Emily is a really good artist. I’m not just saying that, as a biased parent. She’s won several prizes at local art shows for kids. My other kids talent for drawing isn’t as keen, but I adore their work anyway. With 3 kids in school, bringing art home in their backpacks, plus the art they create here at home, well, it adds up to a lot of paper.

I read yesterday on Parent Hacks, about The Kinder Studio, who will take your children’s art work, reproduce it as a digital file, and print it on archival paper, stretched canvas, or note cards.We’ve framed several of Emily’s pieces, as is, and I like the idea of the “original” work being on display. Alsto, and Dynamic Frames carry frames which can store several pieces of art work, and allow for
the art work to be easily swapped out. I think it’s a great idea because it takes care of the problem of storing your kids’ art as well as displaying it well.

Storing my children’s art work is a challenge, because of the size of some of the pieces, and the amount. I’ve tried boxing it up, or sticking it in the file cabinet, but what’s ended up working best is just stapling two pieces of poster board on three sides, as a homemade portfolio. Of course, you can buy a portfolio, and some of them are really cool, because they have plastic slip cover pages, so the art is easily accessible. Or you can store it in a case-style portfolio. Schoolfolio has some really cool designs.

Two essentials in storing my kids’ art work:

1. Remember to label art work on the back. Just grab a piece of masking tape, write the child’s name and the date, and have them title the work. When my kids were younger I use to have them tell me about the drawing, since sometimes it was hard to tell a tree from a person. I wrote exactly what they said, and some of those
   paragraphs have made for very entertaining reading over the years.
2. Throw it most of it out. Yep, that’s right, you have to be brutal. I sneak a good bit of my children’s art work into the recycle bin (along with most of their school work, truth be told). There’s just no point in keeping it unless it has some sentimental value, or it’s a piece that’s really good or has some other significance.

Last year when I homeschooled, I hung string across our “classroom” and hug the kids’ art up with clothespins. It really gave a nice feel to the room, if you want the art to be the main focal point. Another option is just to by a large photo album, and stick the best pieces in there. The pages in albums are all acid-free, so it’s a good way to preserve art work. Or For Keeps will make a coffee table book of your kids’ artwork.

I’m all about form as function, so I’ve laminated some pieces and made place mats out of them. If you want to add a little extra something, you can mat them on construction paper first. The kids love seeing their own art as they eat. I have a friend who uses her kids’ artwork as drawer liners. She measured the inside of the dresser drawers, then made a collage the right size and laminated it.

Another idea, that’s a little out of my price range, is Scribble Couture, which will put your child’s drawing on your handbag. I can’t decide if that’s cute or tacky.