Children’s artistic memories you can eat off

As parents, we love our children’s artwork: even the scribbliest is as precious as a Van Gogh. But those artistic paper treasures rarely last which is why transforming youngsters’ art into 25cm wide souvenir pictureplates is a successful, useful and sentimental fundraiser.

Pictureproducts has worked with kindergartens, early childhood centres and schools for 35 years, creating about 2.5 million unique Pictureplate® artworks.

How it works
Pictureproducts provides templates (and extras for the inevitable ‘disaster’) within which the kids unleash their creativity using photographs, paints, pencils, crayons: even hand and feet prints can be submitted. The art can be done at home or in class.

We spoke to Toby Griffin from Pictureproducts and he said “What makes a Pictureplate unique is that due to the great longevity of our melamine and inks, a child’s flimsy paper drawing can be turned into something that lasts well into the next generation. Because melamine Pictureplates are so durable, they aren’t just for show, and most children will eat off them right away. They’ll still survive to be put away as keepsakes later.”

The drawings are sent to Pictureproducts and transformed—usually in between six to nine weeks—into Pictureplates using durable food-safe melamine.

Pictureplates are pre-ordered and paid for before delivery.

Why Pictureplates are a fundraising success
First, there’s the sentimental value of capturing a lasting childhood moment.

“A child’s drawing is a window into that child’s life at one moment in time. How did she draw her family? Who were his friends? For the younger children, it captures their own work, made by their own hands, sometimes with help from Mummy and Daddy. Particularly when it’s paired with a photograph, it’s a perfect little piece of that child’s life history,” says Toby of this generational keepsake fundraiser.

For grandparents, the pictureplate keepsake is an extension of the photo brag book.

Toby says “Almost everybody either has one or knows someone who does which means that when schools offer a Pictureproducts fundraiser there’s very little convincing required to get parents excited and involved. How wonderful is it to share your Pictureplate from twenty or thirty years ago with your children as they are doing their own drawings?”.

There’s the practical aspect too: being produced on durable food-safe melamine means the plates can be eaten off. And there’s no danger of breakage if little ones have the dropsies.

Top tip: Decorating dash
Create colourful, fun informal table settings using Pictureplates for all family members or a set for children’s parties.

Plate collecting has been fashionable since the late 1800s. Begin your own collection by grouping Pictureplates as a decorative feature in your kitchen or family room.

Commemorative pictureplates
If your school or kindy is coming up to a significant milestone, Pictureproducts can arrange to pre-print the school or centre’s name and logo on the template.

Ordering more?
Love them and want more? That won’t be a problem. Pictureproducts has kept digital copies of all its Pictureplates since 2009.