Photo by “Raw Pixel” on Unsplash. “How to Preserve Your Child’s Artwork.”
5 Ways to Preserve Your Child’s Artwork
Guest Post by Kayla Clough of OurStart.
As parents, we all love to show off how special our children are to us. We’re their first fans, and we can boost their confidence by showing them that what they do and make matters. One of the best ways to do this is to preserve their creativity so that they can enjoy and admire it for years. Artwork is one of the many hobbies children use to express themselves and their outlook on the world. We can show our children just how unique their view really is by preserving and keeping their works of art. In this article, we will discuss 5 different ways to do preserve your child’s artwork. Your child will be delighted to see your joy in their art.
1: Frame
Photo by Jessica Ruscello.
The most traditional and timeless way to preserve your child’s artwork is to frame it. Many children love to create colorful and unique painting and drawings. These pieces will look beautiful adorning your living room, den or hallway walls. The design of the frame can enhance the beauty of the work itself or be simple enough to allow the work to speak for itself. A picture frame helps to limit the natural wear and tear of the artwork’s material so that it can be kept for as long as the frame will hold it.
2: Laminate
Another great way to preserve your child’s artwork is by laminating it. This is especially good idea for drawings that can be turned into large posters. You can laminate at your local craft shop or at many office supply stores. There are also laminating machines at school supply stores that are typically used by teachers when planning and creating lessons. The plastic encasing will protect your child’s work while also making it easy to transport the work from location to location. All you have to do is roll it up and go. Lamination is a great way to keep the artwork untouched for many years while making it functional for actual use.
3: Create a Portfolio or Scrapbook
Photo by Estee Janssens.
A lovely way to preserve your child’s artwork is to create a portfolio folder or a beautiful scrapbook. You can also laminate your children’s artwork. Leave enough extra space on one side to punch holes and add it to a large binder. A book is a wonderful way to display and preserve your children’s artwork. It’s also an easy way to store all those papers. You may also create a protective box that holds the art portfolio or scrapbook. A simple cardboard box keeps it safe from dust, debris, page coloring, and wear and tear.
4: Digital Upload
Photo by Sergi Kabrera.
In this computer and internet age, it is wise to keep a digital copy of any works of art that your child to remember for years to come. First, take a picture of each work of art. Then, create a digital folder to collect them in. This is a great way to show your child how special their works of arts are to you. You can then view the pictures in a slideshow showing the progression of your child’s skill as they grow into better artists. To ensure the digital uploads are preserved for the distant future, store the folder onto an external hard drive.
5: Personal Blog
For those who would love the spotlight an online blog is an innovative way to not only preserve, but to also showcase your child’s works of art to share with the world. This suggestion takes the digital upload idea even further. You can easily make a personal website to save pictures of the artwork in order to give inspiration to others. (Especially if you have a particularly artistic child.) There are plenty of sites that offer free or inexpensive blogs where you can create a simple page to preserve your child’s work. It may be exciting for your child to know that he/she has her own blog page to display creative works to friends and family.
These are just a few suggestions that will help you keep the work that you are so proud of in the best condition. Projects like these will show your child how much you appreciate their creativity and how much their personal work inspires you.
Kayla Clough is the email specialist at OurStart. She is a recent graduate of Eastern University in PA where she majored in Marketing and Human Resources. Kayla loves all things fashion, her golden retriever Max, and coffee.
