Tips for storing baby keepsakes
I'm getting ready to store some baby stuff that we won't be needing for a while (or ever again). Things like baby's first blanket home from the hospital. Or hand-knit sweater from Grandma. These are things we are not giving away. How can I store them and keep them free of moth holes (are those a real concern?) or whatever else can go wrong over the years. Would love tips that don't involve using those terrible smelling moth balls. :)
1 Answers
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Hi there.
I've seen a few ideas for how to store baby keepsakes that you might find helpful. Agreed - don't use mothballs!!!
- Framing: one option is to make a small selection of clothing items and other small things, get a large deep picture frame or shadowbox and pin them on a background. As long as no moths are in the frame, your items are fine. You can do an image search on "framed baby clothes" for inspiration.
- Cedar box: traditionally cedarwood repels moths because of its aromatic smell. You could probably get a small box for each child and put their cherished items there. A chest may be easier to find cheap second hand, but look online for "cedar box" and you'll find lots of different sizes. Cedar oil kills small larvae but not the larger ones, though, so it's not 100% moth proof.
- Airtight storage: learning from knitters who store wool and wool items, it seems best prevention is airtight containers and maybe even ziploc bagging individual items with as little air in the bag as possible. Not most attractive, but very effective. If you like the idea of a wood box, you could store the items inside individually bagged?
In storing precious items, I think one aspect of added value might be to write the story of the piece of clothing or object on a card or paper and store it with the item. Even if you'll forever remember that granny knitted this or great-auntie sent that, having that piece of story written down and kept with the item can make it feel more precious down the road, and amplifies your effort to select those special things for future safekeeping.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the tips. I really like the idea of including an explanatory note with each item.
- sweethi, Dec 20, 2011