How long should we keep our kids Crafts??

TerraGirl17

Ok, here's the question, we are moving and I have about 5 totes full of my children's crafts that they have made. I feel horriable throwing out stuff that they have made which is why I have totes of it. I don't want to "clutter" up the new house but I don't know what I should keep. How long do you guys keep your children's crafts? My one friend takes pictures of the crafts her kids make and then gets rid of the actual craft. My guys still have a lot of craft and school work years ahead of them and at this rate they are going to take over my house lol!! What are your thoughts and suggestions?

LauraMacNCheese

My desk at work is literally wallpapered with my kids' artwork...I, too, hate tossing it. Taking pix is a good idea; but I like having the originals. What I'm thinking of doing is keeping the stuff they do for Mothers' Day (of course) and then picking out some of their other masterpieces & making a memory box for them.

ChantalGG

Pick out your favorites from over the years and date them, put them into one tote. All the rest can go to relatives. Have the kids hand them out . lol

Iamfit4life

FOR-EV-ER

bcattoes

I'm probably the wrong person to ask. My daughter is about to 30 and I still have a pic she painted in elementary school hanging in my hall.

pammy2utoo

My child is 12 and I don't think I've thrown one thing out of hers (lol)...... I think they call that "hoarding"

JezebelGL

I have a horrible tendency to purge everything. Even my precious children's lovely crafts and paintings. So what I've started to do it keep a select few to frame and hang, and then I take photos of the rest and create photobooks online. They make great gifts for grandparents and you can put the book on your shelf to pull out and browse should you feel nostalgic.

messyinthekitchen

Yes perhaps pick out your favorites and get rid of the rest but don't tell them.You can't possibly keep it all.

Jade_Butterfly

I am definitely a hoarder when it comes to my daughters artwork and things. . . but I would suggest trying to sort out your favorites. . .My daughter sometimes draws the same things for a while. . so a lot of them look alike, but I do save a lot of her work. . Good luck hon.

godblessourhome

take a digital picture of the child holding every single 'craft' you have saved, then toss them all in the trash. use the pictures to make a craft 'book' from walgreens or shuttlefly for each child. no clutter and they will always have a representation of their 'talent'.

mommared53

Yes perhaps pick out your favorites and get rid of the rest but don't tell them.You can't possibly keep it all.

What she said. The kids aren't going to know anyway since you're keeping the items in totes. My son is 25 and if he sees something that he made in grade school that I still have he'll say, "I can't believe you still have that!" :laugh:

DannyMussels

I still have Christmas ornaments from when I was a kid, as well as plates decorated in grade 1.

Otherwise , not much I've created exists at this point that hasn't made it into either the garbage dump, or a museum.

sunkisses

How long should we keep our kids Crafts??
Just until they turn to walk away from you after giving them to you. LOL

Kiddin. My kids have 1 long underbed storage box a piece. I saved their stuff in there. Then I had THEM go through the boxes themselves when they were old enough to grasp such a concept. They didn't remember making half that stuff. They thought much of it was stupid. They were throwing things away left and right. Let them do the work.

ilookthetype

How long should we keep our kids Crafts??
Just until they turn to walk away from you after giving them to you. LOL

Kiddin. My kids have 1 long underbed storage box a piece. I saved their stuff in there. Then I had THEM go through the boxes themselves when they were old enough to grasp such a concept. They didn't remember making half that stuff. They thought much of it was stupid. They were throwing things away left and right. Let them do the work.

This is how it worked in my family...

TS65

:laugh: After I kept EVERYTHING from Kindergarden... and had to go through it at the end of the year (thus, realizing it's really just a bunch of papers), I decided to keep one or 2 pics on my fridge until he give me another. Then he gets to choose which one gets tossed off the fridge.


I really am trying to raise him not to be so attached to "stuff." I think people have WAY too much of it and put way too much concern into "things." - and, trusst me it's a losing battle!!! He's definitely his father's son.