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Organization [Question]

Art Portfolios

Started on Mar 28, 2012 by AmyJArt
Last post on Sep 01, 2012

Anyone have any helpful hints for making and storing art portfolios?? I was also wondering if anyone has ever included a form for the parents to sign to show that they actually saw their students work! Thanks!

11 Keeps, 3 Likes, 7 Comments


  • MsFoushee 04/07/2012 at 04:23pm
    I have the same problem in my room! Because I'm at a K-8 school, I have no room to store individual portfolios for the middle school students. I do have class portfolios, however. I've been using posterboard folded in half with one side slightly longer so I can write the teachers' names on them, and store them in an old 50-sheet tabletop drying rack. Elementary classes are on one side (red for K, orange for 1, etc), and 6-8 on the other side.
    I do like your idea for parents signing that they saw the work. It's so disheartening to return projects and rubrics that have lots of feedback, and when the bell rings half of them end up in the recycle bin! I'm going to borrow that for next year!


  • rlaurenzi 04/22/2012 at 09:20am
    We use paper grocery bags. You can ask students to bring one in or you can buy them in bulk at a restaurant supply store. To make them, just cut out the bottom rectangle, lay it flat, and staple across the bottom where the rectangle was. So, it is open at the top, and tapered at the bottom. I usually have students make them and decorate them during the first 2 weeks of school, while they are learning rules and procedures. As far as storage, I use plastic milk crates lined up along a wall. Here is a link to my website - if you scroll down on this page you can see how I store them http://laurenziartroom.weebly.com/parents--community.html


  • RuthByrne 05/22/2012 at 06:06am
    Great sites all around! I have these standing portfolio holders (I'm trying to find a pic) that can hold 12x18 that I currently use to hold visuals, resources and class portfolios for the day. I'm fortunate to have a huge, many shelved cabinet where I store class portfolios (made of folded & laminated 24x18 paper)

    I'd love to transition some grades to rlaurenzi's or teachkidsart's model so the kids can add to their portfolios too.


  • RebeccaAnn 06/16/2012 at 09:19am
    Rlayrenzi, I loved your website! Really well done. I also loved your idea of using the paper bags. I have used paper bags for other projects and have had good luck walking into the grocery store and just asking for them, they gave me literally hundreds, all in a bundle.


  • Jenncook678 08/21/2012 at 10:01pm
    I have run into this problem as well. Luckily, this year I got a nice computer so I am going to try digital portfolios! It’s not as good as having the originals, but at least I’ll get to use the files to follow the students’ progress for all the years that I have them. I’ll repost on how it goes… *Fingers Crossed*


  • VABartTeacher 09/01/2012 at 11:46pm
    Thanks for new ideas guys. In past I've used poster boards folded to store on shelves in my room. Ive changed it up a bit this year. Majority of students work is 8.5x11 so is put in a page protector in a binder to keep in tge room till end of year art show. They do upload pic of there artwork to artsonia so parents see them right away. For the handful of projects that are larger I plan to have them make a large scale envelop out of heavy lg weight drawing paper. Will post this project when we get it done.