Ideas for Displaying School Art Projects
Create Personalized Keepsake Storage for Kids' Artwork
Aug 17, 2009
All the early school art projects that kids bring home from preschool and elementary school can be difficult to store, but equally difficult to part with. Instead of throwing these treasures away, display them artistically or make them useful. Some ideas: make a box that is decorated with the art to store mementos (and more artwork), use the papers as the pages of a scrapbook or display the art on canvas.
Materials Needed For Keepsake Box
- A large, flat cardboard box. The boxes that are shipped with new computers to hold keyboards and accessories or unused pizza boxes are good choices
- Decoupage medium
- Sponge or foam brush.
- Sticker letters or labels
- Keepsake Box instructions below
Instructions for Making a Keepsake Box
- Select the kids' artwork to be used on the outside of the box.
- Arrange the pieces in different patterns until satisfied with the design. Cut the papers into shapes or smaller pieces if necessary.
- Apply decoupage medium to the box and affix the paper into place.
- Apply decoupage medium on top.
- Label the box with sticker letters or a printed label if desired. Include the child’s name and the year. If some of the artwork has the child’s name written on it, cut out this piece to use as the label.
- Seal with acrylic sealer.
After the box is dry, use it to store other art projects or souvenirs. It can be displayed along with other mementos, scrapbooks and photo albums. Another idea is to keep it on display on a bookcase in the child's room.
Materials Needed for Scrapbook Pages
- Scissors or paper cutter
- Hole punch
- Reinforcements
- Ribbon, scrapbook or binder
- Card stock or other decorative paper for scrapbooking
Instructions for Scrapbook Pages
- Select papers of the same size and shape. Cut down to size if necessary to fit standard 12X12 or 8X11 scrapbook albums.
- Stack the papers, and punch holes along one side. Use reinforcements to keep the holes from tearing.
- Run ribbon through the holes to create a book, or use a scrapbook or binder.
- Cut smaller papers or scraps into shapes to mount photos, if desired, or just use coordinated scrapbook paper or cardstock.
- Arrange the mounts, then glue into place.
- Add pictures, school work, and other mementos to each page. Since the papers are probably not archive safe, use copies of pictures rather than originals.
Once complete, the scrapbook can be displayed along with other scrapbooks and photo albums. Instead of being placed in an album of their own, the pages could be added to other scrapbooks from that time period in the child's life.
Materials Needed for Canvas Display
- Canvas panels or canvas and stretchers
- Decoupage medium
- Acrylic sealer
Instructions for Canvas Display
- To make a large canvas, purchase a canvas, or stretch fabric or canvas over stretchers.
- Arrange the artwork. Form a square pattern like a quilt, or overlap pieces to create a collage.
- Apply decoupage medium to secure into place
- Seal with acrylic sealer
The display can be hung on a wall. Pieces can be removed and replaced as needed. Items in the collage will be damaged from the glue, so it's best to use copies or pieces that won't be saved forever.
All the projects can be displayed along with other mementos and photos. They should be placed in an area that is easy to access, so that parents and children can easily page through the scrapbook or look at items in the box to remember the child's early development.
Preserving Your Child's Artwork lists more ideas for saving and displaying treasured early art creations.
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