The Joy Of Learning

How you can laminate inexpensively?

When I first started the pre-school, the photocopy place I frequent charged me RM1.50 per copy for laminating A4 sized paper. Later, I found a work from home service that charged me RM1.20, I was quite happy. But then I still have to be very selective about what I sent for laminating, I just couldn’t afford to laminate everything. So, to save cost in the long run, I decided to invest in a laminator. I bought one of those low end laminators from Tesco for RM100 odd. It was a nightmare trying to use that machine, not just heartache to see all the DIY materials went to waste, I also wasted so much of the laminating sheets trying to figure out the temperament of the machine. The cheapo machine must be so poorly made that the temperature is always fluatuating and overheating.

Somebody on the Montessori groups shared that she used the iron to heat the laminating sheets. I thought I will try, it turned out fine. Then I asked the maid to iron some materials, she tried to do it fast and had the temperature at the highest, it caused “bubbles” and not to say she ruined the materials. After playing around with the temperature, on the National dry iron that I am using, starts with No 2 and occasionally turn it to No 3 worked fine.

I bought the A4 sized laminating pouches RM23 per 100 sheets (2-ply), so I am able to laminate an A4 sized sheet for less than RM0.25. I have been laminating everything made of paper in my classroom since then. :-)

Filed under Material making |