Minimalist Homemaking: How to Actually Get Started

Minimalism can feel like a big, intimidating word.

Clean, airy kitchens, perfectly folded linen stacks, and homes that look like they belong in a magazine… it’s enough to make anyone hesitate. But here’s the truth: minimalism in homemaking isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention.

It’s not about getting rid of everything we love or living in a space so bare it echoes when we walk across the floor. It’s about creating space in our homes so life—and God—can move freely.

Less distraction, more margin.

Less clutter, more calm.

Less chaos, more connection.

Many of us dream about simpler homes but don’t know where to start.

We imagine we need a full weekend, a storage unit, and an industrial-sized trash bag to even make a dent. The reality? Minimalism doesn’t start with sweeping transformations—it starts with one small choice, one intentional step, and a mindset that our home is meant to serve our calling, not overwhelm us.

Let's put that part of the past and today, we are going to take a practical approach. We will focus on simple steps we can take today to create a home that supports our family, our faith, and our peace of mind. No perfection required, just presence.

Because here is the kicker: minimalist homemaking isn’t just about tidying—it’s about freeing our space and our hearts for what really matters. And that is worth celebrating!

Step 1: Pray About the Goal (Yes, Really!)

Before we even pick up a single sock or open a drawer, let’s pause. Let's take a breath. And let's pray.

Minimalism is not just about tidying—it’s about creating a home that supports our calling, our family, and our relationship with God.

And that starts with clarity about our goal and our family’s mission.

Here are some ways we can frame our prayer:

• Ask God what He wants our home to produce in us. Do we want more peace? Patience? Joy? Contentment? Maybe all of the above. Ask Him to help our home cultivate those qualities in our hearts.

• Ask what He wants it to produce in our family. How can this home nurture love, faith, gratitude, generosity, or obedience in our children and husband? What rhythms, spaces, and items support our family mission?

• Ask what our mission really looks like in practice. Every family’s mission is different:

  • If our mission is sharing the gospel through hospitality, maybe our home prioritizes open, welcoming spaces, comfortable seating, and practical dishes.

  • If our mission is nurturing creativity and learning, maybe books, art supplies, and homeschooling spaces take center stage.

  • If our mission is peaceful presence, maybe calm, clutter-free spaces matter more than “perfect” decor.

• Ask Him to reveal what’s unnecessary. What items, habits, or clutter are distracting us from living out our mission? What’s taking up space that could be better used for prayer, presence, or family connection?

• Ask for wisdom to steward what we have. Minimalism isn’t about discarding everything—it’s about making intentional decisions that glorify God and serve our household.

  
  

When we start with prayer and mission in mind, minimalism becomes more than a chore—it becomes a spiritual practice. Every item we keep or release becomes part of a larger story: a home designed to reflect God’s design, a space for His presence, and a rhythm that nurtures our family.

💡 Cheeky reminder:

“Before we move a single thing, let’s ask God, ‘How do You want this space to function for Your purposes?’ That question shapes every decision and turns minimalism from ‘cleaning up’ into faithful stewardship.”

Step 2: Pick a Space or Category

Now that our hearts and vision are aligned, it’s time to pick where we want to start.

When I began my minimalism journey, I started with the Marie Kondo method, which focuses on decluttering by category—all our clothes, all our books, all our kitchenware at once. It’s powerful because it helps us see everything we own in one category, making it easier to make intentional decisions.

But let’s be honest—categories can also feel huge, overwhelming, and time-consuming, especially when we are juggling kids, homeschooling, and household responsibilities. That’s why it’s okay to adapt the approach to what works for us.

We can choose:

• By space: a drawer, a shelf, a countertop—small, contained, and achievable.

• By category: clothes, toys, books, kitchen items, or papers—great if we have a bigger block of time and want to see the full picture of that type of item.

  
  

💡 Pro tip: Let’s pick the time we actually have right now.

• Got 15 minutes? We can tackle a junk drawer, a toy area, or a single bookshelf (Although, it's surprising what 15 minutes can actually do!)

• Got 2 hours? We can dive into a closet, a whole room, or an entire category like all the books.

  
  

Starting small keeps it doable and prevents overwhelm. Seeing a single area transform is hugely motivating, and it gives us momentum for the next session.

Decluttering is about progress, not perfection. Whether we start with a single drawer or a whole category, every little win moves us closer to a home that reflects our family mission and supports our calling.

💡 Cheeky reminder:

“If we don’t have time to do it all, we don’t stress—choose a corner, a bin, or even a single shelf. Even a tiny win counts as a victory.”

Step 3: Empty the Space

Now that we’ve picked our space or category, it’s time to take everything out. Yes, everything.

Why? Because we can’t make intentional decisions if we can’t see what we actually have. When items are hidden away, it’s easy to convince ourselves we don’t have too much—or that “maybe we will need it someday.” Seeing everything together gives us clarity and control.

Here is how we do it:

1. Gather it all in one spot

   • For a drawer or shelf, just pull everything out onto the counter or table.

   • For a category like toys or clothes, pile everything in one corner of the room.

   • Don’t worry if it looks messy at first—this is just Step 3, not Step 5!

     
     

2. Go through each item

   • Picking it up is the first step in deciding whether it stays or goes.

   • This physical interaction helps us notice which items spark joy, serve our family, or create unnecessary stress.

     
     

3. Don’t start sorting yet

   • For now, our goal is simply awareness. Seeing everything laid out helps us appreciate what we truly have—and what is just taking up space.

     
     

💡 Cheeky reminder:

“It might feel like chaos at first, and that’s okay! Think of it as a treasure hunt—you’re uncovering all the hidden gems and the things you can finally say goodbye to.”

Once everything is out, we are ready for Step 4: Sort & Decide, where the magic happens with our three-question method.

Step 4: Sort & Decide — The Three-Question Method

Now comes the fun part: deciding what stays and what goes. First, we can start with four bins or bags or piles with labels (We like to use post-its!) for Garbage, Donate/Sell, Keep, Quarantine.

We are keeping it simple with three easy questions for each item. Answer honestly—no overthinking required.

1. Does it spark joy? (à la Marie Kondo)

   • Quick gut check: Does it make our hearts happy, or is it just “stuff”?

   • If it brings a smile, a sense of peace, or a little thrill when we see it, it passes the joy test.

     
     

2. Does it serve our family—or does it create stress?

   • Here’s where we bring practicality into play. Let's be honest. Those beautiful china dishes might support our mission of hospitality, but if it can't go in the dishwasher and our children are not allowed to hand wash them, therefore we need to do it ourselves, which adds extra work or stress, it may not be worth keeping.

   • The goal is a home that supports life, mission, and daily rhythms, not one that creates guilt or chaos, regardless of how much it sparks joy (because stress doesn't spark joy!)

     
     

3. Do we use it often enough?

   • If it sits untouched for months, it’s probably not essential (Although, we have one exception for the very minimal Christmas lights we have!)

   • Frequent use matters more than sentimental value or “maybe someday” potential.

     
     

Keep ONLY the items that pass all three questions. Everything else goes into one of three piles: garbage, donate/sell, or quarantine.

• Garbage pile: Obvious trash—broken, stained, worn-out items that have no purpose, or plain garbage.

• Donate/sell pile: Anything we want to give away or sell. No need to make final decisions while decluttering—we can handle the donation or sale later.

• Quarantine pile: Items we are unsure about—maybe sentimental pieces, gifts, or things we think we might need but aren’t ready to commit to keeping. These go into a temporary storage spot for a set period (like 30–60 days). If we don’t use or miss them during that time, it’s easier to let them go. (Quarantine is not for time-outs—it's for items that need a little space before we make peace with letting them go. Out of sight, out of stress, until we decide!)

  
  

💡 Cheeky reminder:

“If it doesn’t spark joy, serve our mission, or get used, it’s basically decorative guilt—and life’s too short for decorative guilt.” 😄

Step 5: Return Items Thoughtfully

Now that we have sorted, it’s time to put back only what truly belongs. This is where our decluttering session turns into a home that supports our family mission.

Here’s how we do it:

1. Only return what passed our three-question test

   • If it sparks joy, serves our family without creating stress, and gets used often enough, it comes back.

   • Move items to where they truly belong. Some things we are keeping might not belong in the space we are decluttering (like a sweater that goes in the closet or a board game that goes in the play area). Take them to their proper home instead of leaving them “just anywhere.”

   • Everything else stays in the garbage, donate/sell, or quarantine piles—no sneaky returns allowed!

     
     

2. Group items logically

   • Store things where they make sense and are easy to use.

   • Example: everyday plates in the accessible cabinet, homeschooling supplies where the kids can reach them, cozy blankets where the family relaxes.

   • The goal is functionality first, aesthetic second.

     
     

3. Respect our household rhythms

   • Think about how our family actually lives and moves through the space.

   • If an item looks pretty but slows us down, it might be better stored elsewhere or released.

     
     

4. Schedule the next decluttering session

   • Put it in the calendar—whether it’s 15 minutes tomorrow, a half-hour next week, or a longer session over the weekend.

   • Decluttering is a practice, not a one-time task, and scheduling the next session keeps the momentum going.

     
     

💡 Cheeky reminder:

“We didn’t just put stuff back in its place—we made intentional choices that honor our mission, create peace, and leave room for the things that truly matter. Now, let’s block our next decluttering time and keep the momentum going!” 😄

The Takeaway

Minimalism is not about perfection, Instagram-worthy shelves, or a museum-like home. It’s about clarity, purpose, and intentionality—creating a space that actually supports the life we’re called to live.

By following these five steps in small, manageable sessions, we start to notice a real difference:

• Our home reflects our family mission. Every space, every item, every rhythm points to what matters most—whether that’s hospitality, homeschooling, peace, or simply nurturing a loving, faith-centered family.

• Our home supports our daily rhythms. Things are easy to access, organized in ways that make life smoother, and no longer a source of constant stress or chaos.

• We free space for what truly matters. Decluttering is not just about physical space—it’s mental and emotional space too. Less clutter = more room for prayer, connection, creativity, and presence.

• We practice stewardship and faith in action. Each decision to keep, release, or organize is intentional. Our homes are not just “where we live”—they are tools for living out our calling and glorifying God in the little daily rhythms.

  
  

Even 15 minutes at a time can make a difference. Every small session adds up, and over time, our homes transform from chaotic collections of stuff into peaceful, purposeful spaces that nurture our hearts, our families, and our faith.

Decluttering is not a one-time battle—it’s a lifestyle. One drawer, one bin, one shelf at a time, we are making room for the life God actually designed for us—and honestly, that’s way more fun than endlessly cleaning up clutter we don’t even need!