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Declutter Pens And Pencils {15 Minute Mission}

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Today's decluttering mission is to declutter pencils and pens.


You can do this mission as part of the larger organizational challenge to organize your home office.

Home Office Organization Challenge
Obviously, don't get rid of the pencils and pens you own, but I know I'm a bit of a pen collector, and I often accumulate too many.

Get rid of any that don't work, or have run out of ink, or if, referring to pencils, they're too beat up, chewed up, or short as to not be useful anymore.

Start at your desk in your home office, but expand your search to anywhere in your home where you keep some of these writing instruments.

Also, I tend to accumulate pens in my purse, so I periodically have to take out a few so it's not ridiculous in there. You know your own spot that has way too many pens.

Take the time while you're decluttering to also put pens or pencils in spots that you always seem to need one, but for some reason there aren't any.

Prime example, make sure you've got one near the phone, next to a small pad of paper, so everyone can take a message if necessary!

Tell me in the comments how many you decluttered, where you never can find one in your home, but wish you kept a few, and/or where you tend to accumulate way too many of them.

Below you can see some pictures from other readers who've already taken this challenge, showing both the pens and pencils they decluttered and also how they organized the pens and pencils they had left.

Photo courtesy of Jess Pac

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Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to home office and technology clutter.

Results From This Declutter 365 Mission From Readers

How to declutter pens and pencils around your home, with lots of pictures from readers who've already done this #Declutter365 mission {on Home Storage Solutions 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

Lots of readers have done this quick mission and sent in photos of their results. Above a reader, Kelly, sent in a collage of before and after shots. She explained, "I tossed loads of pens that no longer work and organized the rest. Wow! It took a while, and a think that I need to avoid office supply stores."

Before and after when a reader, Regina, did the declutter pens and pencils 15 minute mission on Home Storage Solutions 101


Regina sent in the photo above, showing her before and after results, saying, "It's the little things. Thank you Taylor for giving us these 15 minute missions. I set my timer and voila. 😍 This makes me happy since it gets to be a mess after the kids dig around."

Before and after when a reader, Brandy, did the declutter pens and pencils 15 minute mission as part of the #Declutter365 missions on Home Storage Solutions 101


Above is the before and after results Brandy got when she did this mission!

Big box of pens and pencil clutter that Windy will be getting out of her home while doing the #Declutter365 missions on Home Storage Solutions 101


This photo is from Windy, who said, "My office organizing is taking a long time but will be done well in the end. I have separated paper from other and now writing utensils from other office supplies. I know I decluttered pens and pencils about a year ago getting ready to move. How is it that after the move I have a 12"x"15"x8" box of writing utensils even after every reasonably placed pencil cup has a few of each needed item?"

Bag of pencils and pens to donate to the middle school from a reader, Holly, while she did the #Declutter365 missions on Home Storage Solutions 101


Finally, this last photo is from a reader, Holly, who said, "Pens, pencils and erasers going to a middle school."

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Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to home office and technology clutter.

Keep The Pencils & Pens You've Got Left Handy

Once you've gotten rid of all the writing implements that no longer work or the just excess amount if you had too many, make sure you think about where you'll put the rest.

Finding a pen or pencil when you need it may not seem like a big thing, and in the grand scheme of things it really isn't, but not worrying about it, wasting time searching, can just make you feel better.

And since it's really simple, why not?

The photo above was provided by a reader, Kylie, who said, "I have all my stuff and my daughter's all in one area. I did this for her the other day."

In addition, here's another photo submitted by Jackie, who explained she uses mason jars to organize pens and pencils on her son's desk.

holding pens and pencils in mason jars


There are lots of ways you can organize writing utensils around your home. For more ideas check out these 3 ideas for how to organize school supplies to help you keep them ready for use!

How to organize school supplies for home use


Want To Do More Decluttering Missions? Get Started With Declutter 365 Today!

Declutter 365 missions: 15 minute missions for your entire home

Once you declutter one type of item in your home I bet you'll want to declutter some more. After all, decluttering gives you a great reward for even a small investment of time and energy.

The Declutter 365 system is designed to help you declutter, over the course of a year, your entire house, with just 15 minutes of decluttering each day!

Hundreds of thousands of people use this proven system to get rid of their clutter, and bring peace and calm back to their homes.

Declutter 365 works to guide you to clear the clutter without overwhelm, focusing on just one small area at a time, and without making a huge mess in the process, so you see consistent forward progress without all that "messy middle" that makes it even harder to function in your home than before you started.

In addition to building a daily decluttering habit, the Declutter 365 program, along with the accompanying 52 Week Organized Home Challenge, teaches you the skills, habits, routines, and mindsets necessary to maintain the clutter free and organized state of your home from now on, so it'll never be as messy and cluttered as it is right now, ever again.

If you haven't already, make sure to get your copy of this year's Declutter 365 annual calendar here (it's FREE!), find today's date, and do 15 minutes of decluttering on the day's mission. Then, repeat again tomorrow, and again and again. Over the course of the next year, if you do this 15 minutes per day, you'll declutter your whole house!


Click here to take me to this year's Declutter 365 calendar



You might want to next declutter other home office supplies, using the instructions from this mission article.

How to declutter home office supplies


In addition, if you found a lot of markers and crayons, along with those pens and pencils, you might want to also do the mission to declutter kids' arts and craft supplies.

How to declutter kids craft supplies


Get rid of and declutter excess pens and pencils and similar home office supplies, as part of the Declutter 365 missions {on Home Storage Solutions 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

Bottom mission photo courtesy of a reader, Teresa

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Getting Clutter Free 15 Minutes At A Time Hall Of Fame

Getting Rid Of Home Office & Technology Clutter Hall Of Fame

Go From How To Declutter Pens And Pencils To Home Page

Comments for Keep The Pencils & Pens You've Got Left Handy

Click here to add your own comments

Where I never can find a pen!
by: Brenda

My purse is the one place I never have one!

sold some at a yard sale
by: Nikki

I did this a while back (throwing out the bad ones) I sold a pencil bag full of them in a yard sale for $1

don't forget to put some in these places
by: Ginger

1. I have two in each bathroom with a pad of paper next to the "thinking chair"

2. I have two by my bed with a pad of paper for those last minute thoughts before falling asleep and forgetting everything.

3. I have a few in kitchen for grocery list and my children running out the door asking for a pencil for school.

Donating pens to schools
by: Anonymous

When I worked in a high school library as a clerical aide I would bring in extra pens and pencils that had accumulated in our house and place in a container at the circulation desk. Amazingly the pens and pencils would disappear because students always needed a writing utensil. I felt like it was a good way to declutter my house and help others at the same time.

pens where you need them!
by: Susan

I put a pencil cup (from Target dollar spot) on my end table next to where I sit. I have diabetes and need to record my blood sugar numbers. Until I put cup on table I was walking around with blood on my finger looking for a pen! Point is, put them where you need them.

leftover pens
by: Melody

If you have a favorite restaurant, take your excess (working) pens to them. Servers are always in need of pens!

Second life for pens and pencils
by: Vicky

The public library is my go to place for excess working pens and pencils. Even little pencil stubs are welcome and given a second life.

Cleaned out Non-working Pens
by: Anonymous

Went through the desk drawer in my home office tonight and got rid of a drawerful of dried up pens. The working pens now fit neatly in the leather pencil cup my son made me, and the pencils & gel pens fit neatly in my desk drawer again. Now when I need a pen to jot down notes from a call, I don’t have to scribble with a bunch to find one that works.

I did it on my own!
by: Mary

I did not see this post until today. I decluttered my pens/pencils one month ago. It started because of a greeting card I wanted to send. I like to write them in blue ink (or sometimes in fun colors!) I then began picking up pens and scribbling, to see what color ink they have. Not all are obvious! I decided to sort!

I sorted by color: black, blue, other colors.
Pencils: regular, mechanical, colored.
I tossed out many dried up pens, and pencils that were in bad shape. (Wish I had a count, but they are long gone!)

I have several pencil holders that I put the sorted instruments in.

One handy holder has a blue ink, black ink and a pencil on my bedside table.

Now, I should go back and throw away any pencil that the eraser is worn down!!

Sunday School
by: Mary Anne

I'm a pen hoarder, collecting them mostly from professional conferences where exhibitors are happy to share their logo-marked pens! I periodically clean out my collection and give them to my church library. Sunday School teachers are often looking for their students - children, youth, and adults to write something down; and when they are finished, the pens don't always make it back to the library!

donate to school library
by: Anonymous

I had hundreds of pens, a lifetime collection. I gave them to a local school library. Kids forget or lose pens, and teachers have to buy their own.

Too many pens
by: Stella

I have too many pens in an ugly mug on my nightstand. I discovered most of them don't work!

picky about pens
by: Amanda

When I declutter my pens I also throw away the ones that I don't like the way they write, or feel when I hold it. I'm a little picky about my pens!!!

How to keep a pen in my purse.
by: Anonymous

My husband was forever asking to borrow a pen from my purse when we were out and about and then putting it back in his pocket. Now I have a few pink breast awareness pens I carry in my purse. Sweet husband always returns them to me.

Pens, etc
by: Rosie

I keep on my desk, near TV, in each bedroom
(only a pad and pen in the kitchen and bathroom for shopping list items)
1. two ballpoint pens, one with an adaptor top to scroll through my phone, etc.
2. a pair of scissors
3. highlighter
4. note pads

Bedside thoughts
by: Wendy

If I can't sleep and my mind is full of ideas I have a pen and notebook by my bed to declutter my thoughts. I make sure there is always a pen there.

Recycle rather than Toss
by: Deesselisa

Bic has a recycle program thru TerraCycle. However, they take all brands of pens, gluesticks, watercolor trays, etc. to recycle. On TerraCycle's website you can see if there is someone local you can take them to for recycling, or sometimes they can provide you with a prepaid label and you can mail them in. Oftentimes schools will be a recycling hub for them because they earn points they can cash in for funds for further school supplies etc. Our BSA Troop has started doing the same.

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