Did you ever think you would have use for a laminator at home? Think again. There are hundreds of uses for these machines, which will leave you wondering how you ever got by without one. From gifts to practical home applications, laminating items makes them more durable, waterproof and attractive. Laminate can intensify colors and add a more elegant look to any project.

1. Important business cards earn a longer life in your wallet.

2. Surprise grandparents with a laminated wallet-sized photo of their grandchildren.

3. Create a ‘white board’ using a plain white sheet of paper or cardstock. Before laminating, decorate the border with cut-out pictures, drawings, or doodles.

4. Make placemats with children’s artwork or favorite pictures from a calendar.

5. If the cost of framing a photograph is prohibitive, laminate it.

6. Important phone numbers, emergency instructions, and lists are cleanable additions to the refrigerator door.

7. Favorite recipes become easy to clean and sturdy for storage.

8. Make gifts for the kids and avid readers in the family by using paper and crafts or pictures to make bookmarks and then laminate. If desired, punch a hole in one end and thread through a decorative ribbon or thread.

9. Make durable flashcards to teach children or adults.

10. A worn card essential to a board game can be given new life through rolling.

11. Laminate behavior charts for children that they can apply stickers to or draw with a whiteboard marker.

12. Decorate the bathroom with moisture-protected signs.

13. Place dried flowers in a pocket to laminate to preserve color and add strength. Cut around the flowers to mount on a greeting card, or trim the laminate to bookmark size.

14. Create puzzles for the children. Laminate a photo, calendar image, or other suitable image, and then cut it into pieces. Adapt the number of pieces and the complexity of the shape to the child’s age.

15. Protect important documents such as warranties and product certificates.

16. Preserve old or favorite knitting, crochet, or cross-stitch patterns to use over and over again.

17. Make colorful window hangers and mini ‘stained glass’ windows. Place pieces of cellophane in various colors inside a laminating pocket. Trim to desired shape and size, punch a hole and hang with fishing line. They also make cute coasters for drinks.

18. Individually laminate the letters on a Merry Christmas or Happy Birthday banner to make them last longer. Use the type that is strung on a cord or tinsel, and remove the letters from the connecting thread. They are easy to hang and give you more flexibility on where and how to hang them. Removing the tape afterwards will not damage them.

19. Need inspiration in your home office or another area of ​​the house? Print your favorite motivational quotes on a printer or write them by hand. Laminate and apply to any area needed.

20. Birth and death announcements or other newspaper and magazine clippings desired as souvenirs.

21. Trading cards: sports, anime, etc.

22. Laminate a photo and written description, including appraisal details, of all valuables in the home. This is an excellent method of registering items for insurance purposes.

23. Pet feeding instructions.

24. Make refrigerator magnets or dishwasher clean/dirty signs. Place your desired text and decorate before laminating, then stick a small magnet on the back. Magnetic strips are available for purchase at craft stores, or recycle those from old shopping list and advertising notebooks.

25. Make a calendar by laminating a photo or other image so it will last all year. Create a page for each month on a computer and staple them at the bottom. As each month passes, tear off the page to reveal the next month.

26. Create all kinds of educational material for children. A simple idea is a clock. Draw a clock face and laminate it, then use thumbtacks to attach the movable arms.

27. Organize collections of items like books, movies, or music. Laminating these lists creates a robust, portable catalog to take to stores or share with friends.

28. Make sturdy, waterproof labels to put on kids’ school bags, lunch boxes, or other belongings. Add any details you like and decorate with stickers or punch holes. Make a hole and thread it through a string, rubber band, or shoelace to tie it to the item.

29. Make labels to stick to kitchen cabinets, pantry shelves, or freezer baskets.

30. Print the names of the vegetable seeds that will be planted in your garden and laminate. Attach it to a stick, chopstick, or small stake and use it to mark planted rows.

Laminators bring an added dimension of functionality and creativity to many areas of the home. Quick and easy to operate; Who can miss the neat and clean presentation that laminate gives to so many items in the home?