How to Preserve Children's Artwork
Updated: Sep 29
The last day of school arrives and your child comes home with a folder so stuffed it barely closes. Crayon self-portraits, watercolor rainbows, collages with more glitter than paper. You want to keep every bit of it, and you also know your house can't hold all of it.
That tug of war is where most parents start looking into how to preserve children's artwork. The good news is you don't have to choose between saving everything and clearing the clutter. There are simple ways to protect the pieces that matter, keep them organized, and actually enjoy them. Here are seven that work.
1. Photograph every piece first
Before you do anything else, take a photo of each piece. Lay it flat near a window, hold your phone straight overhead so there are no shadows, and get close enough to catch the details. Big pieces are easiest to capture this way too.
Save the images in a folder for each child, organized by age and year, something like "Ella / Age 5 / 2025." Add cloud backup and the artwork is safe, searchable, and easy to share with grandparents. Even if an original fades or goes missing, the memory doesn't.
2. Decide what to keep
Not every scribble needs to be saved, and that is perfectly okay. Keep a small "favorites" pile through the year and let your child help choose. Look for pieces with a date, a story, or a big burst of personality. If you feel guilty about letting some go, our post on whether it's okay to throw away kids' artwork can help. And sorting artwork by age and year makes the choosing much easier.
3. Store the originals safely
For the pieces you want to keep, where and how you store them matters more than you'd think.
Wait until paint and glue are completely dry.
Write the date and your child's age on the back in soft pencil.
Layer pieces flat in an acid-free box with sheets of acid-free tissue between them, so paint and marker don't transfer.
Keep the box somewhere cool, dry, and indoors, like a closet shelf. Attics, basements, and garages swing between hot and damp, which leads to fading and mildew.
Skip tape, rubber bands, and plastic sleeves. Laminating can't be undone, so photograph first and skip it for anything you treasure.
4. Turn your favorites into a keepsake book
At the end of each school year, pull out the best pieces and turn them into a printed memory book. It is one of the most satisfying ways to preserve children's artwork because the whole year fits into something compact, coffee-table worthy, and easy to flip through together.
Artkive makes it hands-off. You send your child's original artwork in a prepaid box, the team professionally photographs every piece, and you review and approve the layout before it goes to print. The finished keepsake book is the kind that gets handed down.
Artkive customer Lisa Burnett put it this way, "The book is beautifully done and truly feels like a memory capsule of special school moments, art, and classwork. Seeing the work thoughtfully preserved and organized in one place is something really special."
5. Display a rotating few
Preserving art doesn't mean hiding it away. A small gallery wall with simple frames, or clothespins on a wire, lets you swap favorites in and out each season. Your child can choose what goes up, and it turns their work into something that lives in your home. Keep displays out of direct sunlight so colors stay bright, and find more ideas in our guide to displaying kids' artwork at home.
6. Turn a favorite drawing into something you use
For a drawing that feels too special to leave in a box, photograph it and have it enlarged as a print or canvas. The fragile original stays safe while the artwork hangs on your wall. Fabric transfer paper can put a drawing on a pillowcase, tote bag, or tea towel, and some companies will turn a drawing into a plush toy or jewelry. Use these for one or two standout pieces a year so they stay special.
7. Pack a yearly time capsule
Once a year, seal a small selection of drawings in a box with a school photo, a show program, and a note your child wrote. Label it and put it somewhere you'll find it in ten years. Kids' drawings capture exactly what they were thinking about and loving at that age, and opening the box together someday will be worth the wait.
Common questions about preserving children's artwork
How do I preserve children's artwork without keeping everything?
Photograph every piece, keep a small pile of favorites, and turn those favorites into a book. You get the memories without the clutter.
What is the best way to store kids' artwork?
Store it flat, completely dry, in an acid-free box with acid-free tissue between pieces, somewhere cool and indoors.
Should I laminate my child's artwork?
It's best not to. Lamination can't be reversed, so photograph the piece first and skip it for anything you want to keep long term.
When should I start?
Today. A folder on your phone and one printed book each school year is already a great system.
You don't need a perfect system to begin. Start with a photo, keep your favorites, and add more ways to preserve your child's art as the collection grows.
If you'd like the easiest way to keep this year's favorites together in one place, you can turn them into an Artkive memory book..
Ready to turn this year's drawings into a keepsake book?
