As a Savvy Auntie, I’ve been through one blonde princess phase with my oldest niece and I'm deep in a brunette princess period with my 4-year-old goddaughter. I also have been through one Lego sculptural period and numerous scribble periods.

Aunties receive numerous masterpieces from their young Michelangelos, but where to put them? How long do you keep them?

Alas, poor Auntie, you can’t keep everything. Every scribble can’t be saved especially when you have a prolific young artist on your hands (my goddaughter gives me at least 10 pictures during each of my overnight trips). If there are no other admiring adults, such as your brother or parents, to share the artwork load, then you will have to make some decisions on what to keep and what not to keep. Older artwork will have to leave to make room for the masterpieces. Just because you part with a couple of drawings or paintings, doesn’t mean that you’re throwing away your niece or nephew.

For the work you’re keeping, here are some ways to protect your treasured items.

Box them

Cute, hard storage boxes from The Container Store, Target, Organize.com and other stores are colorful and simple ways to store treasured artwork. Most have areas to put a label for the child’s name and ages, and they can be neatly stacked on a shelf without compromising style.

Most storage boxes fit letter-size, but special art boxes like these, are larger and can accommodate longer works of art. The art boxes are found at The Container Store and SeeJaneWork.com.

If you prefer simple boxes, try the plastic bins with good latches. Both storage books and plastic boxes are available in acid-free materials. Measure your biggest artwork to make sure you have the right size box or tub.

Your typical cardboard box is not the best for photo and art storage since bugs can creep inside, and cardboard becomes a haven for other vermin.

File them

If you only have a few pictures, consider stashing them in a pretty file folder or expanding file folder. Office Max, SeeJaneWork.com, and The Container Store have pretty folders that will keep artwork safe. Or you can find equally pretty binders. Slip the masterpieces into protective plastic sleeves (always acid-free) and add them to the binders. Label the spine with the child’s name. If you have several budding artists who call you Auntie, keep one per child. You can use the binder as a memory book when they get older.

Frame them

How many times have you been in a modern museum and thought, “Hmmm, my niece or nephew can do a better painting.” Take a couple of your favorite art works and frame them. Bulkier works may require a shadow box so the frame won’t squash any 3-D effects.

As your nieces and nephews grow older, it becomes a symbol of embarrassing pride. They may complain about why do you still have that, but secretly, you know they’re pleased you valued something they created. My oldest niece rolls her eyes when she sees the fish picture she drew for me in kindergarten on my wall, but I know she likes it.

Photograph and Scan them

Scanning in artworks will keep them looking good forever. Photograph the larger, bulkier, and more fragile pieces. Pictures with cereal and macaroni glued on them will attract pests and need to be photographed or scanned, depending on the artwork itself.

Once works are scanned in or photographed, you can create your own works of art. Upload the pictures to websites, such as Zazzle.com and Cafépress.com, and create your own coffee mugs, t-shirts and tote bags decorated with your little ones’ best artwork.

Can’t choose just one? Then make your own monthly calendar for yourself (and grandparents) to showcase 12 masterpieces. If you don’t want to make a calendar, create your own “art book” like they do with prominent artists. Companies, such as Heritage Makers, Creative Memories, Flickr and others, can help you create your own book.

No matter how you save the artwork of your nieces and nephews, do it in a way that shows how much you treasure it. Their masterpieces are something to pass on, say when you become a Great Aunt.

By Janice Marie Simon, MA, CPO