WHAT do you do with all the crafts?!?!?

[mommy2abigail]

Ok, I am a sahm to a wonderful, creatvie, and crafty 2.5 year old. We do crafts everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. She has a huge craft collection, partly because I used to work at a daycare that gifted me their entire library when they closed and partly because we often ask for craft stuff from the relatives as an alternative to MIC toys. She has access to most of the craft stuff, and usually just lets me know she is about to make something. Sometimes it's simply putting stickers on paper, sometimes it's free-form coloring, sometimes we look up a complicated craft idea and try that. I have about 50 curriculum books (also gifted to me) and she knows we can go through them and find something to make. I love it, she is so free to make whatever and I'm quite impressed at her crafty skills!
HOWEVER!!! This means I have tons and tons of crafts. I've made one wall of our play area (formally known as the dining room, we took the table out and put her things in there) her craft display wall. I've also cut parts and peices from past crafts and framed them to display in my sewing room. I also have a box where I keep things she makes, and a folder for the flat crafts. I try to rotate what is displayed, and try to have her make things we can use in our lives, like place mats, cards for different occasions, wrapping paper, ect.
So do you throw them away??? I can't seem to bring myself to do it! I feel like I'm throwing away HER art, her creation. I never want her to feel like her art is worth any less than anyone elses. I know I'm over analyzing it for nw, at 2.5 she probably doesn't feel that way. But at the rate we are going, her love for art will increase as she gets older and more aware and I want to be prepared for what to do then. I also dont want to stick things in boxes in the attic...I try to frame and display what I can, but really, our house is being overrun by toddler art!! HELP!:

[jdedmom]

Take a picture of her with the art. That way it can be remembered but you dont have to keep it.

Use a clear plastic sheet over your table and put flat art under the plastic cover. It's an ever-changing table design.

You can also scan and shrink the art and make a book or start a scrapbook.

[Zach'smom]

Crafts and art get displayed dor awhile. Then they have to move on or we would be over-run by arts and crafts. For "flat" crafts Ds has an art book (large 3 ring binder) that he keeps his favorites in to look at. Then we take pictures of the rest and have an art album. The arts/crafts that are no longer on displayed are gifted to relatives, used as wrapping paper etc. The rest is recycled. Of course I do keep some favorites. We also have some things framed and hanging in various places in the house.

[hippymomma69]

I keep a few representative samples then send the rest to the grandparents

peace,
robyn

[BelovedK]

:

[GranoLLLy-girl]

I mail some of the ones that will fold easily to my kids' grandparents or greatgrandparents. Sometimes I will hold a small pile and then send them all in a mailing envelope. This allows me to keep in touch without really having to say much of anything--I just put a tiny note with the work and say: we've been thinking about you...and that just about does it.
If they don't want to work, they can pitch it themselves.

My children LOVE this because they get to see me put things in the mailers and mail them and it makes them feel like they are part of the communication (I also hope that it is setting them up to be better correspondents than most). You can get mailers at the Dollar Store or you can just fold over the artwork and staple it and mail it just like a flyer---it works.

[MtBikeLover]

I save some of it and hang up some at work, but also throw a lot away . I felt so guilty about throwing it away, but my kids are always drawing and making things that I just didn't have room for all of it. I love the idea of mailing some of it to the grandparents though!!

[thebarkingbird]

i am a mean mommy. i throw some of them away :

i have the wall at the base of our stairs set aside for his paintings and papers from school as well as most of the fridge. when he gets to be a bit less excited about something or if it's something where his hand was obviously guided by teachers i toss it. he does have a dad who doesn't live with us though and very excited grandparents so a few things get saved for them.

DH and i both agree that we can't keep everything. MIL kept everything and i have to admit it's kinda creepy going over there when she pulls out his baby/ school stuff. that trunk looks like DH has an obsessive stalker fan or something! how will history benifit from reems of my kid's finger paintings. i do think it's important to keep a few of the best/most meaningful. my mother had 2 of my drawings from the 3rd grade framed and i cherish the one she gave me. it's wonderful to have a mom who thinks you're cool enough to frame your art.

[jillmamma]

Some of the bigger paintings/drawings can be great wrapping paper at Christmastime! I bet some relatives would LOVE having handmade wrapping paper on their presents! Or use as Christmas cards?

[sleet76]

Yes, I throw a lot away. My DD makes about 5-10 drawings/paintings/collages/etc a day. That adds up! I keep some of the more interesting ones, ones that show a new awareness of something, ones that she seems particularly fond of, and send some to grandparents. She doesn't seem to mind (but she is older than your DD), and I'll often tell her we need to thin down our papers, and ask if there are any particular ones she'd like to keep. My DH however is not able to throw any of them away. He takes all the ones he sees in the trash/recycling and hangs them in his basement office. It's pretty full down there!