s/o What do you use your laminator/sticker machine/label maker/etc for?

[cottonmama]

Over on the Homeschool and Classroom Supplies thread, a few office gadgets like laminating machines, sticker machines, and label makers were mentioned as something folks used all the time.

 

I actually have a laminating machine on the way for a project I'm about to start on (some homemade math games), but I'd love to know some other ways people use theirs (since I bought an obscene number of laminator pouches), and I'm curious about the other gadgets and how people use them. If you have another office gadget that I didn't mention, that you put to use for something interesting, please share that, too. :)

 

So... how do you use your awesome office gadget(s)?

[cottonmama]

This got buried... thought I'd give it another chance with a little bump...

[Farrar]

We have a laminator. I don't use it an insane amount, but I've laminated a number of things - periodic tables, blank maps, signs and things we were going to use again and again, also little task strips.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I've laminated quit a few things for school, but I've only ever used my sticker makers for scrapbooking purposes. Haven't found a use for them for school, yet.

 

Here's a thread where I've posted what I've done with my laminator.

[Catwoman]

I have all of the things you mentioned, and I use them primarily to take up closet space.

[LillyMama]

I have a laminator and use it for the basic school things- flash cards, picture cards, etc.

 

For non-school things- I labeled the drawers of my kids' dressers to help them get used to putting their clothes away. So I used the laminator for those. I also have found that you can write on laminate plastic like dry-erase markers. So we laminated our chore charts so we're not making a new chart and wasting all of that paper every week. I made labels for their Epi-Pen bags and velcro-ed them onto the bag. Yes, velcro plus laminating makes me super happy. We did a similar method when we started tracking screen time- I cut out little pictures of a TV, laminated and stuck velcro on the backs. Then I had a chart with every day on it with the opposite velcro side. So the kids would go move the TV from the side onto the right column for the day once they'd watched their daily allotment.

 

Now that mine are older and we do school most of our time, my laminating is mostly on school stuff. But when my kids were young like yours, I used it a lot more. I miss mine, it's a little dusty right now....

[Chris in VA]

We used our sticker machine to make timeline stickers, stickers out of photos for cards and to decorate notebooks, and for dd to send her cousin in NC some hand-drawn stickers.

[Catwoman]

You guys are making me feel guilty about making my laminator and sticker/magnet maker thingies in the closet. :tongue_smilie:

[lcelmer]

Laminator = Organizing things and labeling for me.

 

I make labels, laminate them, and stick them on with poster putty. It sticks to most things forever, and removes cleanly 98% of the time. :-)

 

I labeled my school drawers, all my spices, magazine file boxes full of school papers, and chore charts. I tagged where things go on the inside of the kitchen cabinets, Mixing bowls, rice cooker etc. ( Yes, I know where they are, but the kids seems to put them away wrong most of the time)

 

I also make bookmarks that are laminated, and use workboxes to organize our school day about 50% of the time. Setting up workboxes was a lot of laminating. :-) I've laminated tags for my cloth diaper stash that included instructions on how to use the covers, prefolds & AIO styles. I made magnets to use with SWR, and they were all laminated. (over 100 magnets)

 

I plan to laminate a few of my recipes that are printed on thinner paper. I use a little clip to hold recipes on the wall while I cook, and I am tired of them getting splattered & ruined.

Edited May 10, 2012 by lcelmer

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Oh yeah, I forgot I used my sticker maker to make magnets for our school calendar. :blush:

[LittleIzumi]

I am laminating a HUGE pile of things for Peggy Kaye's math games. Number cards, ten-frames, graph paper for using markers on, drawn-on-paper boards and pieces, number lines, etc. I also laminate our Sunday-ish games.

[AdventureMoms]

On our recent trip we drove 12 hours each way. I laminated 6 maps of our route (so a map for every 2 hours) and put some little pictures on it at strategic points (a picture of a crown a kingstown, a tree at a national forest, that sort of thing). I gave it to my DD and she had a blast keeping track of where we were. It was amusing to be hollering back to the backseat "we're in between the basket of fruit and the motorcycle", etc. She liked to be kept informed of where we were and it gave her some sense of where we were and how long it would be.

 

For trips we take regularly (like the 5.5hour drive to my parent's house) I'm thinking of taking snapshots along the way next time and laminating them so DD (and eventually the twins) can watch for landmarks themselves.

[Bear23]

Reading this thread makes me want to go out and buy a laminator machine. Mine are all older now but I am sure I could find crafts and household stuff to use it for.

[Mimm]

I used my laminator for flashcards. My kids' Latin flashcards end up on the floor, stuck in the couch cushions, scattered across the table. But they're in great shape because they are all laminated.

 

I most recently laminated a bunch of multiplication drill sheets, got a bunch of wipe off markers and made a chart (which I laminated) and have them do two drills a day. They weren't multiplying in their heads as fast as I wanted. They mark on the chart and get a reward at the end of the week. This way I don't have to constantly print out and throw away papers. They won't get done that way.

[Lab1]

Washable Crayola markers wipe right off with a diaper wipe on laminated things. My 3 yr old has a binder with reusable activities he can do during school time. I've made cards for games, filefolder games with magnets and fun kid activities. I made photo books on a ring for the diaper bag. My little ones love their Jesus books! I have one with Old Testament stories too. The toddlers love the pictures and the big kids read the stories. They have held up to abuse! My 3 yr old loves his personalized ABC book!

 

I need to reprint and laminate recipes!

 

I make homeschool task sheets for my girls to check the boxes.

 

I've made my girls their own little books with info and scriptures they are working on memorizing.

 

I have the $20 Purple Cow laminator sold at Costco. Its more then paid for itself!

[Lab1]

I used my laminator for flashcards. My kids' Latin flashcards end up on the floor, stuck in the couch cushions, scattered across the table. But they're in great shape because they are all laminated.

 

I most recently laminated a bunch of multiplication drill sheets, got a bunch of wipe off markers and made a chart (which I laminated) and have them do two drills a day. They weren't multiplying in their heads as fast as I wanted. They mark on the chart and get a reward at the end of the week. This way I don't have to constantly print out and throw away papers. They won't get done that way.

 

Great idea!

 

A friend laminated maps and song sheets for her dds Brownie group. I can see lots of outdoor and scout use as well. Anything you want to reuse, childproof or moisture proof is easy to laminate.

[mlbuchina]

I use my sticker machine to make coordinating stickers for our All About Spelling goal sheet. I found the cutest pirate clip art online, and printed them to make into stickers for Level 4. I did the same thing for level 3 with spy related things. The girls love them.

[BinahYeteirah]

I made morning schedules for my kids with little laminated pictures representing each task that are attached by velcro and can be flipped over when the task has been completed.

 

I laminated all the pages of a book I printed out, had it spiral-bound, and plan to reuse the book each year for a seasonal activity. Since it's laminated, I expect it will actually survive year-to-year.

 

I'm making labels for my bottles of homemade cleaners. The labels will have the name of the cleaner and a recipe to make it, so other members of the family can do refills.

 

I haven't done this yet, but certain toys that my kids have really ought to have the instructions laminated. For example, they have a set of building toys with a sheet of plans to make certain pictured models. They refer to the papers frequently when using this toy, so they usually get torn and ruined.

[Starr]

Ds 16 is Laminator Man. Stargate fans, he made dd and her friends Stargate, SG 18, badges for graduations. They had all turned 18 recently and wore them on their graduation robes. :D He's also making schedules and charts. It's the checking them that's still a problem.

[ThreeBlessings]

I bought my laminator for laminating paper puppets for my youngest dd to use with her feltboard. Print, cut, laminate, add a velcro dot on back, easy, peasy, ready to go. The only other things I've used it for so far were laminating some cards and an addition mat.

[kolamum]

1. Laminator -- various things from crafts to school stuff. I make posters & laminate them to hang on the wall or slip under our clear table vinyl. I also use it to laminate flash cards or pictures and even a few lapbook tidbits or homemade games.

 

2. Sticker Maker -- I have an older one so I struggle to find the sticker paper for it, but we use this for timeline pieces, lapbook components, notebooking projects. I don't think I've EVER used it for scrapbooking, but man oh man I've used it for school stuff. So wish I had it loaded with paper right now. ;) I especially love the laminate sheets I can put in it so I can laminate small things!

 

3. Centipede Cutter -- it's awesome for cutting down notebooking & lapbooking stuff. Homemade games, etc. I use this thing ALL the time.

 

4. ProClick -- we bind anything & everything from ebooks to planners. Blank paper for homemade notebooks, copywork, etc. I doubt we use this for anything out of the normal though. :)

 

One thing I do wish I had is a nifty little silhouette, I can't imagine how AWESOME that would be for notebooking & lapbooking. You know, think printed & cut all at one time. Oh that'd rock my world!

[Ecclecticmum]

Ummmmm......maybe its easier to list the things I don't do with them? :tongue_smilie:

 

Laminator - This actually sat for about 8 months after I purchased it (DH grumbling about it the whole time), DH doesn't understand I buy stuff I know I'll need when the money is there for it, but it doesn't mean I'm going to go right out and work overtime and break it within a week (*hint hint to DH and his toys :lol: * ) Now I use it all the time. I use it for dramatic play signs, makes them more withstand-able (lol) for the kids. Why only a few minutes ago I just laminated the entire AAR Ziggy File Folder Games Book. It has to last 4 years through 3 kids.......doing what they mention on the sit (gluing the paper to a folder) wouldn't last through one child. So instead I hot laminated (i *only* hot laminate) all the pages, cut everything, and sticky-taped the parts to the folders....this way the pieces hold up, and when the folder starts getting shabby, I can easily remove it, and put it on a new folder (I probably could of used velcro, contact paper and magnetic tape.....but I'm all out of most supplies till next weekend) I laminated the kids chore chart picture cards as well....I pretty much laminate everything thats not nailed down

 

Label Maker - Um.....again....everything lol. I use the clear labels to label my wooden bookshelves (easy to see when your near...the subject of the shelf...but it doesn't look "tacky") I label my binders, AAR Review Boxes....I've even been known to use it in place of a sticker (write out "well done!" and some sort of picture, print and stick it to the childs forehead) recently, I also got annoyed as DH's "cord management" where the router, modems, TV etc is...it was a nightmare. So I armed myself with twist ties (from freezer bags) sticky tape, scissors and the label maker. I curled/bowed/lassoed extra cord, and either twist tied (or when I ran out of that...sticky tape :p) excess, then labeled both ends of cords (printed out name on label maker, *didn't* take off sticky back, placed beside cord, and put a piece of sticky tape along back of label, round cord, and across front of label...voila,,,homemade nice looking cord labels)