me. Whenever I want to take a TRAVELER’S notebook on an outing, I get to choose its “outfit” for the day.
Every other little thing
The scary thing about stationery is that there’s a never-ending variety, and it overwhelms my studio in nooks and crannies. I decided to give myself some grace and not get into the minutiae of my collection. Some of those messes can be dealt with at a future timeline.
Finding a second home for my stationery
At the end of this process, I have managed to clear out almost three 45QT bins of things. Since I understand the value of these items and know that many things are still in great condition and will be loved by other stationery enthusiasts, I didn’t immediately consider Goodwill or other donations.
Thankfully, the most valuable bin of stationery goods is sold at a bulk price to someone adventurous in the community.
I then invited my local stationery friends to pick through the remaining bins, letting them have first dibs at things they might be interested in.
Finally, I packed the remaining items in my destash bin into “variety packs” that can jumpstart any newbie stationery’s journey into this world. I curated a fun balance of pens, tapes, postcards, notebooks, and more. Hilariously, each pack weighs around 2.5 ~ 3 lbs of solid stationery. These were snatched up within minutes once I posted them on Instagram.
The verdict
The whole process took me a full month, and I’m feeling lighter both physically and mentally. I no longer have bags and stray piles taking up space on the couch or by my feet, cluttering my motivation to write. More importantly, I can find specific pieces of tape or stamps when I’m inclined to use them in my journals.
The opportunity to look through all of my stationery induced fond memories of the trips and circumstances of how I acquired these items. I was smiling throughout the whole process, not once grimacing over the weight of my collection. After all, these stationery items were a huge part of my life’s journey, and I’m so happy to have enjoyed them through different phases of my interests. This exercise also made me more conscious of what I own, and I’m less tempted to add things to my shopping cart when new products drop in the stationery world.
Unfortunately, my studio will never have the minimalistic aesthetics that some stationery lovers aspire to have. I take comfort in accepting this partial chaos that’s part of my creative process. It’s like living with bits and pieces of each artist’s and creator’s soul, as they bounce off my own when I’m creating.
Now, to enjoy my stationery collection for the next 10 years!
I can so relate! 😆 Pro tip: Don't live in the same house for 40 years...if you do, your destashing and decluttering will take 9 months (so far 😉)!
Love your stationery collection and set up