Image via WikipediaRecently, a friend of mine sent this message to me on Facebook:

“[I need to know] how to get a handle on kid’s projects and artwork. I feel like my house is overrun with the sweet little things [he] takes home from school. I rotate them off the fridge, but always feel bad throwing them out….yes, admittedly, I have ALL of his projects from his first year of preschool saved in a container in the basement – crazy huh? My initial organization method/weeding process just didn’t work, so I kept them all! Just in case you were looking for a new topic for your blog, have at it, my friend!!!”

So, what’s a mom to do with all her children’s masterpieces? Here are a few suggestions. Try them out and let me know which one you like best.

1. Create a Gallery. Select a specific area (or areas) of your home to display the art work. When possible, let your child in on the action and have them help you choose the location as well as the frames that they will be displayed in. Once you’ve mounted the frames, pick the ones to be displayed or let your child choose. Ask them to pick up to three or four they love or like the best and rotate in new ones when it’s time for a change. You might also want to take them to an art gallery as a follow up activity.

2. Make a Book. If you watched Oprah’s Clean Up Your Messy House show recently, you may have heard Peter Walsh talk about www.snapfish.com. You can send in your photos to Snapfish and they’ll put together a nice book for you. To make your book, you’ll need to:

• Scan your children’s art work first to create a .jpg or .gif (i.e., photo)
• Upload photo after creating a Snapfish account

Again, your child can choose their favorite works of art to be used. Nice gift idea, huh?

3. Create Something Special. Did you know that you can put almost anything on a mug, tote, or even a blanket? Why not your child’s favorite art work? How about creating some special stationary, calendars, or even greeting cards? For more information, visit Snapfish or Snaptotes. If you’re up for an even bigger project, check out the article below on how to make a coffee table to show off the great stuff your kids bring home.

If you have an interesting way of managing your children’s masterpieces, please share!