Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

Tagged: Displaying kids' art work, Minimizing paper clutter

This topic has 21 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 8 months ago by Janell.

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October 11, 2014 at 8:11 pm
Mysterious Lady in Pink
Participant
OK I am seriously not a decorator type. Love the look, but have no clue how to do it. Right now I am focusing on three needs and could use some guidance on how to get this done:
A. Hang some of my kids’ artwork! (8.5×11, 9×12, some 12×18)
B. Deal with little stuff they want to hang up by their beds — maybe a photo, a paper from church, a quote they like, a drawing.
C. What to do with all the other papers my kids want to keep — just little random things they do (ages 6,8,10)
I’ve looked at Dynamic Frames and they look *amazing* but I really don’t think I can spend that much right now. Plus we are renting and will move either this upcoming summer or the next. Yes, that’s a long time, but I am reluctant to poke anything in a wall larger than a pushpin, and don’t want to overdo those. So non-permanent, non-hole-punching options are terrific.
In our previous place I used funtack / poster putty (awful!!) for hanging stuff around the kids’ beds and was shocked when I pulled stuff down after 6 months and found that it was hard to get it all off AND there was penetrating residue left behind (it was flat paint, so maybe that’s why??). I couldn’t even paint over it without it soaking through again (again, maybe because it was flat paint?? I had never used flat paint for walls, but that’s what was there).
So here are a few ideas, but will these come off walls without issue in 9 months or 2 years? And will they stay strong and hold things on teh walls? (Current place is painted, but it’s not flat paint):
#1 — 3M command hooks? either for hanging individual papers or doing one of those wire/clothespin things like this, but this Pin no longer connects to the original website and I don’t quite understand what that white wire is. And I’ve never really used 3M command hooks but they look easy to use, haha, and supposedly they don’t damage the walls? That was the poster putty’s claim, so I don’t necessarily trust their claims.
#2 — washi tape? I’ve read about it, but would you use it on the backs of papers to stick on the walls, or cutting across the front corners? if it safe for both the walls and the papers?
#3 — use construction paper for “mattes” on various pieces of artwork…then mount that to the wall…not totally sure what to use for paper-to-paper vs paper-to-wall
#4 — maybe skip the whole wire/clothespin thing and just somehow adhere clothespins to the wall for quick changeouts of artwork? but how would I adhere the clothespins to the wall in a non-permanent way?
#5 — IKEA frames like these. They come in multiple sizes but I’m not sure how those would be for hanging on the walls. I don’t have a local IKEA, but I could get them in the next month or so but it would be a while until I could pick up any more.
This site shows pictures of several of the ideas. (I really like those washi tape “frames” and then could even change out art inside, but how do you safely adhere the paper to the wall then?)

As for the other miscellaneous papers (Item C in my original list), I am at a loss for those. The kids each have a folder, but they are a bit of a pain to use, papers often get bent (especiialy for the youngest one). Maybe a file folder on the wall?? IDK. Obviously there need to be limits on how much paper is kept.
October 11, 2014 at 8:37 pm
Mysterious Lady in Pink
Participant
Forgot to mention “painter’s tape” as a another possible solution. Not sure how well it would hold, for how long…obviously painter’s tape isn’t meant to stay on walls for weeks and months…or years, lol.
October 11, 2014 at 8:44 pm
LindseyD
Participant
First, has your landlord specifically said that you aren’t allowed to hang anything? Was that in your rental agreement? So you can’t have artwork, mirrors, shelves, or anything hanging on your walls? That seems severely restricting, in my opinion.
Most places don’t mind if you use small nails or pushpins. They typically have to clean walls and repaint before the next tenant anyway–or at least they should.
I like the washi tape idea, diagonally over the 4 corners of paper or the frames. I don’t know why washi tape would affect the walls any differently than clear Scotch tape. Should be safe for the walls, but then you might rip the pictures when you go to remove the tape.
We have an Ikea wire with clips for our artwork. It goes down the length of the hallway and there is a set number of hooks. If the children create a masterpiece they want to hang up, they must choose another masterpiece to take down. So their artwork rotates, and we all have the pleasure of enjoying their creations until THEY decide they want to replace it with something else. This really helped me with the Mommy guilt of throwing away their pictures. We throw away when they decide they’re ready to replace the art, so that takes the decision-making off my shoulders. Ha!
I don’t have any experience with the 3M command hooks on walls. We used one on our back door at our old house because the top of the door was glass, and I wanted a wreath hanging on it. It held the wreath and lasted through cold and wet weather, but then I had to do a lot of scraping when I took the hook off. I would bet that the adhesive would take paint or texture off your walls.
I’m sorry I don’t have more to offer here. 😉 If I were you, I would look over your rental agreement again or check with your landlord to see exactly what he allows to be hung on the walls. I can’t imagine him having much success as a landlord if he won’t allow people to even use pushpins!
Blessings,
Lindsey
ETA: There is an app called Artkive that is specifically for saving children’s artwork, with the option to turn it into a book if you choose. Looks like a great option for people who just can’t stand the thought of discarding those works of art. 😉
October 11, 2014 at 8:51 pm
LindseyD
Participant
From your link of ideas, the top photo under #2 is exactly what we have in our hallway! But it does require screws going into the wall.
October 11, 2014 at 9:32 pm
Mysterious Lady in Pink
Participant
Thanks, Lindsey! We can use pushpins, but that’s about it. The lease basically says we can have holes the size made by a pushpin, but it should be a “reasonable” number of them (can’t remember the exact wording, but that’s the gist of it).
I don’t mind using pushpins, but are you suggesting that I use for lots of papers then? The only thing is that I don’t like to use pushpins if something is going to come down then go up again a bunch of times (as would be the case for changing out / rotating artwork), becuase then the hole starts to get bigger and then the pushpin doesn’t stay in as well. So knowing that I could use at least some pushpins…any recommendations?
I didn’t realize IKEA had that wire thing — so Lindsey, how did you adhere yours to the wall, do you recall? And are using clothespin-type clips on the wire itself?
That’s concerning about the 3M hook you had…although maybe being exposed to the elements would make that worse? But I’m not sure if I’d want to risk it.
**I also meant to put Scotch Restickable Dots on the list of options (click here to see it on Amazon) …not sure how well they will do with the walls over time…hopefully much better than Lindsey’s 3M window experience.
October 11, 2014 at 9:59 pm
LindseyD
Participant
Well, this is a stretch, but if I have to be super creative and pushpins are my only option…
What about hanging a large poster board on the wall with the pushpins and having it stay in place? No taking it down and re-pinning. Then use the Scotch dots or other sticky putty-type stuff to add/remove artwork from the posterboard.
My Ikea wire thing is screwed into the wall. That’s the only way it stays up. And there is a separate package of J-shaped hooks with alligator clips that work with the wire for hanging up changeable art.
You’re never going to see me suggesting that you keep/display tons of artwork. It just goes against my minimalist beliefs. For us, one hallway wall is plenty of displayed art that children have created on paper. But I also use nails and screws to hang artwork too. My children each have a canvas they’ve painted, and those are hanging on the wall using nails.
Is a finishing nail too big? At least you could hang light-weight picture frames on a finishing nail and wouldn’t have to make a larger and larger hole taking it down.
October 11, 2014 at 10:06 pm
vikingkirken
Participant
We use exactly what Lindsey does for our history timeline 🙂
For artwork, I painted four basic canvases with bright colors, then hung them in a row on a wall over our couch. That requires four small nails/hangers. Attach a short piece of string to the back of each canvas at the middle top, so a little loop hangs over the front… then hang a clip (like those IKEA ones that go with the wire) from the string to clip on artwork. It sounds complicated, I wish I could post a picture! But it was so easy, and the kids can change out their artwork whenever they want. And my husband is happy with it because it looks neat and tidy (the canvas makes a nice neat frame, no matter how ragged the artwork might be sometimes). Like Lindsey, the kids have to take something down to add something new.
Each of our kids also has a small box where they can save whatever work they want–my only rule is that it all has to fit in there! So if it’s full, they have to get rid of something to add something new.
October 11, 2014 at 11:02 pm
sarah2106
Participant
I have used the 3M hooks for awhile, and never had a problem with them pulling off the paint. I have only used inside.
I was going to suggest making a ribbon memory board and once it is full the kids have to change out their favorites. I made one with a scrap piece old wood, an old sheet and yarn that I just zig-zagged across the board. It is not super pretty, it could have been made to look nicer I just did not take the time, but works great! It would mean few holes, or if you make it narrow but tall, you could even just lean it against a wall in a corner like a large piece of art.
October 11, 2014 at 11:12 pm
Mysterious Lady in Pink
Participant
@vikingkirken — love the painted canvas idea! That sounds so pretty!
And I’m not looking to keep EVERYTHING the kids make, or hang everything. But seriously I don’t hang up anything. And I’m not happy about that either. Right now my kids have a box where they can save what they want — box is the limit. And they have one folder. But it’s all just so…messy. Maybe because everything is a different size, the box has a mix of papers of objects, etc. I haven’t concerned myself with it because I figure it’s theirs, right? But I also feel like it’s perhaps instilling a habit of untidyness that I don’t want to perpetuate. Bet maybe those are just personal stewardship issues I need to address separately.
@Lindsey — I have dreams of being as minimalist as you are…some day. lol But it’s all baby steps for me right now. 🙂 So I’m wondering if your kids have personal things hung up like I described, around their bed or otherwise…a few photos or just misc favorite little drawings or whatever.
I like the finishing nail with lightweight picture frames, maybe like those IKEA ones? I’ll have to look at the size of those nails…thinking those might be ok. Hoping.
Frames set up on end tables or dressers are not really a viable option here either because we are also lacking on horizontal real estate.
And the posterboard idea isn’t ideal, but I think that might be pretty doable. Thanks!
October 11, 2014 at 11:16 pm
Mysterious Lady in Pink
Participant
@Sarah2106 — I hadn’t thought of the ribbon memory board… I kind of like that! More importantly, I think the girls in particular would like that and it would be especially great for the little things of theirs.
Can you say just a bit more about your use of 3M command hooks? How long did they stay up without any damage to the walls? And what kind of walls? What did you use them to hang up?
Thank you!
October 11, 2014 at 11:18 pm
LindseyD
Participant
I tried the folder idea you’re talking about for a while. It didn’t work for us. I found that they were basically stuffing papers into it, but no one ever enjoyed the folder’s contents. So I guess the folder was a means of artwork hoarding??? LOL
I sure hope you don’t feel like I’m trying to turn you into me! I just don’t have suggestions for keeping a lot of papers because that isn’t something I do.
They have rain gutters hung by their beds. The main purpose is for them to keep whatever books they happen to be reading at night and in the mornings right beside them since they are in bunkbeds right now and don’t have nightstands. They don’t put drawings or photos in their gutters. Special photos are framed and put on their bookshelves in their rooms. They each have a “treasure” box which is stored under the bed. If they wanted to use a push pin and hang up artwork around their room, I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but they never ask to do that. Our picture line seems to work well for them as well as me.
October 11, 2014 at 11:47 pm
Mysterious Lady in Pink
Participant
I sure hope you don’t feel like I’m trying to turn you into me! I just don’t have suggestions for keeping a lot of papers because that isn’t something I do.
No, no! I seriously love hearing about what you do because I feel like you’re on a path similar to where I want to be…but it’s a journey and I am so far from where I want to be. 🙂
Love the rain gutters idea SO MUCH! I’ve thought about those many times here and there over the years. I supposed those are difficult to hang or require larger holes? And if we had a system — any decent system — of displaying their artwork and letting them to choose what goes up and when things change, perhaps that would really help them with letting go of things too. Right now there is no system in place and there really never has been, in terms of displaying. Artwork pretty much never gets hung. Humph. That’s actually pretty pathetic now that I think about it.
Regarding personsal “treasure” boxes that several people have mentioned. My kids are basically like a shoe box — a bit bigger than an adult shoebox. Is that kind of what your kids’ boxes are like?
October 12, 2014 at 12:19 am
sarah2106
Participant
I have had them up 6-9 months at a time on painted drywall and on painted wood doors.
I did have them on painted concrete in the basement for over a year and the paint peeled, but it was just basic paint on concrete, not special concrete paint. I was told basic paint would not work, LOL, but we have a dry but unfinished basement the paint stuck well, but the hooks peeled a bit, but they have worked well.
Forgot…
Currently they are being used to hold towels on the back of bathroom door, back packs on the kids doors, toy bow and arrow sets in theur bedrooms, piano book bags in the living room
I use them for all sorts of things and love how easy it is to change and adjust as needs change with out making a mess of the walls
October 12, 2014 at 2:31 am
Mysterious Lady in Pink
Participant
Wow, Sarah, that is encouraging! Thank you for the details! I like hearing all the different ways you’ve used them as well.
October 12, 2014 at 8:49 pm
JenniferM
Participant
For the miscellaneous papers your kids want to display… Here’s what we do: Each child has a strong magnetic clip on the refrigerator to display his/her latest piece of artwork. When someone wants to display something new, the old comes down. The decision is then made to save it (3hole punch and put in binder) or discard it. I always have them check with me before throwing away artwork. Sometimes Mom wants to save it even when they don’t. 😉