My kids come home with a TON of art.
It seems like most of their free time in class is spent drawing. Some of their creations are just too cute to throw away, but if you keep it all you will run out of closet storage in a matter of years! While their artwork may not yet be ready to exhibit in a professional gallery, I have enjoyed doing some super creative things with my children’s art. I absolutely love filling their rooms with their creations, so they continue to feel creative and inspired. Even if you decide not to hang your child’s art on your walls, you’ll definitely want to store it. Finding a good solution for kids art storage will allow you to look back on their creations when they’ve become a rebellious teenager and you want to remember how cute they used to be.
As more parents are interested in saving their children’s art, more companies are offering creative solutions to display and save the artwork. These range from professional-looking art portfolios to simple storage boxes that will preserve your kid’s art for years to come.
Check out some of my suggestions for storing art below. I hope it brings you and your loved ones joy knowing you are keeping some special pieces and decluttering, too!
Xo,
Lizzie
Artkive offers a creative kids art storage solution using photos!
Artkive will photograph and professionally frame your kids’ art projects for you! Instead of taking the pictures yourself, you simply have Artkive send you a box. When you receive the box, you fill it up with your kid’s art and return it. They will take the pictures for you. This is so much easier than taking the photos yourself. After Artkive has taken the pictures, they will either make a photobook or a framed mosaic of your kid’s art. It’s your choice!
You’ll have the opportunity to approve the digital proof before they print everything. Once it’s done, they’ll mail it back to you. It’s that easy! I have done this with my kids and I LOVE my Artkive books. They are BEAUTIFUL!!! I highly recommend this option.
Make your own art portfolio
If you want to keep your child’s art in a beautifully made portfolio, you have plenty of options. These portfolios require minimal effort and keep everything contained, in one place. You can also find more casual portfolios made out of plastic. These portfolios make it easy to flip through your kid’s art so you can see how their skills have developed over the years!
Mixbook photo books
Mixbook is a custom printer that can make your kid’s artwork into a beautifully printed photo book. All you have to do is take pictures of your child’s artwork and upload the images to the Mixbook. You can choose from pre-designed templates, which is probably the easiest option unless you’re a graphic designer. You can also design the photo book from scratch.
Once you’ve designed the photo book, you can choose what kind of paper you want it to be printed on and what sort of cover you want. Mixbook has quite a few beautiful cover and paper options.
100% happiness, guaranteed!
At Mixbook, we believe your creation experience should be fun and uncomplicated. It’s why we work hard to ensure every step of your creation process — from design to your finished product — is just the way you want it every time, or we’ll make it right.
Make your own layouts with Canva
If you have the graphic design chops (and time!), you can make your own digital photo book with Canva. Canva actually makes graphic design very easy because it has thousands of templates you can use. All you have to do is upload pictures of your kid’s art and put them into one of Canva’s templates.
If you like, you can use the digital photo book you created on Canva to make a print photo book. Mixbook may be your best option if you want to do this.
Art storage boxes
If you’re on a tight budget and you simply want to keep your child’s artwork so you can pull it out at a later date, art storage boxes may be your best bet. However, not all art storage boxes are created equal. You have to get the right one, or your child’s artwork may fade over time.
One of the most important things to look for in art storage boxes is that it uses acid-free paper. It is also important to avoid lignin and PVC. All of these things will lead to the art fading over time.
If your kid has made a lot of art, you probably want to get storage boxes that have nameplates. This way, you can categorize the art by how old your child was or whatever other criteria you want to use. Finally, make sure to get big boxes because you don’t know how big your kid’s next masterpiece will be!
Why You Should Keep Your Kid’s Artwork
Let’s face it! There is only so much room on the fridge and eventually you may end up throwing the art away. Over time, it’s easy to regret doing this. By using one or more of the art storage solutions mentioned above, you can remember those beautiful times in your child’s life, and the art won’t get messed up with stains and other fingerprints in the kitchen.
