DIY Toddler Art Display

When it comes to creating art and making things, Mackenzie is prolific in a way only a toddler knows how to be.

I have been looking for a creative way to display Mackenzie’s artwork at home that celebrates her and her act of making something in a meaningful, “instant” way. After browsing Pinterest and some of my favorite blogs for a while, I came up with the idea for reverse shadow boxes.

This project took four weekends of trial and error to complete. I originally intended them to be magnetic, but eight coats of magnetic paint later, the finish still wasn’t strong enough for a magnet to hold a piece of paper. Boo.


Chris cut the right angles for me – also no easy task getting 24 of those right. Patient man.

I am happy with the end result, though. Mackenzie loves seeing her pictures hanging up, and they are super easy to change out.

We store her remaining artwork in a big binder. She’ll be happy to show it to you if you come for a visit. 🙂