Every week or, even daily, your child might bring home something artsy for you to put on the fridge door to be admired. Whether it’s a drawing or craft, these school projects can add up throughout the year — and even as they move from grade to grade.
So, what do parents do with these projects once their fridge life has expired? Here are some tips to keep everything, without cluttering your home.
Storage
There are plenty of ways you can personalize a storage spot just for artwork that doesn’t cost a lot. Consider a simple large plastic bin, which you can label and decorate for each child where they can put their art after showing it off. If you look at big retailers, they also have something called “portfolio bags” at a low cost. It can save some space by hanging in a special spot, plus it keeps the artwork safe. If you are looking for big ticket items, art storage racks are an easy way to display many pieces at once, especially if you have multiple children.
Scan
To ensure your child’s artwork is not forgotten, create a digital copy of the art by taking a photo with your phone. You can even include your child holding the piece of artwork. There are plenty of online services for photo saving and sharing where you can place them in a folder or digital scrapbook.
Share with Others
If you have copies of all your child’s digital artwork, it could be a fun way for you and your child to share their artwork with others. There are plenty of places where you can create custom postcards and even cards with your child’s art. For example, Touchnote.com is an app and website that has opportunities to send postcards and cards to family and friends.
Save What You Want and Display
There are some pieces your little artist will make that are worth framing and displaying all year round. For the artwork, you and your child can mark it with their name, age and grade created. Attach a little note on the back of the piece in the frame for you and your child’s future selves to understand why it was so special to keep.
Declutter and Recycle
After your child has displayed their artwork for a certain amount of time, it might be a good time to discuss recycling. While you might not want to discard every piece your child creates, there are some that don’t need to be saved. If you are storing your child’s art throughout the year, when school is over, go through all the pieces. Choose what you want to scan, save, throw away or put in the recycling bin.
Products to Try
Li’l Davinci Art Cabinet Frame. Open the frame door, pop in the newest creation, then close the door to professionally and proudly display your child’s hard work… much to their delight! It holds up to 50, 8.5×11 pieces in each frame, including bulky 3D creations. Perfect for showcasing the endless stream of masterpieces from your budding Picasso, while creating an organized and stylish time capsule of their progress. Various retailers.
Dunwell Art Binder Portfolio. Displays 48 viewable pages. Custom spine insert to organize and identify kids’ art storage with ease. Various retailers.
Touchnote.com Make postcards or greeting cards with your child’s art, put in your relatives address and Touchnote will send them. There are also framing options and more.
Shutterfly.com. Turn your kids’ art into a gift or other keepsake such as a coffee mug, keychain, magnet, plate, ornament and more.
Art Portfolio Bags Storage.
You can carry and store more than 60 pieces of art in this durable, waterproof storage bag. Various retailers.
Wire Art Display. Easily hang photos, posters and more from the cable using the included clips. Various retailers.