Do you have a child’s craft that you want to save from discoloring or disintegrating? Learn how to preserve kids artwork using Mod Podge!
Before my kids graduate from high school, I should probably get a start on preserving some of the adorable, one-of-a-kind art projects they’ve brought home over the years.
Things are getting a little (very) dusty plus starting to fade and become brittle. I decided to experiment with a Mod Podge protective coating thinking that it might preserve my favorite pieces and maybe even restore them a bit. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I had a couple questions:
- How would Mod Podge react with the ubiquitous water based grade school paint, ie: would it cause the paint to bleed or run?
- What about the other staple of childhood – construction paper – might it disintegrate or tear from the moisture of the Mod Podge or even the stress of my paintbrush as I applied it?
- Would the colors be significantly changed or deepened?
Happily, everything went really well and I had no issues at all (when does this ever happen??!) In fact, the Mod Podge strengthened the more-fragile-than-wet-tissue-paper wattle under the chin of one of the animals, hurray!
Preserve Paper Art
You will need:
- Mod Podge Matte or Gloss, depending on your preference (I chose Matte)
- An applicator – I used an inexpensive, small paint brush
- Newspaper or other to protect your work surface
The process to preserve kids artwork is simple.
Dust or clean your object first, test a small area for compatibility (no smearing or other problems), then apply a coat of Mod Podge.
I’ve learned (the hard way) the value of letting coats dry completely between applications, so I waited 24 hours before adding the second coat. You could wait a few hours, just make sure it’s dry depending on your climate.
The results are fantastic! These little creatures look better than ever, their childlike character intact, a bit sturdier from the glue, and a slightly glossy surface that I can maintain. Yes, you can preserve kids artwork with Mod Podge!
I now have heirlooms I can pass down to my children – actually on second thought, I might not be able to part with them 😉
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If you are looking for additional inspiration, I’d love for you to check out the following posts: