NWMR: Do you save your kids' artwork?

IrishTraveler · August 2014

I find myself saving artwork only because DS did it or helped with it. Is there a better way to decide what's worth keeping and what to toss? We're only two years into this, and I have quite the collection already.

[Deleted User] · August 2014

I have a stack that I need to deal with. I keep meaning to look into Artkive but haven't. I may end up scanning them and doing my own photobook using a Groupon.

I keep the ones that are his hand or footprint or that I find cute. No real rhyme or reason as to what I keep. No glitter. I refuse to keep glitter. My car looks like I spent a weekend at a rave when they do glitter art.

Ago · August 2014

I fill a mail tray with them and once it is full I go through and separate what I want to keep and then send the rest to grandparents and aunts and uncles. They are less emotionally attached to it, so they can toss it from there if they like.

jennyelf · August 2014

I photograph / scan them and put them in a photo book I build on Shutterfly.

ASmallWonder · August 2014

I save things made with body parts

Now with my older son I've also saved some things showing him learning to write his name. I bought this big filing things that have pockets by year and I toss the projects in there.

JackieB15 · August 2014

Holiday themed stuff I want to keep gets stored with the rest of the decorations. Hand and footprints get stored in a box under my bed and the rest gets used to make cards or five to grandparents if it doesn't end up in the trash.

rodiesmum · August 2014

Some i keep. But honestly i have a hard time parting withthem. A good advice i got is take pictures of it tht you can reprint.

groovygrl · August 2014

There are a lot of apps out there where you can take photos & save them & then make a photobook or something if you want. I know artkive is one of them.

I have gotten a ridiculous amt of artwork over the last several years w/ twins in full time daycare/preschool... DD lovessss drawing and so I end up with probably 25 papers a week just from her, and once you get into the prek years they send home letter practicing & stuff and it just gets totally over the top. I rarely keep anything since about age 3 when it started piling up. I keep some favorites or some things that are really meaningful or a new skill or something, like when they started drawing a stick figure the first time, or drew something that truly looked like what it was intended to be, etc...maybe like 1-2 a month at most. I put them w/ their baby books & other memory stuff.
Plus she never notices- I was always afraid they'd ask for something later or see it in the garbage so knock on wood, hasn't been an issue.

AmberDerek · August 2014

I have kept every piece. I have given some pieces to grandparents though.

IrishTraveler · August 2014

Thanks, ladies. I like the photo book idea, and some of it I know I need to toss. Another maternity leave project!

MickeyM04 · August 2014

We have two clotheslines in our playroom that we hang the artwork from using mini colored clothespins (thanks Pinterest for the idea!). Once the clotheslines get full, I start removing the art one piece at a time and replacing it with new stuff that gets sent home. So far, I have only removed my "least favorite" pieces so to speak, and then tossed them. I mean DS is only 2 so we have a bunch of stuff up there from when he was 18 months-22 months-ish that is literally just a couple of scribbles on a piece of paper. I reasoned that I can't keep everything so the stuff like that I will toss. The stuff with handprints, footprints and more "unique" stuff I will keep (e.g. I just got sent home a ladybug that he made at daycare and painted the spots on, but I tossed the purple piece of construction paper with a bunch of orange scribbles on it). I like the photo book idea, but since DS likes to paint/color and between daycare and home, we have about 3 pictures/pieces per day, it's just too much. I have a keepsake folder in our file cabinet that I fill with my favorite pieces. A good tip is make sure you write their age or the date on it so you can remember later. I am good about this with the stuff he does at home but daycare will send stuff home and I will have no idea how long ago he made it, and I'll hang it on our clothesline without writing down the date or anything and then later I can't remember.

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