The DIY was mostly in the choosing of a designery paper and then the transporting myself to a copy shop. Lamination (the key feature in an alternative desk blotter–or, more accurately, a desk protector–that will last for awhile) was outsourced to OfficeMax‘s copy center, called ImPress, on Geary x Arguello (San Francisco).
- Select a graphic, pretty sheet of giftwrap. Sheets are usually sized around 20″ x 24″-27″ at Paper Source. Cost per sheet $2.25 and up.
- Go to a multiple-service copy place like OfficeMax, Kinko’s, etc. Ask the shop to laminate the sheet of giftwrap you have selected. Cost of a lamination job at OfficeMax was $2.00 per foot. ($6.00 to laminate my 20″ x 27″ sheet selection.)
- Total Effort: minimal
- Total Cost: $8.25 + tax
- Total Glee and Well-being Elicited from my cute-loving, bill-paying, desk-sitting mom (as anticipated): loads
This will make a very nice, simple, yet designery additional gift for my lucky-goldfish-loving mom for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 13. Also a really easy and simple way to up the designed or crafty elements of the home office. Consider smaller-sized sheets for wipe-em-clean placemats at the kitchen table too!
Dimestore clear laminate is in long rolls with grid-ruler print on it, paperweights keep it in place while applying. Your gift-paper idea is great for kid’s desks next-grade surprise. We’ve also used butcher wrap or freezer-paper (shiny side up) decorated with fave stickers, photo-reprints, hobby icons, and past year’s presents gift-wrap scraps and icon confetti to keep it fun.