How to Display Kids' Art In Your Home

...That Don't Involve The Fridge!

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This week, I'm sharing some clever ideas on how to display kids' artwork in the home!

Is there anything more endearing than your child's face, beaming with pride, as he pulls from his backpack his latest work of art? It may look exactly like the brown blob of paint on construction paper he brought home last week, but that one was a helicopter and this one is a bear, silly Mommy!

Each Friday, my son, Owen, comes home with his backpack bursting at the seams with that week's daycare creations. We've started keeping just the best one (or two) of these weekly, for storage in the basement. We've filled two large bins, so far, and he's not even four yet! So, we’re probably going to have to be more discerning before he starts kindergarten! Look out for a post on kid's art storage this over the next year or so, once I figure out a good system.

Needless to say, not all of Owen's creations are keepers. But, we try to nurture pride in his work. We've found that displaying some of his pieces around the home has really bolstered his self-esteem. He loves it when friends are over and he can point to his art framed up on the living room gallery wall or resting on the picture ledges in his bedroom.

Here are ideas from our home and beyond on how to stylishly display your kids' masterpieces in the home (other than just the fridge, that is)!

1. Frame & Display On A Kids' Art Wall

Image via: Home Bunch (D2 Interieurs).

I love the idea of a gallery wall composed solely of framed kids' art! I'm saving this project for when my son's a little older and accumulates more and better (errr...more varied) artwork. If we were to do this right now, we'd have a wall full of blobs and scribbles!

A kids' gallery wall would look great in a kid's room or playroom.

Image via: The Imagination Tree

An arrangement like this can also bring life to a space you might not otherwise bother to decorate: a neglected hallway, stairwell, or in the back entry. And, your budget will thank you for it!

Image via: House of Turquoise .

Shop this idea:

Innocheer Picture Frame - Set of 7 ($29.99).

Golden State Art Instagram Frame Collection 4" x 4" - Set of 9 ($39.99).

How clever are these frames??? You can switch out the art without even taking the frames off the wall! Li'l Davinci Store & Display Art Cabinets - Set of 4 Frames ($119.80).

2. Pin It Up On A Cork Board

Image via: Young House Love.

The above cork wall was constructed from individual cork board tiles. However, one large cork board or series of cork boards would work just as well. What's especially nice about this solution is how easy it is to switch out the drawings, compared to when frames are used.

Image via: The Lily Pad Cottage.

I was so inspired by this idea, that I made my own DIY cork wall/chalk board paint area in the back corner of our kitchen!

Shop this idea:

Quartet Cork Tiles 12" x 12" - 8 Pack ($13.52).

Board Dudes Framed Cork Board 11" x 17" ($8.50).

MENKEY Corkboard Push Pins - 600 pieces ($6.49).

I love the modern look of these geometric wooden push pins! This are sitting in my Amazon 'cart' as I type this! eZAKKA Wood Push Pins - set of 30 ($8.99).

This puts a nice, modern spin on the bulletin board! I can picture kids' drawings looking great on this. Simmer Stone Rose Gold Metal Wall Display With Nails & Clips ($25.99).

3. String 'Em Up

Image via: Design Improvised.

It's amazing what kids' art, a few pieces of twine and some clothespins can do for a wall! This would be perfect for a playroom. And, like the cork wall idea, switching out the content is a breeze!

Image via: Small Anchors.

Image via: Style-Files.

Shop this idea:

Decora Painted Clothespins - set of 100 ($8.99).

Kinglake Natural Jute Twine - 328 ft ($5.99). You can never have too much twine---you can use the leftovers for gift wrapping! It's like the Frank's RedHot of DIY---I put this s#!% on everything!

COOLAKE 100 Wooden Clothespins With 100 ft Jute Twine ($9.90).

Fast Home Goods Wall Mount Display ($21.99).

Umbra Hangit Photo Display ($18.39).

4. Tape 'Em Up

Image via: Ziploc.

Washi tape is a great for temporary displays! It can be applied and removed without leaving a sticky residue, and it comes in an array of beautiful colours and patterns. Your kids can even get creative hanging up their work all by themselves.

You can also use washi tape to make semi-permanent 'frames' for rotating art. Image via: Childhood 101.

Shop this idea:

MT Washi Masking Tapes - Set of 10 ($12.74).

Evermae Design Co. Washi Tapes - Set of 6 ($10).

5. Display Kids' Art On Picture Ledges

Image via: Ana White.

Picture ledges are a great, non-committal way of displaying kids' paraphernalia. As your child grows, you can repurpose them to suit their needs. (Read more on how to use picture ledges in your kid's room).

We use them in my son's room to store books and display some of his creations.

The current permutation of my son's display shelves. You can see how it's evolved over the last few months since my initial post on styling floating shelves in a kid's room.

As you might imagine, there were a lot of pieces to choose from. For the sake of cohesiveness and to prevent things from looking chaotic,I stuck to the same animal theme and colour scheme as the rest of the display.

Shop this idea:

Wallniture Floating Display Shelves - Set of 3 ($69.99).

I'm a big fan of clear acrylic ledges. I love the way they make things look like they're floating! Unum Acrylic Floating Wall Ledges - Set of 3 ($28.99).

Wild Republic Three Toed Sloth Stuffed Animal ($12.11). Isn't this little guy adorable? Ours was a souvenir from Costa Rica but it seems they sell them on Amazon at about a third of the price we paid at the airport! You try reasoning with a whiny three-year-old during a four hour flight delay!

Hey! Play! Dominoes Set ($14.94).

Below are my absolute favourite books (with graphic covers) for display on kids' shelves. At three-and-a-half, my son's outgrown these tales, but they continue to serve as decor in his room!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? ($6.51).

The Very Hungry Caterpillar ($6.61).

Little Owl Lost ($7.99).

6. Sprinkle Kids' Art Throughout Your Home

Don't want to commit an entire wall to your kids' creations? How about a little sprinkle here and there? That's been our strategy, so far! We've incorporated his work into our gallery wall on a budget and the open shelving in the living room.

Can you tell which of these masterpieces was made by my son, Owen? (Excuse the fingerprints on the TV screen! I didn't notice them until I uploaded this photo and I don't have the patience to reshoot! #keepingitreal).

Okay, I guess that wasn't too tough!

It's a small gesture, but displaying your kids' creations in a prominent place can do wonders for their self-esteem. Owen delights in proclaiming 'I made that!' as new guests notice his contributions.

Can you tell which one he made here?

This one's a little tougher. Admit it: if you didn't know any better, you might mistake this one for a piece of abstract art! (Now, if only I could get his daycare teacher to stop writing his name in pen on the front of everything!).