One trick to make kids' artwork more charming, less annoying

{Be sure not to miss yesterday’s post on setting up an area for kids’ crafting!}

We want our children to be creative. Being home, being a maker of the home, has this longterm goal: to provide the environment of flourishing.

Why, though, can it be super annoying? Well, I have come to realize that most of my annoyance, anyway, is something very specific: the sheets of 8 1/2 x 11” printer paper. It’s just a very unpleasant size.

The pleasure children take in their art is usually in the making, not really in the product. It does not need to be big, and when it does, printer paper is actually not big enough.

It’s wasteful. Who among us has not checked in on a tot who has made three small marks on every piece of paper she can get her hands on, throwing each one on the floor as she goes?

It’s hard to display if it is something to be kept. Takes up too much room on a fridge, e.g.

It’s not a good size for making a card or a book. (Bored children can often be energized by the thought of making a card, but the paper for it needs to be ready to go.) The recipient of the card will be charmed with something about 4x6”.

Here’s my solution: Invest in a paper cutter. Mine is old, so I can’t link to it, but something like this (affiliate link). Once you have one, you’ll find you use it all the time.

Cut as many of those sheets in half as you can stand to do at one go. Of those pieces, cut some in half again.*

Turns out, children love small papers; their creativity is really sparked by them, especially colored or textured paper.

At some yard sale you’ll surely have picked up a paper organizer of some sort (affiliate link for visual purposes); store these pieces in it.

Hide the rest of the uncut paper.

Certainly, the good paper needs to be cut this way! Only when the child has convinced you, should you hand over a full size quality piece of paper.

Keep a pad of newsprint, which is quite large, for when it’s required, but don’t leave it out for them to choose, willy-nilly.

*Eventually some older child will take over the paper-cutting task for you.

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Jessie Wilcox Smith

Be happy at home! As with everything here at the SFH, the best thing is for you to take my ideas, which come from my experience of escaping feminism to enjoy the gift of 47 years of marriage, seven children, and more than a score of grandchildren, and apply them to your situation with discernment, prudence, and confidence — and a sense of humor!