How To Organize Your Kids Art
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My daughter comes home with 3 pieces of art a day from school. 3 pieces a day! 3 pieces a day times 365 days a year, is too crazy to even calculate, because more than 20 pieces of art sends me into a tailspin.
Although she isn’t in school the entire year, there’s summer camp, birthday parties, babysitters, and a whole lot of other time to create.
And despite the immeasurable love I have for my girl, I simply refuse to save it all.
So the age old question I receive, how do I organize my kids art?
I’m going to let you in on a little secret…
You don’t. You toss about 75% of it.
Ruthless, I know! But that’s the reality when you have a little Picasso on your hands.
So where does the other 25% go? I’ll get to that in just a minute…
I think we can all agree that creating art is amazing. It reduces stress, builds self-esteem, and stimulates the heart and mind.
The performing artist in me beams that my daughter loves this form of self-expression. But being proud of our little innovators doesn’t mean we need to be held hostage to all they make. This isn’t the MoMA, and even the MoMA has pretty stiff competition!
Even though I may be ruthless, I’m not a total drill sergeant mama. After all, my heart melts when she looks me in the eyes and says…
“I drew YOU mommy!”
Our children want to make us proud, not rid us with guilt.
So why do we as parents feel so much pressure to save everything? What is precious if everything is documented?
I know we are living in the Kardashian era here, but some things are better forgotten, or in this case, discarded.
Now, if you already know you’re a parent that will choose to save closer to 50% (or more), that’s ok too. We all do what we find is best for our family and our own heart.
My personal method may be too harsh or no-frills for some, which is why I will also share alternative methods so you, too, can reduce your load and ultimately free yourself from the endless stacks and guilt.
Now let’s break down the remaining 25%!
1- Fridge Duty
This could also mean shelf duty, cork board duty, or whatever other area that can display a flat piece of paper.
Fridge duty is warranted for really any piece of artwork my daughter creates or brings home that isn’t completely 3 dimensional.
The newest piece or something she’s really proud of (this is an important distinction) hangs on the fridge for roughly a few days to a week, which then gets replaced with her newest, proudest work. Sometimes that means the new one gets placed on top of the old one, and sometimes it means it gets swapped out altogether.
Now this is really important…
Fridge pieces are NOT your favorite pieces!
And you can probably guess why…
They always, always, always get destroyed.
This is semi intentional on my part, as it’s easier to part with something when it’s curling at the edges or otherwise beat up (hah!), but it’s mainly because the items she comes home with that are just too adorable to wreck, I place in another location, where no marinara sauce or sticky fingers can ruin them.
The great benefit of fridge duty is, my daughter can proudly display her artwork! And since it’s always in rotation, she’s in what I like to call admiration mode, and not “where’s that one picture I drew with the sun in it” mode.
She even sometimes likes to fine tune it (oh yes, she is definitely my child..)
2- ART PORTFOLIO BOOK
Anything that is too precious for the fridge goes straight into our Art portfolio book. We use the Prat portfolio book pictured.
I love the size (14” x 11”, containing 24 pages, holding 48 pieces of art total), and ADORE the sleekness (leather covered that can easily sit in any room without being an eyesore.)
Ours is a few years old now, so I’ve linked the updated style here.
I have to admit that even though I love the leather, it’s not necessary to have. I found this one (with the exact dimensions and number of pages) also sold on Amazon for a fraction of the price. Can’t beat that!
If you have an older kiddo whose art can fit into a smaller 9” x 12” book, I like this one as well.
The Benefits?
They contain crystal clear archival sleeves that keep art from wearing or tearing.
Everything lives in one pretty little book (and not all over the house)
It’s super easy to add new art when it’s produced.
Mila has access to look through this portfolio, and yes, occasionally wants to pull stuff out, but for the most part everything is protected from the elements. She calls it “her work.”
It must be noted: I rarely save art the teacher clearly did. If anything comes home looking “perfect”, it goes straight to the fridge for its saucy fingered fate.
The portfolio is reserved for those really special pieces that either make you laugh till you pee, or pull at your heart strings (ie: hand prints, or a family portrait where you happen to have 3 eyes.)
Basically anything I believe my daughter really has conceived (yes, they help with their hand prints I’m sure, but you know the difference!)
3- 3D DISPLAY (or digitize)
This is where we have to really use our best judgement to determine how much is too much, because 3D art is really hard to store.
Unless we’re wrapping clay molds in bubble wrap, and storing them in a box never to be seen again, it almost always has to be displayed.
It can be really tough to toss this type of art right away because, simply put, it’s grand! More time was invested, which means they no doubt worked really hard on it.
But remember, it’s the ACT of creating art that’s important, and not the art itself.
Pick a few pieces and showcase them in your child’s room or where you best see fit. Mila loves her sand art, and while I quietly pray the caps never bust open (hah!), I think it adds the pop of color and kid-realness that her room needs.
3D art may be less frequent, but that doesn’t mean it won’t start to collect. Don’t be afraid to swap things out when something new comes along… it’s an inevitable truth, so keep those artistic vibes current and fresh!
If you’re tech savvy, you can snap photos of the art you aren’t keeping, and digitize the memories within an app to save indefinitely (more on this later...)
4- “FOREVER” Storage
If her art has made it into the Art portfolio book, I then make one last edit before regarding it as a forever item (you can either do this at the mid-point or at the end of the school year depending how quickly it fills up.)
This round of editing is all about perspective.
Sometimes we need time away from an item so we are able to detach a bit. This doesn’t make us bad parents, it just allows us to be selective so we are only keeping the best of the best!
“Forever” is in quotes, because YOU are the one that gets to decide what is really deemed important for the long haul.
CASE IN POINT…
My mother in law is very sentimental. She saved something she wouldn’t even realize would hold so much significance until 30 years later, which she then framed and gifted to us for Mila’s room.
This is my husband’s 1st grade depiction of The Wizard of Oz.
Fun fact: My husband and I met while working on the musical WICKED together, which he still works on today.
Yes, it’s more likely than not that our Gen-Z-ers will wince at us if we unleash bins of artwork on them in 30 years, so keeping a critical eye is essential, especially since the choice is (currently) ours.
For perspective and full transparency: I have yet to fill Mila’s portfolio book. While she’s just been in school 2 short years, my goal is to save only a few precious items per year. IF I decide I want to save any more than that, I will most certainly get on the digital train, which I’ll go into further detail about below.
The sole guidelines to “forever” storage:
Art is gathered to a single location
It is labeled clearly (ie: child’s name, year, etc.)
The system contains a clear limit (we should not have to rent out a storage locker for our children’s art.)
for those who may want to choose another path…
I’ve rounded up some of my favorite alternative ways to organize and store art below. Some include digitizing art if you are tech savvy,
and some include getting a little crafty if you are into DIY!
1- Artkive
They really make it easy to part with your kids artwork, without actually parting with it.
They have 2 major services: one in which they do it for you (Artkive box), and one in which you do it yourself (Artkive/Artkive app).
Artkive Box is great if you don’t have the time and patience to do it yourself. They professionally photograph and digitize each piece, creating an adorable book of art that you and your kid(s) can cherish for years to come. One book can hold hundreds of pieces of artwork, which saves a whole lot of space and guilt in your home and heart. They even toss the hardcopies so you don’t have to…
With the app, you photograph the art, and organize it yourself. This option is great if you don’t necessarily need a tangible book, but still want (digital) memories for you and your kids to enjoy.
Take $20 off your next order with code: urbanorganyze20
2- Li’l Davinci Kid’s Art Frames
These Li’l Davinci Kid’s Art Frames are modern, sturdy, and make great conversation pieces. They also sneakily hold 50 pieces of art per frame!
You can rotate your child’s favorites, or simply add the newest front and center. The best part is they come in 3 different sizes, accommodating a wide range of art. The sleek frames (that come in either black or white) disguise any minor rips or tears at the corners, giving the art a very polished look.
3- Gift it
Sending a birthday card to a friend? Include a piece of art! Need wrapping paper, and have a ton of oversized artwork? You get the idea… There are so many creative ways to repurpose your kids art without tossing it.
Grandparents, friends, or loved ones who aren’t being slammed with artwork on the daily, will cherish it in a way you simply cannot.
Because when we have less, it means more.
And just for fun…
Here’s how I turned my daughter’s 24” x 18” painting into gift wrap!
Unique & eco-friendly… what’s not to love?!
