When we think of laminators, we usually think of those giant machines in the teacher’s lounge at our elementary school that were used to preserve alphabet charts, kitten posters, and other paper decorations.  Well, either that or fake IDs.  Home laminators like our deal of the day, the GBC Creative 9 Laminator Kit, can be used for so much more, though!  That’s why I’ve taken the time to compile this list of five handy and useful laminating projects:

1.     Concert ticket collection:  If you’re like me, you probably have a bunch of old concert ticket stubs stashed in the top drawer of your dresser, just sitting there for no apparent reason.  That Bush tour in ’96 sure brings back a lot of memories.  By laminating my tickets, my kids will have the pleasure of seeing the proof that their old man caught the Spin Doctors in their prime!
2.    Create your own dry erase board:  Perfect for making little notes to yourself or your family!  Just laminate some pretty paper, attach a magnet to the back, and voila—instant dry erase board for the fridge.  There’s one in my kitchen right now—at the moment, it reads “Urologist appointment Thursday.”  Handy!
3.    Rain-proof newspaper:  Tired of your newspaper getting impossibly soggy while you walk in the rain?  The solution is simple:  Laminate it!  Thanks to its new clear plastic coating, you can stroll for hours in a torrential downpour without fear of your paper disintegrating. 
4.    Vice Presidential Photo Collection:  There are few things more precious to me than my collection of photos of Vice President Joe Biden.  Thanks to my trusty laminator, I’m content in the knowledge that these powerful pieces of history will be preserved for future generations, thousands of years after I’m gone. 
5.    Compact discs:  My old CD collection isn’t aging quite as well as I was told it would.  Even optical media can’t last forever when the stupid discs scratch so easily!  Solution:  Laminating all my CDs!  Hey, plastic is clear… lasers can beam right through it, right?  Don’t forget to poke a hole in the center.

As you can see, there are nearly limitless fun projects that you can complete using your new laminator!  Heck, I’m thinking of new ones all the time.  What are some of your favorite laminator projects?