If these photos look familiar and you have more artwork than the Guggenheim, you're not alone.
If you're feeling guilty about throwing stuff out, don't.
Now, I don't want to stifle any creative art genius, but I also don't want to keep bits of polystyrene adorned with feathers stuck on using masking tape or egg cartons decorated in rainbow paints. There may well be the odd piece of arty magnificence that appears in your home, and maybe it can sit on a shelf for a while. But don't get suckered in early. There'll be heaps more to come.
Here's my method for dealing with artwork.
1. Accept the new piece with joy, gratitude, excitement - and welcome it into your home.
2. Take a photo of the piece immediately.
3. Stick the piece into the recycling bin as soon as possible. If you feel inclined, remove any salvageable pieces (feathers, beads, pipecleaners) for future home craft projects and store in a container similar to a Sistema Clip It With Tray.
4. Alternately, pop the piece in a 100 litre tub and leave it there for one week. After one week
the piece will not have been touched and there will be 124 new pieces on top of it. Go through the tub and just leave the most recent 5 or 6 pieces. Repeat this cycle for a few years until the artwork stops infiltrating your home.
5. If by chance there are some eye-catching, reasonably nice looking works, create an art gallery in a hallway or kids bedroom. I use FISKBO frames from IKEA. They cost about $2 each and 3M sticky tape is all you need to adhere them to the wall.
As with all art galleries, the works can be changed up as frequently or infrequently as you like. More expensive, but also a good way to display the art, there are also frames available with an hinged opening at the front for easy access to the artwork.
6. At the end of the year, create a coffee table book through an app like Snapfish and treasure the memories. These books are a terrific way to remember all of your little Picasso's creations, while taking up minimal room.
Don't feel guilty about releasing this flotsam to the recycle bin.
The joy was in the making and the receiving. Beyond that, it's just clutter.
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