School Projects
School projects often start out being displayed on the refrigerator, right? Then what? What do you do with them? Oh my! Got kids? If you have kids...then, (like us) you have a ton of your kids arts projects all over your house! (We know, most of them are stored away in boxes!)
So what do you do with those projects? Have a party! Yep! You need to have a party! A school project (sorting) party with your kids! Set aside some time, perhaps on a rainy saturday afternoon, and sort though those projects! Set aside the ones that you would like to keep! (The, "ah, that's so cute!" ones.) ...and more importantly... Set aside the ones that your child wants to keep! Now, what do you have left? Hmmn! Interesting, but are they worth keeping? Perhaps...perhaps not! that's for you to decide!
Preserving Those Wonderful Kids Art Projects!Preserving and storing your kids school projects is really no different than preserving your other paper treasures. However, there are a few differences.For example, the quality of paper used in your kids school projects is probably not of a very "high-end" quality. Thus, it is more likely to discolor and break down, quicker than most paper. Plus, chances are, those projects are probably already "worn-out" somewhat... i.e. being taped to the classroom wall or hallway; tucked, rolled, ripped or folded into a backpack; and/or possibly glued to something or stuck together with something else? We get it! We know! We've been there! Look, here's the point, we're going to do the best that we can, with what we have, okay? After, you've sorted through your collection, here are a few basic steps to try!
The bottom line is this...You may already have some damage to your school projects. Don't fret over this! It's a school project, not a world class piece of art! Do the best you can to preserve what you have!
School Projects DisplayedAre there any other different display techniques that you can use? We think so! And, here are a few ideas...Frame them...Do you have one/ or more school projects that you particularly like? Why not put them in a frame?There's no need to go crazy here, just go out and buy an inexpensive frame that is suitable for your project! Then, later on, you can swap this piece with another one as the school year progresses.
It has already started to wrinkle! We simply bought a 1" plastic box frame for about $3.00. It smooths-out the image, giving it a fresh, clean look!
Once again, The image on the left is a simple colored drawing, but, much larger the the first! The frame on the right matches the size of the drawing and then some! It is actually larger than the drawing, however, the black background serves quite nicely as extra matting! This also serves another purpose! It allows this frame to be used over again for another project, later on! Under Glass...Now, let's move on to another method...glass!
The glass can be purchased for around $10.00 or less! Make sure to get your glass thick enough (about a quarter of an inch is fine!) to prevent accidental cracking. Also, have the edges polished to prevent cuts.
Why use a glass top? Well, it's easy and very versatile! You can put it anywhere. It will enhance the look of your desk or coffee table, giving it a whole new look! Tip! Buy a set of bumper pads (felt pads) for about a $1.00. This will allow you to pick up the glass easier (by raising the glass slightly) when it comes time to changing your display! In Binders...We have several of our (standard size) school projects and drawings in three ring binders!
You can easily store hundreds of art drawings conveinently up on a bookshelve or in a closet!
Or, leave them lay out on a coffee table for your friends to browse through at your next party! Either way, storing those art drawings in a three ring binder is a practical, display technique!
Well, yes...yes there is! What about oversized projects? And what about all of the rest of the stuff that's left over?
First things first! Oversized school projects happen! They can be very creative, but hard to display and store, huh? Just remember...where there is a will, there is always a way! Use oversized mylar bags...sized for newspaper storage to fit those large projects in. And, you can also buy larger acid-free storage boxes and packing material.
This school project is in the stlye of a scrapbook. It includes various objects inside, giving it depth and is somewhat awkward!
It will fit loosely around most oversized projects, while still providing UV protection. Once again, you may decide to purchase a few acid-free storage boxes for other awkward sized projects. As for the leftover stuff, well, how about digital storage? Take a close up picture of each drawing, etc. with your digital camera. Or, scan the image on your computer. Now, you can store 1000's and 1000's of images on a compact disc, or even a flash drive memory card! (Without feeling guilty!)
Random Notes...Kids school projects and art projects are great! We love them; everytime a new one comes home! The creativity of your child is right there on paper! So, why not keep it? Store it! Preserve it? Display it? We think, that you should do just that...all of that!
Our Advice? As stated above, pick a few good ones and proudly display them somewhere in your home! For a minimal amount of money, (and some creativity of your own), you can re-use your ideas with different art projects as they become available. And don't forget about other school papers as well. ...report cards, test results, athletic rewards, science projects, club membership, and on and on... They are all important! Return from School projects to Childhood Memories |
