Saving Your Children’s Artwork – Ways To Preserve Their Valuable Masterpieces

Children can create numerous pieces of artwork and parents are given the daunting task of finding creative ways to display and store them, as well as throw out those that are old and tattered. Whatever these priceless masterpieces may be and wherever they may end up, it is crucial to encourage children to continue with crafting. This allows children to express themselves, develop and improve their creativity to their utmost potential.

Some parents can be very sentimental with their children’s artwork, but when the artwork just piles up, it can be overwhelming. In the end, parents just ask themselves “What do I do with all these artwork?” If you are one of those parents, do not worry as there various ways to deal with the increasing pile, while encouraging your children to remain creative.

Throw Out What Must Be Thrown Out

Though it may be hard, you need to accept the fact that you can not keep everything. If your child has been creating art three times a week every since he could hold a pencil, he will have created over 1000 pieces of artwork by time he is nine. Multiply that by the number of kids you have and you will definitely be swamped with artwork.

Deal with the situation by sorting them out into piles of what can be displayed, what can be placed in storage and what can be thrown out. You can switch displayed artwork with those in storage so you will always have different masterpieces featured in your home.

Create An Artwork Gallery

Your children will be very happy to find their artwork being put on display, so you can create their own personal gallery. Their artwork can be framed and hung on their bedroom and playroom walls, or you can also hang them in your study. The frames can be equally creative, by utilizing decorated clipboards, paper mache frames, twine lines and more. Switch artwork with those in storage or new artwork from time to time.

Share Special Pieces With Family And Friends

Despite the increasing use of electronic mail, people still love to get mail through the post. You can share special pieces with other family members and friends who live far away for special occasions and holidays. In fact, the grandparents will be overly excited to receive such a special mail from their grandchildren from time to time.

Use Artwork Creatively

Your children’s artwork can also be transformed into fun practical household décor. Some pieces can be laminated and used as personalized place mats, or multiple artworks can be scanned to create a collage for coasters and table mats.

Develop A Filing System

A practical way to store art masterpieces is by using a file box for each child. Have accordion styled sections labeled for every year and date each artwork that goes into each section. This is an organized way to preserve and store all the special masterpieces of your children. When file boxes multiply you can always place them in storage for better safekeeping.

However, when the file boxes begin to overflow and do not want to place them in storage, you can opt to scan or photograph some of your children’s art work and then throw out the originals. This will help reduce the stored old artwork and make way for new ones. As a matter of fact, you can get creative too and build scrapbooks of their artwork using these photos to highlight their development throughout childhood.

Valerie East is a mother of four and a freelance writer specializing in home improvement, healthy living, and storage solutions. She offers tips on various housekeeping and health related issues, while also recommending US Storage Centers for reliable storage and efficient space solutions.