As your child brings home art project after art project from school, you may be struggling to preserve and store them all. The refrigerator is a great spot for new art pieces, but when that starts to get crowded, where do you put the rest? Aside from a box on the top shelf of a closet, here are a few suggestions for how to efficiently store your child’s mini Mona Lisas, as well as some art project ideas to build up your collection:
- Keepsake Portfolios: These are collapsible portfolio folders that can efficiently fit many art projects and other schoolwork that you want to hold on to. They are easy to store and colorful and can be easily labeled with names and grade levels. They are great for long-term storage and protection.
- Designated Art Display Space: If your child is an avid artist, finding a spot in the house to display his or her work may be beneficial. If the front of your fridge is full, consider purchasing a bulletin board for your child’s room or a clothesline across a wall to efficiently display multiple pieces of art at once. Swap out the art with new projects your child brings home and store the extras in a portfolio!
- Digital Collection: If you don’t have room in your house to store physical copies of your child’s artwork, take pictures of each project and make a folder on your phone or computer. You can store the photos or scan the artwork in order to make a digital gallery of anything your child made. Digital files can also easily be converted into photo books, calendars, online scrapbooks, and more, meaning they’re easy and fun gifts for birthdays, Christmas, and Mother’s Day or Father’s Day!
- Scrapbook: Using a binder or other scrapbooks, create a scrapbook of your child’s art for him or her to see later. You can use specific art projects to illustrate different parts of the year, or just add it to your work-in-progress scrapbook if you’re a scrapbooker.
- Online-Social Portfolio: If you want to easily share your child’s work with friends and family, make an Instagram, Facebook, or digital photo album to display your child’s work to those who matter! This makes it easy for family members to see without having to share it individually. It is also a great way to remember art projects and not have to store them for years.
- Box on the Top Shelf: Though not the most efficient or fun way of storing art projects, it is a surefire way of keeping some mementos for the future. This will also work best for physical projects that may be 3D or can’t be scanned and stored digitally.
If you’re short on projects for your child to create and display, here are some blog suggestions for fun and free art projects:
Teaching Kids Art: Learning About Texture with Paint
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(Comes with free download of activity) This blog is an introduction to painting with texture techniques and teaches children how to use different objects to get different textures when painting.
: (Comes with free download of activity) This blog teaches children how to make collages as a form of art, using different materials and ideas to do so. It also teaches them about collages and how they can be useful.
About the Author: Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.
What to Do with All of Your Child’s Art Projects