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Every Room Has a Story: Closet Edition

August 21, 2024

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! 

A long red wool coat with large silver buttons

 
 
What's your "red coat," that item in your closet you just can't part with even if you'll never wear it again?

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 closet 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.

 

 
True story: One of our co-founder's daughters recently created a memory box for school. She promises to Artifct first whatever goes into it. Will she? Time will tell. She already has more than 100 Artifcts, so there’s hope.

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.  
Procrastination kills memories. - Matt Paxton, TV host, author, public speaker

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.

An Artifct with dresses

 
 
Here’s a great example from our cofounder Ellen. She did keep a couple dresses that belonged to her daughter as a baby and a toddler. Notice we said a couple. But she also Artifcted them with pics of her daughter wearing the dresses to make it oh-so-easy to remember and share the why behind the dresses. CLICK THE IMAGE to view the Artifct.

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.

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Photos + Timelines Go Better Together

Love photos? You’re not alone! What’s not to love about the memories, smiles, and special firsts all frozen in time for a moment.  

With the ever-increasing ease of digital photography (hello smartphones!) we can capture all those moments and more. In fact, we capture a lot more. Worldwide, we take on average 5 BILLION photos a day, or approximately 57,000 photos per second. According to Photutorial, the average American alone takes 20 photos a day. 

What do you do with all the digital photos that accumulate at an ever-increasing speed?   

Do you post them to social media and wait for the comments and likes to roll in? (Our resident privacy expert recommends that you don't.) Or push them into whatever cloud or other storage device you prefer, and look back through them only for the occasional calendar, school project, or holiday card? Perhaps you send a few to lucky friends and family through one of those digital picture frames, like Aura 

We’d like to suggest a different approach—Artifct those special photos, the ones that capture something unique, memorable, or otherwise notable. What is more, when you Artifct them, they are automatically added to your Artifcts timeline, instantly creating a contextual history of all things you.  

Put Photo Timelines to Work for You! 

As you Artifct your photos, Artifcts creates your photo timeline automatically. Simply pick a photo, create a new Artifct, add a short story, a date (if known), save, and you’re done. Your Artifct will automatically be added to your timeline based on the date you entered.  

 

A snapshot in time of our co-founder Heather's photo timeline. 

Not sure of the date? We’ve got you covered. Your Artifct will be added to your timeline based on the date you created it; you can always go back later and edit should you remember the date or even the decade.  

Assuming you have created a few Artifcts already, you will find your timeline by  visiting your homepage  and choosing "My Artifcts." You'll see the timeline option marked with a yellow "New!" Want to view just your Artifcted photos on your timeline? Simply select Life's Moments > Photographs as the category while in timeline view and voilà! Your very own personal photo timeline. 

As you explore Artifcts timelines and think about your family photo history, test out the built-in timeline features, because you never know what may inspire you: 

  • Switch between annual and decade views. 
  • Flip your Artifcts from newest-to-oldest and oldest-to-newest. 
  • Drag and drop to move any Artifct to a different year. 
  • Add time period notes, per year, about key events, trips, or other firsts. 

Feeling overwhelmed with so many photos and not sure where to start? As part of Save Your Photos Month, we recommend you give yourself a goal. Pick a photo a day, or one a week. Spend five minutes creating and sharing the Artifcted photo with loved ones.  

We recommend you give yourself a goal. Pick a photo a day, or one a week...

Just think, if you Artifcted a photo a day for a month, you’d have 30 photos and stories that are preserved for generations to come. Bonus! You’d also have a timeline spanning 30 {days, weeks, months, years!}. All that context, and all those memories, safely documented to protect against all of life’s what ifs.  

Want to learn more? We have great  FAQs  about timelines and  a quick video  ready for you as well. 

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Our good friends and partners at The Photo Managers are once again hosting free virtual events all month long in honor of Save Your Photos Month. Click here to learn more and to register. 

© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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How to Artifct with Grandma and Grandpa

For many of us, summertime means time with extended family, maybe even “sleepaways” with Grandma and Grandpa. We should all be so lucky!

In the spirit of quality time together at any time of the year, we sat down this summer to interview a granddaughter-grandmother duo who have spent occasional Saturdays throughout the past couple of years Artifcting together. We wanted to learn why they took up Artifcting and any tips they have for other intergenerational pairs who plan to connect with each other through Artifcts.

In case you’re short on time, here was what they each wanted to be sure you knew: 

Granddaughter: I never spent time one on one with my grandma. We see each other a lot, she only lives 45 minutes away, but all of our gatherings involve my siblings and/or at least one of my parents, too. Plus, I was going away to college soon and knew I wouldn’t see her much for a while. 

Artifcts is easy to use, easy to share, which was critical. I knew my dad would love the Artifcts, too. He’s a big storyteller. The biggest surprise about Artifcting was that it totally changed how I think of my grandma, and I feel closer to her than ever.  

It was never a chore. I wanted to be with her. 

Grandma: No one can sit still these days, never mind exist without their cell phone.  

My granddaughter is funny and an artist, too. I’m always interested in what she’s doing. I didn’t think she was interested in my stories from the old days. But once I told her a story or two from living abroad in my 20s, she kept coming back to ask for more stories.  

It wasn’t my plan, but I started to give away items I had collected, too. Not just to her. I had her bring items to others because once I told the story, I knew who would enjoy it and would give it a good home. And you know what? Not once did they say to her that they didn’t want it. They loved the stories! 

You may also be interested in our ARTIcles by Artifcts about Swedish death cleaning

 
 
 
We're honored to participate once again in Grandparents Week - the largest online celebration and educational event for grandparents of its kind. Hosted by our partner, GrandparentsAcademy.com, this event showcases leading experts and resources for grandparents. Artifcts will be spotlighted in the GrandTech Showcase and delivering a walkthrough on how grandparents can use our solution to capture and share meaningful stories from their stuff.'

Tips for Artifcting with Your Grandparents

Above all else, don’t let the age difference get in the way. Fun fact: A 2006 study by researchers from Duke University and the University of Aarhus found that older respondents feel 20% younger than their actual age. So your grandparents may very well respond to you as though they are much younger than they are! 

But as far as true age goes, be mindful of how your respective ages might require a breath or two to (a) break down any awkwardness, (b) explain the purpose and process of Artifcts, and (c) find the right pace for your Artifcting together. Here are tips other grandchildren offered from their Artifcting experiences: 

1. Be ready. Create a few Artifcts for yourself before arriving.  

Use whatever device you plan to use when Artifcting with your grandma/grandpa to avoid any stress or delays in the process. (Artifcts note: We have a series of tips videos, too, if needed.) And if they want to Artifct on their own, share one of your unlimited Artifcts accounts with them and help them set it up.

Bring an Artifct That! Kit with you so you are not asking them for these supplies to support your Artifcting, and review our tips for taking photos of objects.

Also, if you know they plan to move or downsize, help them out by adding dimensions to their Artifcts, using helpful tags (e.g., #attic, #livingroom, #hallcloset), and filling in that ‘In the Future’ field too – does Grandpa want to sell this item, donate it, bequeath it?

2. Explain yourself! Share what Artifcts is, why you want to Artifct together, and how it will help them to share the memories and value behind all these objects with other family, friends, and potentially advisors (estate attorneys, insurance agents, wealth managers). 

3. Again, they may be older, but they were young once, too. One granddaughter said she felt like her grandma was a 20-year-old person in an 81-year-old body. Once they started to talk, the decades between them melted away. Talk with respect, listen with still greater respect, and remember they were your age once, too! 

4. Breaks are good for everyone. If you are creating Artifct after Artifct for grandma/grandpa, you’ll want a break. Eventually they will, too. It's hard to be “on” for so long and you’ll need to stretch your legs. Go for a walk, grab a coffee, or call it a day and come back again sometime soon. 

5. Hold those assumptions. Just because that portrait or vase has always been featured in a seemingly special location in their home doesn’t mean it’s what they value most. Start by asking about an object you are interested in. Then ask them to pick an item and see where it leads you both. 

6. Make sure they know you truly do want their stories. This is not homework. No one sent you. You are curious. Now, in reality, there may be details they aren’t comfortable sharing with you, and that’s okay. Avoid rushing them, embrace pauses, and let them take the lead. 

7. Ask first. Before you grab an object or take a picture, especially if they are in the picture, ask their permission so it’s clear this collaboration is on their own terms. Maybe they are more comfortable recording using their voice only instead of on video. Or maybe Grandma got all dolled up and is ready for her spotlight. Be respectful of their space and their person and ask first.  

8. Don’t argue. You may have heard the story told another way by your parents or another family member. Think of it as a difference of perspective. Record it faithfully. This may make for some fun conversation the next time the whole family is around the table as you parse through tall tales and family lore.

This is especially important if you are Artifcting with someone with any stage of cognitive decline. Let the conversation flow. Be an active, supportive listener, not a domineering guide. 

You may also be interested in these ARTIcles by Artifcts about dementia.

Tips for Artifcting with Your Grandkids

You didn’t think this was a one-way street, did you? Your grandkids may in fact have short attention spans and very narrow or different interests than your own. But this is your home, your life, so enjoy the element of surprise as you share never-before-heard stories that will capture their attention and imagination.

1. Gather a few objects in advance. If you have picked a few items you want to share, it will remove any hesitation to dive in once they arrive.  

2. Find a comfortable place. If you prefer to be in the living room, then guide them there from the get-go. Ideally your location has nice natural lighting so they can snap some nice pictures of the items and maybe even record you on video, too, if you’re game. 

3. Is anything off limits? Let them know if there are people or times of life you do not want to talk about. Conversely, if you want to talk about your parents, your career, your passion for {hobby}, let them know, and have photos, objects and other things on hand to guide the Artifcts conversation in that direction. 

4. Do you need any help with these objects? Perhaps you’ve decided to sell a collection, donate certain items, or pass keepsakes along to family members and friends. Make sure you note your intentions in each Artifcts’ ‘In the Future’ field. If your grandchild is of the appropriate age, maybe they can help get the ‘stuff’ where you want it to go next. If not, download your collection and choose the ‘Up Next Report’ to download and share with loved ones who can help you begin to downsize and/or declutter. 

5. Enjoy. Let them do the Artifcting, like your own very own biographer. That said, if you’d like to surprise loved ones with Artifcts after your grandchild has left, make sure they show you in the ins and outs of Artifcts so you feel comfortable Artifcting and sharing Artifcts from your own account and your own device.

Happy Artifcting!

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Meet Mercedes the Alpaca – She’ll Make You Smile

Hello Arti Community! 

It's Ellen here, co-founder of Artifcts. We emailed you all a few weeks ago when Heather and I first discovered Fracture and promised to reveal the rest of the story of our first experience printing photos to glass. More specifically, I shared that I had chosen a hilarious print for my first photo to glass purchase, and I hope this one does not disappoint.

I’ve never been a massive collector. Too much stuff stresses me out. (And it means more to dust!) 

But I’ve always been someone who likes to weave friends and family into my family’s home via artwork they’ve created, heirlooms I’ve inherited, or mementos from travels together. If those things include pops of color, even better. 

Well, about a month ago, a friend of mine who is on an epic 3-month RV road trip with her two dogs shared with me a story about Mercedes the alpaca. I was having a rough morning, so opening up her note to see Mercedes staring at me left me with no choice but to laugh. How could I not?

Photo: B Hardie.

Fast forward to wanting to choose that first photo on glass with Fracture and having a blank space on the wall in my master bathroom, I knew JUST the photo to choose. For anyone thinking it’s crazy to decorate a bathroom, I ask “Why?” How many times do you see in tv shows and movies characters standing in front of a bathroom mirror psyching themselves up for a big game or meeting? Any room in your house can be inspiring, even the bathroom.

And, really, look at Mercedes. She’s hilarious. And my friend’s story comparing herself to Mercedes makes this pic still funnier. I’ll see the pic, laugh, think of my friend, and prepare for my day. A triple win.

_______________

If you’ll indulge me just one more moment of your time, I want to share with you all that I’ll departing Artifcts at the end of this month. I’ll remain co-founder always and ardent Artifcter, too. But, as this is my final ARTIcles story for you all, I want to say thank you. Thank you for reading our blog, sharing your stories, and celebrating the growth of Artifcts with us. It’s been a joy to write for you, inspire you and be inspired by you, and swap Artifcts with you, too. (Never shared an Artifct with me? Please do! I’m @Egoody.)

I hope you find bursts of Mercedes-esque joy in your own lives every day. Let the ‘stuff’ you surround yourself with bring you happiness and connect you with all whom you love.

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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