How to Make a Kids Art Portfolio Book in 6 Steps
You love to see your child making artwork at school and being creative at home. The big question is, what do you do with that growing collection of paintings, drawings, crafts, and creations? There is a simple and fun DIY solution!
Creating a kids artwork portfolio is an easy way to get organized and support your child’s growing imagination. Instead of nesting away every piece of artwork in storage bins or covering every inch of wall space, here’s your chance to get a clean start while teaching your little one creative tips for organization over the long term. Plus, you get a one-of-a-kind keepsake the whole family can enjoy looking at together.
Follow these steps to build your kids art portfolio book:
#1 Select and organize the artwork
Whether or not you decide to hang on to the original artwork, this sorting step involves the most decision-making. You may want to create separate piles of art to store, to print in a portfolio book, and to toss. Depending on your child’s age, he or she may be able to help with the process, too.
Once you know which pieces you want to include in your kid’s artwork portfolio, consider how you will arrange the book: by month, by year, or by theme. You could have enough pieces from a single month to fill a book, or you might opt to feature a wide assortment of pictures and order them chronologically to show how your child’s artwork has changed over time.
If your art collection is already quite large, you may decide to create more than one volume of artwork. The good news is, once you get a system in place for sorting and preserving these little masterpieces, the easier it is to repeat the process in the future and create a series of artwork portfolios.
#2 Scan or photograph your child’s artwork
The fastest and easiest way to capture a lot of images in one sitting is to take photos of them. This is also the best option for any pieces that have texture or 3-D elements. You just have to make sure the pictures are in focus to capture those small details. For flat, 2-D drawings or paintings, scanning is a great method to create quality reproductions of the artwork. Once you’ve finished documenting your kid’s art, organize all the scans or photos into one folder for easy access, and label the image files if needed.
#3 Choose a book size and format
Blurb portfolio books come in a range of sizes, paper options, and cover types, so you have options about what the finished artwork portfolio will look like. Large, small, square, rectangular, soft cover, hard cover—which format will best capture your child’s art collection? You get to serve as creative director for this project!
#4 Design a layout with easy-to-use tools
If you prefer to work on a laptop or desktop computer, BookWright’s pre-built templates can give you a quick start on creating your children’s portfolio book layout—no design experience needed. Simply download our free book layout software, then drag and drop images into the template of your choice. There are handy videos and tutorials built right into the application in case you need extra tips along the way.
If you are running especially short on time, Blurb’s mobile app is the fastest way to create a photo book using your iPhone or iPad. In a matter of minutes, you can autoflow images from your photo albums for easy placement on the page.
Consider adding captions for each photo within your artwork portfolio, such as your child’s name, the date it was created, and the motivation behind it. Or your aspiring little artiste might have ideas about how to label their creations!
#5 Choose an image for the artwork portfolio cover
This is another step that can be fun to do with your child. Most kids will get a kick out of choosing which artwork to feature on their very own portfolio cover! You can finish by simply adding a name and month (or year) for the book title, or put your heads together to brainstorm something more creative.
#6 Order copies to share with family and friends
This is the big moment! Time to print your kid’s art portfolio book and decide how many copies to order. These special artwork portfolios make a wonderful birthday or holiday gift for parents, grandparents, and relatives. You can also create a portfolio book to celebrate milestones in your child’s life, such as graduating from one grade level or preparing for a new school year.
No matter what occasion or inspiration moves you, creating a kid’s art portfolio book is a wonderful way to encourage your child’s blooming creativity and build confidence. Years down the road, you and your child can continue to share moments of wonder and joy as you flip through this one-of-a-kind art collection together.
Ready to get creative? Start making a children’s artwork portfolio today!