Five Fun and Easy Ways to Show Off Your Child's School Work and Create Cute Keepsakes

It's the end of the year and soon your child will come home with the last of the year's art work, projects, and crafts. You probably already have a draw full of it pretty pictures, stories and other items that you just can't bear to part with. But the drawer is full, so what is a proud parent to do?


Create a collage

Many websites like Walgreens or Shutterfly allow you to upload images and create from among many different sized choices of collage sizes. Choose 20 of your favorite drawings and artwork and scan them into your computer. Load to your other favorite photography website and then choose from the collage sizes. Among the sizes you will be told approximately how many pictures that size collage can accommodate. Be sure to include some text something like "Best of 2010-2011" to date your child's artistic genius and then order your prints. These also make great Father's Day gifts (he can take them to work) and special gifts for the grandparents or other family members who may not be able to enjoy your child's artistic bent every day. Or simply hang your collage in the house for the whole family to enjoy. Don't have a scanner? That's ok, take a few pictures with your digital camera and upload.

Look in a book

Well, maybe not look in one but you can create your child's own personal story book with writing samples, stories and writing prompts brought home from school. You can even include drawings to create illustrations. There are several different ways of creating a book for your child. For example simply bind the stories and writing prompts together. First mount them on heavy duty card stock boards then take to a store like FedEx/Kinkos and have them bind it. There are several different reasonably priced choices. Consider laminating so that your book lasts longer. Then sit down during the summer months and read your child's stories, complete with illustrations, together.

"Gotta" have greeting cards

Thanks to easy to use technology you can quickly and easily create a greeting card or mailing label using your child's artwork. Simply scan, upload and then insert it into a greeting card template available in Word. One of my favorites was a picture of my daughter holding hands with a friend; perfect for those all occasion friend cards or even a thank you. Pictures of butterflies or ladybugs can be used for spring. Did they make a cardboard tie for dad? Scan it in, and create the perfect Father's Day card. No need to buy Christmas cards, use your child's pictures of snow, winter, snowman and Christmas trees to personalize your greeting card collection. Print on heavy duty card stock available for dollars at office supply store. To create labels simply resize and insert into your favorite label template. You won't be without a greeting card for that special occasion again.

Scrap it

Scrapbooking has become an art form of its own. Why not include some of your favorite pieces of art, crafts, and writing samples in your scrapbook along with school pictures and report cards?

Keep it simple with storage

If you don't want to display but still want the memories or reminders consider either an accordion style folder that you can mark each year and insert and store some of your child's favorite art and story items. You can also pick up books that offer places to glue, notes to make and pockets to store grades and a few keepsakes of your child's school year.



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Sources

Personal experience

Walgreens.com

Shutterfly.com