Storing childs artwork

bestpud

I have every book, calendar etc etc my three children have brought home from school/nursery and made at home. I have thrown some drawings and paintings out over the years but the bulk of those are sitting in the loft too!

Every now and then I get oh to get them down, with a view to reducing them but when it comes to it, I just can't get rid of anything!

Anyway, I'm now thinking it may be better to get a few art type folders for each child (maybe 2/3 each) and try reducing it that way. At least then they could be looked at more often as we love going through it all.

These http://www.gltc.co.uk/fcp/product/-/toys_games_arts_crafts/Art-Folders/1442 look ideal but are very expensive imo!

Does anyone know where I can get something similar but cheaper?

Or failing that, does anyone have a better way of dealing with this stuff - especially if you are as sentimental as me?

I have thought about scanning some and keeping the images but I can't do that for their school books and also, the 3D stuff just won't be the same. Perhaps I'm just making excuses though. :rolleyes:

Soooo, does anyone have any suggestions, pleeease?

Spendless

I bought big plastic see-thru envelopes from Staples. Not quite as big as the ones in your link, but big enough to hold most school creations Not much help on the sorting out tho as it's still on my list of jobs to be done.:rolleyes: I have a vague idea that I will keep a few special things from each year.

sticher

I had this problem, but one time I got it all down from my loft and after thinking about it seriously, I got rid of loads.

I realised that in my Mum's loft are all my old school books, etc which I have never looked at since - nor do I really want to. I asked my children if they were likely to want their books and they said no - sout out they all went.

I still have a few pictures, but intend at some point to scan these. As I have all boys, I think it very unlikely that they will want them though.

What I have done with models (not all yet) is to photograph them from different angles and then get rid of the original. I decided to do this when 2nd son bought home a 'robot' made out of boxes that was almost as tall as him at age 9!

Dustykitten

Glad I am not the only one in this predicament.

I have sorted mine by child and currently they have one of those plastic boxes on wheels which fit under the bed each. I have brought a large scrap book for each child and am sticking my favourite ones in the book (obviously the biggest creations will not fit). I am trying to get rid of some as I go through them - it is difficult but I think you will look at them more if you have less and they are in books.

After that I have boxes of photos to sort and put in albumns - do you have that problem too?

bestpud

sticher wrote: »

I had this problem, but one time I got it all down from my loft and after thinking about it seriously, I got rid of loads.

I realised that in my Mum's loft are all my old school books, etc which I have never looked at since - nor do I really want to. I asked my children if they were likely to want their books and they said no - sout out they all went.

I still have a few pictures, but intend at some point to scan these. As I have all boys, I think it very unlikely that they will want them though.

What I have done with models (not all yet) is to photograph them from different angles and then get rid of the original. I decided to do this when 2nd son bought home a 'robot' made out of boxes that was almost as tall as him at age 9!

Lol, my children are as bad as me!

We have a few models too - good idea to rotate them, thanks.

Spendless - will have a look for those.

Glad I'm not the only one who finds this job a difficult one!

bestpud

Dustykitten wrote: »

Glad I am not the only one in this predicament.

I have sorted mine by child and currently they have one of those plastic boxes on wheels which fit under the bed each. I have brought a large scrap book for each child and am sticking my favourite ones in the book (obviously the biggest creations will not fit). I am trying to get rid of some as I go through them - it is difficult but I think you will look at them more if you have less and they are in books.

After that I have boxes of photos to sort and put in albumns - do you have that problem too?

Oh boy, photos!!! I am in the process of scanning all my grandparents photos (inherited from both sides and there are loads).

I want to scrapbook my fave photos and add some of the artwork too. It seems such a massive task though.

I agree they will be looked at more if stored better. At the moment they are all sitting in the loft which is a shame imo.

dollydoodah

Please someone tell me I am not the only one that 'stores' a lot of their child's artwork in the recycle bin ? :rolleyes: :rotfl:

vixarooni

Why dont you chuck them. Then when they are teenagers thay can move out get a job and wont give a monkeys about something they drew aged 5.

sooz

'art' in our house is allowed to be displayed one week on the fridge

the best stuff gets one week in a box waiting to be scanned.

then it goes into the recycle bin to be made into more lovely paper...or loo roll.

otherwise we would have had to move house by now to store it all.

He has one shelf to display junk modelling...I am working on that. sometimes it goes back to school to be remade into someone else's problem

lex

This is an interesting one. I have all my school work from when I was at school, and really struggle to get rid of it.

I didn't want DD to go through the same thing, so I scan all her good pieces of artwork, and store them on the pc. Any models that we want to keep memories of, I take a digital photo of.

If DD remembers something and asks where it is - I can show it to her. Electronically.

Have to say I'm a bit behind at the moment, but it does work well.

lex

bestpud

vixarooni wrote: »

Why dont you chuck them. Then when they are teenagers thay can move out get a job and wont give a monkeys about something they drew aged 5.

Or keep them as a reminder that they haven't always known everything ... :rotfl:

Two of them are teens already and one has already left home. Hasn't made them more willing to part with the stuff!