Preserving and saving children's artwork

When saving children's art work, be sure to record the date, child's age, and school grade. Write down as much as you can about the work, including the title or assignment, and any thoughts or ideas that your child tells you about his or her artwork. You can write information lightly on the back of the work with a pencil.

Artwork can be preserved in scrapbooks. Here are some things to consider:

• Be sure the scrapbook is archival. If the pages aren't acid-free and lignin-free, they can actually encourage the artwork to break down over the years.
• The artwork itself might not be archival-quality. Construction paper, for example, is not archival. You can take your chances and scrapbook these objects, or you can have a color-photocopy made of them. Another option for non-archival artwork is to photograph the object and scrapbook with the photo instead of the actual art.
• Photography is a good option for 3-D or oversized objects, too! Large works can be photographed, or photocopied and re-sized!
• Scrapbooking with children's artwork needs no embellishment! The work will speak for itself. Choose a nice album; even one with black pages works well because the colors really stand out! Use whole pieces or snip off a specific part.
  
• Use a good quality glue stick or tape to adhere the artwork to the pages. For collages, or objects with glitter, you may wish to use a page protector to keep small parts from falling off.
• Use simple journaling to record any relevant information about the child's work.
• Lack the time to make a whole scrapbook? How about saving the work in an archival storage box?

Frame some of your baby's art! Have children's work professionally matted and framed (or buy your own mats and frames if the piece is a standard size) -- it will look spectacular, and your child will be as proud as can be to see his or her artwork displayed at home!

Some artwork can enjoy a "new life" as something else! Children's larger paintings can be used as wrapping paper. Drawings and paintings can also be cut into strips, laminated, and transformed into bookmarks! For an extra-creative touch, use a hole punch and make a yarn tassel at the top.

There are other options for artworks that have been scanned or photographed. Using online galleries, the works can be shared with friends and family members, as well as made into mousepads, coffee mugs and all sorts of other gift items.

Using iron-on transfers, you can print your child's artwork onto fabric. You can easily make the artwork into t-shirts, pillows, or quilts!

Finally, theres no reason all artwork has to remain at home. Many parents have an area at work where they can display their child's work near their workstation. What a treat to enjoy children's art all year 'round!