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    Fun Laminator Projects for Kids

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    Graphics showing laminating projects for kids

    Are you looking to turn a lazy afternoon into a smorgasbord of creativity and giggles with your kiddos? Then you’re in for a treat! Your laminator is the perfect tool for family fun and priceless memories! We have lots of DIY laminator projects to share that your kids will absolutely adore. From vibrant bookmarks to personalized gifts, there’s a world of fun just a bit further down this page.

    In this article, we’ll cover some creative projects like:

    • Homemade bookmarks
    • Reusable coloring pages
    • Colorful stickers
    • Games
    • Backpack and luggage tags

    By the end of this article, you’ll be armed with a bunch of things to laminate for fun at home and in the classroom.

    Homemade Bookmarks

    Bookmarks aren’t only there to mark pages. They can make for a fun-filled afternoon with a laminator! Gather some colorful paper, stickers, glitter, and your kid’s favorite drawings or photos. With these simple materials, your kids can create laminator crafts that are functional and burst with personality. They can even double as cute little party favors or class gifts!

    Family Calendars

    Keeping track of family events doesn’t have to be boring. Print your own blank calendar pages, grab some favorite photos and colorful markers, and go to town! You can design each month with themed photos, such as beach snaps for July or spooky costumes for October. Once it’s decorated just like you want, run it through the laminator for a durable, glossy finish and hang it on the wall. This fun project helps keep everyone organized and gives the whole family a monthly reminder of cherished memories. You and your kids can even use dry-erase markers on the laminated surface to add or change events.

    Reusable Coloring Book Pages

    Ever wanted to bring your kids’ favorite coloring pages to life again and again? Matte laminating pouches make dreams come true! Simply download some fun coloring pages from the web (or design your own educational gems like this vibrant flower math page), print them out, insert them into the pouch, and slide them into the laminator. Now you’ve got pages ready for endless use with dry-erase markers! And here’s a nifty tip: Bind these pages with loose-leaf rings to create a reusable coloring book. Your kids can color and express their creativity to their heart’s content.

    Colorful Stickers

    You can also create colorful DIY stickers using sticky-back pouches. No more sticky fingers and messy glue smudges ruining photos. All your kids have to do is design, laminate, cut them out, and stick them to whatever surface they want (with your permission, of course). Colorful stickers are perfect for jazzing up scrapbooks and personalizing lunch boxes, notebooks, and more! 

    Flowers & Leaves from the Park

    What better way to commemorate those fun outdoor adventures than preserving them? Next time you’re out on a park adventure, let your little explorers bring home some of their favorite flowers and leaves. Plants have to be dried out so they don’t get moldy, so you can either flatten them and let them dry between the pages of a thick book for one week or use this cool eight-minute ironing method. Then, place your dried beauties between two sheets or in a pouch and laminate them for a stunning keepsake. Turn this into a ritual for family vacations, choosing a plant from wherever you are visiting and gluing a magnet to the back to make a memorable keepsake.

    Make Cards, Prints, Notepads, & More with Laminating Foil

    All projects deserve a little shimmer and shine, and laminating foil delivers in spades. It transforms ordinary prints into dazzling masterpieces that catch everyone’s eye. It’s pretty simple to do. Print your chosen design using toner-based ink, then lay a sheet of colorful foil over the areas you want to sparkle. Pop it into a pouch carrier, then run it through your pouch laminator. The foil sticks to the ink and creates a gleaming effect. With foil laminating, you can create anything from cards for family members to frame prints for kids’ bedrooms and more.

    Note that you can only use laminating foil with certain laminators. They’ve got to have heat settings that go up to at least 300°F, adjustable speed, heat rollers, and the ability to laminate pouches up to 10 mil thick.

    Games

    Long journeys can be a drag for energetic children, but the hours will fly by with a little laminated magic. Grab some colorful markers, cardstock, and a laminator to create boredom-busting games that keep the “Are we there yet?” questions at bay. Maybe you’d like a “Dots & Boxes” game where players take turns connecting dots to form squares. Or what about a classic game of hangman, complete with quirky gallows and a spot for those used letters? If you’ve got some tween girls, a MASH template may be just what they need to pass the time. The possibilities are endless with a little creativity and a laminator. And here’s a pro tip: Use washable markers to make the games reusable for endless fun on the go!

    Homemade Gifts

    With a laminator, kids can craft heartfelt presents that make friends and family beam with joy. Think personalized photo frames with doodles and laminated stickers or a set of custom-designed, laminated coasters for grandma’s tea time. If you have future chefs in the house, they can laminate their own recipe cards, complete with hand-drawn pictures. For budding artists, you can turn their masterpieces into placemats or durable framed photos. Add a touch of foiling, and you’ve got beautiful gifts that will delight for years to come.

    Backpack and Luggage Tags

    With some cardstock, scissors, markers, stickers, and a dash of creativity, kids can design their own backpack and luggage tags that represent them perfectly. From superhero emblems to magical unicorns and fairies, the possibilities are endless! Once they’ve designed their tag, laminate it and punch a hole to attach a colorful ribbon. You can even add a secret pocket at the back to slip in a little mini-photo or note.

    Laminate Kids’ Artwork

    A child holding up his artwork to be laminated.

    Every piece of a child’s artwork is a precious momento of their boundless imagination. So isn’t it heartbreaking when they get an accidental tear or spill? The laminator steps in to save the day. Simply place those beautiful masterpieces in the laminator and get tear-proof, spill-resistant keepsakes within moments! For an added twist, you can even cut them into pieces to transform them into jigsaw puzzles. Laminators do more than preserve art — they create memories that last a lifetime.

    Safe Laminating Tips

    While diving into all the DIY laminating projects and laminator hacks is a blast, there are a few safety tips to follow for the safest experience. With these best practices, you’re all set for a fun, worry-free laminating adventure.

    Choose the Right Laminator for Kids

    Did you know that there are two main types of laminators? You can choose between heated and cold/pressure-sensitive laminators. Cold laminators are great for younger kiddos since they don’t use heat. You don’t have to worry about the machine or the cold pouches burning their little fingers. 

    However, using a heated laminator warrants helicopter parenting. In other words, you should provide adult supervision when a child uses a heated laminator or simply allow them to watch as you operate it.  Whichever you choose, guide your child through the process to make it a bonding moment you both enjoy.

    Craft in a Spacious Area

    Next, set up your laminating station in a spacious area away from spills or trip hazards. That gives your creative projects plenty of room to breathe and prevents mishaps. Plus, having ample space means you can lay out all your materials and let your imagination reign.

    Make Sure to Cool Down

    Finally, you’ve got to let a heated laminator cool down after using it. You don’t want to burn those cute little fingers! The same goes for the thermal pouch — always let it rest and cool completely before you let your kid touch it. 

    Make the waiting period fun! While the laminator takes its little nap, you and your child can talk about what you’ll do with the project or have a quick, tasty snack. The laminator will be cool and ready for more crafting action before you know it!

    Have Fun Laminating!

    Laminating is more than just preserving paper — it’s a journey of creativity, learning, and exploration. It brings joy to see precious works transform into something durable and reusable. And when a child sees their name, artwork, or ideas laminated in the classroom or home, it empowers them, making them feel valued and important.

    Are you ready to tap into the endless possibilities of fun a laminator can bring? Take a look at MyBinding’s high-quality laminating supplies to get everything you need to start your adventure.

    Browse Laminating Supplies

    Have questions? Give us a call at 1-800-944-4573.

    Foiling Troubleshooting Tips

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    Foil fusing is a fantastic technique to transform regular printed pages into magnificent metallic prints without the need for specialized foiling equipment. Just your dry toner print, a foil roll in the color of your choice, a pouch laminator, and a shielding material called a pouch carrier are required. Here in our resource center, you can find various foil resources, such as guidelines, how-tos, FAQs, and more. You may purchase foil by clicking here. 

    But let’s get to the main purpose of this piece, which is to troubleshoot your foil lamination. Foiling is enjoyable and simple, however there are occasionally problems that arise. You should be able to solve most, if not all, of the foiling issues you might encounter with the help of this troubleshooting guide. 

    Foil Not Transferring: 

    To solve the issue if the foil isn’t transferring, there are a number of possible solutions you can try, all of which are fairly straightforward. 

    • Is the toner in your ink dry? Keep in mind that dry toner is the only thing that will make foil stick, so if you aren’t using the suitable ink, the foil won’t transfer. To determine whether it uses dry toner, check your printer and the cartridge. If not, you might be able to order your prints there, pick them up, and foil them when you get home or to the workplace. Most print and copy businesses offer these machines. 
    • Is the stock of your paper smooth? Remember that textured paper stocks will not transfer foil; the paper must be smooth for the foil to adhere correctly. The foil doesn’t become solid in the creases because of the texture. 
    • Do you have uncoated paper? On coated paper stocks (often written as C1S or C2S on your box of paper), foil will not transfer well because the coating stops the ink from getting the foil to connect correctly. 
    • Is the laminator hot enough? Your laminator should be heated to a minimum of 300° F. However, hotter is preferable. Various foils, such as holographic and translucent foils, as well as some paper stocks, such as larger sheets, will require more heat to transfer well. If the foil laminator is already operating at maximum heat, consider reducing the speed. If your heating or cooling system isn’t adjustable, try simply running it once more. You might need to use fresh foil because it can only be heated a few times before the foil becomes useless. You shouldn’t peel the foil and then run it again because it might not stick after being peeled up. The impression of your design in the foil is usually visible when a transfer has been done successfully just by looking at the sheet. 

    Foil Transferring onto Pages Without Ink: 

    • Are you using a hot foil laminator? Your laminator can be too hot if you have brushed your paper and the speckles have not been erased (or too slow). To test if the speckles disappear, try reducing the temperature or speeding up the process while running a fresh sheet. 
    • Tool Tip: Since some speckling on the page is natural, it is a good idea to keep a paint or cleaning brush on available to lightly dust the page after foiling. This will assist in removing such flecks. 
    • Tracking Dots: Every sheet of color-printed paper has tiny, invisible-to-the-human-eye yellow tracking dots printed on them. These readable dots can be used to determine the printer’s location, date, and purchaser. This is done so that if someone threatens someone in a printed letter, they can trace the message back to that person. You will be able to see the tracking dots if you print something in color using a loop. Although not all, the majority of printers now have tracking dots. Additionally, Google “tacky dots” and “printers.” When printing in deep black, these dots have no effect on the foil fusing procedure. Therefore, if you purchase a printer that prints tracking dots and you need to print rich black, you must omit the yellow else the sheet will end up covered with tiny foiled specks after going through the foil fuser. 

    Foiling Tips, Tricks, and Hacks: 

    Techniques for foiling with thermal toner that will produce the greatest results every time. 

    • Foil on your Pouch Carrier: Always lay a thin scrap of paper on top of your design before foiling to stop any foil from transferring to your pouch carrier folder page. If your foil “bleeds” over the edge of your print, you should always place a scrap of paper behind it. The intention is to keep the carrier and foil from making touch. It is a good idea to have additional foil carriers on available for mistakes like this because foil can transfer onto your carrier otherwise. They are fortunately quite affordable. 
    • Choosing the Best Ink: Solid black ink works well for grabbing solid foils. It can give the most saturated foil finish since it is the most saturated “color.” Additionally, since you won’t be able to see the ink underneath, using a different color wouldn’t matter. Only if you are using a transparent underlay foil, like our holographic foil, would you want to use colored ink instead (which comes in either a silver or transparent underlay). This would allow the ink color beneath the foil pattern to be seen, enhancing it. Your laminator will require more heat when using foils other than black and when utilizing more specialized foils, like translucent or holographic. Also, keep in mind that for this heat transfer foiling to function, your printer must use dry toner ink. 

    Ready to Get Started? 

    Check out the vast selection of thermal reactive toner foil we provide, which includes hundreds of choices like iridescent patterns, holographic patterns, sparkly foil, metallic and matte colors, and more. Additionally, we provide formal foil fusing machines for bigger volumes, a number of high-quality pouch laminators that have been tested and approved for foiling, as well as foil roll cutters to reduce the width of your rolls. 

    Lamination and Laminators Troubleshooting Guide

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    Laminating is a combination of art and science. Here are some pointers to help you use your roll laminator to produce the highest quality laminations. MyBinding provides a wide selection of hot and cold laminators.  

    Making Heat Settings Modifications: 

    When first starting off, it is important to stick to the laminator’s recommended heat settings. Nevertheless, depending on the film you’re using and the materials you’re laminating, those settings could need to be changed. Here are the fundamental principles and theories guiding the proper heat settings. 

    • When the laminate comes out of the laminator, it will be transparent but wavy if there is too much heat present. This is because there wasn’t enough time for the film to cool in between two pairs of rollers. The laminator’s temperature needs to be lowered as a fix. To give the laminator a chance to cool, you must wait before running more material. 
    • Your document will become silvery or cloudy if you don’t have enough heat if the heat is applied unevenly. If this occurs, you will have to raise the heat’s temperature in order to “wet out” the glue. After a lengthy laminating session, you might also need to give your laminator adequate time to regain heat because the rollers’ temperature will decline as heat is transferred to your documents. The kind of printing techniques being used could be another factor contributing to silvering. For instance, the ink and toner used in inkjet and color copier output contain additives that call for specifically made films. 

    Secondly, ensure that you have the correct thermal laminating film for your hot laminator.  

    Making Speed Modifications: 

    Your laminating machine may be a single-speed or a variable-speed machine, depending on what it is. Only laminators with adjustable speed settings should be used, according to these remarks. The quantity of heat that is delivered onto the film can be directly influenced by changing the laminator’s speed setting. 

    • When the laminate comes out of the laminator clear yet waved, this indicates that the film has absorbed too much heat. The film will spend less time on the heaters when the laminator’s speed is increased, minimizing the amount of heat it absorbs. 
    • By slowing down, you extend the time the film spends on the heaters, which increases the amount of heat the film absorbs if your document has silvering or cloudiness. 

    This example demonstrates how temperature and speed work together harmoniously. Finally, to select the ideal setting for the kind of paper you are laminating, you must strike a balance between heat and speed. 

    Making Tension Adjustments: 

    How tightly the laminate is stretched when it exits the laminator depends on the tension setting. You want your movie to have as little stress as possible.  

    The goal is to impart just the right amount of tension to the film just before it hits the nip rollers, the first set of rollers, to smooth out any creases. If the wrinkle disappears before it reaches the nip where the two rolls of film come together, a small amount of wrinkling at the top of the roller or heat shoe is OK. 

    • Remove all the tension from the film mandrels before adding your film.  
    • After inserting the film into the device, gradually tighten the top and bottom rollers. If you don’t do this evenly, the film will cup or bow as it comes off the rollers. 
    • The top or bottom rolls of film are stretched more than the opposite roll, which is what causes this. You might need to change your tension settings because when the film on the roll is utilized, the roll of the film will weigh less.  

    Just keep in mind that if you are running the same kind of film on both sides, the tension on both rollers should be always set at the same level. 

    Issues with De-Lamination: 

    De-lamination has grown to be a source of issues as the print industry transitions to digitally produced output. The biggest problem is with color copies or output from digital printing that contains a lot of fuser oil. If you are experiencing this issue, you might find that when your finished documents are face trimmed, the laminate will simply peel off. Consider utilizing a high-tack laminating film like Color-Bond if you are using this kind of digital output. To assure attachment to this coated output, this kind of film utilizes specialized adhesive chemistry. 

    In conclusion, the lamination process involves components of chemistry and physics. However, when you, as an operator, comprehend the science underlying lamination and can modify your equipment accordingly to produce the ideal output each time, then lamination becomes an art. 

    Laminating Sheets vs. Pouches – What’s the Difference? 

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    There is a distinction between both a laminating pouch and a laminating sheet even though the phrases are frequently used interchangeably in the laminating industry. They both contain polyester and adhesive, however, lamination pouches often have a far higher ratio of polyester to adhesive than lamination film. Lamination pouches feel significantly stiffer as a result of this than laminated with roll film. This is the key basis for why roll laminating is less expensive than laminating pouches. 

    Laminating Pouches: 

    A “laminating pouch” is a laminate film piece with a pre-sealed edge making a pouch or sleeve. A laminating pouch, available as a cold pouch or thermal pouch, is used for two-sided laminating. The cold laminations can be produced without a machine or using a laminator that has a cold option. A heated pouch laminator is always required to seal thermal pouches. 

    Laminating pouches are ideal for providing all-around protection for a variety of documents, including ID cards, multipurpose papers, and images. Both the front and back sides of your page will be safeguarded because they totally enclose it. They also increase the document’s rigidity and stability by two, which increases its durability and resistance to bends and tears. 

    TIP: Your laminator is too hot if your pouch comes out wavy. It is too low if it turns out milky. Accordingly, alter the speed or heat settings. You could use or skip a laminating pouch carrier to either shield your pouch from excessive heat or enable more heat to reach it if there are no heat or speed adjustments. 

    Laminating Sheets: 

    The typical laminating sheet size is made for papers up to Letter or A4 size. This means the sheet is somewhat bigger (9 x 11.5 inches) so that your document has an edge on either side. If there is too much extra plastic at the borders or if you are laminating anything smaller, you can trim the sides of the laminating sheet following centering and sealing your paper. 

    A single piece of laminate film that isn’t sealed or joined to another sheet is referred to as a “laminating sheet” in simple terms. To laminate one side only, use a laminating sheet. Most of the time, they are self-stick, thus laminating your paper does not require heat or a machine. Rather, they merely apply pressure. You would peel off the paper lining covering the glue and stick it to your page. 

    For certificates, flyers, signage, schedules, and more, laminating sheets are ideal. Typically, there aren’t many sizes available, but they can always be shrunk. They provide a little bit more stability for your pages than plain sheets, but not the full protection from spills and bending that a completely contained laminating pouch would provide. 

    Advice: Only peel off the corner of your line, then fold it back so that the adhesive is visible. Use the grid if the liner has one to align your page correctly with the bag before pressing it down to the exposed corner. While placing your page into the laminate sheet and smoothing it from the corner toward the edges, slowly peel off the liner. Either by hand or with a little roller are options. 

    Shop Laminating Pouches
    Shop Roll Laminating

    Give us a call at  1-800-944-4573  if you have any questions, and we’ll be happy to help you choose the best sort of lamination for your needs. 

    Top Laminators for Foiling 

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    Laminating Foils and Foil Machine

    The best laminators for foiling will share a few features, including adjustable heat settings that can achieve a minimum of 300° F, customizable speed, heat rollers in place of heat plates, and the ability to handle thick lamination pouches of at least 10mil. 

    In order to give you some interesting ideas for the kinds of foil prints you may generate with a pouch laminating machine and our toner reactive foils, let’s take a moment to drool over some of the amazing foilings I have done using the SpeedyLam (the first laminator I list below). 

    SpeedyLam 330R Pouch Laminator 

    Even when printing text with thinner lines, the SpeedyLam 330R pouch laminating machine creates flawlessly foiled documents. You can adapt it to precisely meet your foiling needs with customizable heat and speed settings. This is crucial since the amount of heat and the time it is heated can differ slightly based on the type of foil you are using and even the paper stock you printed on (transparent foils, for instance, frequently require a little more heat and a longer heating time to adhere successfully). It’s no coincidence that “speedy” is in the name. It provides the highest-quality output while working at the fastest desktop pouch laminating device in its class, up to 12 feet every minute. The finest foil laminating is produced, along with beautifully laminated photos and prints of every kind. It is unquestionably a magnificent work of foiling and lamination paradise. 

    To learn more about the SpeedyLam or to purchase it online, click here. 

    Sprinter-Lam 335R6 Pouch Laminator 

    The Sprinter-Lam 335R6 is less expensive than the SpeedyLam and is produced by the same company, Spiral. They produce these high-end laminating devices that are superior to every other brand I have used. Even the SprinterLam is an excellent laminator for foiling (and laminating!), even though it retails for less than half the price of the Speedy. Additionally, this machine is extremely quick, moving up to 3-1/2 feet per minute, and it has all the programmable parameters required to produce the strongest foil. Another bonus feature of the SprinterLam 335 pouch laminator is the ability to store 2 programs into memory; so, once you tweak the heat and speed settings for a specific kind of paper stock and foil that you use most often, you can save that setting for quick-recall the next time you need to foil. To find out more about the Sprinter-Lam or to order one online, click here.  

    ProLam Ultra Pouch Laminator 

    The ProLam Ultra is produced by Akiles, a separate company. They are renowned for their pouch laminating machines, such as this one, and other paper-finishing equipment. It costs a little less than the SprinterLam but still has the customizable heat and speeds you need for laminating foil. It is an excellent option for foil laminating since it has a high-quality and full 6-roller system for even, continuous heat from the beginning of your sheet to the end of your sheet. This system was specifically created to perform well with traditionally difficult-to-laminate photo paper. To find out more information about the ProLam Ultra or to purchase it online, click here. 

    All-in-all

    The four laminators I’ve talked about are affordable for offices and enterprises of all sizes, but what about home foiling by individuals and crafters? Will laminators that don’t fit these requirements work? Sure! There’s a good chance that alternative laminators will function as well; some of our customers use inexpensive craft store laminators with a single heat setting, running their foil over 2-3 times until the right amount of heat is applied; other customers even just use a regular household iron. If you get inventive with a heating element, you can foil laminate without laminators as long as you do it safely at all times. However, buying one of these devices, which have been tried and approved as some of the best laminators for foiling, will be your best choice for the highest quality, most robust, and secure foil. 

    Before you head out, check out this blog post on how to foil laminate. When foil laminating, there are a ton of options and factors to consider in order to achieve the greatest results. It covers topics including how to foil laminate, how to print for foil laminating, what paper to use, how to make your laminator work better, and how to apply foil to specific project portions. You can also peek at this article about how you can foil laminate with multiple foil colors. It has step-by-step instructions on how you can add multiple colors to your documents, cards, or certificates. It only takes a few minutes to complete and you don’t need expensive dies. If you’re ready to get started, head here to discover the laminating foil best for your projects.