Mother’s Day is around the corner and the school year is getting close to an end too. Those of us who have children may receive some unique creations made by our children. We want to cherish them and store them properly.
Here is how I approach the process of organizing kids’ artwork:
1. HAVE A PLACE TO STORE DAILY CREATIONS
The old organizing mantra “A place for everything and everything in its place” applies to kids’ art too.
Dedicate a place where your kids can put their art, notes, and scribbles. Every day if you find any piece of paper or other half-started art creation around the house, bring it to this spot. A basket, tray, magazine rack, or an empty shelf all work.
We have a dedicated spot in our kitchen where my kids’ creations first go. It’s just an otherwise empty cube of a cube shelf. It currently houses drawings and empty egg cartons that are waiting to become lizard heads.
2. GO THROUGH THE DAILY ART STORAGE EVERY FEW WEEKS
When the daily storage spot is full it’s time to go through it. Save the favorites and recycle the rest. If there are any unfinished projects this is a good time to ask your child if they still want to finish it.
I like to do this every few weeks to a month. If your child is especially productive in creating art, you may want to do this process more frequently.
I ask my kids to go through their own creations. If they’re not feeling it, I offer to do it for them. Sometimes they choose to do it themselves, sometimes they prefer me to go through it.
If your child goes through the pile by themselves, by all means, flip through the pile and save any pieces you want to keep before throwing anything out.
If your child has a hard time letting things go, let the container be the bad guy. Tell them they can keep as much as they want as long as it fits in the container.*
It is important for our children to learn what they want to keep in their lives and what they can let go of.
3. DECIDE ON PERMANENT STORAGE
After editing, choose where and how to store your favorite pieces and make sure the storage solutions spark joy as well.
Art can be hung on the wall or displayed on a shelf, more or less permanently. A favorite piece can be framed. A more changing art gallery can be displayed on walls simply with some tape or poster putty. You could also attach some clipboards, empty frames, or a wire on the wall and change the art pieces on them.
Another idea is to take photos of the art and make an art book out of them. I think this is a beautiful idea if you have the time to do it.
We always have a few drawings on our walls, a clay sculpture on a side table, and my husband framed one piece that he particularly liked on his office wall.
Rest of the all-time favorites I like to store in simple, white cardboard boxes with lids. Plastic containers would have worked too, but I preferred the look of these. They also fit odd-shaped and larger pieces.
I keep them on an upper shelf, in the hopes that they will survive until my kids are adults, taking them down occasionally to admire.
I do believe it makes sense to go through this “forever pile” of kids’ artwork every few years as well.
Time gives perspective. What seems like a wonderful piece of art when they are three may not seem that important when they are eight. Absolutely save the best but maybe let go of the ten paintings made with balloons, corn, fingers, etc.
If everything is important then nothing really is.
* Please note, if you haven’t yet started your own tidying journey, this is not the place to start. You want to be very clear about what to keep and what to let go of with things that can not be replaced. Additionally, if your own closet is brimming with clothes you never wear, it may seem unfair to a child to have to let go of their own possessions if you haven’t done the same.