Monday, January 25, 2010

drowning in artwork

This is a sampling of what Katie brings home from school daily. This is Friday's "score."

There is always an inevitable "surprise gift" for one of us in the random utility/credit card company envelope. Sometimes it's a drawing, other times its just pieces of paper she has shredded to confetti with scissors.

I try to recycle her artwork into something useful since she brings home so much. I make a lot -- and, I mean a lot of cards...

But, there is only so much correspondence a 4-year old needs to do.

What do you do with all the artwork piling up around your house?

Ideas please...

12 comments:

Tabitha said...

Save the ones that are really cool, for example it has the first letters she ever wrote or the first time she drew something really well... take pictures of the others and then recycle the paper.

Jennifer said...

I scan the good ones, maybe one every couple of weeks, and save on the computer. The goal being that I can later compile them into a book (as in 12+ years from now). Then, I pick the nice pieces of art, and tape them to the inside of our cupboards. This means we see them when we get dishes out, but our house isn't plastered with them. One picture (or sometimes two) gets to be proudly displayed on the refrigerator. If she wants to put up something new, she knows the fate of the thing coming down. The rest... well... we toss, being sure to bury deep in the bin, late at night... never to be seen again.

jen@odbt said...

Oh I just got busted. My daughter saw one of her "gifts for me" in the trash. I told her that I keep so many of them, I can't keep them all. I frame the ones I know they've done all by themselves or self-portraits. Some go on our pantry door, the rest get recycled.

imblerfamily said...

Anything with glitter doesn't even make it into my house (or my car if I can help it)!! Others either ride home from school then live in the car for a few days, the lucky ones get displayed somewhere in the house for a bit. And those deemed "exceptional" get their photo taken which I print (when I remember) for their baby books. I guess I'm just not the most sentimental person.

Kate said...

Uhhhh, it lives on our fridge until I get tired of picking it up for the 100th time and then into the trash it goes. I know, I know..I'm horrible. But I'd rather save homemade Christmas Ornaments by Ben...I think too my MIL has scared me because that women has every single freakin' school project Jared ever did.....I don't want that for my future DIL......

joyfulgirl said...

if the paper is big enough, we use it as wrapping paper for her friends birthday gifts. Gives the gift a little homemade touch and puts some of the extra art to good use.

joyfulgirl said...

another idea just popped into my head ~ cut them into heart shapes and give away at school for valentines.

joyfulgirl said...

ok. now i'm really gettin stalker-like with this, but i'm thinking of making little hearts to string together as garland for her room or another room in the house. alright, enough already. my little brain just started going wild with ideas...sorry:)

Post Grad Hair Cut said...

This is a great idea. I taught art-camp for three years and tried to make their projects (except for the really special ones) as recyclable as possible.

Becky said...

thanks everyone for the input! aubrei - you are so creative - I think we will make some valentines and maybe even a garland!

Jenn Kirk said...

Love Aubrie's ideas!

And what I've always wanted to do is make an art piece. Cut out 12 circles (all the same size) out of her artwork. Arrange a 4x3 pattern, mount in onto coordinating/contrasting 8x10 sheet of paper. Add mat and frame.

Jen said...

This is a great blog post Becky; I had good intentions of sorting through the pile of Liv's art and it hasn't happened yet. I loved reading everyone's ideas (and I like that you make cards with Katie's art- two birds with one stone!) Paul strung up two "clothesline-type" wires along a wall and we've hung her most recent art on them. We change it every few weeks but I still need to figure out a good way to either archive or toss the old stuff.