One of the things I’ve been thinking about a lot since becoming a mother is how to store my child’s beautiful artwork. I wasn’t very talented as an artist, but I still have a lot of the notebooks I filled with stories. However, my little one loves to create art, and we’re blessed with some beautiful pieces. Some I plan to frame, but others I’d like to keep and preserve properly. Document and artwork storage is a tricky thing, so I’m grateful for my professional on-the-job training to show me the correct way to store precious materials.

The storage container is the most important factor to consider. You want to use a container made of acid-free material that is large enough to store what you are preserving without damage. I love the Bigso Art Storage Box* and the Bigso Adhesive Labels*, which are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and meet my exacting archival requirements. To separate individual pieces of art, I use acid-free tissue paper (you can find an extensive list of suppliers here via the Smithsonian–I use Hollinger Metal Edge.)

Finally, you want to keep the box completely flat and in a climate-controlled environment where it’s safe from direct sunlight, moisture, and anything else that might damage it. I generally store files and things I want to preserve stacked on the top shelf of one of our closets–out of the way but safe.

How do you store your precious papers?