What do you do with all of your child's artwork?

That sounds like me, keeping ALL the art work. We're having a second one soon, and in a couple years, there's just no way I'm going to be able to keep both my children's stuff!! It's so hard for me to weed out the special ones . . . I love all of my daughter's work . .. but I know I'll have to. I used to work in a frame shop and I met a mom who saved her son's 1st grade work on what being married is (picture and words). The mom saved it all these years and was framing it for her son's wedding gift!

Goodness, our pizza box quota for the year would have be met in one week! But that sounds like a good idea, especially if you can get the same pizza boxes each year and store them away neatly. Taking digital pictures of all the artwork sounds like the best idea. The memories are all there - and it can be stored on a CD. Um, looks like now I have a project of taking a zillion photos! Still I feel guilty for throwing out any of her stuff (the pack rat that I am!).

Oh, at nine years old I'm sure a lot of artwork has been accumulated!! For us, as it is, there's just no way we can even save everything in neat boxes . . . there is so much stuff and we just don't have the room. But yah, as dorannmwin suggested, I think digital photos are the going to save the day. However, like you said, I don't know when I'll have the time to do this!!

Hee hee - we are filled to the brim with my daughter's artwork . . . I just don't have the heart to throw any of them out (yet). It'd be hard to throw out her current stuff because she looks at them again and again. But I suppose I could start with the ones that are already stored - the ones she hasn't seen in a long time. It'd definitely have to happen when she's gone to bed! I think my mom just kept the mother's day stuff in her "hope" drawer!

Oh yes, we definitely do not have much space in our place to possibly keep everything she creates . . . afterall this is a living space, and not a gallery - hee hee. It's so hard to select the "best" works. My husband and I are both artists ourselves, so we are thrilled our little one has also become one herself . . . so all her works mean something big to us. But yes, it would take a lot of maintenance to keep everything. We are biased as parents as we think all of them are outstanding and worth keeping - hee hee.

Hi dear!
It is good to know that you and your husband are good artists. I would say that either you enlarge your space for keeping paintings/work of your little one or make the selection for his best work, without getting biased..............LOL!
All the best.

Hee hee - if only it were possible to build a bigger living space out of all the artwork . . . how is that for recycling too?

Yours idea appears good and interesting to me.

At 8, it's probably easier to distinguish the "better" pieces of art . . . but my little one is 4 and you just know all of it is just so sentimental to us. But it'd be insane to keep everything. That's a good idea to give some of them family members. And yes, when the time comes to throw out, recycling would be a good idea.

That's 2 big wowsers - having "kids" that are 34 and 19 . . . and that you kept everything!! How did you do it? I'll bet that's a lot of suitcases and envelopes!! We just simply do not have the room for it . . . no matter how I look at it. And we're talking about a little girl who makes lots of and lots of things daily! That's amazing you kept all their stuff . . . how fun to look at them now though, eh?

By "thank you" I meant "than you".

both Christmas and thanksgiving are both coming up!

Hee hee - oh but then we would need a lot of frames - hee hee! But that is a good idea . . . to give them to family and friends - instead of holiday cards we can give them a piece of art (frames or no frames!). But for home, I would need a billion frames - and then I'd complain we don't have enough wall space - hee hee. We do display as many of her creations in her room, and on a shelf for the crafty pieces. But I know, I know, I can't save everything!

Misterwit, you are too funny. As we are artists too, so I know that "right" all too well - hee hee. Ok, then I will have to save every creation my daughter makes, and also my son's when he comes of that age . . . even at the expense of not having any room to live, let alone walk in our own place. We will have to live, eat, and sleep on these pieces of artwork until otherwise notified by the artist.

Yeah...you have no choice but to keep it untouched....the thing is they think their paintings have the same quality and value as Davincci's ...

Davincci's? Hee hee - you're probably right! Well, if they turn into truly famous artists, I suppose then they could even get richer by selling all stuff they did as a kid . . . the rare pieces of developmental art! Oh, it'd then be truly worth it to save it all - ha!

That's neat you keep a scrapbook for your children's artwork. How do you do it for the larger size pieces? And what do you do for the crafted items (things that are too bulky to put on the pages of a scrapbook)? I'm sure one day they will look at your scrapbooks and have fond memories of their creations - as well as your scrapbook creation!