How to Laminate Paper With an Iron

Once upon a time, laminating a card or a document had to be done professionally. Today, laminating products are readily available for use in your own home. But they can be a little pricey. Here's a cheap way to quickly and easily laminate paper items or even your child's leaf project using simple household items.

Things You'll Need

• Wax paper
• Two pillowcases
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Set up your iron and ironing board, and preheat the iron to its lowest setting.

2. Spread a pillowcase on the ironing board and smooth out any wrinkles.

3. Tear two sheets from the roll of wax paper. They should be about three or four inches larger than the paper that you want to laminate. Spread one sheet of wax paper on the pillowcase, making sure that it lies flat.

4. Center the paper item on the sheet of wax paper, and cover it with the second sheet of wax paper. Cover those with the other pillowcase.

5. Press the top cloth smoothly with the warm iron for a few minutes, moving it slowly back and forth. As the wax paper heats, the two sheets will adhere to each other and enclose your paper item completely and permanently.

6. Remove the top cloth and let the laminated item cool for a few minutes. Use scissors to trim off the excess wax paper edging, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the item.

Tips & Warnings

• Thin kitchen towels or handkerchiefs can be substituted for the pillowcases.

References

• Laminate an Image to Wood With an Iron