Turn your kid’s art into masterpieces for your walls
Kid art, but make it fine art.
I consider myself a sentimental person, who wants to keep everything my child creates. I also consider myself a minimalist who cannot deal with piles of clutter around the house. Over the years I’ve been able take artwork my child has made and turn it into statement pieces for our walls that feel modern, timeless and beautiful. We’ve even turned drawings into gifts for others as framed art, t-shirt designs and custom totes.
How to:
Start with interesting and/or quality paper:
Use interesting and/or nice quality paper. I like to use vintage paper that already has a patina and interesting aged color. This makes the overall piece feel more considered and bespoke. As a designer, I have stacks of old paper laying around, but you can search places like antique or vintage stores for old calendars (use the backs), or posters, notebooks etc and find a blank piece to be your canvas. If you’re buying new paper, look for printmaking paper like Reeves at your art supply store in a nice creamy off white, like these sheets from Blick.
*before you let your child create on the “good paper”, have them practice on some cheaper paper
Keep your palette simple:
The simplest way to create a piece of kid art worthy of your wall is to limit their color palette. I opt for black and tan because those colors go well with our home’s palette, but you could stick to a few shades of a color that compliments your home’s decor.
Swap the crayons:
To me, a crayon drawing is tough to make into fine art. Instead, give your child other mediums like sharpies, oil pastels, ink pens, paints (in a limited palette), paint markers or India Ink.
Play with scale:
An easy way to create an interesting composition is to play with different sizes. Try giving your child a really large brush (like one you would use for painting a room), or a large oil pastel stick. Combine this with a really fine tip pen or tiny dots from a hole punch. This juxtaposition between large and small can create some really interesting layouts.
Tips and tricks:
Go BIG!
Start with an oversized canvas or extra large piece of paper to really make a statement. If your child has a small drawing that you love, consider working with an artist or designer (me!) to scan the artwork and blow it up. You can then create a print at any size you want. I’ve also taken one of our son’s drawings and projected it onto a wood panel and traced it, to recreate a drawing on a textured art board that feels more substantial.
Try different mediums like collage or linoleum cuts:
Try giving your child collage materials (pieces of paper, oil pastels, black and white photos, pencils, etc) in a limited color palette to create a collage that feels cohesive and sophisticated. Let them cut shapes and help them place items on a large piece of paper or board to create a collage that feels elevated.
Chose a modern frame:
Putting art in a simple frame makes artwork feel refined and finished. Opt for frames with low profiles in a modern wood finish or sleek black metal.
Gifting:
You can always gift a nicely framed original or print of your child’s artwork, but you can also play with other usable items like tote bags, t-shirts or notebooks — things that can be used in daily life. There are plenty of online printing places that will do this sort of thing or consider working with a local artist to screen print custom totes or tees.
