What Parents Share in Their Artkive Reviews (And What They'd Tell You First)
- Oct 5, 2025
- 4 min read
Your child walks in with a painting. You hang it on the fridge. Then another one appears. Then another. By the end of the school year, you've got a pile — and every single piece feels impossible to part with.
Artkive turns your child's original artwork into a kids' artwork book and a permanent digital archive. We've spent 12 years doing this for over 500,000 families. Along the way, parents have shared a lot more than praise in their Artkive reviews. They've shared what they'd do differently, how they prepared, and what surprised them most. We gathered the best of those insights here — so you know exactly what to expect and can get the most out of the experience.
Start Early and Make Artkive a Tradition
The most repeated piece of advice across Artkive reviews is simple: don't wait.
Artwork piles up faster than most parents expect. By the time your child finishes kindergarten, you're already staring down years of paintings, drawings, and school projects. One mom who waited too long shared what she told her readers:
“Don’t wait. Start now, no matter how old your kids are... collect their artwork all year and then once a year, send it off to Artkive. You’ll get a beautiful book, have much less clutter, and it’s more affordable if you do small batches rather than the giant, overflowing box I sent them…” ~ Sarah
Many families have turned the Artkive memory book into an annual tradition. They line up yearly volumes on a shelf and watch their child's artwork evolve from year to year. Kids love it. Parents do too. And keeping up with it annually means no one ever faces a backlog.
Professional Photography Makes the Difference
Several parents tried to handle this on their own before turning to Artkive. Most say there's no comparison.
Photographing or scanning artwork at home is harder than it looks. Lighting is uneven. Images end up sitting in a laptop folder instead of anywhere you'd actually look at them. One mom explains why she gave up on DIY:
"...I tried taking pictures of their artwork, but I don’t have a photo studio, and trying to invent one was a challenge... it just wasn’t very good... the photos were on my laptop, and they weren’t very easy to share. I wanted to look at my kids’ artwork in a book, sitting with them and talking about it." ~ Sarah A. / MOMS LA
Artkive has a professional studio with proper lighting and photographers trained to capture children's art at its best — glitter, texture, dimension, and all. One dad described what the finished children's art book felt like:
"The photography and the book itself are absolutely amazing. This isn’t some print-it-yourself book you’d get from any old photo service. The art is photographed and edited by professionals, and the final book reflects it. It’s really a one-of-a-kind keepsake." ~ Evan / Dad Fixes Everything
Parents consistently say the finished kids artwork book is something their child beams over. Not just a keepsake for the parents — a source of real pride for the young artist.
Pro Tips Straight From Artkive Reviews
These tips come directly from parents who've shared their Artkive reviews across the web. Think of it as advice from a friend who's already been through it.
Be intentional about what you include. Each Artkive memory book starts with 25 pieces. You can add more, with pricing that scales per piece. Parents recommend going through the pile and choosing the pieces that feel most meaningful — the ones your child would want to see in 20 years. Use the price slider to plan your order before you box anything up.
Collect throughout the year. Keep a bin dedicated to artwork as it comes home. Artkive fan Sarah put it well: it's far easier to send smaller, regular batches than to tackle one enormous pile years later.
Organize before you send. A little prep before boxing makes a real difference. Mom Tamara recommends labeling each piece with your child's name, grade, and date — especially if multiple kids' work is going in the same box. It makes the proofing stage much smoother.
Don't forget 3D work and large pieces. Artkive isn't limited to flat drawings. You can include sculptures, oversized posters, and three-dimensional work in your kids artwork book and artwork archive. For fragile or oversized items, the Artkive app lets you photograph and upload them directly from home.
Use the proofing tools. When Artkive sends your digital proof, this is where the book truly comes together. Mama Danielle discovered she could reorder pages, add captions, and choose the cover image. Parents love adding dates and short notes alongside the art — it turns the kids' artwork book into a full memory book, not just an art collection.
Order extra copies at the same time. If grandparents or other family members would love their own copy, order together. According to Mom Tamara, copies purchased alongside the original are regularly discounted.
Consider membership for ongoing projects. For families who want to make this an annual tradition, Artkive's membership plans include perks like two free Artkive Boxes per year, rush processing, and unlimited digital storage. Several parents joined after their first book and haven't looked back.
What Parents Feel When the Memory Book Arrives
The reviews don't end with tips. They end with the moment the box lands at the door.
"I can't say enough that memory keepsake-ing is very important to me. I'm glad I can depend on this company to save and showcase my kids' art. It's hard to put a price on sentimental value. Cause as time goes by, that value grows." ~ Gen
Across all these Artkive reviews, the message is the same: your child's story is worth preserving. The sooner you start, the more of it you'll have.
Ready to see your child's story unfold?
