a laminator question ...

[treacletart]

I've got a box of paper "things" cut out of magazines and cheapo picture books, animals, foodstuffs, transport etc. Originally I'd intended to put them all in a scrapbook, but my DS (19m) seems to have so much fun with them loose. I'd like to make them less fragile. I've never used a laminator before, but is it possible to laminate irregular shapes? Or does anyone have any (easy) ideas as to how I can make them more durable?

dh says you can't laminate irregular shapes. What about good old-fashioned sticky-backed-plastic?

so long as it fits into the pouch you can laminate any shape (apart for 3d)

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do you have to stick with the size of the pouch? I asked dh [passing the buck emoticon] and he said you couldn't trim it down to an irregular shape (which is what I had assumed you'd want to do)

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if you've got a star shape that's smaller than the a4 pouch then just put in pouch, laminaste aznd then cut around leaving about 1mm border

resolving not to share dh's pearls of 'wisdom' in future.

I guess what I'd need to do is put as many shapes as possible in the pouch and then trim them once laminated, is that possible? Sticky backed plastic could be an option - guess I'm worried it won't have the same "rigidity" iyswim...

Cool! thanks girls!

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sorry, just discussing this with DH ... Could I do lots of things in the one pouch?

Cheers Yorkiegirl (posts crossed)

As long as you leave a gap around each item - so plastic touches plastic in order to seal.

Leave a biggish trimmed border though otherwise they will split apart. Laminated some photos for DS the other day and they're all fallen apart now

OOOOoooh we're really excited now! (maybe we should get out more) would 5mm be a big enough gap?

yep just trim them, theyll be fine so long as the border is decent. (we used to send them through the lam once more for good luck after trimming them too) never hurt the laminator.

you should always ask laminator questions on special needs We're the experts We have whole threads dedicated to laminators..... If you're giveing them to baby to play with be careful when you cut around the piccies- or you'll end up with sharp edges (also make sure that there is a border of just plastic round the picture-or the whole thing will fall apart).

aah nightowl's mentioned the border....

Can I join in as a laminator virgin? Sign of how boring my life has become:

1. (I digress, but..) spent Valentine's day evening holding a 3 years old's head over the sink, smelling somewhat of vomit splashback. Whither the candlelit meals of yesteryear??

2. Bought DH a laminator for his birthday last Sunday and both of us got really excited about it. Courtesy of his grandmother who has one, DS (the vomiting one) has the insert from a Thomas the Tank engine toy laminated (the bit that shows all the other engines available). It is called "train page" and I would say is definitely one of his favourite things (and, of course, it wipes clean!). I've read these tips and I'm sure I'll be back with some more questions...

i loved my laminator at work. i laminated everything in sight. even my notes stuck on the wall.

I do cut down the pouches before laminating if I haven't got much to go through. Sometimes the scraps aren't quite even so a sticky bit goes through but doesn't seem to do any harm. Also do lots of bits and pieces in one pouch, pritt sticked down of course. Posted about bargain laminator in SN yesterday.

My bargain robert dyas laminator arrived today!! I've done a sheet of his paper "things" very succesfully and made badges with my friend's sons this afternoon, tomorrow I plan to make a set of blue paw-prints so we can play our own game of "Brooz cooz" Hurray!!!