Preserving Your Child's Artwork
How To Keep or Make Keepsakes From Your Kids' Masterpieces
Jun 5, 2009
One of the most exciting times for parents of preschoolers is when their young children begin to produce recognizable drawings. Whether it's a self-portrait or a classic triangle-roofed house, early childhood artwork is a joy to behold. If a child enjoys playing with paints or crayons, the works of art can multiply at a furious pace and a parent can lose track of junior's best works. It's a good idea to take steps to preserve your child's most special pieces so that they can be enjoyed and remembered as he or she grows up.
Framing
The most obvious way to turn a piece of childhood art into a keepsake is put it in a frame. This works especially well for larger pieces that can not be easily filed away. Extra special pieces can be taken to a professional framing company, or you can simply buy a frame from the store and do it yourself. Hang the art in the child's room, your own bedroom, or display it for all to see in the living room or another public area of the house. Or give it as a special gift to a grandparent or another family member.
Filing
If you want to keep your child's artwork but don't necessarily want to look at it constantly, another way to preserve it is to create a file folder or a large pocket made from two file folders unfolded or stapled together. At the beginning of the school year, designate a box to hold all of the artwork that comes home with your child. At the end of the year, sort through all of items and choose a few dozen that are worth keeping. Store them in the folder along with their report cards or school records. Each year you can start a new folder to create a library that will span their early school career.
Crafting
If you really want to go the extra mile and consider yourself crafty, make something special with your kids' artwork. One popular option is to trace the child's drawing onto fabric with a fabric pen and to use simple embroidery to create a patch. The possibilities of what to do with that patch are fairly endless: use it as a panel on a pillow or a tote bag, use several patches to add to a quilt (to make it extra special, use some of the child's baby clothes as well), or leave it in the embroidery hoop and hang it on the wall. Again, any of these embroideries would make an excellent gift for a grandparent or family member.
With slightly older children's drawings, you can make a three-dimensional stuffed animal. Whether it's a realistic-looking puppy or cat or a more whimsical Ugly Doll-style stuffie, the child will feel a huge sense of satisfaction that he or she designed a personalized toy.
Celebrating your children's artwork won't only provide you with a reminder of what they were like when they were small, but will also build confidence in their abilities. Keep encouraging them to draw and paint and they will continue to provide you with inspiring treasures.
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