I tried the cobwebbing method, and it helped me part with festive clutter in just one hour

How To
By published

Breaking my emotional bond with items has cleared so much space

Woman sitting on a sofa decluttering clothing
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

I spend a lot of time researching ways to declutter my home. If I'm going to get into tidying up clutter, I need a game plan. From the 'five-zone rule' to using a 'tidy tote', I've tried a variety of methods to clear items out. Tidy home, tidy mind, right?

But, then the festive period comes along and it all gets a bit chaotic. Suddenly, there's new things arriving in your home, decorations coming out of the loft, and nowhere to store it.

Luckily, there's a decluttering method that has left me ahead of the game for once – which is something I thought I'd never get to say in relation to the holidays. The 'cobwebbing method' has helped me finally let go of a lot of festive clutter in just an hour. Here's how it works.

How the cobwebbing method works

Woman picking up clothes on the bed with a green shirt in hand

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The 'cobwebbing method' isn't about finding crevices around your home that you haven't touched for so long that actual cobwebs have formed there. Although, I imagine we're all guilty of that.

No, the 'cobwebbing method' is actually about visualising emotional attachments we have to items around our home, forming a metaphorical cobweb to us and the things we own.

It's a term first coined by Bumble Sex and Relationship Expert, Dr Caroline West, referring to cutting ties to old relationships. And honestly, I have a lot of relationships with the clutter in my home.

A woman decluttering a corner of a room

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Take the casserole dish I keep in the back of my kitchen cupboard that doesn't have a lid anymore and is unbelievably worn out. I've had it since my late grandad gave it to me and I keep it as a symbolic piece rather than actually using it.

Or, the bridesmaid dress I wore to my dad's wedding when I was 13 that hasn't fit me in... Well, we don't need to get into that. Either way, I'm not wearing it again.

Yes, they remind me of things, but how does keeping these items in my home make any difference? I'd remember the events regardless. Well, that's where the 'cobwebbing method' asks you to consider breaking the ties.

As a sentimental person that holds onto a lot of things I don't really need, but have decided mean something (and sometimes forget what that was in the first place), this hack has really helped. And, I'm hoping it helps you, too.

I tried it, and here's what happened

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For me, the festive season felt like a good a time as any to try out the 'cobwebbing method', especially because a lot of the things I hold onto are for emotional reasons. Perfect or the hardest time to try it? I quickly found out.

As I sentimentally sifted through the decorations box looking for what to put on the tree and what to de-cobweb, I started remembering all the stories behind what I had. So, I tried something a little different.

Instead of holding onto my festive clutter, I broke my physical attachment to the objects and reconsidered whether I actually liked what I had or whether I was just holding onto it.

I figured out that since the only reason I was keeping certain things was that they brought back memories, I took a photo of the pieces of clutter that meant something to me instead. Then, I was free to let the object go.

I'd seriously recommend trying the 'cobwebbing method' if you're under the strain of a lot of clutter. Sometimes saying goodbye to emotions is actually perfectly okay, especially when they're locked into items you don't need anymore.

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Grace Dean
Grace Dean

Grace is a freelance journalist working across homes, lifestyle, gaming and entertainment. You'll find her writing for Tom's Guide, TechRadar, Space.com, and other sites. If she's not rearranging her furniture, decluttering her home, or relaxing in front of the latest streaming series, she'll be typing fervently about any of her much-loved hobbies and interests. To aid her writing, she loves to head down internet rabbit holes for an unprecedented amount of time.

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