Organizing my kids' artwork is my version of scrapbooking. I tried to create real scrapbooks for years but was totally overwhelmed by the process. I would start to design pages and books the way I wanted them but I would lose patience and interest after the first few pages. Last year I finally developed what is now my current "system" for organizing some of the parts and pieces of my kids' days. It is so simple that it's not even a system.
First, I do a daily edit of work that's created at home and the stuff that's done at school. I recycle the things I know I don't want to keep and I toss the rest up in this cabinet next to my fridge. The work (from both kids) stacks up here all year and I don't even think about it.
When the school stuff comes home at the end of the year, I do another quick edit/toss then start the real sorting. I separate each kids' work into piles—Arden's work, Perry's work, large artwork, and small books and projects. I write the names and dates down on the back of large artwork and keep those pieces nice and flat in a large storage box.
Once I've organized everything into piles, I pull out their art binders. Their art binders are large 3" thick binders that hold absolutely everything (except the large artwork) and are added to and stored with the family photo albums.
The kids decorate the covers and label them with their year in school. Some years are lighter than others (Arden's binder from last year actually had all of her work from 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade). When that's done, I three-hole punch everything. I do not discriminate. The only things I don't punch holes in are little books and projects that can't be punched. Conveniently, the binders have pockets on the inside and that's were I put the unpunchables.
And it's not just artwork that gets saved. I include notes and letters and cards and photos— anything that accumulates over the year…
…including their final report cards.
Perry, especially, likes perusing his binders. He likes looking through old photo albums, too, but these are the only ones that are all about him.
Their work tells their own stories, it tells their own thoughts and dreams, in their own handwriting, in their own unique ways.
