Blogs

Binding machines - not just for boring old work

Binding Machines can come in pretty handy when you want to produce a special project. For instance, the use of binding machines and scrapbooks go hand in hand. If you have ever wondered, what you could do with all those precious scrap-booking pages that will make them not, only more impressive in appearance but longer lasting, you should consider binding your scrapbooks with binding machines.

Binding machines work well for any assortment of printed documents or photos. For instance, you can use them not, only for your scrap-booking needs but also for your printed digital scrapbook pages, your family photo album or even your own printed and bound handmade journals. You can create all sorts of interesting gifts for those on your gift-giving list while using binding machines.

Binding machines are great for any type of personal binding project you may have in mind. They are also great for any type of documents you want to highlight or showcase for professional reasons or business reasons as well. When you have and use binding machines your only limit in creativity is your imagination. Try your hand at creating all sorts of bound documents whether for fun and relaxation or business requirements.

Binding for your presentations. A great way to keep everything in one place

You normally happen across life changing things when you least expect it and such a thing happened to me the other day when I was at a conference. Actually, full disclosure : it wasn’t life changing at all, but it did make me think about how to present things in a really quite exciting way.

The cover of the folder was made from recycled card and deliberately looked quite ‘rustic’ and the insides were a mixture of more recycled paper, oversized cardboard and a surprise – laminated presentations.

The effect was stunning.

The content could have been extremely dull, but instead of simply providing lots of stats and dry information on boring old paper, they actually spent time in the presentation. The graphs were in 3d, easy to do, but the paper used was outstanding and it made them jump from the page.

Laminated pages weren’t just there because they could be, they were useful pages that you would actually like to take out of the folder and put somewhere to be seen. Information on simple ways to save energy were presented in a way that made you actually want to do it.

These ideas had been stolen, wholesale, from the US. These were simple scrapbook techniques and they worked superbly, the difference was, a big company was doing this. They were being a bit brave and letting the creative side of the business take over for a bit.

Don’t you wish more companies would do that?

Using that dull office equipment creativily

Christmas isn’t that far away now and I guess some of you will be panicking and wondering what you can get for that last minute gift for auntie Mabel and Uncle Jack. Well, although it might be tempting to pop down to the shops and buy them the latest miniaturised helicopter imported directly from Japan, how about putting some of the feeling back into Christmas and doing something that is not only unique, but is sure to warm the heart. Over the past few years there has been a return to the ‘mend and make do’ attitude as many struggle with the burden of lower salaries (sometimes no salary at all) and spiralling costs. So why bother buying expensive gifts that nobody really wants anyway? For decades, Christmas became the time when you bought the most expensive yet completely useless stuff ever – but now people are realising that we can actually do something that has far more value than monetary. In America they’ve had this stuff sorted for years. Over there they are all into making personalised gifts, usually featuring photos and postcards and they’ve got the hobby industry wrapped up, but again, you don’t need specialist equipment for this. For example, you could make a ‘life history book' for your uncle as he reaches retirement. Now, this might sound difficult, but bear with me! First of all, you need to write down some of the things he’s done during the last few decades you’ve known him. This should be easy, Uncles are always doing crazy things. Write these down in a bit of a timeline but remember, it doesn’t have to be too accurate. Ask your other relatives for help here. Then, get yourself some decent quality printer paper , preferably coloured (adds to the effect) and write down some of the events –leaving space for a photo on each page. Then all you have to do is add other items such as postcards, shells off the beach – you get the idea, until you have a set of 10-20 pages, all outlining certain events in his life. All you need to do then is stick them all together in a book and this is the easy part. A really simple way of doing this is with a binding machine. You could use the one in the office (I’m sure nobody would mind!), or if you work from home anyway, simply invest in a quality one that will serve you for years. So there you go – office equipment doesn’t need to be dull!