Transform Your Child’s Art From Clutter to Keepsake

By this time in the school year, every parent is running out of room on the refrigerator for all of their children’s art. There are crayon pumpkins and hand-print turkeys stretching the limits of our magnets, and they’ve begun gathering in piles around the house. If you’re anything like us, you don’t have the heart to throw these pieces away but also lack the storage or time to keep them organized for future enjoyment. Luckily, we live in a time where there are a multitude of strategies and services for archiving and preserving your little Picasso’s masterpieces.

For the Keepers

Admittedly, there are those creations that you just can’t bear to throw away. There is something so precious about holding these pieces, and seeing the tactile details translated from your child’s imagination through their little hands. For the keepers, there are a number of options for celebrating, and displaying them in your home. First, consider a gallery wall. Thrift stores are a great option for picking up an eclectic mix of frames at a discount. Once you’ve chosen the wall, be sure to use painter’s tape to experiment with placement before making any holes. Lay out all the art together first to see the most aesthetically pleasing composition.

If you have limited space, we love these Li’L DaVinci Frames you can pick up on Amazon. These allow you to store up to 50 pieces of art, and you can switch them out whenever you’re ready to display a different piece.

When You’ve Reached Your Storage Limit

Unless you have unlimited space, you are probably going to reach a point where you can’t keep everything, especially if you have multiple children. Still, you can’t bear to part ways with it, since this artwork represents such a precious time in their lives when their imaginations are boundless. If you have a scanner at home, you can start by scanning pieces that can lie flat. Be sure to label the files and move them into folders so that they don’t become lost on your computer. We suggest making a folder for each child, for each year. This way, you’ll have easy access to these files should you wish to make a slideshow, or create yearbooks using one of many online photo publishing companies.

There are also a number of apps for your phone that allow you to capture and organize images of artwork. Keepy allows you to digitize artwork, and create interactive, digital scrapbooks which can be shared with friends and family. With Keepy, you can also add video and sound to create a multimedia experience. Another app, Canvsly works similarly to Keepy, but offers fun incentives and badges to keep you motivated as you catalogue your child’s art. All of these tools help you to keep the piles of artwork under control, while giving you the peace of mind that their art will be remembered.

If scanning is too time consuming or you just want to outsource this job, consider contacting one of our professional digital imaging specialists who can help preserve these sweet keepsakes for you.

Transform Their Art Into Gifts

Photo books and printed cards aren’t the only way to preserve your child’s artwork. There are so many fun, and creative companies that will take images and transform them into meaningful gifts and mementos. On shutterfly, you can upload an image of artwork, and have custom mugs, T-Shirts, puzzles, blankets, and pillows printed with your child’s creativity front and center. At foreverdrawn, they can turn your little one’s drawings into bracelets, necklaces, and keychains that will make unforgettable gifts.

All of these options will accomplish the goal of celebrating your child, as well as creating a lasting record of their precious childhood imaginations.