A Keepsake Rule For Kids' Art That Doesn't Fill Every Drawer

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As a mom of two, I know how the drawings, paintings, and clay projects can multiply through the years, leading to overwhelming piles of projects in the house. It's absolutely hard to say goodbye to some of your child's precious art, but unless you have endless storage, you simply can't keep everything. That's why it's important to implement a "keepsake rule" for your kids' artwork, as hard as it might be. If you follow the same process every time, it will make it easier to part with that art, but not feel like a bad parent who is tossing your kids' stuff.

I have a three-pronged approach that I use every time my kids bring a project home. First, I take a picture of the art. I then email it to myself in a folder devoted just to kids' art pics. Then, I ask my child if this particular piece of art is important to them. Now, herein lies the caveat — some kids won't care, but some kids will say "everything" is important. With my kids, I have both types, but both follow the same rule. I let them keep one out of every five items they bring home, which goes in a designated art bin. I like the 11-by-17-inch Kids Art Portfolio, which opens like an accordion. "My kids love these! Saved our lives to have everything in one place," says one buyer.

If something is really special to them, my kids can display that piece in their room. They get a say while I get to avoid too much clutter. However, while taking pics of each piece of art brought home is a good way to ensure you always have the memory, then what? Do you just fill up your phone storage with endless art?  Some parents on Reddit recommend making Shutterfly books or buying special digital frames. "We have this frame you can keep art in and swap what's being displayed," says one commenter.

Another idea is to keep all that art in a digital portfolio, such as the Artsonia app. This app allows you to create a fan club where family or friends (and clearly grandparents) can view all the uploaded art and even comment on it. Some parents on Reddit threads also recommend saving pics of all the art to flash drives.

You can also have a bulletin board for each kid, where they can hang their art and swap it out when they want to display something new. As for that art bin that inevitably fills up, how do I keep it from overflowing? I devote an hour or so during every school break to sort through bins with my kids. What they thought was important a few months ago may not feel special to them after time has passed.