I’ll never forget when my daughter Emily caught me red-handed throwing away an art project of hers. She was crushed. But what was I supposed to do? The onslaught of arts and crafts pouring in from school, church, and other extracurriculars can turn into a clutter nightmare!
Moms want to preserve those preschool and grammar school masterpieces that come home each day. After all, this finger painting of the dog might be the last one your kiddo does, so you want to treasure it. But drawers full of crunchy paper or stacks on the counter can start to feel overwhelming. So try one of these 5 craft organizing tips to keep what’s truly special and have an orderly home.
1. One Year at a Time
At the beginning of the school year, purchase a large flat container for each child and place it in an accessible location. As the art projects come home, enjoy them for a few days on display and then place them in your child’s memory box. At the end of the year, go through the box and select the best of the year for permanent preservation and discard the rest. The “Keepers” can then move to more permanent storage in the attic or top of your kids’ closets. They’ll love to get them out year after year.
2. Photo Books
If storage space is at a premium, take those best projects from the year and scan them into your computer. You can then easily upload them onto one of the online photo processing sites like Snapfish or Shutterfly, and have the images bound into book form—often for less than $20! There’s always a coupon code! Then your kiddos’ creations can live forever on your clutter-free coffee table.
3. Creative Displays
There are some great organizing tips out there for displaying kid art in a way that adds to, rather than detracts from, your home’s look. Try stringing picture wire between two painted or affixed “posts” on a wall of the playroom—then hang the most recent creations up like colorful laundry. Frame up some favorites in inexpensive frames of various sizes to create a collage in the hallway. At the end of each school year, the kids can choose their new favorites to freshen up the display.
4. Seasonal Decor
Some moms use their kids’ holiday arts and crafts to decorate a fun, family-oriented space like the kitchen. Run some yarn or wire across the tops of cabinets or from the ceiling to create a holiday-themed wonderland.
5. From 3D to 1D
You know it took your child hours to assemble a model of the Empire State Building out of popsicle sticks, but there’s no way you can store his two-foot-tall wonder indefinitely. Snap a picture of bulky projects, and preserve them that way! You could even include the photo in your annual photo book.
What’s your favorite piece of art your child has given you?
