Elizabeth McPherson
What is a parent to do? Kids bring home gobs of art and projects almost daily. Most end up on the refrigerator or scattered around the house. At what point do you toss, and how can you keep them forever without cluttering the closets or shelves? Well, hopefully I can give you some helpful tips.
For the Packrat: You know who you are. You cannot stand the thought of throwing anything away. You keep all your ketchup packets and plastic eating utensils. So something as precious as original artwork is unquestionably saved—down to the last Crayola covered napkin.
For you, the best option is to get to your local craft store and purchase a large art portfolio. It resembles a folder and has a slit in the top to slide artwork in. Keep only the newest pieces out for display, and limit it to one or two pieces at a time to prevent a cluttered look to your space. If you feel the need to display all of them, rotate them weekly or daily. But keep it minimal. It makes each piece more special, and your house less cluttered. Best of all, the portfolio protects them from tears and is easily stored in a pantry or closet.
For the minimalist: You are like me. You can’t stand clutter, and have been caught red-handed by your five year old for tossing out their precious pictures. While you appreciate a good work of art, you don’t like to keep the non-sense scribbles that they won’t remember one day from now.
Your best option, make a display place for the ‘special’ pieces and ‘hide’ the rest forever. Chances are your kids won’t remember anything but the best pieces anyway, so they won’t care about their preservation as they get older. But make sure to properly store the special ones in a portfolio to keep safe.
For the Proud Parent: You are a whole different breed. While you may not plaster their art all over the house, your desk at work is overrun with pictures of ‘daddy and me.’ The first thing other employees learn about you is not how well you do your job, but how obsessed you are about your kids. While it is great to be connected and proud of your little ones, the clutter can be distracting in the work place.
Your best option is to take digital pictures of everything your child makes and make a slideshow screensaver for your PC. This keeps your space professional but also showcases your child’s work…but a few original pieces framed on your desk are OK too. Just don’t overdo it.
Parents have to make tough choices for their kids. Which crafts to save and toss does not need to be one of them. Most kids will appreciate preserved pieces as they age if they hold some sort of significance or special memory, so make sure to save those. But every piece does not need to be saved. If you can’t bring yourself to toss them, at least keep it organized. But oftentimes, by using the digital picture technique you can still preserve the memory even if you decide to toss them. Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts) |
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