Artwork Explosion

What To Do with Your Child's Art

Once your child is old enough to hold a crayon, the explosion begins. First, your bulletin boards are covered, next your fridge. It stacks up on the kitchen counter and, if you're organized, you put it in boxes. But how should you best organize your future Picasso's work?

First, keep only what you can store. If your preschooler brings home an average of four art projects each week, you'll have well over a hundred pieces each year. That means thousands of pieces before he's even out of grade school.

So, you'll need to pare down to the most important pieces. Most kids are more excited about the process of creating than the end result, but some children do care dearly for their art projects. If your little artist has trouble parting with favorite pieces, make her part of the purging process. Play "art show" and let her award "ribbons" to the five or ten best paintings. Consider creating a gallery wall. Hang a string or wire and let your child attach new works of art with clothespins. When a new piece comes in for the gallery, an old piece goes out.

If your child doesn't mind parting with past projects, you can do what most veteran moms do, and toss it on the sly. But be forewarned, if your little one sees his precious creation in the trash, he may be upset. Plan to throw them away only on trash collection day.

After you have it paired down, file artwork in file folders with a top closure or in a clear plastic storage box. Ideally, you will end up with 5-10 pieces for each year, which should allow you to store 5-7 years in one box. Keep an eye out for artwork with the same theme like the family home or pet. It's fun to watch your child's artwork change through the years, especially as he depicts the same subject over time.

If you just can't bear to throw your child's creations away, there are other options. Remember grandparents and friends. When an occasion arises, slip a piece of your child's artwork into the card. Or use it as wrapping paper. Consider laminating the most special pieces and use them as place mats. Use scanned artwork to create a custom calendar, or photocopy calendar pages on the reverse of the originals for truly one-of-a-kind calendar gifts.

Taking digital photos of your child's art or scanning it is a great way to preserve it and use it. Turn artwork into special mugs, mouse pads, or combine multiple pieces with online services like www.shutterfly.com to create a poster for your child's room. Make sure to burn a copy to a CD to create an interactive gallery.