Imagine…
You’ve just created something spectacular. Maybe it’s a delicious cheddar soufflé, or perhaps a lovely drawing of the African violet that finally bloomed in your kitchen. Or maybe you wrote a clever rhyme about your neighbour’s Bichon Frise.
Now visualize this...
After sharing your creation with your partner, your child, or your neighbour, he or she says, "Great job!" and promptly shoves it into a drawer. Or worse, sneaks it into the recycle bin.
Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? Okay, now think about what you’ve been doing with all the paintings and drawings your kids have been producing at the kitchen table or carting home from school because - let's face it - if you've got kids, you've got piles of kids' artwork.
If you’re like most people, it probably ends up in boxes like this (maybe after a brief stint on the fridge door).
It’s incredibly important that kids see their art on display as it creates inspiration and shows them just how important their ideas and expressions really are. And while it could be argued that de-cluttering and recycling paperwork can be good for the soul, tossing your youngster's art (before giving it the attention it deserves) can actually do a lot of damage. What might seem like a small gesture - displaying your child's creative efforts - is actually a huge confidence builder.
Trust me; I know what you’re thinking: "there is no possible way to keep up with the production." It's true! Most moms and dads I know all say the same thing; “I would display my kid’s art more often, if I only had the space!”
But, what do you do when your walls are already full, you've got more windows than wall space and your fridge is covered?
Here's the thing. I’m an artist, living with my artist husband, folk-artist mother and 6 year-old daughter. Together we run an art studio where ideas and art are always in the making. We are always pinning up works in progress along with kid creations and - believe me – our walls are FULL, FULL, FULL! We have no space left!
This is why I was so excited to find out about Elmer’s Freestyle products.
The Elmer's Freestyle Smart Clips and Hooks are designed to empower people to find ingenious solutions. They helped me to find space I never knew I had.
Like all the Elmer’s Freestyle products, they are reusable (yes!), repositionable (necessary), and do not cause damage or leave any sticky residue (bonus!). Best of all, they work on a variety of smooth household surfaces, which - until now - were unavailable for hanging kids art in the following places:
Let's face it, we've all taped pieces of paper on bedroom doors, only to discover that the paint peels off when you remove the tape. Well guess what? Elmer's Freestyle products WILL NOT take the finish off your painted or stained wooden doors.
Applying the clips is super easy - you just peel off the protective sheet and stick. No tools required! And it's no big deal if you need to reposition a clip because you didn't get it straight the first time. You just lift it off and try again.
I made a pop up gallery display on the bathroom door.
But I didn't stop there. I went into the bathroom and found two more surfaces for displaying colourful creations.
The fact that these clips are re-usable makes creating impromptu art displays a breeze. My daughter was over the moon when she saw her art showing up in unusual places around the house and it was she who suggested we take our bare kitchen cupboards from drab to fab.
Before - blah.
After - tada!
And since we were already in the kitchen, we tested out another surface.
The Elmer's Freestyle Stationary Clips are perfect for displaying drawings on doors, cupboards and - as it turns out - tile backsplashes, but since we have a lot of windows in our house I thought I would see how well they performed on glass.
As you probably know, taping anything to windows (especially in cold weather) usually results in the tape (and paper) falling off within an hour or so. But not so with these products.
While the clips were perfect for our purposes, I also found that the hooks worked really well for showing off my daughter's creations. The great thing about them? They are able to support up to 10 pounds. Amazing.
I found the clear hooks ideal for hanging some lovely pieces on the window in my daughter's room. As an added touch, I taped a sweet orange ribbon to the back of the larger painting.
Then I tried the Contemporary Hooks - two at a time - on our sliding glass door. I hung a string between the hooks and used clothespins to display even more artwork. If you had a wide window, you could create a good-sized display.
The clips and hooks are terrific for displaying completed work but there are also some additional products available for those who want to express themselves, on the fly such as the Stick 'Em Squares and Circles. These product provide a blank canvas for everyone in the house to use. I placed a bunch on our cupboard doors and waited to see what would happen. Sure enough, all the spaces became filled with miniature drawings made by the magnetic dry erase markers that come with the stylish notes.
I live surrounded by art and I really didn't think I could squeeze any more into my home. Thanks to Elmer’s Freestyle I discovered I can, and no one is happier about it than the littlest one in the house.
Having your kids' work on display does wonders for their self-esteem. Try it. You’ll see!
Say no to nails and so long to screws. Think outside the box and turn your unused messy areas into inspired spaces with creative ways to use Elmer’s® FreestyleTM repositionable products.
Check out our "Here's Inspiration to Finally Clean Up Your Clutter" page to get more smart ideas that will inspire you to get yourself organized, beautify your own small spaces, and more!
Find them at Home Outfitters, select Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstores and at Walmart and Staples.
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