children's artwork ???

[mlktwins]

Ok, so what do you guys do with your children's artwork/crafts? I have not kept everything my boys have made or things I know they didn't work very hard on, but I'm at the point where I want to go through and get rid of a lot of it and keep the best of their work or things that mean something. For example, things with their handprints on them I'm keeping. Also, a silly little picture my one son drew (not very good), but wrote his first "I LOVE MOM" on it all by himself. Gotta keep that. One of my son's also "wrote and illustrated" his first book. Gotta keep that too.

 

I have some work and crafts from their year in mom's morning out and their year in private pre-school. I'm keeping a selection of stuff to show their improvement through the year.

 

How do I do be brutal though :-(? I was going to scan or take pictures of things I'm tossing, but that will take a lot of time and will the pictures ever be looked at again? For example, I have a lump of clay on a plate with toothpicks stuck in it (it's a sea urchin) that they made at Ocean's Alive camp this past summer. I'm not storing it and will we really look at the picture again? I have a flat storage box each to put stuff in, but that's got to last until they grow up -- LOL. I am putting my favorites in a 12x12 scrapbook so they can flip through it and easily see their creations.

 

Any suggestions? I have twins so I have 2 of most everything :-).

[dcjlkplus3]

My kids produce a lot of artwork. For drawing they are given spiral bound sketchbooks at Christmas (and other times as needed). That helps keep drawings contained. I also have a rule that says if it doesn't have a name and a date on it, it won't be kept.

 

I keep having grand plans to scan and photograph projects and such, but it hasn't happened yet.:tongue_smilie:

 

I have noticed that when I look through the pile a year or so later, it is MUCH easier to throw things away.

 

If your photos are digital, you could make a very basic scrapbook digitally - go to someplace like Winkflash.com, or probably snapfish or something when they are having a great sale and just drag and drop the photos into the template with a small description for a caption (the finished books are nice and much thinner than a traditional scrapbook, even with the same amount of pages. They come in all sorts of sizes.

[Amira]

We've been scanning artwork for ten years because my husband can't bear to just throw it all away. It's worked great for us and everyone likes looking at what they created.

[blakereese]

I take a photo of some things (especially those lovely 3D projects) and scan others. It breaks my heart to throw things away, but these days we often have 3 or 4 masterpieces created per day. ;) Of course they will go in the recycle bin after the kids are in bed. They would be devastated if they saw me do that!

 

I am glad to have photos or scanned images, though. It is fun to look back on them!

 

I also have 2 art frames hanging in the basement (playroom/school area) that I switch out often so they can display their best work. :) Something sort of like this, but with a white frame. Love them.

[Sherry in OH]

How do I do be brutal though :-(? I was going to scan or take pictures of things I'm tossing, but that will take a lot of time and will the pictures ever be looked at again? For example, I have a lump of clay on a plate with toothpicks stuck in it (it's a sea urchin) that they made at Ocean's Alive camp this past summer. I'm not storing it and will we really look at the picture again? I have a flat storage box each to put stuff in, but that's got to last until they grow up -- LOL. I am putting my favorites in a 12x12 scrapbook so they can flip through it and easily see their creations.

 

Any suggestions? I have twins so I have 2 of most everything :-).

 

For camp crafts, four suggestions -

(1) Take a picture of your child in his/her camp shirt holding the craft.

(2) Arrange all souvenirs from camp in a small grouping, take one photo.

(3) Make a scrapbook page about camp. Include a small photo of the urchin. (4) Take a digital photo, save it on your hard drive, but do not print it. That way, if you change your mind, you can print it later.

[blakereese]

Yeh, I haven't printed ANY pictures of their artwork, they are just all on a disk. We look at them (on the computer) occasionally, and I know later (like when they go to college or get married!! :lol:) I will love to sit and look at them and cry. Probably while listening to a sad, sappy song. But I am sentimental like that. :001_smile:

 

That is the beauty now with digital storage. Hardly takes up any space or any real expense, and you can save it forever. It has been hard for a pack rat like me :D but I am glad I have this option. Anything that my kids make becomes a treasure to me. All they have to do is write "Mom" somewhere on it and I'm a goner. :lol: But I am OK with at least having the digital photo/scan. "A picture is worth a thousand words!" (Hmmm...I wonder what a picture of a picture is worth!!)

 

Usually I am most attached to something the first week or two, so things will hang around that long before they are replaced with something else. That makes it easier too...I may throw something out, but I am always getting some new artwork. We have several cork boards to hang things, and that way the kids will see them and show them off a few days, and then really not notice when I take them down for a new one. It is much harder on me than on them, that is for sure. :001_huh:

 

And I don't take photos/scan EVERYTHING. After awhile you know what you want to remember, and what can just happily go to the recycle bin.