Oh yes they do.
See these fine creations covering my kitchen table? This is from one morning.
One. Morning.
And they like to make things every day. Which is wonderful, really it is, but all of this creative wonder is wearing me out.
Today is the backwards edition of Works for me Wednesday, and I actually have four questions to ask, but this one seems the most urgent:
What do I do with all of these crafts?
I’ll admit that my strategy at the moment involves some stealth afterhour trips to the trash can. And in the morning when one of the boys asks me, “Mom? Have you seen my skyscraper?” I play dumb. “Skyscraper? Hmmm. I don’t see it anywhere…”
What I need is a plan.
So leave me your best advice for handling all of these crafts, then head back over to Shannon’s. Blogging Moms everywhere need your help!
9 comments:
Do you have family closeby? Or alot of friends?(or even some of their classmates) Hold a art show! Send out invitations(handmade, of course, offer up punch and cookies, put their work on display and offer some up for sale(do it silent auction style or tagged prices but not real expensive) Use the money to fund even more crafts.
I say assign a spot for finished crafts - depending on the space, tell each child that they can keep only 3 or 5 or whatever crafts ever. If they make a new one that they want to keep, then they have to toss or recycle an older one.
I used to do the same thing with my son's drawings - only room for 3 on the fridge - he would toss old ones when he wanted to put up a new one.
Oh- I so identify... At Young Son's school they have an elective called 'junk art' and it is exactly what it sounds like!
I echo Kim's comment- set up a designated 'project showcase' area and the boys decide which pieces get kept. The other trick I picked up at the 'hippie school' is to take a photo of A or B with his creation. That way, even if it does end up in the recycle, he has a record of it for future posterity!
OOOH, I actually know the answer to this one! Experts say you are supposed to do exactly what you did! (See what an instinctive Llama you are?!) You are supposed to take pictures of them! Display all pictures on some poster board somewhere in the house..or, better yet, make an actual album for them filled with their masterpieces! (The album is most fun because it can be looked at years later and it can reflect what a wonderful mother you were--uh, I mean, how creative they were.) Now don't go wild on me, I didn't say SCRAPBOOK; just stick them in an album with an approx. date.
If all else fails, you can do what I did. I'd throw them away secretly in the night. When they asked where they were, I could look them straight in the eye and say "Wow! I don't know!" (Were they still in the recycle? In the garbage truck? Being crushed in the crusher? On a barge to New Jersey? Who knew?)
These are great ideas, ladies! Keep 'em coming!
April's suggestion reminds me of the "store" the noisy boys set up a few months ago. They laid out crafts in their room, made a sign for their door that said, "open," and then invited us to shop. "Bring real money," Twin B. told us.
So we did. Each kid probably got thirty cents or so, and as I was walking down the hall I overheard Twin B. say to his brother, "Wow! I cannot believe that actually worked! They gave us real alive money for this stuff!"
:-)
I'd say give them away or "OOPS! where did that go????" when they aren't looking ;) My "rule" is anything not cleaned up at the end of the day belongs to mommy and I can do what I want with it. Throwing away is included in the "do what I want with it".
My kids have always been crafty! So we have always emphasized the fun they had making it and then told them to clean it up, PUT IT IN THE GARBAGE! If it is something they really couldn't part with, maybe hold on to it for a day and possibly take a picture! Not as good advice as you have received so far. I like the Art fair, that sounds so cool! This is how I have handled the crafty kids I have!!
After a few days or whenever their done with their latest craft have them reuse the paper/materials for their next craft.
I love the art show idea! Here are my solutions...
Use tape, not glue. Tape can more easily be undone for the 3-d creations, and then they can start creating again tomorrow. (sort of like legos, but with less direction!) :)
For pictures/painting, etc. I like to cut them up into 4x6 shape, then glue the pieces onto basic cards. This even works for the finger-paint art variety from toddlers. I can make an entire set of "stationery" for grandmas, friends, etc. (or to use for the boys to send notes) that are both artistic & practical.
Finally, consider buying some very inexpensive frames for your family room or play area. With either photos (like the one you did), or the real thing, frame some of their work to use as art in your house. They can always choose to swap it out, and the cheap frames make you less sensitive to when the artwork is knocked off the wall by a wayward baseball (which I'm sure never happens in the Llama house, but still...) :)
love, MT
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