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Kids Artwork
by Stacey Agin Murray
 The beginning of the school year is an exciting time. It can also be an anxious time—for kids, of course, and often for parents, too. Suddenly, everyone has a heavier schedule—and if the strain on your calendar isn’t enough, there’s always that nagging question of what to do when all those papers and projects start piling up on the dining room table. If you have kids in school or day care, you know that the influx of paintings and three-dimensional creations coming into your home can be overwhelming year after year—especially if you have more than one child in school.
I understand more than you know. You see, for three years, I was the enemy. Yes, I used to teach first grade. I killed more trees teaching children to read and encouraging them to draw than I’d like to admit. And in the process, I’m sure I cluttered many of the horizontal and vertical surfaces in my students’ homes.
Kids bring home so much paper on a daily basis—school announcements, trip slips, notes from the teacher, and artwork. Finger paintings, clay sculptures, and collages are just a few examples of what parents can expect to pull out of their kids’ book bags. Honestly, I think Picasso’s mother must have had an off-site storage unit for her son’s drawings and sketches.
But renting an off-site storage unit is not an option when you’re organizing on a shoestring—even if you think your child may someday become a famous artist. I would now like to repent for my paper-happy sins of the past by offering a few ideas on how to organize children’s artwork with little to no money involved.
Here are a few objects that can easily be transformed into free organizers for flat artwork:
PIZZA BOXES They’re just the right size, they open and close easily, and best of all, they’re often free. Ask for a few clean ones next time you go out for pizza. Ordering a pie and cleaning up the crust dust from the bottom of the box just won’t do for storing Junior’s dabblings in Impressionism. Pizza boxes slide easily under a bed or sofa and stack beautifully, too.
CARDBOARD AND DUCT TAPE MacGyver got himself out of more than one tough spot using items like cardboard and duct tape. You can too, and you don’t have to save the world, just your kids’ artwork. Here’s how to create a portfolio case worthy of a secret agent: Take two pieces of the same sized cardboard (larger than the size of the papers to be stored), place one on top of the other, and tape together one long side and one short side. This makes it easy to slip papers in and out.
 Tip: Why not turn your kids into budding curators and place them in charge of their creations? It’s a wise idea to sit down with your child every few months, open the pizza box or portfolio, and sort though and purge their pictures. Involving them in this process helps to foster decision-making skills and encourages them to take responsibility for their personal property.
Now that you’ve saved a few bucks, here are two examples of low-cost ways to organize flat and three-dimensional artwork:
CLEAR PLASTIC STORAGE BINS Everyone has at least one of these in his or her home, whether it’s in the attic, under the bed, or in a closet. Clear plastic storage bins can protect artwork from dust and mildew and also allow you to easily identify the contents. Two things to remember when buying storage bins:
- Test the lids to make sure that they are easy to open and that the lids lock securely.
- Once the lids are locked securely, place the bins on top of one another to ensure that they stack neatly.
Even well-stacked containers have the potential for tipping over, so be sure to wrap all breakable items in bubble wrap. Average cost: $1.00 to $10.00 per container.
ONLINE STORAGE No room for storage bins? Run out of room on your fridge? Let photography come to the rescue! Taking pictures of your children’s artwork is a great way to share it with others and preserve it at the same time. This storage system works well for both flat and three-dimensional artwork.
Take out your digital camera, and shoot pictures of your child’s artwork. Select an online photo storage service, such as Snapfish by HP or Kodak EasyShare, and create an account. These online services allow you to store photographs online, share them with others via e-mail, and order prints of your favorite shots (and create some cool products like stickers and mugs, too!). Online albums can be set up for each child by grade or by artwork medium (i.e., paintings in one album, clay creations in another) and then shared with friends and family via e-mail. If your child doesn’t want the world to have access to his or her art collection, simply store the photos in a file on your computer desktop. Pick out the ones you like best, and set them up as a screen saver. Average cost: Free to join, $0.10 to $0.15 per print. Stickers, calendars, mouse pads, etc., are $2.99 and up.
Don’t have a digital camera? That’s okay. Disposable cameras or cameras that take regular film will work just fine. Instead of online storage, have your child select a photo album to be designated as their “off-line” artwork storage. Average cost: Photo album, $3.00 and up; roll of film, $3.50 and up; photo processing, $5.00 and up.
 THE BIG SPLURGE If you’re interested in spending some money storing and showing off your artwork, here’s a suggestion for the big splurge: Li'l DaVinci artwork frames from Dynamic Frames™. This frame doubles as a storage cabinet. At just over an inch thick, it displays one picture and holds up to one hundred masterpieces. It opens on hinges to make storing and replacing your child’s creations an easy task. No more refrigerator magnets necessary! Average cost: $24.95 to $32.95.
It doesn’t matter whether your child’s latest work of art is stored in a pizza box, on a computer, or in a fancy frame. What matters is that you have affordable options for the storage and preservation of your children’s artwork; and that your dining room table is now a clutter-free place where you can gather as a family.
Stacey Agin Murray
Stacey Agin Murray is a professional organizer residing in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Visit her Web site at www.organizedartistry.com for more information.
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