4 Simple and Cool Ways to Display Your Kid's Artwork

If you have a child in elementary school, you know how quickly your fridge and wall space can fill up with artwork, cut-out jack-o-lanterns, fall-leaf pressings and homemade Christmas ornaments. It's an onslaught of creativity that slowly but surely takes over your refrigerator, counter space and living room mantels.

Before you contemplate building an addition on to the house to preserve your kid's artwork, take a deep breath and remember that you don't have to save everything. Instead of teaching our kids to be pack-rats, we can set a good example and show them the importance of saving things that are special or memorable.

You're still going to want to organize what you do keep though. So, here are four great ideas that will help you stay on top of all that artwork clutter.

1.Create a Rotating Gallery

Set up a display space in the house where your children can display new artwork for a week or so. Whether it's the side of the fridge or a funky clothesline with hangers, your kids will have a special place to show off their creative works.

One family I know set up a wall of old, empty picture frames. They then used adhesive wall putty to tack up artwork inside the frames. The art was rotated weekly and made for a really unique and cute display that actually blended in well with their home décor.

2.Set up a Long-Term Storage Solution

If you are planning on keeping those art-class memories for the long-term, you're going to need a long-term storage solution. For the short-term, try giving each child a basic cardboard file box that they can keep in their room to store artwork. Those basic, white boxes can even be easily decorated.

For long-term storage, opt for a plastic bin that you can keep in your storage area or basement. Make sure it's off the floor and safe from moisture and dirt. Remember, you don't have to put everything in long-term storage. Instead, sit down with your child and pick the best pieces (say, 5) to go in the forever-box.

3.Make an Art Photo Album

If you still want to keep everything, an art photo album could be the way to go. Using a digital camera, take a picture of each piece of art and paste it in an album along with a description of the piece, the artist's name and the date.

This is a great way to remember hard-to-store and complex pieces like that homemade volcano or papier-mâché Christmas tree. You can even have hardbound versions printed by most photo printing services like Snapfish or Kodak.

4.Digital Storage Solutions

Digital photography also lets you store your kid's masterpieces on the computer or online - meaning you can create a digital gallery of all their amazing work. Post it online and you've got a great way to share artwork with family and friends.