Storing children's artwork

[millingtonsmummy]

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a way of storing my DD's artwork? She's 2.6, my fridge door is already full and the rest of her pictures are in a pile in the corner of the kitchen!

I guess i need a keepsake box (A3 size) for the pictures I want to keep forever but also interested in anyone's display ideas?

Thank you!

[Poledra]

I have this big green box in my porch - it's called the recycling bin.......

Actually, each of the children has an A3 art folder that they get to keep their best/favourite things in, there are some recent things up on the wall in the kitchen and the rest does indeed get recycled!

[scurryfunge]

Can you devote a wall to the pictures....somewhere unobtrusive like a cloakroom, inside a summerhouse/shed?

[Pheebe]

I have the same problem! Someone suggested saving the best and lamanating them for place mats or coasters. Not done it yet bu I guess they'd make good pressie for GPs too.

[LudlowStreet]

You have years and years of this to come, best to be brutal from the start. Only keep the latest one up and replace it (every day) with a new one.

[TheThingUpstairs]

I store my dds by taking a picture on digital camera and saving it. Saves us drowning in artwork!

[millingtonsmummy]

Great idea to take pictures with a digital camera! You're right that I have years & years of this to come, must be ruthless & only keep favourites.

[ElleThornton]

My little boy is a similar age and I've recreated some of his beauties in cotton, on fabric bookmarks and given them to grandparents for christmas - they loved them! There are just too many to keep!

I've also copied my favourite one of his drawings(of daddy) onto a cushion cover and my little one has the cushion on his bed. Loves it. Just a needle and a thread, and a good eye for detail, and you're away.

I have done some for friends's children too so if you'd like me to do one for you, let me know and I'll see if I can help.

Thanks, Elle x

www.ellethornton.blogspot.com

[MonkeyChicken]

I'm terrible. I keep everything and have every door in the house plastered with it! DD is only 23 months. I'm going to have a big sort out and chuck a load and do the photo thing.

WE have framed some bits and that looks really effective, much better than my doors!

x

[Poledra]

Thanks for this OP - I got Quote of the Week for the first time ever!! And I am stupidly pleased about it

[peasandbeans]

We have a string on the wall in the kitchen with a dozen clothes pegs to hang pictures on. When the dcs do a nice picture we hang it up, but they have to choose one to come down to make space. I used to throw out the old ones out, but I have just started putting some of the best ones in an A4 box to keep and remember.

[FindingMyMojo]

I just taped a pile of paintings together to make wrapping paper for DD's cousins birthday. We've got a few birthdays coming up so I'll keep this up. DD loved doing this.

To avoid feeling like I'm losing anything precious I've just started photographing DD's artwork - it can have it's own folder on the computer so we can have a 'record' without requiring a special room to store it all in. So a few go up on the wall (usually the more mixed media pieces), some go in the recycling, some get used as wrapping paper, some get sent to lucky GP's for their fridges.

[minkee]

while I was looking around I found this - www.babygadget.net/2010/03/jan_eleni_a_thousand_pictures.php - scanning them all in for a digital collection and then turning them into a neat wall poster sounds like a lovely idea. also anyone with some knowledge of photoshop could do that themselves quite easily.

though if you're anything like me that still wont make it any easier to throw the actual drawings themselves out

[Helium]

I got two large cork noticeboards up in my hallway - one for each child. You can pin loads of stuff up on them and its good to be able to show that you 'value' their work. I put some wallpaper on mineas a backing type paper (cant be seem now as full of artwork!) and wide ribbon up the side to fill the extra space - looks lovely.