How do you keep your DC's art work?

[Jenny_A]

DD just started playschool a couple of mornings a week. I never thought I'd be one of those Moms that saved art work. I mean, one or two pieces sure, but not every single scribble.

Well then she started bringing it home and I just melt every time I open that folder. Today she brought home a red blob that was apparently an attempt at finger painting. I cherish it more than I would an original Van Gogh.

I need a good way to save all these things. I'm marking the back with the date and her age. Any other tips? What should I store them in?

Thanks!
Jenny

[SnuggleBuggles]

Currently they are all piled up on a shelf in our living room- more than a year's accumulation!

My plan is to save about 3 hard copy originals of either pieces I love or ones that show a certain milestone in development (like the first time he drew a real person). The rest I will take digital photos of. I may make prints or at least save them somewhere. I read that idea somewhere and it seems to be the most practical solution.

Beth

[jenmcadams]

I'm planning to eventually (see how I say planning and eventually :)) to do two thing after I take digital photos of most of them

(1) Create a couple of large posters with 9-12 snapshots of photos on them (something along the lines of "Abbie - The Preschool Years - Part 1")

(2) Maybe create a larger photo book with more of the art work

As far as storing the art itself (until I get these projects done), for the insanely large painting type work she brought home, I rolled it up and I have a large shopping bag filled with rolled up art work. I also bought a kids art portfolio from Lakeshore Learning that works for some stuff and will probably work well for the actual pieces I end up wanting to keep (I can't find it on their site now, but I've seen similar portfolios at Children's Place and at toy stores).

Now that she's started Kindergarten and her work seems to be on more normal sized pieces of paper, I'm saving her work by month in these cool Hefty One Zip School Bags (Oversized Ziplocs)

http://www.mybrandsinc.com/ShopOnline/Catalog.asp?t=6&s=O&ss=ONEZ&p=1079

HTH

[glbb35]

I feel the same way. It is hard not to want to keep everything. When our DS would bring something home we would post it up on the family bulletin board to be shown off. It was great because grandparents would come over and he would show them his work. I have taken pictures as well and plan to put the photos into his scrap book. I collected the rest and put in a decorative tin.

A friend of mine takes pictures and then keeps what she wants and sends the rest off to relatives and grandparents as cards for their birthdays and surprise mail. She said her distant family appreciates the works of art and it helps them stay connected to her child.

My mom kept some of my things and when I was married she put them together in a large binder scrapbook and gave it to me as a present. There was something for each year of school from preschool to a letter she found in the attic from high school. It was like walking down memory lane.

B

[HHCs Mom]

Right now I have a large, kind of flat Rubbermaid type tote where I store his artwork. It just gets tossed in there and then I'll decide later on what to do with it. I also give some to the grandparents so they'll have some and it gets it out of our house, too. Some of the "lesser" pieces I recycle.

Kim
~ mama to a sweet boy named Harrison ~ April 2004
...and Davis ~ born May 2007!

[jadamom]

We put DD's artwork in a flat (under-the-bed) plastic bin. Her teacher recommended just stapling them into a scrapbook immediately when she brings them home.

[julieakc]

DS started preschool in March and I started this system....

bought a large 3 ring notebook and lots of the page protectors

I date each picture and slip it into a page (some I have to cut or fold to fit)

Just since March though the notebook is pretty darn full!

At some point I think I will purge the stuff - I had heard the suggestion about taking a picture someplace before too and like that idea, and of course I'll probably save some key pieces.

For now, though it at least keeps everything pretty neat (I try to be good about not letting the stuff pile up for more than a week or so before putting them in the notebook) and allows me to show the grandparents (they're all fairly local) what he's been doing.

I do have one of the portfolios for storing larger items, but so far in preschool everything's been small enough for me to trim/fold into the notebook. I do have some larger items in the portfolio from Gymboree art class last summer.

[Jenn98]

We have one of these: http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=2171&sv=2244&cmvalue=HS|0

I'm not sure what I'll do with stuff that doesn't lay flat - maybe a photo of it and then only save a very select few? (Yeah, right. Like I'll be able to throw anythinga way! I have *every* single scribble she has ever made!)

[Jenny_A]

Ooooohhhh... I LIKE that!! That was the sort of thing I had in mind. I like that it would hold the bigger pieces too. The price is reasonable, I think.

I'm also considering it as a possible Christmas gift for my niece who's 2. It's unique and I don't think she would have one.

Thanks!

Jenny

[mykidsmom]

I bought one of these recently:

http://www.kidzworxx.com/artscrapbooks.shtml

[mom to little e]

I am in the same situation. I save pretty much all of it, from the drawings done at home, to the work done at preschool, to the larger art pieces done at Abrakadoodle (art class). I've also done the various things the PP's have done so nothing new to add, there.

However, my one big brain storm involves the larger pieces from Abrakadoodle. I have taken all of those pieces and hung them in my laundry room like it is a gallery. I really didn't like my little laundry room (it is really just like a walk-in closet) and it used to really bug me. Now I hang all of the large pieces in there. Many come home from class with a plastic frame. The others I mat on black construction paper. At some point, I'll have to decide how to store these permanently but for now, it decorates my laundry room, makes DS so proud, and makes me happy when I have to do tedious laundry!

Good luck!
Maryann
Mommy to Ean & Mia!