It’s official. A laminator is definitely going on my wish
list for Santa this year, assuming I can even wait that long to own one myself.
I already told you about the super cute DIY sticker book I made for Q’s Big Brother Kit, but I also managed to squeeze in one more mini-project
while I still had my friend’s laminator in my possession.
Toy bin tags.
It may seem like no big deal, but you have no idea how happy
this makes me. Okay, you’re rolling your eyes, but listen. Toy bins tags – and laminators
– have awesome power. Check this out.
I wanted to make tags for Quinn’s toy bins so he would learn
where each type of toy went and it would be easier for him to find the toy he’s
looking for. My plan worked perfectly and greatly reduced the number of “I can’t find my toy!” meltdowns. Now, Q
always puts his small trucks in the “small trucks” bin, his Thomas and Friends
trains in the “Thomas and Friends Trains” bin, etc. Not only does he pick up
his toys, but he puts them where they belong and toys rarely get lost. Even Hubs puts the toys back in the
right place. (Yes, really.) So every night, Q goes to bed in a clutter-free bedroom.
Moms, I present to you the simple yet amazing power of toy
bin tags.
Using primary-colored cardstock, I originally cut the tags
into the shapes of the toys that go in each bin. (I.e., a truck-shaped tag for trucks, a train-shaped tag for trains, a tag shaped like a painter's palette for art supplies, a teddy bear tag for stuffed animals, etc.) Then I labeled the tags with a Sharpie pen, punched holes in them with metal eyelets, and tied them to
the bins with twine. Easy peasy.
However, the cardstock quickly started to curl,
crumple and rip. But since Quinn had already learned where each toy went by then
and the tags had served their purpose, I was tempted to just remove them all
together. But then… I discovered the laminator and decided to combine their
awesome power.
This time, I did the same thing, except after I cut the toy-shaped tags
out of cardstock and labeled them, I arranged them all between two laminating pages and sent
them through magic machine. Then I cut each one out, punched holes with metal eyelets
and tied them to the bins with twine again. Now the tags hold their shape and
look much nicer.
 |
| Before the laminator After the laminator |
“This blue bin has a red train on it,” Q says. “My Thomas
trains go in here!”
As moms, we may not get to claim success very often, so as
small as this victory is, I’m still adding it to the “YAY ME!” column.
What simple, yet brilliant, ideas have you implemented to make your
life easier?
