August 11, 2014

displaying your kids artwork without loosing your mind

Mondays are never fun, but everyone in my house is especially bummed as this Monday marks the last week of summer vacation. (Don't tell the girls, but I'm actually thrilled by this news). And since Eve will be starting pre-school (sniff sniff) I thought I would share my favorite tip for organizing the monster that is pre-school art work.

When Amelia started pre-school I loved every stinkin piece of art she brought home. Every piece was incredible. "Obviously my child is an art prodigy", I would think.

Then, she brought home more. And more. At times she'd bring home 3 or 4 things a day. It slowly turned from "what an amazing picture you made" to "another picture...great".

While I love my child, and of course think she's the best at everything she does, it was getting a bit out of control. There were projects everywhere. I think they breed in the night. Like some sort of sick Toy Story movie.

To corral the crafty chaos I put a small out of the way corner to use. This little alcove is off of the kitchen and leads downstairs to the family room, out to the garage thru one door and to a side yard thru the other door. A perfect place to add some craft cheer.

Each month I hang what she brings home on the door(s). Then, at the end of each month I take her picture with that month's display and then we take it all down and throw them away, keeping 1 or maybe 2 to go in her memory box.


Some months there is more participation in the picture than in others. 


We make sure to always get the calendar in the shot so we know which month we looking at. 


And some months I forget to remove the dog bowl before taking the picture.


We've got three years worth of these pictures and it has been really fun to look back at them and see how she's changed and how her art has matured. The paper monster is tamed!

What do you do to keep school projects and information overflow from taking over?

21 comments:

  1. Genius!! I have a bag of art staring at me right now!

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  2. So smart! I think kids art is so bright and happy! I love it.

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  3. LOVE this idea! Very creative..and so sweet!

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  4. Genius idea!! So cute that she poses in front of it too! xxx

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  5. Oh my goodness how this made me want a pre-schooler that brings home artwork! :) Amelia, her art and your idea are all darling!

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  6. This is a great solution! My kids are older than yours and I still don't have much of a plan so I shall borrow this idea (although my almost-middle schooler really hasn't been bringing me any art lately, sad face). Where did your calendar come from? The graphics are great!!

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  7. Love this idea - wish I had it 10+ years ago! I'm the crazy mom who has kept almost everything and now has boxes and boxes of artwork to weed through and figure out what's going to stay and what's going to go. Good luck with the start of the school year - Amelia sure is a cutie!

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  8. Awh! Love it! especially love the look on her face :)

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  9. What a great idea. Sadly my children are 22 and almost 16 so I can't take advantage of this fab idea. Your daughter is adorable! Miss those days...

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  10. Haha! I've been thinking the same thing...my kids start back this Wednesday (I know, don't ask) ;-) But this mama is very excited!! I felt the same way about my daughters artwork she would bring home, my tone sounded just like yours, "greeeat...". I keep a few things and store them away in a box, some artwork makes it on the wall in her room but I substitute them out every few weeks.

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  11. I have said it before, but girl, you are brilliant!!!

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  12. This is SUCH a good idea! I've tried those apps where you take picture of each piece of art, but even that feels really time consuming and it just doesn't happen for me. What you do could actually work, I think!

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  13. I did this when my oldest was little and we only saved our absolute favorite pieces afterwards. I need to really print those pictures to share with her since she is now in high school.

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  14. These images are adorable! I love your idea of decorating a door with the big calendar each month. What a keepsake. Brilliant! I'm loving catching up on your blog.

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  15. darling photos! such a great idea...and I didn't know you had an Amelia..me too! fun post!

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  16. This is the best idea! Adorable pics too!

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  17. I love this idea! Such a great way to get a picture of all of her art and see her grow. It will be fun for her to look back on these pictures when she's older.

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