How to save Son's Artwork?

Updated on October 24, 2010
T.Y. asks from Del Rio, TX
42 answers

My little boy has several little craft and "Art" projects that i would like to save. They are all just on regular paper, but I want to have a way to save them without having them cluttered everywhere, which they are satrting to do. I know I don't have to save everything, but they are hard to let go already! I have heard of taking a picture of them and saving them on the computer and then I don't have to save everything. Let me stress that I am not creative at all, so I need something easy. I was just going to get a folder, maybe like a portfolio, but I wanted to see what y'all have come up with! And no I don't scrapbook! Thank you!

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T.B.

answers from Houston on

T.,
I took a mats and put the artwork of the week and displayed it on the tv and refergerator. Once it had been displayed for while or a new one came in I put the old one in a box under each childs bed, labled so we would remember what year. Now my children are teens and they look at all the artwork they did as youngsters. They love it....
T.

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M.W.

answers from Sherman on

As a mom of seven, I have MANY art projects. I have saved many in files/totes/you name it. I have also taken digital photos of the projects, (then tossed the projects-you can only keep so many) saved the photos to the computer/printed them out and displayed them that way.

Save what you can. They only get better and MORE!!! My 22yo marine can't believe the stuff I have saved from his childhood.

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M.W.

answers from Corpus Christi on

I have heard to take a close up digital photo in good light. Then go to a photo website, like snapfish ect... You can make a photo book and keep it as a coffe table book, or just a photo album of his art work. I have quite a few finger paintings and drawings and I plan on doing this to them.

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A.R.

answers from Houston on

My sister uses clean, unused pizza boxes to store her kids' art and school work. She says she just buys them from the local pizza shop and labels them with the child's name and grade (or age).

One of my friends is making a Portfolio of her child's school year by scanning her artwork and using it just like a photo to create a hardbound storybook. You could use the same idea for your child's pre-school years.

Here's what she says about it:
"I've included photos, artwork, journals, and work from her school year. I'm making a "Portfolio" for each school year. This will be very cool because then I can get rid of all of the papers that are rotting in a box (not literally!)
So check it out and maybe this will give you some ideas on how to preserve all of those school memories. Just remember, it's not finished. I still have to do the last photo collage pages."

http://tinyurl.com/6xnl8o (this is a low-resolution 'preview' - the printed book will be very sharp & clear)

It doesn't have to be as fancy as hers, but hopefully this gives you an idea of what you can do.

Here is a link to view my son's book. The last 6 pages are of his scanned artwork. Nothing fancy here: http://tinyurl.com/6c872f

Let me know if you have questions. I offer scanning services and teach workshops on how to make the storybooks.

A. Robison
www.createheritage.info

2 moms found this helpful
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L.H.

answers from Killeen on

hi T.,
a easy way i think is to have them laminatedit is very cheap they usally do it at teacher supply stores and its the size of a posterboard for arourn a $1 or $1.50 then you can put them in a folder they will never lose there color or any thing my sons are 30 and 22 and i have a box that has all my favorite stuff they did as a kid in it ,,,all the christmas oramemets are still with the tree trimmings i just love it .so have fun and enjoy them while there young
L.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.K.

answers from Houston on

My Mom saved our art work in an old suitcase. It was decorative so she didn't have to hide it under the bed and we could look at our artwork whenever we wanted. She still has them today in the corner of her guest room!! I am currently looking for an old suitcase now to keep my kids art work in. Good Luck.
B. Keller

1 mom found this helpful
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S.O.

answers from Houston on

Hi T.,
On top of making a binder, separated by age and grade. like 2yrs, 6yrs/1st grade; I laminate my favorites after making a border for them or actually you can buy the border and I hang those there are about 7 pieces of work that my kids have done that I have framed. Also I have a friend that loves to scrap book so she has made scrapbooks for each year with their school pic and group pic then pictures from that year alone with their extra curricular for that year and their report card in ringbind folder and their art work from that year too, Pretty cool.

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K.H.

answers from Houston on

My daughter is a PROLIFIC artist - she makes at least 2-5 pictures per day - and she doesn't like to throw any of them away. Luckily she enjoys making cards for friends, so at least some of that artwork goes out the door. :)

You can use kids artwork in lots of different ways. You can wrap presents in it (grandmas especially like this). You can keep it in a folder/portfolio. You can photograph it and keep it on the computer. You can get empty, clean pizza boxes to use as storage, too.

My favorite thing to do, though, is to frame it. We bought my daughter a large poster-sized frame from IKEA at Christmas. We painted it and decorated it to match her room. We then sat down with all her artwork from the past 3-6 months and picked out her favorite ones. We cut them out creatively and made a collage of all her artwork. It's been up in her room now for about 6 months and it's time to do it again. We'll get another piece of paper that's poster-sized and do the same thing and just replace the page that's currently in the frame. Then you can either leave the old one behind the new one in the frame, or roll it up in a tube (a used tube from wrapping paper works well), or however else you might want to store it.

Hope that helps, and I'm looking forward to reading every one else's comments as I'm always looking for another good idea for all her art! :)

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C.T.

answers from Austin on

I hung some of that decorative wire (the kind with the stars hanging off of it (found in the gift wrap aisle) across my son's wall with two tacks and bought a $1 bag of clothes pins and we hang his artwork for a period of time (til it gets too cluttered) then we take it down and he decides which to keep or get rid of and then the keepers go into a plastic container that we store on the top shelf of his closet. The container has all his papers, artwork, etc. since he started prek. It's his box and at the end of each school year when we are putting the stuff for that year away...he goes through it and gets excited to see all of his stuff.

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K.A.

answers from Austin on

Hi T. - I have a box that I put everything in (plastic storage container that goes under my bed). Every year I purge the box and just save the things that are really special. I have two daughters that are 22 and 19 and a son that is 14 and each have one box full of artwork, report cards etc.. If I had kept everything that I originally put in the box it would be out of hand so it worked for me to put EVERYTHING they drew etc. in the box and then go through it at the end of the year!

Another suggestion is to get a journal and start writing things they say. For my son, I called it "Zachisms" - his name is Zach. For example, he called vacuums "bundys" and dogs "bobbys" and I wrote that in his book. There were so many things he would say through the years that were hilarious and I would write that also. It is amazing how you forget if it isn't written down. Sometimes I would have to write the incident on a piece of paper and just tuck it into the book and enter it later. He LOVES to get his book out and look at it!

Have fun with your little guy!

K.

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J.W.

answers from Houston on

I have six children and have never been able to throw any of that precious artwork away - so you know what I did? I took photographs of each and every one of them and saved them to disc.
I thought this would be marvelous because I could then toss them out without a single regret - but -
I must confess I have still held on to them all!

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T.V.

answers from Houston on

I have a portfolio, one fore each year and I frame my favorites and hang them on the wall. We have quite a little 'gallary' going in the hallway. It's a lot of fun, takes minimum time/creativity and really looks great!

Good luck

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T.K.

answers from San Antonio on

My kiddos give me papers all the time.
I got 2 posterboards and staple 3 edges together.
And I let my children color on the outside and put their names on it.
They fit well under the bed.
Hope this helps.

Mommy of 7 children
T. M
New Braunfels, TX

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B.B.

answers from Houston on

Put them in a scrapbook they make them acid free.

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T.M.

answers from Houston on

I purchase from direct sellers pretty often and sometimes the boxes that the item comes in is a pretty good size for laying artwork flat (platter boxes that kind of stuff). I have 3 boys and I have pretty much everything in those boxes with their name on the outside written in marker, nothing special. The 8 yr old (our artist in residence :-) has a larger box, kinda like those cardboard cake boxes you can purchase at Michaels. They all, even the 15yr, like to look at their Art box from time to time. And yup it does get harder to keep everything as they get older. Some art, sad to say, has been trashed, but NEVER when they are around :-)

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T.B.

answers from Houston on

I had the same problem and I'm thinking I got this idea off this site last year...I got a box, similar to a fed ex box or priority mail box, about 3inches wide and large enough to hold legal size papers. I have 2 girls, so I labeled each with their name and the year and set them on the shelf in our utility room. When they bring stuff home, I display it for a while and then add it to the box. They love going through their boxes a couple of times a year.
Good luck!

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D.L.

answers from San Francisco on

Try www.ShareMyKidsArt.com - I love this website! It's free and lets you store and organize your children's art. The thing I like it about the most is it has these little buttons so that you can email or upload to your facebook wall pieces of art; this is really nice for us because we live in California and my parents live in Hawaii and my wife's parents live in NY. If one of our children create something we want to share with the grandparents, we simple press a button.

The only thing is you need to scan or photograph the art, which seems like a hassle but it's actually fairly easy. Good luck!

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K.K.

answers from Houston on

Well I buy the plastic bins and put their stuff in there - I don't keep EVERTHING but I do keep the ones I think they or I would like to look at again when they are older. And yes it is a lot, it is hard to keep from having a fire hazard before I get a chance to store them. Your son is little, but if he is already a little artist, it will be fun to look at later. You also will have even less time to sort them once you have two kids. I would keep the "refrigerator worthy" ones and try to get used to tossing the rest - trust me it just gets harder!

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J.M.

answers from Houston on

T.,

I've wrestled with the same issue, but my son is 8 years old now. I don't like to part with many of his art work because it gives me a lot of insight as to what is going on with him, and I can also see how he has evolved as an artist over a given period of time. Since art is an important part of my son's life, I had to devote more space to it. I bought some stackable plastic crates and hanging folders from Walmart to organize his artwork, and since I home school I devoted another one to his academic work samples divided by subjects.

I divided the art crate folders into twelve (by months) so that every art work is filled into the right month as he creates them, or as they come off of the refrigerator. I like to clean the files only once a year in December. I found it easier to part with more when I do the cleaning in December, because I tend to be more critical of what I carry into the New Year. You may decide to clean your files monthly, quarterly, or how often you want to do it. I only transfer the best of the best for that year into my permanent art portfolio organized by year.
I always make sure that he signs and dates his work now that he is older. I don't do scrapbook as of now, but I plan to learn so I can do some with art theme later for his children to enjoy. This system is quick and easy for me to use, and it cost me less than $20 to implement. I hope it helps.

J.

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R.B.

answers from San Angelo on

I will admit to not having read all the other answers, so this may just be a repeat.
I have been thinking about this myself. I am going to buy a scrapbook that has the page protectors in it and just put them in there back to back so I can see every page just by flipping through the book. I am not going to do anything fancy with them-just put them in. I am going to put the dates on the backs that way if I want to know, it is right there.
**Also, I just had to ask-I noticed your husband is a USAF Firefighter...are you at GoodFellow? My hubby is an Army FF instructor here at Goodfellow.**

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V.S.

answers from Austin on

I am not the most creative person in the world but you could laminate them, punch holes in them and put them in a binder.

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J.M.

answers from Odessa on

Aspiring artists love to see their work and so do mom's...to an extent. Pick your favorites and frame them in inexpensive frames to hang on the wall in his bedroom.
Another idea: I bought a 1"x2" piece of wood at Home Depot and cut it down to 42"; I painted it one of the colors in my daughters room and used screws to attach big stainless clips (Office Depot) on it. The clips hold the artwork and it's easy to switch them out when we need to refresh. It was a simple project and Home Depot will even cut the wood for free!

There is no better way to boost a childs self-esteem than to know his mom is so proud that she'd hang his art for decoration. Take pictures of the rest and store them on a disc. This will be far easier to save as a keepsake for him.

HTH

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M.B.

answers from Houston on

I know mine is late, but here's what I am trying. I ordered one of these for my son's room to hang the most recent art projects. http://www.lillianvernon.com/catalog/product_display.jsp?...

then I plan on getting cheap scrapbooks, dating the projects and filing them away. the extra SUPER cute things are getting framed and hung in the game room as KID ART!

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L.B.

answers from Corpus Christi on

Put these in a scrap book, one of these days he will think that they are great and that it special that you saved them for him to see. There are plastic envelopes that they can also fit in.

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H.B.

answers from Odessa on

I line up all of the artwork on the fridge and put the child that made it next to it and take a digital pic. Then I print in 5X7 or 8X10 depending on how many pieces there are and put it in a photo album that say Kitchen Table Book, and put it on the kitchen table. The kids love going back and looking at pictures of themselves with their artwork.

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J.T.

answers from Victoria on

I think a portfolio is the best way to go. I actually started storing my own art work in an antique suit case in jr. high. You can make you own simple portfolio by taking two poaster boards and taping all the edges but the top one leave open. I have three like this we made them in highschool and thats been ten years ago and they are still in good shape. Thanks for saving his art work. If you have a absoulte fav you can frame it. Even a cheap frame. Imagine how proud your boy will be with a framed art in the house!?!?

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J.P.

answers from Austin on

If it's all on standard size paper, just get a 3-ringed binder and put all his masterpieces inside of it.

Also, saving them by taking pictures of them and putting them in a "folder" on the computer then, get on your computer and go to "control panel" and go to "appearance and themes" and "change screen saver" then, select the "folder" that has all the pictures of his artwork and select that! Whalla!!

If you don't have a digital camera, get a disposable and take lots of pictures and take it to Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, anywere and get a "photo CD" made. Then put it on your computer and do the screensaver thing!

I also bought a cheap frame from Hobby Lobby that fit my son's art paper and I rotate his art in the frame for everyone to see! He feels so good about that!

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H.F.

answers from San Angelo on

It got out of hand for me to try to keep all of the artwork in hardcopy, even when I tried to only save the best, so I made a computer folder and took digital pictures of the art, that way we can keep it all!

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A.C.

answers from Houston on

Find cheap frames from the dollar store or you can use laminating paper.

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W.C.

answers from San Antonio on

My DD Loves art. If we were to keep everything, we would quickly run out of room. We scan everything into the computer and take pictures of the 3D things. Then we frame some and display the rest fro about a week or so in a clothes line on the wall and in temp frames. Then we pack them up and ship them to relatives. If we want to keep a peice after it has finished it's display time, I put it in her portfolio, which is really just a 3 ring binder with plastic sleeves.

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N.B.

answers from Houston on

I have two boys. When things started piling up, I started bins for them. The clear kind w/ the nice fitting lid they sell at Target or Wal-mart. That way, if I save too much I can get bigger bins and still use the 1st ones for other things...or started weeding the little works of art out...lol...prob not going to happen! I let them pick out what color they wanted. We have three. One for each boy, and one for me & daddy...all the things they draw FOR ME and mother's day cards etc go in MY bin. Their school stuff goes in theirs. Best of luck! OH..a few things you really love can be (laminated if paper) hole punched and used as Christmas ornaments..or glued around a wreath and hung on their doors. Have fun w/ it! You know...my absolute faves I have made color copies of at my husband's work and put in my parent's fire proof safe. The same thing could be done by taking pics of the items/drawings and saving them on discs.

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P.D.

answers from Houston on

how about scanning the artwork you want to remember, but only saving the best pieces . Like for example the first time he drew a dog and it really looked like a dog, or a special mommy drawing. Put these items in milk crate by year, this way the storage is minimal , but you can always look back on other pieces, then you cna give the disk to your child when he grows up to remember all his work he created.

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B.W.

answers from Houston on

Got this tip from a grandmother who has been saving art work done by her special needs granddaughter who is a very talented artist. Take the picture to WalMart or other store with photo copier. Make a print. The print then can be put into a sheet protector and notebook. Just make sure to get the archive safe sheets. None of this is expensive and you have a lifetime of memories. Hope this idea helps.

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C.F.

answers from Brownsville on

I made binders for each of my kids. The only problem now is that my kids are now 7 and 9. I need to buy more binders.

C.

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T.L.

answers from San Antonio on

I framed the really special art work my children made. I bought black frames from Walgreens. Sometimes Walgreens has the frames BOGO for 50% off. I have an "art gallery" on the wall by my stairs. Also, you can take a picture of the art work and have a photo book made at Snapfish, Walgreens or CVS.
Have Fun!

A.G.

answers from Houston on

a big ringed empty binder, buy a 3 hole punch and one of those, and keep it on his bookshelf, thats what i do with my little artist's stuff, i call it her "scrapbook", she has two of them.

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A.G.

answers from Houston on

I took some regular photo albums, the ones with big pages, and covered them with fabric and ribbons and gave them to a friend of mine when her children were born. The fabric on each album reflected the personality of the child that received it. She used these albums to contain all their art work. They're cute, easy to use, and each one is individualized to make it easy to spot which album belongs to which child.

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C.L.

answers from San Antonio on

Why don't you frame your favorite ones and sorry to say but get rid of the other ones. By your profile I see he is only 1 1/2...you have MANY MANY more little projects coming to you in the next few years.

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M.L.

answers from Houston on

When my kids were younger, I would hang about 3 pieces of art for each child in the kitchen and study area. I would rotate the pictures with new ones on a regular basis. Then I would store them in a copy paper box as I remove them for newer pieces.

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D.B.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi T.!
The notebook/portfolio is a great idea for page sized artwork. Just add the clear page holders to protect them or acid free page dividers. For the larger artwork, get a long, flat rubbermaid container to place the pieces in. You can also add acid free tissue paper between each piece and just store it on the top shelf of a closet or under your bed.
:o)

Have fun!
D.

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L.W.

answers from San Antonio on

My sister in law stapled her son's artwork (the ones she wanted to save) to the wall in her garage. Kinda neat...if you have a clean garage!!!

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T.G.

answers from Austin on

I have saved way to much but I have made a scrapbook for each school year that my kids have had so far. Oldest son is 6 yrs. You can get the big scrapbooks online, get smart products. I buy the 12X15 size. that way I can fit the bigger pages and fit more on one page. They like to look at the books and even Dad likes to see what they have done that year. You can see how they progressed during the year also. They are scrapbooks but don't have to be fancy. Mine have all the pictures from school activities in the front. I stay at home and can go to most if not all activites and like to take pictures. After that put in all the artwork that you want to keep. I have a "just get it in" attitude toward scrapbooks. They might cost more to do but are you or your husband going to sit down and go through the boxes some day?

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