You know the drill. Your child bursts in through the door, clutching another colorful creation smugly in their hands, and before you know it, the fridge door is groaning with the extra weight of splodgy rainbows and stick figures. It’s lovely. It’s chaotic. And it becomes overwhelmingly messy very quickly. If you’re like me, you’ve constantly got that low-key feeling of guilt that you’re not utilizing all that heart-based creativity. So, let’s discuss how to show those mini artworks the love they’re worthy of.
Make a Rotating Gallery Wall
A wall doesn’t have to be permanent to be meaningful. Find a place—maybe the hallway, the lounge corner, or above the kids’ desk—and turn it into your child’s revolving gallery. Employ fashionable clipboards, washi tape, or even mini pegs and wire so you can swap the artwork out as new pieces return home. The bonus is that it’s low maintenance and highly deliberate, even with the “sun” painted deep purple.
Frame It Like It’s Fancy
Not everything your kids produce is scribbles—some of it actually looks brilliant (even if we’re proud parents). Pick a couple of inexpensive frames and stick the good ones in. You can even splash out a bit more and write your child’s name and age on the mount for a nice personal touch.
Utilise Everyday Surfaces (Yes, Really)
Here’s the sly part. Rather than piling paper in drawers or Blu Tacking walls, just turn your eye to what you’re already using in the home. In the kitchen, magnetic whiteboards are wonderful for displaying the new artwork—gold frame it if you want to give it a sophisticated feel. Or, if you’ve got something such as a slimline vertical radiator (the type you can buy at Vertical Radiator Village, then it can serve a double purpose. A couple of adhesive hooks or magnetic clips will instantly give you display space and a toasty home. Effective and actually pretty cool.
Go Digital
Honestly, there’s a lot of artwork. You don’t necessarily need to keep everything, though it’s difficult to discard your child’s work, even if they’ve drawn another iteration of the dog resembling a four-legged marshmallow. Take a picture of each one, save them in a virtual album, and then, at the end of each year, print your favorites in a photo album. Not only does this clear out the physical space, but it also makes for a lovely, coffee-table-worthy keepsake.
Turn It Into Functional Decor
Children love seeing their artwork used. Put their artwork on cushions, mugs, calendars, or tote bags. There are plenty of websites out there that will help you to do this, and it’s a really thoughtful present, as well. Imagine their happiness at seeing their scribbles turned into a pillow for the sofa or a personalised mug for their grandparent.
Create a kids’ art shelf
If space on the walls is at a premium, don’t worry. A thin shelf—think of the kind used for a photo ledge—can be a godsend. Lean a piece of framed art or prop paper pieces up for a hassle-free update. Let the children select what they want to feature each week.
Make It a Talking Point
A good trick is putting their artwork in locations where visitors will naturally stop and chat—like by the subject of their artwork, by the coffee maker, or above the couch. It gives kids a genuine confidence kick to get visitors to compliment their artwork. Transform your child’s creativity into functional home decor without messy walls and continuous clean-ups.
No Comments