Do your kids bring home entire backpacks full of art projects and worksheets? Don’t let this pile overwhelm you! Let’s look at some easy ways to cherish some incredible art and then introduce the lesser pieces to the recycling bin!
Before we try to create memories from the masterpieces, let’s pull out what doesn’t need to be saved. I know we all love our kids and want to treat everything they do as special, but for the sake of your home and mental well-being, you do not need to keep every worksheet and coloring-book page they’ve ever scribbled on. Only keep and organize the art you want to look at again. Do you only want to keep the Mother’s/Father’s Day cards they’ve made?-- That’s ok. Do you only feel sentimental towards the crafts with handprints?—No problem. You get to decide how much or how little stays!
Now that you’ve filtered out the crumpled worksheets and crayon doodles, it’s time to organize and preserve the treasurers that remain. There’s no point to saving something if it is not being stored in a manner that will prevent damage. Additionally, your storage method should reduce the clutter around your house, not add to it. Let’s look at some of our favorites!
File Box
As Houston-area professional organizers, this has become our go-to method for organizing artwork. It consolidates all of the art into one simple filebox and neatly organizes it by school year! Perfect!
Create A Book
Ready to go paperless? There are many great services that can create beautiful books of your child’s art. Several of our clients have had success organizing art with ArtKive. Alternatives like Scribble and Shutterfly offer a more DIY approach and they include the ability to include photos of your kids. You’ve just replaced messes of paper with a beautiful coffee table piece! Magic!
Google Drive
For a completely digital option, you can create a folder in your Google Drive. Just like a file box, this gives you the option to organize by school year. And you can do it all from your phone as soon as the art comes into your house. This completely avoids clutter on your counters! Easy!
Document Box
What if you can’t bear to part with the originals and some of the art is too big for a file? Create a box specifically for art. Underbed storage boxes are the perfect size for larger art projects. Or, elevate the look with a document box from The Container Store. Everything just goes right in the box! Simple!
Document Box from The Container Store
Display Wall
Want to enjoy your child’s art without cluttering up every surface with paper stacks? Turn it into whimsical decor with frames. A display wall is the perfect way to encourage your little Picasso! Fun!
Organizing your kids’ art will solve two problems at once. It will remove clutter from your home and allow you to properly store these precious childhood memories. So go ahead and tackle this before all those beautiful creations turn into a crumpled mess at the bottom of a backpack!
Hi, I’m Meghan
Professional organizer, mom, former educator, wife, and auntie. I am dedicated to minimalism, greener living, and community service.
I believe organization can relieve stress and help all aspects of your life function more smoothly. I hope the information here can help you create a more peaceful home and lifestyle!
