The first thing I do, is actually laminate fewer items....which saves resources, time and planet earth!
For what I do choose to laminate, though, I want exactly zero glare.
I'm just not much of a DIYer.
I see ideas on Pinterest and pin the bejeezers out of them.
My mom and stepdad are inCREDible DIYers.
I'm a WANNAbe DIYer.
Ya know those Pinterest fails?
That's me.
EXCEPT with this!
It was QUICK!
It was EASY!
And I didn't even get the idea from Pinterest! I saw this in the store and thought, waaaaait, is there a clear version? Saw it, bought it, tried it, LOVE IT!
Other people in the world have probably thought of this idea and done it, as well...but I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty proud of myself, hehehehe. Affiliate links included in this post.
(Gorgeous alphabet is from the impeccable Jen Jones at Hello Literacy)
All I did was lay out the laminated pieces on a whopper piece of cardboard from my school's receiving room. I set up just outside to avoid too much odor. It took about two minutes to spray the first coat onto the already laminated cards. Then I waited a few minutes (five mn max) and spent another two minutes to spray the second coat. Then I waited a few more minutes and carried it back to my classroom.
The directions say that it dries to the touch in five minutes and it will be fully dry in 24 hours. It dried to the touch really quickly.
I started hanging it up...and loved the results so much that I had to share!
Product Deets...
I used Rustoleum Matte Finish spray and it did have a bit of an odor, most noticed (but still not terrible) when I sprayed it inside my classroom...So for future projects I tracked down a Low Odor version from Krylon. The low odor is a couple dollars more than the regular version. If you buy a different brand, make sure you look for it to say "flat" or "matte" finish. You DEFINITELY do NOT want GLOSS!
By the way...as you read this, I'm guessing you've sorta maybe thought that technically this is not really a DIY project. Thank you for not telling me that all I really did was spray laminate with a special finish to banish the glare. Which doesn't really constitute a DIY. You guys are the best!