I should probably have this figured out after 5 years of homeschooling,

[Runningmom80]

but can someone help me with "spiralizing" curricula?

 

I've always just printed out the pdfs and then thrown it all in a binder. My binder is pretty unwieldy at this point.

 

 

So how does it work? How do I get the file to Kinkos/Staples to have it printed. Is it expensive? Is it worth it? I'm specifically looking to have Exploring Nature with Children PDF printed and bound with a spiral.

 

 

TIA!

Edited August 17, 2017 by someonestolemyname

[Ellie]

but can someone help me with "spiralizing" curricula?

 

I've always just printed out the pdfs and then thrown it all in a binder.  My binder at this point is pretty unwieldy at this point.

 

 

So how does it work?  How do I get the file to Kinkos/Staples to have it printed. Is it expensive? Is it worth it?  I'm specifically looking to have Exploring Nature with Children PDF printed and bound with a spiral.

 

 

TIA!

 

You can email the files to Kinkos or Staples, or save them to a thumb drive and take it to the store with you.

 

The printing itself is not expensive; the binding isn't really, either. It would be worth it to *me*.

[mamaraby]

You can just print them out at home and take them to Staples or Office Depot/Max. They'll ask what cokor you want the binding and if you want a front and back cover. They'll either complete it while you wait or give you a call when it's finished. The later is more likely. It's not super duper expensive, but it has been a year or so since I had it done.

 

I don't typically need PDFs bound, but I usually have the slice the binding off my teacher's guides and then bind them. I vastly prefer them that way.

[Arcadia]

My kids don't like spiral. You could take a flash drive to Kinkos or Staples to get it printed and bound. Or you can print at home and bring the printout for binding. My kids prefer stitch bind (softcover style). You can call and ask how much it would cost. It wasn't expensive.

 

My previous employer and some of my husband's previous employers don't mind employees spiral/comb binding personal stuff at the office using the binding machine there.

 

The binder machine is something like this link and refills were cheap. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KL01XZO/

[EKT]

I recently did this with Brave Writer Arrows. I printed them all at home on my own printer, then took them to FedEx Kinko's to be spiral-bound. They put black spiral bindings on, with a clear plastic cover, and a black plastic back. I think it cost $5.00/each? (I had ten things bound and the total came to about $50.00.) It was very easy and I will definitely do it again. 

Edited August 16, 2017 by EKT

[Runningmom80]

That's way less than I thought. I don't have a great printer so I think this is a good way to go. The spirals are for teacher guides, not students, so I don't need anything too fancy.

[Lucy the Valiant]

Or . . . *evil grin* . . . you could buy yourself a GBC pro-click and a few spines and clear covers and spend a lovely afternoon spiral-binding them yourself for approximately $1-2 each. The spines are re-closable (so you can add / edit / change up the books), and come in different sizes (we use 3 different sizes, and they really do open and close quite easily with a handly little zip-tool). 

 

I seriously love my GBC Pro-click. <3

[Lucy the Valiant]

Whoops, double post (how do I do that?)!

Edited August 17, 2017 by Lucy the Valiant

[Jackie]

I usually print it myself and bring it to be spiral bound. It runs $4-5 per book I make. Well worth it for me.

[Ellie]

Or you could buy a ream or two of paper that already has three holes, and keep everything in three-ring notebooks.

[Julie of KY]

I put the different subjects in different binders. I only give a portion of it to the kids at a time if that is what they are using as well.

[Runningmom80]

Or you could buy a ream or two of paper that already has three holes, and keep everything in three-ring notebooks.

I have everything in binders now and it just takes up too much space.

[momtofive]

Depending on how much you'll utilize this, it might be cost effective to look into a pro-click spiral binder, or a spiral binding machine that punches the little holes and you can run a coil into it yourself. I have five kids, and I make them lesson plan books each year and bind misc. other items as well, so it was cheaper to buy a binding machine and do it myself. It's become one of my favorite "homeschool helpers."

[Runningmom80]

I only have a couple things I need for this year, so it seems more prudent to pay to have it done to see if I like it.  If I do, maybe I'll want to get my own.

 

Are there plastic covers you can buy to go with the pro click?  (I could probably google, but it seems to be a topic homeschoolers love to talk about. :))

[momtofive]

I'm not sure about the pro-click, though I'd think it's the same, but I just purchased supplies at the same place I bought the binding machine. I'd just google and try to find a good deal. I think it's wise to just have it done until you know if you'd utilize it much. Best wishes! ;)

[Runningmom80]

Well my one item to be printed and bound is going to cost $30! I didn't pay much for the PDF, and it is over 200 pages so I suppose the price makes sense, but that was a shock!

[Jackie]

Well my one item to be printed and bound is going to cost $30! I didn't pay much for the PDF, and it is over 200 pages so I suppose the price makes sense, but that was a shock!

I'm guessing the vast majority of that to be printing cost. My laser printer has been fully worth the cost - I spend pennies on printing even when I'm doing a hefty amount of it.

[Petrichor]

I got a proclick after reading suggestions for it here. :D 

 

It was after I had looked up the costs of getting my book bound somewhere like staples or office max.

 

Then when I sent DH to the store to cut the binding off a book I wanted to bind myself, and they wanted at least $30. For a 200-300 page book that cost me $20. I ended up cutting off the spine myself with a rotary cutter. They may have been quoting the cost to re-bind the book though.  

 

And now, I proclick anything I plan to later photocopy - our handwriting books, math workbooks, and even some coloring books. 

[Miss Tick]

I was going to warn you about printing costs, but it sounds like you already got a taste for that. Black and white is expensive, but color is heart-attack inducing.

[Runningmom80]

A friend told me about homeschoolprinting.com.  I haven't price compared, but it's another option!

[rjand6more]

Do you print on both sides of the paper?  

 

Before I got an auto duplex laser printer, I only printed on one side.  I am amazed at the amount of space it saves.(Ya, I know it saves 1/2 the space, but it really made more of a difference than I thought it would...)

 

I am hooked on my ProClick.  I printed and proclicked around 2000 pages this year.  It has been well worth the $ I paid for it 6 years ago.

[Runningmom80]

Do you print on both sides of the paper?

 

Before I got an auto duplex laser printer, I only printed on one side. I am amazed at the amount of space it saves.(Ya, I know it saves 1/2 the space, but it really made more of a difference than I thought it would...)

 

I am hooked on my ProClick. I printed and proclicked around 2000 pages this year. It has been well worth the $ I paid for it 6 years ago.

I would like to print on both sides, my printer is capable of printing double sided, but alas, I have no idea how.

 

 

I'm going to figure it out for the next time I need something printed.