What to do with your kids’ art

If you have a child who likes to draw, you’ll soon be buried in art. Here is how to dig yourself out of the pile.

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Put it in a box

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t Wait! Don’t do this! This is bad advice. In the blink of an eye, it will overflow and you’ll have an art landslide on your hands. It can become a fire hazard. The bigger it grows, the more daunting it will be to sort out.

t This method might work if you are choosy, though. I know a mom who keeps one small box per year for her daughter’s artwork, mementos and keepsakes. She only lets the very best artwork in the box. Is it box-worthy?

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Turn art into art

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t Put it on the wall. Sure, this only works until you run out of wall space, but you could have a rotating display, as with the classic art-on-the-fridge method. Once a month, you can even take a photo of the artist with her gallery, if you want.

t There are a number of companies that have popped up over the years to transform a special piece of children’s art into, well, more art. KidzCanDesign will turn a drawing into silver jewelry, while Child’s Own Studio will turn art into a stuffed toy. There are also many print places that can put the artwork on a mug, canvas or shirt.

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Give it away

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t Put a few drawings in an envelope with a note, and then mail them away to relatives. People don’t get much snail mail anymore. It will brighten their day and lighten your stockpile.

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Photograph, then toss

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t This is my favorite method because it eliminates the guilt I feel when throwing art away — but I still get to throw art away. Just take a photo of it and then throw it away. You might want to keep a few special originals, but most of it just goes in the bin.

t By the way, there’s an app for that. Artkive will make it easy for you if you have a smartphone handy. You can date and title images and then later turn them into a photo book of the art.

t Amber Dusick is the author of the best-selling humor book Parenting: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures. She writes and illustrates the blog Crappy Pictures, where she captures the hilarious and frustrating things that happen in marriage and parenting. Find her on Twitter and Facebook.