Today, I’ve been really having a good de-clutter and tidy around the house. Its really lovely as, even its taking a few hours of going through cupboards, the memories that each of them are hiding are so important. The hidden treasure, and the pleasure of finding them, almost makes me want to leave them all there. However, I have vowed this year, is the year of organisation, so I am on a mission!
Miss N who is now 10, has a huge art work file, crammed full of all her best and favourite art work. Its dating back to when I first started drawing with her, playgroups and preschools. I have had to ‘reject’ a few through the years. The enormous train, she made out of a cardboard box, or the rocket that she painstakingly painted. If you kept everything, your child made, you just wouldn’t be able to move in your house. It one of those parenting things, that pulls on your heart-strings, but if I’m honest I really don’t want to drown in finger painting!
I have been using a new idea, I’m not sure where I saw it, but with Miss A (3) I have been taking photographs of the artwork, and choosing to store, a small samples of the others in an art file, as I had with Miss N. It just makes more sense to keep a record by photographing them this way, I don’t know why I hadn’t thought about doing this before. I’m then adding what the drawing or painting is, using the marvellous Picmonkey site. It hasn’t taken me very long to sort them either. I will be organised in 2013!
Thank you for reading
If you enjoyed this post, have you read this post, on ‘How to keep on top of clutter‘ on the Parent Shaped blog.
That is such a good idea! I just have a large folder for each year but they all take up a lot of space now!
It doesn’t help with the mountains of school books and folders they get each year, though. I’m still trying to think of an idea for that one…unless you know of one?
I wish I did! All in boxes in various cupboards at the moment!
I do this too. I take photos of K’s artwork and then it gets recycled (I keep a few of my favourites). This was working fine until the day she discovered one of her pictures in the recycling bin! I did the same for my old college artwork too 🙂
Oh, I’ve buried all the ones I’ve done today, for that very reason. Great idea for your college art work too.
That is a great idea. We have vowed to declutter this year so I might start doing this especially now I have another child who, before I know it will be creating her own arts and crafts!
I gree, I could just about cope with it, with one child, the second has meant SO much more. Happy organising 😉
Someone suggested to me taking photos and then creating a photobook of them. Think that might be a bit excessive (and expensive), but I guess you could print and then document/bind them all together in a book for a cheaper version
That is a fab idea. Both mine have a folder, but I really should photograph more stuff, especially as Mr G likes to destroy anything he creates!
What a great idea! I can no longer see my fridge under the heaps of pictures stuck on it. I have to wait til she’s not looking to sneakily throw some away, but boy oh boy – if she spots them in the bin… :-0
Yes def photograph models in particular but also dont be afraid to let things go I say, we cant and don’t need to captur it all just enjoying the moment is sweet sometimes. A scrap book is also a nice idea. and a trunk for each child to keep some school books is a plan!.
I have to agree – what a great idea! : )
Ooo good idea! I have a huge folder of Kittys paintings from nursery last year and I don’t have the heart to throw them out- maybe online is the way to go!
Great idea – must do some of this. I also must get a proper file for the pieces that we keep. Defo need an idea for the school books too.