Found! Best Way to Keep Your Kids Drawings

I have a big box filled with Bastien’s drawings that just sits on a shelf getting fuller and fuller every year.  I love his drawings.  I love him.  Keeping his stuff hidden away in a big box seems depressing, and I do think his stuff is nice but I’m not really sure it’s ‘put a frame on it and keep it on the wall forever’ nice.

That’s why I think the local company Tuta & Coco have such a great idea on their hands.

Hand over a few of your child’s drawings (the process is simple) and they will use their artist’s eye to pick something that captures both the essence of the drawing, but also create something that would look wonderful on the wall.

I handed over a big box of Bastien’s stuff, whom I would say is an artist only begrudgingly, and (I didn’t tell them this) I thought – what the hell are they going to choose?

Gabriella, one half of Tuta & Coco, came back to me with several scanned images and mock ups and I was amazed.  I would have NEVER been able to sift through that pile of scribbles and come up with something beautiful for our house.

After the image is scanned, they add a little touch such as the name and age of the child, or a note to a special someone.

The service is very affordable, especially when you think that this is something that will stay with you and your child forever.  They offer framed or non-framed prints, greeting cards and post cards.

I was so happy with my print.  It was much better than I could have even imagined.

And honestly, the other day I looked at my kids and kind of started panicking.  They are both getting older and although this age is so so hard I realized that it’s also such a magical age.  The world is amazing, they still have eyes only for us, snuggling and hugs are still a priority.  Capturing this age and the wonder that they experience and express through their art is priceless.

Q&A with Gabriella of Tuta & Coco

What is Tuta & Coco?

Tuta & Coco takes your child’s artwork and transforms it to bring out it’s beauty and potential. We do this by selecting the best pieces, scanning and transforming it into a professional looking print while still keeping the essence of childhood.

We want to give a special and well-deserved place to all those works of art we love so much but are more often than not shoved in a drawer or kept in a box.

We aim to retain the soul of the original drawing. If necessary, minor changes will be made (spots on paper, wrinkles, tone correction, background harmonization or color palette), but parents always have the last word for the final piece.

Who are the people behind Tuta & Coco?

We are two good friends, Gabriella and Daniel.  We met at a photography school in 2005. Back then we were (just a bit!) younger and we wanted to change the world.

I am a painter and a photographer. I am originally from Venezuela and moved with my husband to Montreal 5 years ago. After a small detour dabbling with a career in finance, I obtained, with honors, a BFA from the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington D.C.

Daniel is an art historian who has been based in Paris for the past seven years. He’s also two-thirds a self-taught graphic designer, a quarter of an architect, and a bit of a photographer. He has discovered the joys of parenting through his three young nephews and niece (3 years, 1 year and 1 month). He is also from Venezuela.

Why do you think it’s important to keep our children’s prints alive?

It makes for a very personal and unique object to keep or to give. It also serves as a fascinating way to look back at their artistic expressions while they were young. We would have loved if our parents had a collection of the art we made at home.

Thank-you to Tuta & Coco for the print and also for answering all my questions.

ps What a great gift idea for Father’s Day!