May 23, 2008

Kids Artwork Mess Solved!!!!

I can't even remember where I saw this idea so I can't give credit! But, as my kids start to get to the end of their elementary school experience, I am finding myself DROWNING in artwork, notes, drawings, etc. I have a three drawer dresser in the playroom STUFFED full of stuff. I haven't kept everything, but I've kept the cute stuff and even weeding it out that way, I still have WAY TOO MUCH!

So, how to preserve it? I have scanned SOME of it (but, like most things, I'm VERY behind). Not all of it will fit on my scanner, though (although, thankfully, the bean mosaic did!). So, some of it will have to be photographed. And some of it is precious enough to keep (like handprints). But much of it is more for historical preservation than anything else.

So, once I scan and photograph it, I'm going to make a photo book of it all through Rocket Life My oldest is finishing up elementary school this year (how the heck did THAT happen?? When did he grow up?) so the flow has decreased quite a bit already. But, my 3rd grader is still bringing stuff home. I can safely start making the photo book for my 5th grader, though. It will be easier to store then all the stuff. Several years ago, my mom handed me a box of my own artwork. I taped it to the wall and took photos of much of it and then tossed it (which caused my mom to freak out since she had saved it for over 30 years).

So, that's my tip as the school year winds down. Scan those art projects and either scrap them traditionally as I did with my own or make a photo book as I will with my kids' stuff. The kids will LOVE thumbing through the book. I may even leave a space for journaling and cut them loose with a Sharpie to write in their own commentary on some pages.

1 comment:

canderson ~ Distinctive Moments said...

There was a similar post on Scrap Fancy’s Blog ( yesterday. I’m naturally a pack rat and I find it hard to get rid of stuff. But gradually I’m getting better.