how to organize kids' artwork- young child smiling with paint on the palms of each hand on a background of a colorful painting

How to Organize Kids’ Artwork

Manage Your Kids’ Wonderful Creations Now

I never considered that in my journey through motherhood, I would need a plan for how to organize kids’ artwork, but here we are.

Raise your hand if you’re living with a little artist. Do you have a little Monica Stewart, Picasso or Frida Kahlo on your hands?

Art didn’t come naturally to my kiddo. She would do anything to avoid it. She didn’t even like to color. We still have the first packs of crayons I got her 3 years ago!

But, what a difference a year makes. Over the last few months, she’s gone from scribbling in protest, to drawing people and painting flowers. And, her creations are e v e r y w h e r e.

Between what she creates at home and what she brings home from school, we’re getting overrun. 

I’m not complaining though. I think the arts are so important. It feeds the soul. Not to mention that art is a great form of self-care for kids.

Art provides a good way to relax and express yourself creatively and emotionally.

I am just in need of a better system than the one we have now. Piling it on the table and sticking to the fridge just isn’t cutting it anymore.

Not only do I want to contain it, I definitely want to preserve it. It’s a wonderful memory for this time of her life and something I will enjoy looking back on as she continues to grow.

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Photos by: (clockwise) ihoe from Getty Images, trgowanlock from Getty Images, Thomas Faull from Getty Images Signature and Jupiterimages from Photo Images

How to Store Kids’ Art

One of the joys in life is enjoying the creativity of our little ones. It’s fun to see how they visualize the world around them.

But, it adds up fast. Soon one beautifully drawn flower turns into 100. Organizing kids’ artwork is something you need to get a handle on before you’re overtaken.

How you store kids art depends on your intention. The first thing to understand is that you can’t keep everything. If you’re looking for a quick fix, a folder will do. From there, you can almost do anything.

If you’d like a little more organization, go for a 1″-3″ binder (one age per binder) with sheet protectors. It’s a quick way to protect their creations and display them in an inexpensive album. These are also easy items to buy in bulk, solving storage for years to come.

You may need a better or bigger solution for keepsakes. A lidded storage bin or file box is a good choice.

Using a storage container will protect your kids cherished items from pests and the elements. It can also hold larger pieces or several of the binders in one place.

Depending on how many items you decide to hold on to, you should be able to keep several ages in each bin.

This won’t work for everything, but for smaller designs, scan and back-up on the computer. You can take pictures of bigger pieces, like sculptures or larger paintings then scan/ upload them.

These kids’ artwork storage ideas provide storage for large numbers of your children’s creations while keeping them contained.

Kids’ Artwork Storage Ideas

  • Binder (1″-3″)
  • Storage Bin
  • The Cloud (OneDrive, Google Drive, Drop Box, Amazon Photos)
How to organize kids' artwork - 3 different ways of displaying art - gallery wall with picture lighting, hanging on a line with clips, hanging on the wall (canvas)
Photos by: (clockwise) Scrudje on Canva and Chelsea Ev and Simonidadjordjevic from Getty Images

Kids’ Artwork Display Ideas

Now that you know how to keep the volume of art under control, it’s time to talk about how to showcase your little artist. It’s important to celebrate their efforts and achievements.

Honoring and respecting your child’s artistry will help build their confidence. To see you being proud of them will instill a sense of pride and self-assurance within themselves.

Do it right. Give it pride of place in your home. Designate a gallery wall in the living room, family room or main hallway. Then frame the art and and use picture lights to really show it off.

Rotate through the pictures to keep things fresh and to showcase newer creations your child may create. You can also put framed artwork in your office and give it as gifts to the grandparents.

This frame or a simple bulletin board are great options for storage and display of art in your child’s bedroom.

  • Traditional Picture Frame (Hang on Wall, Place on Desk, Table, Shelf)
  • Digital Picture Frame (Hang on Wall, Place on Desk, Table, Shelf)
  • Scrapbook
  • Gallery Wall
  • Shadow Box
  • Placemats
  • Calendar
  • Mugs
  • T-Shirt
  • Blankets

Little doodles can be turned into refrigerator magnets or holiday ornaments that grandparents would love! When your kids are older, you can take a selection of pictures from each year, scan into the computer and create a professionally bound coffee table book.

There are so many great ideas! With Print on Demand, available from places like Printify, there’s so much you can do. Display them as they are, or scan them for digital display options.

Bonus tip: Many of the same treatments shared here can be used to preserve your photos as well. Get them off your phone and into your life!

Final Thoughts: How to Organize Kids’ Artwork

Parents everywhere ask, “what to do with kids artwork?” You encourage their creative expression and cherish how quiet the house is when they’re at work.

But, those creations multiply. Before you know it, the kitchen counter, dining room table and coffee table are covered!

When it comes to how to organize kids’ artwork, storage and display are important. In some cases, you can do both at the same time!

In the end though, there will come a time when you have to make the decision on what to toss out. When your kids are young, that choice is yours. As they get older though, they may have something to say about it.

Just know that you can’t keep everything. But having a plan for what you do keep will help keep things under control.

Coming up with creative and sustainable ways to organize your kids artwork is a great hobby for stay-at-home moms. You won’t soon run out of material to work with, that’s for sure.

How are things at your house? What do you do with all of your kids’ artwork? We need to know!

6 thoughts on “How to Organize Kids’ Artwork”

  1. My daughter LOVES making art so it does add up quickly! These are great ideas for storing her art and I’ll have to look into getting a storage bin.
    Also, I did make a scrapbook for my parents using photos of my daughter plus her artwork and they loved it!

    1. Hi Karalee! Isn’t it amazing how fast it adds up! If you’re daughter is like mine, it’s left everywhere! I absolutely love that you made a scrapbook for your parents. It’s such a nice way to capture everything in one place while really celebrating all that your daughter has achieved. Thank you so much for reading and definitely look into that storage bin, it will make things so much easier.

      ~ Cassie

      1. I love these ideas Cassie. My daughter comes home with so much artwork – we have stacks of it. I have some in storage boxes like you suggested, some bits we have framed and others are in a drawer in her room. It’s lovely they can express themselves through art. Thanks so much for sharing.

        1. I’m glad you like them Jade. I love that your daughter loves art so much. Mine is getting there, slowly. I’m happy to have the problem of finding places for her art. Before this year, there wasn’t any to worry about. May you be blessed with more creations to come.

          ~ Cassie

    1. Exactly! Something so happily and carefully created does become clutter when it’s just tossed on a table or drawer. It’s nice to be able to do something nice with them to help them last and keep things nice and tidy.

      ~ Cassie

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