More junk models!?! Wow, I'm so lucky!!

There is no better feeling than waiting for your child at the school gates and you see one of their classmates walking out with a construction they can barely carry, made with old loo rolls, tissue boxes and bottle tops! "Yeah!! They've been junk modelling!"

You watch the proud munchkin stagger towards their parents with their prized creation and you watch the parents delighted response. "Wow! What a wonderful rocket? Elephant? Batcave??"

And then you meet their eyes... there is that moment where the empathy is strong but your relief is stronger, thank God I don't have to carry one of those home today! But obviously I make a point of complimenting them on their child's one of a kind creation (such a bitch)

 Karma often kicks in at this point and a teacher staggers out of said gates holding a Pisa-esque monstrosity with your proud baby running towards you. It's then that you know that this work of art will take pride of place in your home for the next month or so... Karma 1: Kay 0

Please let me explain, I adore my kids' creativity and I am their biggest fan... but when my house starts to look like something from one of those scary hoarders programmes, I have to do something! In the past, my kids have always noticed when a model "disappears" and if they find it in the bin?!?! OMG! The horrors are of massive proportions! 

So I had to be creative. This is where I need to pass credit to a lovely friend of mine, Tiffany; She is the one that suggested this idea to me and I loved it.

DIY Art Book

Step 1: Gather all of your children's art work together and ask them to select their favourites.  (This can be time consuming if you leave it to the end of the school year like I did, but let them discuss their pieces and explain why their favourite painting of a straight line is the best thing since Munch's "The Scream")

Step 2: Explain to your child that you are making them a special art book and then as soon as they are at school the next day, get to work!

Step 3:  Photograph every piece of art, construction, clay model etc they have done.

Step 4: Save all your children's favourite pieces of art.

Step 5: Dump the rest! Far, far away so they can't find it!! (Need to be completely honest here and admit that I may have filled bins belonging to our friends as our guards have found pieces in the bin before and hung them up in their security office! Sounds so sweet but when your firecracker 5 year old sees that the guard has stolen their prized painting of a red line?!?! Shit hits the fan!!) 

Step 6: Download all of the photographs and create a photo book!

Step 7: Pop on your coffee table and suddenly your child can show visitors every piece of art they have created!
 

I understand that this is not for everyone but we had over 500 pieces of paper, collages, stick models and so many other "art installations" in a wardrobe and we just can't move all of these items with us when we eventually move from Bangkok. I would have loved to have kept everything but if I'd allowed this, there is a good chance you would have seen me on the hoarders show, knee deep in empty toilet rolls, sticky back plastic and paper mache thingamabobs!

(Pretty sure this is what my home would look like if I kept everything!)

I'm sure some of you are reading this and think I am a complete art hating monster and I completely accept that. When Jacob was young, I would keep everything he created as I felt I was ensuring documentation of the next Renoir's rise and legacy... and then Sienna came along and I realised that maybe every line painting, macaroni collage and glitter & glue explosion was not that revolutionary or even important to them.

At the moment, we hang the kids art work in their bedroom and we laminate or frame the pieces they like the best, so I feel we have come to a happy balance; they feel their art is appreciated and presented and I feel like less of a terrible parent, ripping their art away from the possibility of public adoration and appreciation one day. 

I have started this year's book already. Every day when something comes home, I snap it and save it to a file on my phone and shower my babies with praise (and as soon as they have lost interest, dump the junk!) 

When I decided to write a blog about this I researched some other options and there are some really gorgeous ideas, from creating wall hanging galleries to creating a year collage. Personally I love the collage idea, ask your child to pick their favourite piece of work each week and at the end of each month, photograph their favourite from that month... and in December you have 12 gorgeous monthly masterpieces (perfect timing for Christmas presents too!) Yes, I did it, I used the C word in September!!

Our babies art is something I know one day I will look back on and adore, I now have a lovely coffee table book filled with their pieces and a box filled with their all time favourite, can never throw out pieces. And I feel ok with that.

How do you save your kiddies artful creations?? Are you a hoarder or a dumper? A collector or an art hater?? 

 We are taking the kids away for the weekend for a surprise family babymoon to the beach; can't wait to tell you all about it next week.

Have a great weekend,

Love,

Kay

**Disclaimer: The first image of the junk model creation has been uploaded from a free image site..my kids haven't made junk models in a few weeks and I needed some inspiration! I am so going to regret saying this as I just know they are going to bring some beauties home now!**