4 Steps to Keep Kids’ Artwork from Cluttering up Your Home

A few years ago, while still new to minimalism, I viewed an Instagram reel titled, “What Minimalists do with Kids’ Artwork.” 

With two daughters who loved to create, and whose creations caused prolific clutter piles around our home, I was eager to see this minimalist blogger’s solution.

The video showed her scooping up piles of scattered artwork, consolidating them into a large pile, and, flashing a bright-red lipstick-framed smile, promptly depositing them all… into the trash.

I was aghast.

That’s it? She throws them—all of them—immediately in the trash?

While I couldn’t deny its efficacy, this artwork-clearing method didn’t sit well. 

I could identify with the overwhelmed mom who may consider her paper-filled surroundings fire fuel (forget trashing them, just let them burn). But I also could identify with the creative child who poured her heart into her masterpiece and was immeasurably proud of the result. Only to have it tossed? 

Some sort of middle ground had to exist.

Maybe, the answer was removing the “problem” in the first place. I could nix art in the home; avoid the artwork onslaught all together. No crayons, no paper, no abundant artwork piles, and no covertly colored walls. 

But a childhood bereft of art couldn’t be the answer. It’s too beneficial for child development, and, as a mom who loves to research things, I knew too much to completely pitch the art supplies.

So my challenge was to find a happy medium. One that encouraged creativity, acknowledged the artist, and culled the clutter. I needed a system that would streamline kids’ artwork when it entered our home or was created there.

Here is the 4 step system I use to keep kids’ art from cluttering up our home:

1. Decide together: “Ta da” or “Ta dump?”

Involve your children in the keep-or-toss decision-making process as soon as their art session is finished or they bring new artwork into your home.

Admire their art, comment matter-of-factly on several pieces (“You used green on the girl’s dress.”), and then ask your children to help you decide which pieces to keep (“Let’s keep the most special ones! Which ones are those?”).

Recycle any unwanted art pieces immediately—there may not be any and, at this point, that’s okay. See step #2 for what to do with the keepers.

If your child wants to keep everything just be calm and consistent with your questioning (ask after every art session). Repeatedly asking your child whether the artwork is “ta da” or “ta dump” plants the seed that not everything needs to be kept. Or that, in the words of author Patrick Lencioni, “If everything is important, then nothing is.”

2. Use a paper basket

Display the “keep-worthy” artwork immediately or place it into a designated container. In our home, our children each have a place on the refrigerator where they rotate their artwork (when a new piece goes up, the old one comes down—three artists, three pieces of artwork on the fridge at a time).

Artwork that is not displayed goes directly into our paper basket in a low, kitchen cabinet. I tell our kids the artwork will stay in the “special paper place.” All paper in our home goes in this basket (you can read more about that system here and see it in action here). You could also have an “artwork only” bin if you choose not to mix paper types. 

Putting children’s masterpieces in a chosen bin keeps artwork in one place, which eliminates clutter piles on the dining room table, kitchen counters, and floors. 

3. Revisit the artwork 

Continue with the system above until the paper bin is full or until 3-4 weeks have passed. Revisit the paper bin with your children, telling them, “We can only keep as many pictures as the basket holds. It’s full now, so we get to choose your very favorites to keep.” 

In my experience, after several weeks out of sight, artwork becomes much easier to let go of. See step #4 for what to do with your child’s selected favorites. 

Consider repurposing the artwork that isn’t deemed a favorite. Use it as wrapping paper. Mail it to a grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin. Take a photo of it so the child can still see it anytime (let the child be the photographer—our girls love to do this). 

If your children need help letting go, encourage them to let go of artwork that they have multiples of (keep one rainbow, not 20), or pieces they’ve simply followed instructions to create (such as a school lesson-based creation).

4. Create a portfolio 

Favorite artwork goes into a portfolio. We use a three-ring binder with plastic page protectors. Our children each have a binder that stays in the book basket in their room. They can pick up the artwork binder and look through it any time—just like a book. Their masterpieces are accessible and enjoyed often. (Lakeshore also has a nice portfolio option and Blick has a good option for larger artwork).

When the binder is filled to its capacity, the child gets to choose what to let go of to make room for the new artwork. (If your child makes frequent 3D art instead of paper pieces, I’d suggest having 2-to-3 designated display places for this type of art. As new 3D pieces come in, they can replace the ones on display. Store those that are no longer favorites out of sight, revisit them in a month’s time, photograph them and then give them away).

I often take photos of the artwork in our children’s portfolios. These photos go on artwork pages at the end of the family photo album I make annually on Shutterfly. I enjoy the photographed artwork as much as the original pieces and view them more often this way. 

Resist the temptation to save too many of your children’s masterpieces thinking that your child will want them someday. When you’re saving kids’ artwork, you’re actually saving it for yourself. It’s highly unlikely your child will want an original kindergarten self-portrait when he is 35. However, he may enjoy seeing it in the family album he flips through when he comes to visit. 

The bottom line, when it comes to kids’ artwork is: there’s not room for it all, so keep what is most loved.

When we keep only our favorites—whether possessions or artwork—we are more able to enjoy them. 

When you live with only your favorite things, life is a whole lot lighter because you’re not weighed down by clutter. 

Developing a system for artwork that involves your children will teach them this life-giving lesson, and will also keep your home clutter-free.

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Julia Ubbenga is a freelance journalist whose teachings on minimalism, simplicity, and intentional living have reached thousands of people worldwide through her blog. Julia also practices what she preaches in her Kansas City home. She resides with her husband, two extremely lively young daughters, three-year-old son, and baby girl. You can also find her on Instagram.

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