Creating a Kid Art Book

I've never actually counted how much art my kids produce in a single year - but I'm guessing it's about, oh, a gazillion pieces. Obviously, no matter how much my kids might want me to do so, I can't keep every single thing they make. So here's how I reduce what's kept and ensure it doesn't eat up a ton of space: 

1. When a piece of art is completed, it gets displayed for a week - maybe two. Definitely no longer. Flat artwork goes on the fridge. Anything three-dimensional goes on the mantel. 

 2. After this time, I determine which pieces we will keep. Anything I don't keep either gets composted or thrown away or is given to another family member. 

3. For all the flat art we keep, I write my child's name, age, and approximate date (i.e.: June 2011) on the back. If there's an important story that goes along with the piece, I write it on a piece of paper and attach it to the artwork itself. Then I place the art in a box in a closet. 

 4. For three-dimensional items I'd like to remember, I take a photograph. Once the photo is developed, I put notes on the back, just as if it were flat art, and it goes in the children's art box in the closet. 

 5. Every 6 months to a year, I go through the saved art box. I reconsider whether I should toss any items in the box. This sometimes happens because one of the kids produces a similar piece of art that I prefer, for example. Or maybe I discover I've just kept too much. I compost, throw away, or give away any items I decide not to keep. 

 6. The remaining art goes into a binder. I have one for each child, filled them with plastic sheet protectors. Each child only has one larger binder; I want to try to keep it this way, since many smaller binders will ultimately take up more room and make it more difficult to see the art we've kept. 

 I also include a small amount of school work in these binders - choosing only the best of the best: About 5 pages a year. The end result is an attractive, practical way to view and preserve my children's art - something we bring out as often as we do our photo albums.

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