Practical Uses of Children’s Art in Your Home
oooh. Mama like the sound of practical .Do you? (I give more insight to my “practical” filter in previous blog posts that you can read here and here..)
We have a recessed wall in our kitchen that was intentionally built to be an organizational hub for our family operations. LOL. This is where we keep the calendar, sports schedules, youth activities, wedding invitations, and our “book of dates” that records birthdays, anniversaries, and deaths. This is also where the home phone is as well as paper and pens to take messages. My Bible, our notebooks for scripture memory, and the current book we’re reading are kept here – convenient to where we do our morning devotion. ur morning devotion – since it’s right by the kitchen island where we sit for breakfast.
Our kitchen niche is the communication headquarters for our home.
This “book of dates” is where we record anniversaries, deaths, births. This stays open to the corresponding day and is how we remember significant dates. The kid-made pottery pieces house pens and loose change.
Another pottery piece is kept in my personal quiet time area.
This personalized, homemade coaster rack stays on our kitchen counter and helps to reduce the number of cups used daily.
Create a centralized area for a trip down memory lane that features projects through the years on display. For fun, you can place a picture nearby of the child at the time of the artwork – or even take a picture of him holding his artwork. This shelf in the game room features a ship made by tiny hands, a ceramic glazed football painted by Daniel, another fish plate, other art pieces, framed photos of the family, favorite children’s books, as well as a football signed by our favorite player.
Think about what your kids are into right now and what might be a touch of artwork that showcases them at this stage of life while adding to your customized home decor. This might be a Lego or K-nex creation, a sculpture, wood carving, doodling masterpiece, a craft treasure, knitting or sewing project, artwork from school, a piece of pottery, or a noodle-covered, sprayed cigar box, among many things. Incorporating your child’s creativity and interests into your decor and/or as a practical element are ways to make your house a welcoming, customized home.
Be sure to read the previous post, Incorporating Children’s Art into Your Home to see fun ways art can help make your house a home. You can also subscribe to have blog posts sent directly to your email by entering your email address in the space provided beside this blog post.
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I LOVE the coaster rack idea! We often times have an extra child around over the summer and this is a perfect solution to all those cups/glasses.
Hello to my sweet Sweden friend. I just saw a photo of your beautiful college graduate on my desk. I’m glad you like the coaster idea. Heather saw it at a friend’s house and then went and bought the supplies with her dad and made it for me as a gift. 🙂
When I walk in the Ellis home and see all of the kids’ beautiful art work, I think that it is not only beautiful, but it is part of what makes your home just that…your home and not simply your house. I wish I had done this; however, I already have James’s first art work framed and on display! Thanks for teaching me that beautiful art need not be purchased only at the art store!
Peggy, oh! I can’t wait to see Baby James art work framed and on display!! How fun! I saw an idea recently that I wish I would have known when my kids were preschoolers. A child drew stick figures on the wall in marker. The mom put a glass frame around it. So cute!!