Ask any parent, and chances are they’ll admit to being inundated with children’s party invitations, requests for snacks… and kids’ artwork. While many of us coo over the cute egg-carton crocodiles, stick-figure family portraits and potato-stamp paintings, there’s only so much wall or fridge space in the home.

The good news? We’ve got some easy (and stylish!) ways to store and display kids’ artwork so you can organise and enjoy your mini Monet’s masterpieces for years to come, minus the clutter.

‍Sort Kids’ Artwork to Decide What to Keep or Cull 

Children are prolific artists. But surely you’re not meant to keep or display every drawing that comes home from school or daycare? Before you drown under the sheer weight of all that art, get into the habit of sifting through them to sort the trash (sorry, kids) from the treasure.

You might like to do this as it arrives, each weekend, or at the end of each school term or year. Keep pieces that are significant, such as ones that show development, evoke emotions or have special memories attached to them. 

You may find it easier (and kinder) to sort kids’ artwork when they’re not around, particularly when they’re younger. After all, you don’t want to be binning work in front of its creator! Save it for when the little ones are in bed or out the house (and cover your tracks by emptying the recycling bin afterwards).

As they get older, it might be something you work on together, giving you conversation opportunities to discuss the merits of a piece and why it is important to them.

Hot Tip: Write the date, age of your child and any helpful notes on the back of each piece you keep. This will make it more meaningful when you revisit the pieces in the years to come.

‍Create a Dedicated Gallery Wall Space at Home

A dedicated gallery wall space in your home could be the perfect place to display your kids’ artwork.

Kids will love to see their artwork on display, so consider setting up a dedicated spot for all things creative. It could be the fridge, a corkboard, or their own bedroom wall, with pictures fixed with magnets, pins, mounting tack or washi tape.

You could even try hanging art with mini pegs and a line of string. Just like a normal art gallery, regularly change up what’s ‘exhibiting’ to help keep kids engaged and the space interesting.

‍Frame Your Favourites

If you want something with more longevity, inexpensive photo frames are a great option. Choose pieces that make your heart swell or ask your kids for their faves, then give them special meaning by popping them in a frame.

You may find your collection grows into its very own ‘gallery wall’ as the years go by. Framed artworks would also make thoughtful and cost-effective presents for family members and friends.  

Alternatively, take a photo of the original piece of art, then consider enlarging it to a poster print or other size of your choosing by enlisting Officeworks’ Print & Copy service. 

Hot Tip: Allow approximately 7-10 business days for Print & Copy items. 

‍SEE ALSO: 5 Photo Wall Ideas to Decorate Your Home

‍Create a Scrapbook Together

A scrapbook is a quick and easy solution for paper artworks. All you need is a glue stick and markers to add notes about the piece itself, the thinking behind it or how your child feels about the end result.

Keep things simple, or jazz the pages up even more with some fun embellishments, such as stickers, washi tape and feathers. 

Try to get into the habit of adding things to the scrapbook regularly, so it doesn’t become an enormous end-of-year project. Set aside half an hour each weekend to sit down with your child and get creative with their creations. 

SEE ALSO: How to Create a Kids’ Journal They’ll Treasure Forever

Go Digital and Make a Photo Book

A photo book featuring your kids’ artwork is a creative and clutter-free way to store their art.

If you can’t stand clutter and don’t have much room for storage, a photo book is an effective minimalist approach. Take snaps on your smartphone of each artwork you like, then compile your pics into a handy dated book.

Officeworks has an online photo book maker, so you can make a personalised photo album in a snap. Add finishing touches such as text, borders and backgrounds and your customised photo book will be printed and delivered to your door.

This approach not only gives you the chance to organise by school year or child, but it’s also perfect for documenting both flat and three-dimensional pieces. You can even print off multiple copies to surprise the grandparents. 

SEE ALSO: How to Make a Beautiful Photo Book

Think Outside the (Storage) Box

Rather than storing artwork in your attic out of sight, you might like to turn your kids’ paintings into something more practical.

Try laminating their pictures and use them as placemats at the dinner table, or trim them down and gift loved ones a cute bookmark. Officeworks also has a wide range of out-of-the-box photo gifts to immortalise kids’ artwork, such as cushion covers, ornaments, playing cards and mousepads.

‍Think Longer-Term Storage Ideas

A file with compartments such as a document box or expanding file is ideal for neatly storing away your kids’ artwork.

When a new piece makes its way home, ask your kids to pop it in their own expanding file for safe keeping. Choose one with multiple compartments that you label by school year to keep things neat. A handheld label maker will help you get set up.

Otherwise, you might like to keep everything in a display portfolio, or opt for a binder or document box: you could even colour code by age or stage, such as early primary. This is also a great way to keep school work such as poems and stories.

Not all art is created flat: once you’re done displaying 3D masterpieces on a bookshelf or windowsill, consider housing them in archive boxes to transport you back in time years down the line.

Upcycle Your Kids’ Artwork

You can also use kids’ artwork as your own jumping-off point for creativity. Transform drawings and paintings into unique gift wrap, cut them up to make greeting cards and gift tags, or even make one big collage of all your favourite pieces and have it framed. You can even make professional gift wrap using photos of the artwork through Print & Copy.

SEE ALSO: Turning Your Creative Collage into a Canvas Print

What To Try