As children grow, they bring home a ridiculous amount of artwork, starting from preschool and continuing through elementary school. This artwork quickly accumulates, resulting in piles that can be overwhelming. Looking back at these creations years later, it can be nearly impossible to remember when each piece was made and, if you have multiple children, who created what.
Temporary Display Solutions
You might initially use popular solutions like Ikea's frames or wires to hang multiple pieces side-by-sidey. These methods are great for temporary displays but don't provide a long-term solution.
The Best Long-Term Solution - A Digital Gallery
The best way to preserve and organize your kids' artwork for the long term involves a few simple steps:
Sign and Date Each Piece: Use a black or white sharpie pen to clearly label each piece with the year it was made and the artist's name; for example, "Noah 2024." The white sharpie is particularly useful for dark backgrounds. If you prefer not to write directly on the artwork, use a post-it note instead, but remember, even the most famous artists sign their work!
Photograph Each Piece: Laying the art on the floor is the simplest way to snap the photo. Use the zoom function until the art is centered in the frame.
Organize the Photos: After taking photos, tag each one with the child's face and organize them into an album titled "Artwork." Adding captions provides context for you and the kids when looking back at each piece in the future.
Share the Albums: Share the "Artwork" album with interested relatives, like your partner and grandparents, who will appreciate having a digital collection of the children's artwork.
Regular Maintenance
To keep the process manageable, it’s essential to process your kids' art at least once or twice a year. This ensures that you keep track of when the artwork was created, who made it, and the story behind each piece.
Decluttering
Because you have memorialized each piece of art with a photo, you can feel more comfortable discarding most of the physical pieces, keeping only the best ones. This approach helps in reducing clutter while preserving memories.
Sharing Your Child's Digital Gallery
In the future, you’ll be able to sit back on your couch, pull up the "Artwork" album, and enjoy a slideshow of all your children’s artwork. You’ll know the dates they were created, by whom, and with captions, the stories behind them.
You can also share this album with your adult children, providing them with a digital copy of all their art, sparing them from digging through boxes of old pieces and wondering when each was made and what they represent.
