I am an advocate of displaying what you love. You want to keep everything from your children’s … well childhood. I encourage you to do something with the items you keep. If you throw it in a box along with everything else that you feel is “special”, then I hate to tell you that it must not be that special.
Display it.
Use it.
Frame it.
Get your children involved.
If your children are old enough, then ask them what they want to keep and what they think can be “donated”. Donated can mean recycle if it is paper.
I see many parents keeping “birthday party memories” and “home from the hospital” memories.
Here is a quick and easy weekend project that will get the special memories out of the attic and up on the wall — where they belong!
These would look cute if you added more through the years. Home from the hospital, 1st birthday party, 2nd birthday party, etc.
You will need:
Shadow Box
Michaels & Hobby Lobby are great resources for these
Solid backing is preferred over mesh/cloth/foam backing
Decorative paper
Wallpaper or wrapping paper
Spray adhesive for the paper
Adhesive dots for the memories
“Home for the Hospital” Memories
Outfit they came home in
Hat
Booties/socks
Hospital bracelet
Birth announcement
Pacifier
First bottle used
Sample diaper (clean one)
“Birthday Party” Memories
Invitation
Picture of Birthday Boy or Girl
Favors
Deflated balloon collage (mimic colors)
Any decoration that will fit in the box that you love and want to keep
- Remove the backing from the shadow box.
- Measure and cut the paper for the backing.
- Spray glue the paper to the backing.
- Let dry.
- Once dry, use adhesive dots to arrange memories in shadow box.
- Add backing.
- Hang on wall.
Voila! Functional artwork for your gallery wall or child’s room!
How do you display your children’s special memories?