Reading time: 7 minutes 

You may be surprised, but in the world of tough ‘stuff’ to sort through, declutter, and organize, for many of us our closets top the list. Call it what you want, but we’ve learned that along with the many stories and memories those closets hold, closets can store a lot of trauma inside, too.  

Think about the bedroom closet alone. We pack in the past lives we lived in those clothes, past versions of ourselves that fit into those clothes, and cherished pieces and memento boxes that tie us to places or times we want to remember. Maybe we even stash and store the same for loved ones who have passed or kiddos we’ve raised. 

As you surely have guessed by now, in this edition of ARTIcles by Artifcts, we’re closing out our “Every Room Has a Story” series with a focus on your closets. 

Catch up on past editions in the series: Living Room |  Kids’ Rooms |  Bathroom | Kitchen

A Walk Back in Time: The Red Coat

More than 50 years ago, a young college student in Chicago met the man she was going to marry through mutual friends, as is so often the case. She had one of those personalities that exuded light and energy and attracted people to her. And if that weren’t enough, she boldly wore a brilliant red, full-length, heavy wool coat to counter the long and sometimes gray and dreary Chicago winters. Hard to miss! 

Fast forward to the present day.  

The woman’s husband and one of her grown daughters are in the former master bedroom on the second story of the family home. Even though the new master bedroom on the first floor has been in use for at least 10 years and boasts a beautiful custom closet and dressing area, the old walk-in master closet is still brimming with clothing, old suitcases, and more.  

Hemming and hawing over how to tackle this ‘stuff’ in preparation for a future downsizing move, the woman’s husband spots the red coat. “Oh, you have to take this to your mother.” 

With a quizzical look, the daughter grabs the coat and heads downstairs to her mother. 

“My red coat! Where did you find it?” the mom says, as though she just misplaced it yesterday, when in fact the daughter had never in her 40+ years of life seen the coat. And with good reason, too. The coat, clearly of high quality, had stains and moth holes that suggest it should be retired.  

“You know, I wore that coat when I was in college. Your dad could spot me across campus,” said the mother. “It was fun to be the ‘gal in the red coat.’” 

You see, that coat was a part of a moment in time when their love story was unfolding. It was as fresh in the woman’s mind as anything she’d worn since. She had no interest in downsizing this coat, even after decades of disuse. Despite its bulk and condition, it would be making the future move. 

Stories & Your Closet 

If you want to embrace feng sui concepts of harmony and balance, closets are an intuitive space to start, partly because closets are so prone to chaos. Closets often come with doors, too, allowing us to ignore the chaos for another day. Sorting like with like, using matching sets of hangers and storage boxes, arranging shoes in the same front facing fashion, and the like, are the simplest means to diminish the chaos. But if you truly want to declutter, never mind downsize, recognizing and honoring the stories within, we’d argue, is a critical second. 

1. The ‘Why’ of the Clothing We Keep.

We’re talking specifically about clothing you’ll never wear again. It’s one of our spring-cleaning themes and top targets for decluttering. You know it’s there, even if hidden, the clothing you should recycle or donate. We’re looking for: 

• • • Holes, tears, stains 
    • Faded fashions 
    • Ill-fitting pieces 
    • New, with tags, because you had a vision you never brought to fruition, or it simply got buried 
    • Single-purpose pieces (hello, bridesmaids dresses, costumes, and event and corporate swag) 

If you’re wrestling with the sentimental nature of a piece, Artifct that. You’ll feel better. 

Both of our cofounders have Artifcted old suits they wore in their government days. There’s a lot of memories in those suits and feelings of pride and accomplishment. You may know the feeling tied to a key garment and moment in your own life. Artifct that and then donate that to Dress for Success or a similar charity. Hot tip: If it’s a bridesmaid dress you’re thinking of donating, ask the bride before you donate, in case she harbors dreams of a vow renewal one day. We’re happy to save you the potential regret if you didn’t ask!

2. The ‘Why’ of Memento Boxes.

Now the existence and content of some of these keepsake boxes are open secrets, others not so much. But these keepsake boxes and memory boxes, no matter how cute, stylish or feng sui, are vulnerable to fire and flood as well as creatures that could find them munchable. In addition, the details behind what’s inside will easily fade from memory and more rapidly than you’d like to imagine.

If you care about what’s in your memento boxes, we implore you to Artifct that. And talk through the contents with them. Have a seat. Share, more than once. Let them know you better. We will never tell you these types of boxes, in moderation, have to go. In fact, we believe everyone deserves a purple bin, yours might just be another color or style.

3. The Why of the Bulky Closet “Clutter.”

Yes, clutter lives in closets, too. We STASH so much in those closets. Take a look and ask about the why behind your stashes.  

A recent closet we were in had stashes of: 

• • • Gifts to give “someday,”  
    • Unused frames in want of art or photos, 
    • Old, unused medical supplies, 
    • Brown paper bags of old tax documents and banking records, and 
    • A box of family heirlooms from a loved one who had passed away six years prior. 

The why of stashes often comes down to some form or procrastination. As Matt Paxton likes to say, “Procrastination kills memories.” Procrastination also creates chaos and kills the good intentions in the keeping. 

• • • Organize what you want to keep and label it, if that will help you remember it’s there so you can put it to good use. The reason professional organizers love clear bins is to keep the items visible. But if labels do the trick—or a combination of both—go for it! If you are helping someone with dementia to declutter and organize, clear bins and photos have other purposes. Check out this ARTIcles story for insights and tips! 
    • Artifct items from loved ones and share those Artifcted stories so others can enjoy. Plus, if you don’t want to keep it all, your Artifcts become the easy means to ask if others would like to keep the items. Win-win!  
    • Donate unused—and in some cases lightly used—medical supplies through Goodwill or other similar charitable organizations in your community. 
    • If those old documents are more than seven years old, you’ll generally be okay to shred them yourself or at a community shred event. If in doubt, ask your financial advisor. But do not hang onto these where they can do you no good and only create vulnerability if someone were to use the information they contain to access  resources they should not.  

A storage bin for documents organized with labeled file folders can be a better than nothing option, but is nearly as problematic as a brown paper bag. A digital vault, like Trustworthy, can organize important documents via files and images you upload in no time and ensure vital information is accessible to you, your loved ones, and any tax, legal, or other advisors you employ. Bonus: Digital resources can be accessed anytime, from anywhere and you can even receive smart notifications when renewals and updates are required.

4. Special Closet Clutter: Kid Stuff.

We’re talking about reducing kid clutter we’ve found in closets, which admittedly feels a bit like touching the third rail. But hear us out! Do you really need to wardrobe a future generation? How much of it will breakdown or decay before it can ever be used again? And, perhaps most importantly, do you remember why it’s so special? No? Great, out and onward it goes. Yes? You know what we’re going to say: Artifct That.

While sentiment and frugal tendencies can be at play, sometimes you find people are holding onto stuff that their GROWN adults have ASKED them to keep, because they don’t have the space or do not want to take the time or pay the expense to ship it to their homes. Hard no. If you are ready to lighten the load in your home, give your grown adult children a deadline to claim the items. Yes, “adulting” can be hard, but enabling grown adult children to behave, well, like children, doesn’t generally end well. If you can relate, you might want to read or re-read this inspiring guest ARTIcles story from a dad who shared the tough love he showed his adult children during his downsizing experience.

Many of us struggle to bring our habits, best intentions, or even creative brains into play to help us get the job "decluttering" job done. For others, the stories behind the stuff get in our way. But keep in mind as you go room by room that like any muscle, decluttering requires practice. And Articting is here to support you along the way. Object by object as you Artifct you can reflect on what it is, why you have it, and make a decision on what will happen to that object in the future. 

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reading time: 5 minutes 

Welcome to the fourth in our series of the stories of your living spaces: Your kitchen. Often the workhorse of our homes, the kitchen is also ground zero for family gatherings, traditions and oh-so-many memories and stories to go along with it all. Not to mention ALL that cabinet space, which too often ends up becoming the final resting place for long forgotten and seldom used gadgets, mugs, cookbooks, and more! 

What surprises are hidden behind your cabinet doors? What memories and stories are sitting untold? What ‘stuff’ is getting in your way of the job to be done: cooking! Let’s go! 

Catch up on past editions in the series: Living Room |  Kids’ Rooms |  Bathroom 

Cookbooks, Recipes & More 

Show me a kitchen without a cookbook and I’ll show you... a [insert company name] catalog. Yes, those designer kitchens in our favorite furniture store catalogs always LOOK nice, but our co-founder Heather is always left wondering, where are the cookbooks?  

Growing up, Heather’s mom was a fabulous cook. Heather still remembers sitting on the butcher block counters and doodling in the cookbooks as her mother baked. And we’re certain she’s not alone in her memories in the kitchen and those omnipresent cookbooks.  

Whether your cookbook collection is more accidental than intentional, one thing is for certain, kitchen cabinets and shelves are great for holding, hiding, and yes, collecting cookbooks! Your shelves are so accommodating, they do nothing to help you parse out the useful, the emotionally valuable, or the “it was a nice thought, but not happening” cookbooks.  

And let’s not forget about the recipes. Sometimes it’s not so much the cookbook as it is one of the recipes inside that triggers the memory.  

Feeling inspired? Ready to thin that collection? As you do, Artifct favorites on the spot! Really want to wow your family? Include a short audio story of WHY you love that particular cookbook or recipe. Better yet, include a short video of you making the recipe or providing instruction on how-to make the recipe.

Gadgets Galore 

Ah yes, kitchen gadgets. As lovers of all things kitchen related, our co-founders Heather and Ellen get it. Who doesn’t want the latest and greatest sure-to-revolutionize-your-dinner-routine gadget? Thankfully for them, space is at a premium in both households, which means that function usually always wins out and helps to keep extra gadgets at bay.  

That said, we know this is not the norm. Our members have shared with us stories of all those gadgets sometimes inherited, sometimes accumulated. We’ve heard firsthand how New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier end up with juice machines, bread machines, blenders, and the like tucked away in the back of our cabinets, taunting us and our half-hearted attempts. 

But then there are the #battletested kitchen gadgets that have stood the test of time and are woven into the fabric of your family stories around the recipes and holidays they served.

 A rolling pin that's been passed down for generations! @Grandmom Artifcted it. CLICK THE IMAGE to view the Artifct. 

For all those kitchen gadgets, whether old or new, loved or maybe forgotten, it’s time we take a hard look at them, too. Do they still work? Will you still use them? Perfect! Keep! If the answer is ‘no’ to either of those questions, consider donating or recycling but not before you Artifct them.  

Junk Drawers, Fridge Doors, and All Other Surfaces 

Hello elephant(s) in the room! We’re looking at you, junk drawer, fridge door, and all other available surfaces where clutter in our kitchens tends to accumulate. 

Barbara Hemphill, of the Productive Environment Institute coined the phrase, “clutter is postponed decisions.” So true! And somehow our kitchens enable us to postpone those decisions even further.  

Not today! Pick an area—your junk drawer, your fridge door, or flat surface—and take a hard look at what is there by spreading it out onto an open surface and then thoughtfully reviewing what belongs: 

• • • Seasonal items can easily be rotated out if you pause to take notice that they are still there, months later. We’re looking at you, hand towels!
    • Sentimental but unnecessary? Great, Artifct it and then recycle, rehome, or otherwise put it in its appropriate space.
    • Any lurking financial or business-related stuff, such as old receipts, invoices, and the like, could potentially be scanned and then shredded.
    • Got mementos overflowing, e.g., old matchbooks, magnets, ticket stubs, and other souvenirs? We bet there are some good stories behind those items to Artifct and share with family and friends. Maybe consider rehoming the actual item if it is no longer needed or used.

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reading time: 3 minutes 

Welcome to the third in our series of the stories of your living spaces: Your bathroom. The first room we visited was the living room. We went for gold, tackling what we think is the most difficult space first. You likely spend a lot of time there as do guests to your home, upping the pressure.

Then we stepped into the delightful chaos of kids' rooms. So many "core memories"—wink and a nod to all of you "Inside Out" fans—standing between you and a decluttered space. And we all know how much easier it is to find 'stuff' and how much more likely 'stuff' is to get used if it's not an energy zapping, overwhelming chaotic situation.

Today we’re moving on to the bathroom, which in turn we think is the simplest space to tackle. And our guest from this spring's Evenings with Artifcts, Zoë Kim of Raising Simple, agrees. The bathroom is the room most likely to have the least number of sentimental objects within, making it simpler to declutter. It’s also simpler to declutter because much of what you keep in there has an expiration date or is naturally used up!

Stories & Your Bathroom

Hear us out. We know that strictly speaking, bathrooms are about utility first and possibly refuge second, as in the cliche, “Found crying in the bathroom.” We also signal “refuge” when we install the finest shower heads and bathtubs our imaginations have invented to help us relax. Relaxation is surely a top reason for decorators to focus on creating calm in the bathroom. 

If you are seeking calm and relaxation, is it only about color schemes and relaxation potions? Let's talk about the overlooked “why” of the ‘stuff’ in your loo: Why we have the items we do, what they mean to us, why we keep them, and ultimately for some things, what we want others to know about them. 

1. Don’t be shocked, knickknacks live in the bathroom, too. Perfume bottles that are essentially empty, hair clips from an evening event a decade ago, and thingamabobbers with a singular use that you never actually took up (sort of like exercise equipment), such as facial rollers, hair irons, and miracle machines and patches that solve headaches and body aches. 

Sneaky sentimentality can be in play here, too. Did that scent remind you of a special time or person? Did you wear that hair clip with a particular dress on a particular evening? Will you use these again? Are these and items like them taking up an increasingly large volume of space you cannot afford? Does anyone know why these items are special to you? Snap a pic, take a selfie-style video, and Artifct that. Place it all in a box. Come back to it in 30 days. Can you let it go? 

Our co-founder Ellen surprised herself when she realized that of course she has a sentimental item stashed away in her bathroom, she sees it daily: A now 24-year-old makeup brush from Face Stockholm.  

“I was studying abroad in Sweden, and we loved going to Stockholm on weekends. Everything was sort of out-of-reach expensive for college students, so we mostly window shopped. We were in a make up shop, a lot like today’s Sephora empire, and I settled on buying just the brush. Crazy to think it’s still there; I see it daily, and it makes me smile."

2. Walls. They don’t have to be just for towels and cabinets. Do you include art on yours, humidity tolerant art, that is? It’s funny how a glimpse of something positive, art you love, a photo of a group of friends or scene from your childhood home, can help you take down that heart rate a notch.  

You could easily flip that on its head, too. A half-bath is a great place for a splash of humor on a wall in the form of art or a nicely arrayed collection. Distraction plus humor, why not?

All that said, if every time you look at that ‘stuff’ on the wall you feel annoyed – it's no longer your style, it’s fraying or warping, it was a hand-me-down you felt compelled to hang somewhere – take it down! Don’t let these feelings haunt you. If you truly feel guilty, Artifct That. It will do you good.

3. Function for the win. Above all else, obviously a bathroom is about function. If you have not made room for spare toilet paper, a drying rack big enough and tough enough for your day-to-day towels, swimsuits or whatever else you don’t want to get musty, tackle it first. Take the stress out for you and others that need to use that room.  

True story: A friend came to visit. The new washcloths laid out were a beautiful plush white like in a hotel. The friend was stressed out by the towels and avoided using them for fear of staining them with makeup. Think before you buy. Comfort first! 

4. Nature belongs here, too. The simplest way to bring in a bit of the feng sui advised natural components is to wrap string at the end of a bundle of eucalyptus and hang it from your showerhead. A pop of color and what many find to be a relaxing scent too. If the story you’ve created to encompass this space is relaxation, go for the eucalyptus.  

What stories will you uncover? Send them in to us at Editor@Artifcts.com or join the conversation on Instagram (@TheArtiLife) or Facebook (@Artifcts). We'd be delighted to hear from you!

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Check out other "Every Room Has a Story" ARTIcles by Artifcts:

Living Room

Kid's Room

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Two weeks ago, we kicked off a series of ARTIcles to challenge us all to consider why we have the items we do, what they mean to us, why we keep them, and ultimately for some things, what we want others to know about them as well. We started with one of the most-used rooms in a house, the living room! 

This week we’re taking a trip down the hall to tackle all things kids and babies in our kid’s room edition of our “Every Room Has a Story” series. No matter how young or old your child may be, chances are there are memories, treasures, and other, “We still have this?” finds lurking within the walls and corners of our young (or young at heart) one's spaces.  

Remember When? 

Kids rooms are often filled with mementos (or piles!) big and small that invoke a “remember when” sentiment. It could be any combination of well-loved but out-grown toys, clothing, art supplies, and the like. You can surely relate. Picture this: Dear Child is late for school and needs THAT t-shirt for school today. You run into your kid’s room to help look, searching first under the bed. What do you find instead? A painted skateboard that had been a sixth-grade art project. And you wonder: We still have this because...? 

Time is tricky, and what seems like yesterday, may in fact be years ago. And those memories? We think we are going to remember them always, but all too often the small but oh-so-significant details start to slip away. We keep those childhood mementos in hopes of triggering or recalling those memories, but let’s face it, our memories aren’t perfect, and the details get a little fuzzy along with the dust bunnies under the beds. 

Our co-founder Heather lives in the city, and since space is at a premium, she and her daughter take time each June to Artifct the art projects, photos, cards, and travel souvenirs they want to keep and display. They also spend time Artifcting the items that may not make the cut (and then recycle them). Being a newly minted teen, this is the first year Heather’s daughter is self-directing this Artifcting project. We'll let you know how it goes!

Click the icon to listen to Heather's daughter describe her Artifcting experience. 

Books, Books, and More Books 

Books may be one of the bulkier clutter culprits in any kid's room. The bookcases are always overflowing, and you find yourself tripping over piles of books when trying to vacuum. “How did we get so many books?” you wonder. Notice the word “get,” not “buy.” Library books count too, and easily add to the piles. 

Like adults, kids sometimes enjoy keeping books because they enjoy seeing what they have read. The books make up a visual checklist of how they’ve spent school vacations and rainy-day weekends. For parents, we love to think of books as inherently good and yet they can swiftly become a logistical nightmare meets Tetris challenge of epic proportions.  

This year, try a new approach. Does your kid have a dramatic side? Ask for a book review of all the books they no longer plan to read. Artifct those books and their own laugh-out-loud silly reviews. Pair this, as you should with any decluttering effort, with a clear goal. For example, our co-founder Heather plans to nudge her daughter to whittle down her collection to key favorites and the books she will read or re-read. That's it. Our other co-founder, Ellen, uses a different approach with her daughter as they declutter books and reads key passages of some of her daughter’s favorite books, creating one-of-a-kind Artifcts and lasting memories (while also gaining back a bit of space on the family bookshelf). 

Click the image to view the Artifct Ellen created for her daughter. 

Stuffed Animals, Lovies, and the Like 

What to do with stuffed animals is a favorite topic at Artifcts, so much so that we’ve even written a standalone piece on just that! I won’t rehash the entire ARTIcle here, but the bottom-line up front is the importance of capturing and preserving the memories before letting go. Stuffies have a place in our hearts for good reason, and sometimes it’s the memory that matters more than the battered, tattered, well-loved bunny collection.

Not all bunnies made the final cut. Click the image to view the Artifct. 

One More Thing...

...This is age agonistic advice: No matter how you declutter and organize those kids' rooms, set aside time to have fun, be a little goofy, and lean into the stories and memories of the space.  

Take a moment to ask your child(ren) about what those items mean to them, what memories they have for each item. Chances are their memories and their attachment to those items will be very different than our own. 

Remember too that decision fatigue is a real thing. Small doses work best no matter your age. 

And consider displaying—or what we’ve taken to calling “re-cluttering”—the items that bring them joy and/or create the most functional space. Find fun and age-appropriate storage solutions for the items that need to be put away, and for the items that may not be kept? Artifct that (or them!) and keep the memories while you make room for more age-appropriate ‘stuff.’  

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What stories and moments make up your kid's room? Send them in to us at Editor@Artifcts.com or join the conversation on Instagram (@TheArtiLife) or Facebook (@Artifcts). We'd be delighted to hear from you!

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reading time: 4 minutes 

Among our ARTIcles by Artifcts with enduring appeal, at least according to Google, is Show Me the Favorite Moment in Your Home. The premise was simple: Interior designers know that to be able to help their clients design and decorate their spaces, they need to understand what makes them tick. And invariably what we keep says a lot about what matters most to us. Now, if only 'stuff' could talk! 

We’re picking back up on the ‘favorite moment’ theme through a multi-series installment that will take us room-by-room—yes, including the closets and bathrooms—and challenge us to consider why we have the items we do, what they mean to us, why we keep them, and ultimately for some things, what we want others to know about them as well.  

Through this process, we hope you’ll take a fresh look at the items you are toting around with you in life that be elevated displayed anew (reclutter not declutter) if you love them and they’ve been hidden away or perhaps retired or rehomed (yes, that's the declutter part), and consider what’s next for your space so you enjoy being in it.

Stories & Your Living Room 

We’re starting this series in the living room. Arguably this is the most social space of your home, everyone transits through it. How do we make it us and make it welcoming?  

We are not going to talk feng sui specifically, but there is certainly something to be said for at least a cursory understanding of the concept and trying out any number of the amazing online guides available to help you. Feng sui is a concept of Chinese origin that literally means wind-water. In the context of our homes, it’s about how we arrange and fill our spaces to promote health, harmony, and balance.  

Let’s get right into the nitty-gritty of the stuff of your space, because, of course, we’re Artifcts.  

WHY THIS LIGHTING?

Bear with us, because just like our ARTIcles story about decluttering for dementia, here, too, we must start with a nod to lighting. Surely you’re not surprised to learn that we should not live like cave trolls. Studies show that “uplighting,” meaning lights pointing upward at the walls, can literally uplift moods. We’re no experts on “chi,” but if this appeals to you, look into it! 

From the perspective of letting you and your stories shine, lighting can also be an opportunity to introduce a splash of personality, creativity, and color via the fixture itself or shade. Artifcts co-founder Ellen Goodwin brought a custom splash of nature and color into her space with a shade she found on Etsy. Great conversation piece that’s also Artifcted! 

WHY THESE NATURAL OBJECTS?

Think about decorative rocks, plants, and other natural objects in your space. Don’t have any? Consider adding them in.

Rocks, minerals, and gemstones you’ve picked up on hikes and other travel adventures are a win-win: Memories meet decoration. But Artifct them! You’ll be surprised how fast you forget which came from where. 

Thinking back to lessons of feng sui, plants offer an element of air purification and research shows that pausing to care for them can give you a breath when you need one to de-stress from your day. Plants also “warm up” a cool space to welcome people in. 

Not up for keeping plants alive? Preserved green walls have become very popular for this reason and are another great Etsy find by Ellen, who is equally great at killing plants but loves the effect they have in a room. 

And don't forget wood in your space works, too, like shelves made locally from sustainably harvested trees!

WHY THIS "CLUTTER?"

Excuse me?! Not clutter, but decor. Okay, if it is all decor in your mind, prove it. Sweep through your living room this weekend, yank everything off its perch, and then purposefully re-clutter. Is that a word? We’re still not sure, but we’re going with it. 

We love this approach, because it’s like you are moving. You have to rearrange in your mind what you have, why you have it, and where you want it to live in your home. What amount is “too much” is entirely up to you. You must dust it and make room for it after all. 

If you want your decor to spark conversation, remind you of great stories, or maybe keep your loved ones closer to mind, then your objects on display should reflect those priorities! 

• • • Photographs you or a friend took, enlarged and framed. 
    • A memento or two from a trip. 
    • Books from favorite authors, maybe you even met them or know them. 
    • Boxes, vases, and other vessels that are heirlooms or perhaps simply great finds or investments that are functional and make you happy.

• • • Toys. No, not those that belong to a child. Think instead of a jar of colorful confetti, dominos in a bowl, a spinning top perched on the coasters. Introduce fun in your space and signal to those who may be feeling blue, uncomfortable, or stressed that you hope they can relax here. This tip is picked up from the book, “Joyful,” by Ingrid Fetell Lee.

What stories and moments make up your living room? Send them in to us at Editor@Artifcts.com or join the conversation on Instagram (@TheArtiLife) or Facebook (@Artifcts). We'd be delighted to hear from you!

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Graduation season is full of excitement and of the unknown. So much potential in those next steps. Before moving on, we’re diving into the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of graduation and how “kids” today are celebrating it, too. Take a moment to remember all your school day “firsts,” “lasts,” and “favorites.”

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE 

This is not just a descriptor for how we celebrate this milestone but the name of the more than century-old classic song played at graduation ceremonies. Sometimes also called “The Graduation March,” the song is actual one of five marches composed by Sir Edward Elgar, starting in 1901 and stretching out over a 30-year period.

If you’re eager for some modern music to boost your post-ceremony celebrations, we found an eclectic list of 24 tunes from Billboard that’s full of themes about growing up and making new memories. Here are the first five:

• • • Vitamin C, “Graduation (Friends Forever)” is a smart starter to the list for the "Easter egg" buried in the chorus… do you hear Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” floating through? 
    • Green Day, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”, to which one of the founders of Artifcts commented, “This is from when I was in school. Is it actually still popular?!” 
    • Queen, “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Listen close, we hope this for all our grads. 
    • Lizzo, "About Damn Time,” because we all need a little reassurance. 
    • OneRepublic, “Good Life” shares an important theme about the power in letting go.

GRADUATION CAPS 

Otherwise known as mortarboards, as in the flat board used by masons and bricklayers, thus representing the skill of a master worker. Maybe! Or maybe it was inspired by the shape of quads on the campuses of Oxford University, where many graduation customs are believed to have originated. Either way, before you walk out that door with your cap on, remember to wear the tassel to the right as you enter and move it to the left once all graduates have received their diplomas.

DIPLOMAS 

Have you ever heard them referred to as sheepskins? No, not us either. But somewhere apparently this is true as every graduation “facts” site will report and harkens back to when diplomas were made from sheepskin. Let’s be glad paper and printing industries have come such a long way.

WOMEN, YOU’RE SHINING 

Women are now more likely than men to graduate from college. A modern phenomenon and trend that’s strengthening. In 2022, 39% of women aged 25 and older had completed a bachelor’s degree or more as their highest level of educational attainment compared to 36.2% of men in the same age range, according to the US Census Bureau.

The ‘why’ of this trend is complicated. In an October 2021 Pew Research Center survey of Americans without a degree, men were more likely to say they just did not want to get a four-year degree and that they did not need one for their career aspirations, which is unsurprising given the continued dominance of men in many high-paying trade skills, including electrical, plumping, and construction, among others.

“The fact remains, that if we want more women in the board room, we need more women completing degrees beyond high school. Brava!” said Artifcts co-founder Ellen Goodwin.

ACT NOW: SORT THE STUFF, SAVE THE MEMORIES 

In mere days, your amazing graduation photos and videos, mementos, garb and more will be relegated to the land of memories. You’ll struggle to dig them up and share them. The details will slip away. What did that teacher say? Who was in that awesome picture with you as you tossed your cap? What did the design on your cap look like?  

Here’s your checklist for graduation stuff, but don’t forget to check out Artifcts School Days inspiration checklist, too (available here)!

• • • Certificate or diploma 
    • Graduation gown, cap, cords 
    • Announcement 
    • Awards 
    • Video and photos of the ceremony, with your parents and mentors, with your very best friends, of the post-ceremony party, etc. 
    • Capstone or thesis 
    • Portfolio items, prototypes 
    • Speech 
    • Press coverage, newspaper and online 
    • Book and people who inspired you 
    • Favorite study music and study places 
    • Pics of dorm room and off campus residences

We wish the graduates the very best in all their nexts and offer warm congratulations to the parents and mentors who helped them along their way.