Organizing Kids' Art and Keepsakes

Even in the digital age, children's art, keepsakes and paperwork can take over even the most organized home. These tips and storage ideas will help you keep the memories without the mountain of paper.

Well, it's official: school is back in session, and the papers are rolling in. Every sheet your child makes is precious (well, okay, most of them are), but not everything needs to be kept.

Paper is sneaky. Each sheet looks thin, but the stacks grow fast, so it helps to have a plan for organizing kids' keepsakes early. (Preaching to myself here!) Here are some ideas to consider.

How to Get Started Organizing Kids' Art

Plenty of parents can coo over a folder of scribbled art and then slide the whole pile into the recycling bin without a second thought. For those of us who are more sentimental, though, it doesn't come so easily.

Give Yourself Permission to Let Go

If you (like me) struggle to let go of your child's artwork, start by giving yourself permission. Your child won't remember what they drew a month ago, let alone a year ago.

The worst thing you can do is hoard everything and let boxes of art and keepsakes gather dust in the garage.

That's exactly what happened to a friend of mine. Her parents downsized and handed her three huge boxes packed with artwork she had made as a child. She has spent countless hours sorting through and tossing torn, damaged and stained pieces. Don't do this to your child!

If you see choosing the best keepsakes as an act of love, your whole outlook shifts. Ten pieces you cherish and protect are truly better than thousands piled in an old box.

Involve Your Child in the Organizing

Kids often aren't as attached to their drawings as we are. Ask your child to pick a favorite from a batch of art projects. I bet they can narrow it down easily.

Instead of tossing worksheets and stories, let your child decide what matters most to them and keep those. Mama gets a vote too, so keep your favorites in a stack as well.

Go Through Paperwork Daily, if Not Weekly

Again, paper is a tricky beast that piles up fast! If you wait until the end of the year to sort through it, you'll never get to it, and the memories and fun will be long gone.

Instead, sort through your child's papers daily if you can. Be pretty ruthless about what makes it into the “keep” pile. Here's more on how I got rid of paper clutter for good.

Two Main Ways to Organize Kids' Papers

You can organize kids' papers in two main ways: digitally or physically. I personally like a mix of both!

Here are a few of my favorite ideas from bloggers who have tamed the paper beast.

How to Organize Kids' Artwork Physically

1. Use a filing system

Again, there are plenty of ways to file paperwork, but I like this system from I Heart Planners because it's so simple. Grab a bin and some folders and start sorting.

2. Set up a dedicated shelving system

A shelving system doesn't have to be fancy. This cardboard one from Living Well Mom does the trick. A setup like this keeps kids accountable and is easy to put in place.

3. Set up a special display

Another clever option is to hang artwork on the walls. There are many ways to do this, but Rachel at Maison de Pax shows her kids' art in a beautiful and thoughtful way in this post!

4. Make an artwork binder

Another super simple idea from Make Life Lovely is to stock up on binders and fill them with lovely artwork. You'll need page protectors too. I really like how simple this system is.

How to Organize Kids' Artwork Digitally

For many people, digital is the best solution. It keeps your home clutter-free while preserving all the sweet memories, cards, photos and designs from your child. There are lots of ways to organize digitally, but here are a few of my favorites.

1. Make printed photo books

If you want serious organizing inspiration, check out this post from Just a Girl and Her Blog. She shares great tips on what to save and how to get the best photos for your memory books.

You can do this with a scanner (I LOVE this handheld one!) or by photographing the artwork with your smartphone. If you go the photo route, use a plain white background. Also make sure you have plenty of natural light or a small lighting kit so the colors look right.

2. Use an online app

If you want to keep a LOT of artwork sorted digitally, try an online app. I'll admit I hadn't heard much about these until I read this post from Refined Rooms, and it's brilliant. It's a bit like a Pinterest board of your kid's artwork.