Fun ways to capture children’s artwork

Collaborative post

Do you have kids who love to draw, paint and craft?  If the answer is yes, chances are you’ll be struggling to keep up with storing and displaying their creations – there’s only so much room on the fridge, after all!

Putting your children’s artwork on display is a lovely way to celebrate their skills and give a real family feel to your home.  But it’s easy to run out of space and inspiration, so here are some ideas for fun ways to capture and enjoy your kids’ creations.

Frame it

This is the most obvious option, but it’s still a good one.  Children’s artwork is particularly well-suited to playrooms and their bedrooms, but you can create really lovely effects elsewhere in the house by using multi-app frames.  Another trick is to include their artwork in a gallery wall, this will add a nice personal touch without completely overwhelming the look.

Mark a milestone

Getting your kids to draw a self-portrait at regular intervals is a great way to keep a record of them as they grow.  To keep things simple you could do this on their birthday each year, or when you check their height or shoe size.  This is also a great one for getting other parents or even school involved with a bulk order; these printed aprons from Countryside Art are a lovely option and would make perfect gifts for family members.

Homemade cards and wrapping paper

How about a bit of simple craft to turn their work into greetings cards?  A pack of blank cards with envelopes and some glue is all you need.  Larger pieces of artwork make brilliant wrapping paper too.  Both ideas are great for giving to family members – grandparents in particular in our experience.

It’s a good idea to involve the kids in deciding what artwork is used here, as they may want to hang onto some things and be happy to let others go.  They’ll probably really enjoy helping to make the cards too.

Create an artwork album

This is a great option for artwork that you’d like to keep, but don’t want out on display.

It works in the same way as a photo album, but with artwork instead of photos.  You’ll need a ring binder and clear punched pockets; it’s worth getting a couple of different sizes such as A4 and A3 to cover small and large creations.  Each time your little ones create a new piece, you can just pop it into a pocket.  When you’d like to take a look through their work, you just pull the binder off a shelf and you’re ready to go – no more wading through piles of paper!

Hang it up

This is another option that’s great for playrooms, and echoes those washing lines of paintings that you always find in primary school classrooms.  Use brightly coloured string and pretty pegs to create a display that’s really quick and easy to change.  If draping it across your room feels like a step too far, consider hanging the string along one wall for a more low-key look.

Get laminating

If you own a laminator, there’s a whole world of coasters and placemats to explore.  Go for artwork that is reasonably flat here, to make sure you get a nice sealed result.  Painted and drawn pictures are ideal, and make sure you keep the collages and 3D masterpieces well away!

Have you got a top tip for displaying children’s artwork?

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