Drowning in artwork from school

[Aria999]

DS is 5. Every day he brings art home from school (or varying quality). I've been putting the better ones up in his room and discreetly throwing away the rest but there's no more space! Piles of artwork are building up all over the house!

What do people do about it? Just throw it away after a period of time? Involve the DC in choosing what to keep? I don't want him to think I don't like his art .

No idea really. I have a similar problem.
Last year we made a scrapbook of the best and subtly chucked the rest. I quite like the scrapbook. It's a timeline of their drawing skills. We chucked in a few photos downloaded from tapestry (if you have that), too.

I have heard tales of organised people taking photographs and storing them digitally, but really I don't have the time or inclination for that.

Mine have never asked to see picture X from Y date, so I don't think they will remember the ones chucked...

I put a couple up and then have a drawer for the rest. So if they ask for something it’s still to hand. Periodically the drawer gets sorted (by me, definitely no input from the DC as they want to keep everything) and most is recycled and the odd one goes in a memory box (just an old cardboard box, nothing fancy) in the loft.

We used paintings from school and nursery as wrapping paper for family and friends. But yes, lots of subtle binning went on too. Didn't stop them being creative, dd1is 21 and is at one of the top art schools in the country!!

I heard a tip from Cat Deeley yesterday morning when avoiding getting out of bed that I’m going to adopt. Take pictures of the artwork and turn them into photo books. That way you can keep them digitally and it’s something for your children
/you to keep and look back at when they’re older.

Chuck it! Keep the food bits by taking photos but the rest goes in the 🗑

My kids each have three clips on the wall & the new art is added to the top, I try to date & initial the best/funny/significant bits then when the clip is full I put the dates bits in a large folder & the rest in the recycling (but do not do this in front of the kids!), one pic stays in the clip & then gets added to & the process begins again.

The fancy version of this is to have a box on the wall with a frame on the front

Swap them over and 'file' when done with ie bin.

If you do want to keep a longer term record of them for when he is older, how about using the scanner feature on your phone or just take a photograph of them?

Aw, I still have some of dc's artwork up from when they were little. They are mid twenties .

I look at it this way, some of it is just as creative/good as something you would buy. And it's a great insentive for your dc.

When the influx was biggest, I collected some in a binder for each and one drawing from each went on the fridge (often changing).

Or just do as I saw in a comedy, tell them they have forgotten the chimney, green tree etc. and they need to pull themselves together if they want the privilege of going on display 😂.

(dd made this 20 years ago, it's still displayed).

Honestly, in the bin. The kids don't remember or care.

I keep nicer bits but the ones that are just a worksheet that DS has scribbled on coloured in or stuck a few random bits onto I chuck into the recycling when he’s not looking.

I ask DD 4 (the artist herself) to choose what we keep and what we recycle. She is pretty cut throat.

I keep meaning to photograph the best hits, get them bound into a photo book, and then bin them... That's the game plan.

DH took lots 'to work' with him.

Out of sight, out of mind.

A mixture of keeping the best bits, 'gifting' to close grandparents and aunts when I send birthday cards or presents, photographing some of it & saving to folder specifically for their artwork but mostly put in the recycling after it's hung on my fridge for a few weeks.

We used to have a few bits up, take photos of other bits and then it all went in to my 'very special box' in the loft...
In reality, the very best bits went into the 'special box' and other bits went in the bin. You can't keep it all!

Chuck most, photograph some significant ones that are too big/3D to keep, keep a couple (I scrapbook these or pop in a memory box). Good ones that aren’t special go in a pile to pass onto family members (we include them when posting anything).

Recycle 90-95% of it.

Stick some pieces up on bedroom door/fridge etc - rotate these and chuck once they get too ratty or faded etc.

Favourite/really good or interesting pieces keep in a folder or box file. (By good I don't mean technical ability but aesthetically pleasing or funny)

Ha ha I got caught out by my 5 year old today throwing away some pictures he made at school. I just told him straight we can't keep them all otherwise we'd have no room to move.
He looked at me and said ok then, and ran away happily to play. I don't think they are that bothered. I keep the more sentimental stuff like cards they make, or calendars but yes that box is completely stuffed as well.
When I first moved out my mum gave me a box of every birthday card I received since I was born. It went in the loft, when I moved house again they went in the bin! I am however having a major declutter to simplify my life, nothing is safe.

DS2 is 4 and emerges from school brandishing junk modelling of questionable artistry and negligible planning. Once, he trotted out with a ‘Super Love Good Love Speed’ - a lolly stick with a bottle top on the end - which resembled a sex toy. The teacher shot me an apologetic look and assured me later at parents’ evening that they were ‘working with DS2 on approaches to junk modelling’

Have one lidded storage box for each kid, after display Chuck them in there along with school books etc then filter it out if it gets full.
My friend did this though which is genius

I photograph them all, keep the best in a box folder. I have turned quite a few into fridge magnets, including also DC holding their treasured artworks. DC are now older and I love my fridge art gallery!

I keep one good item per year for each child. Bin the rest. They’ve never cared and fortunately aren’t massively keen on making things at school anyway. Photos if you must but honestly, would you want to look back at every little thing you made aged 5? Be ruthless from the start, praise the effort, celebrate recycling. The kids will get it soon enough.

some ideas

scan / photograph some

some in a scrap book

use as thank you letters for birthdays and Christmas. DD would write on the back of the picture

Frame a couple & bin the rest or you'll end up on some tv decluttering show eventually

I keep the best in a scrap book (on the second one now - she's 6) and let her keep the rest in a plastic tub then periodically tell her it's too full and to choose what to recycle. Some good art gets displayed on the fridge for a bit before going in the scrap-book.