Sons Art Work

S.

I have a dehumidifier in our basement and it keeps it nice and dry down there. We don't have much of a problem with wetness in down there, but without the dehumidifier, it would for sure get musty.

We bought it at Menards (I think... either that or Home Depot). I want to say it was around $100, and I've had it for about 7 or 8 years and it still works great. I empty it every other day in the summer, and less often in the winter.

Good luck!
Jessica

I have friends who have scanned their kid's art work and turned them into hardbound coffee table type books! That way you can preserve the artwork without having to keep all those papers! You can use a company called Heritage Makers to make the books (http://www.frommemoriestobooks.com). They have GREAT quality books and they are archived for life!! Feel free to drop me a note if you have any questions about making the artwork into a book!

Definitely get a dehumidifier for your basement! They are not that expensive and WELL worth it to avoid mildew problems and smells. It's just fine to keep your computer down there as long as you have a dehumidifier.

Another way to preserve artwork, take a digital picture of each one and group them together to make a collage on a t-shirt or bag. You can buy iron on transfers for your printer. Very simple to use.

I have my boys (5 & 7) sort and file their own artwork and school papers. I got each of them a plastic file box, labeled hanging folders CURRENT, K, 1, and 2 for the grade he did the papers. If they can't decide if they want to keep it or not, it goes in the CURRENT folder. If they want to keep it, it goes in the grade folder. If they want to toss it, it goes in the recycling right away. (If I want to keep it, it goes in the grade folder. LOL) They like to do it, it keeps it organized, and they learn how to file things and organize for themselves.

For the items that are to be displayed, there are magnetic strips you can put on the(ir) walls to hold them up without damaging their art or the walls. I got mine at Office Max. It works well and lets them "decorate" their room and they decide when it goes in the trash or the file. For a cheaper solution, you can get some clothesline and clothespins to hang them on the wall.

One more place you can create the books is at snapfish.com. I don't know if they are cheaper than the other place that was recommended, but thought I'd let you know so you can shop around. I have a few of those "keep forever" pieces, but not enough to make a book just yet. :) Another thing is that you can make magnets, mousepads, etc. from them at the same places that do the books. I have a magnet of one of my son's creations, and I need to make another one...it's better than most of the abstract art I've seen in museums. :)

As to the computer in the humid basement, that's not such a good thing. Water and electricity are not a good combination. Definitely get a dehumidifier and empty it often. If it still smells musty, there are charcoal odor eaters...I got some at Home Depot in the paint department.

Try www.ShareMyKidsArt.com - I love this website! It's free and lets you store and organize your children's art. The thing I like it about the most is it has these little buttons so that you can email or upload to your facebook wall pieces of art; this is really nice for us because we live in California and my parents live in Hawaii and my wife's parents live in NY. If one of our children create something we want to share with the grandparents, we simple press a button.

The only thing is you need to scan or photograph the art, which seems like a hassle but it's actually fairly easy. Good luck!