Dans Papers - May 11, 2007

If you're like any parent of toddler or school-age children, your refrigerator has become a veritable gallery of ketchup stained art projects. While children and parents alike are proud to display these creative pieces, a dozen sheets of dog-eared construction paper can make an otherwise tidy space feel chaotic. While framing is a common way to shift those cute crafts out of your kitchen, there are several other artistic yet easy ways to transform and recycle your pee-wee Pollock or Miro's art into fashionable function.

It is possible to painlessly move your children's artwork to their bedroom without wasting wall space. Simply string a laundry line, twine, or craft wire across the length of the room and fasten their drawings and paintings to it with ordinary wooden clothespins. This in itself can be turned into an art project by having your children color the clips with paints, markers and sparkles. The flexible length of a laundry line also makes it easier to rotate in new art. When you're ready to retire a piece from the line, preserve it in a three ring binder in glassine folders, or in a large art portfolio. Scrapbooks are also a simple and special way to preserve your child's artwork after it's displayed, and can lead to additional decorating. Pre-made and pre-cut letters, words and complementary pictures can be added to the borders and help your child to further personalize their art. Scrapbook supplies are affordable and available at major retail outlets, small scrapbook specialty stores and online.

When a relative's birthday rolls around, wrap their gifts in your child's artwork instead of buying wrapping paper. This is an especially nice personal touch for relatives who live far away and don't get to see your child on a regular basis. Better yet, turn the art into a gift. Most office supply stores and copy shops can make a personalized 12 month wall calendar out of the pictures you provide. These types of stores are often capable of making mouse pads, mugs and notepads out of pictures as well, although you'll probably have to copy or scan the art for this project.

Your child's artwork can also become a creative accent to your household decor. Laminate larger artwork in sets of four or six for use as placemats. These are handy to have around for outdoor patio meals, or when family comes for dinner. Smaller pieces of artwork can be laminated and used as drink coasters and book marks.

For seasonal and practical craft fun, wrap it up in art. During the warm months, wrap bud vases or plain drinking glasses in artwork your child brings home from school or camp each day and fill them with blooms from your garden. Wrapped vases can hide murky flower water or unsightly stems. In the winter, have your children string holiday art together with yarn and hang it from a mantel, chair rail or doorway with garland, evergreen boughs or old-fashioned strings of cranberries or popcorn.

Rainy or cold days are ideal for a decoupage project. Decoupage is the art of decorating an object or surface with pieces of colored paper. Decoupage can be done on just about any surface, including furniture, mirrors and walls. Porous objects like wooden crates, cardboard boxes and terracotta should be sealed with a coat of polyurethane or acrylic spray first. The only additional tools and supplies you need are a container of clear drying glue and a few foam brushes. Simply lay pieces of art on the surface and coat them in glue; it dries almost instantly. A Popsicle stick or rubber spatula can be used to smooth any wrinkles on the glued paper. Decoupage is a particularly enjoyable way to preserve and display your child's art because the lacquered surface often appears to be a work of art in itself. Containers of all kinds are a popular decoupage medium, and the finished product can be used to hold art supplies, or to store loose pages of art.

With a little creativity, your little one's precious and fleeting childhood days can be treasured forever in a distinctive way. And if the refrigerator is still your ideal display space, art can be adhered to stick-on magnets, available at any craft supply store.