August 2017 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 15
Overrun by artwork? Here’s how to keep a tidy house
By VIRGINIA JUSTICE
Let’s face reality – in nearly
every home, space is limited. Is
your fridge door overrun by your
children’s artwork? Mine often was
and though my refrigerator surface
space has increased over the years,
my kids’ artwork has grown in size
as well.
What to do … you just have to
keep all of their pictures, macaroni
art, etc., right? I mean, someday
they may become a world-famous
artist and all of their childhood art
will be priceless. Not only that, but
displaying their artwork is inspir-
ing their creativity and showing
them that you value their work. So
how do you keep this art from tak-
ing over the refrigerator door, the
walls, and the house?
My system was to buy both
children a plastic bin with a lid.
After their art and report cards had
overstayed their welcome on the
refrigerator, we put the items in the
box. Today, my girls get a huge kick
out of looking at their childhood
artwork, discovering how prophetic
our youngest was in drawing her
older sister with purple hair when
she was about age five. The oldest
did have purple hair in high school
and beyond. These treasures also
provide children a view to their past
and a way of seeing their artistic
ability grow.
My parents put our art treasures
into folders in a file cabinet. They
gave each of us our folders when
we got our first home. Others frame
specific art projects and use a large
wall as the family art gallery, com-
plete with lighting. As a fourth grade
teacher, I used plastic sheet covers
in a three-inch binder to store stu-
dent gifts of artwork. It was a great
way to keep the artwork from taking
over my classroom.
One idea I toy with is using some
of my children’s artwork as back-
ground pages for scrapbooking.
Part of me does not want to cut up
the art and the other part of me
thinks it would be wonderful way
to tie their artwork into pictures of
them at the age the art was made.
I can tell you that after nearly 20
years I will not be using the maca-
roni or rice artwork for scrapbook-
ing. Old macaroni gets smashed
and sometimes falls off the paper
when the glue dries out. Rice art
does slightly better but I’ve found a
lot of rice kernels at the bottom of
storage boxes.
I never figured a way to stabi-
lize rice/macaroni art, but I now
think that Mod Podge might have
worked. This is a water-based prod-
uct like decoupage in the ’70s, but
I didn’t learn about it until recently.
Coating the art when it’s new may
prevent loose glue, though prob-
ably not broken macaroni. The key
is a light hand and letting each coat
thoroughly dry before applying
another.
Three-dimensional artwork can
be quite a challenge. Since they
are less numerous, I display those
on an entertainment center. Public
display, however, requires dusting,
and a couple of pieces have been
broken during moves or children
roughhousing. Now that the girls
are older, I think I’ll bubble wrap
their 3D art and put it in their mem-
ory boxes. The bronze sculpture
my daughter created in high school
will stay and I’m planning to hang
some of her drawings once they are
professionally framed.
Taking photographs or scans of
childhood art may be the best idea,
though a part of me is reluctant to
part with these precious treasures
even though they are falling apart.
But quality photos maintain the
memories and can be stored either
in printed or digital form. Addi-
tionally, photos of the 3D artwork
preserve the art without taking
up precious space. Regardless of
how you preserve your child’s art,
you are also retaining memories of
youth and that is the most impor-
tant thing.
________
Home economist Virginia Justice
holds an education degree. The
Pendleton resident and her husband
have two college-aged daughters.