Must Have Supplies for Homeschoolers

I have listed some of my favorite supplies to assemble my printables to save you time from having to research everything on your own. I have had good experience with these products helping keep my printables in good condition for multiple uses by little hands.

Printable Assembly Supplies

Laminator

Scotch Thermal Laminator

I have laminated quite a few sheets. Whether it be for our own printables or for customers, and this one has worked perfectly. Its easy to set up, warms up quickly, and I have never had it jam while using it.

Thermal Laminator Pouches 3mil

This is the thickness I normally use and have had great luck with it.

Thermal Laminator Pouches 5mil

Even sturdier than the 3mil pages if you want the extra strength. (The Scotch Thermal Laminator listed above easily switches from 3 to 5mil)

*Not ready for a laminator? These self adhesive sheets will get the job done for you- but I would still recommend the laminator long term.

Everything Else

Cardstock

This is what I print my sheets on before laminating. While you can print on standard 20lb paper I have found the 90lbs is a perfect for adding a more durable end product. The sheets are not flimsy making activities with hook and loop dots more durable from the peeling action of the velcro.

Hook And Loop Self Adhesive Dots (Velcro Dots)

come in smaller or bigger sizes but this is the size I use for my activities. I have tried using strips in the past and cutting them down to the size I need…let me save you some time and frustration. The strips get all sticky and messy and it adds an extra step into an already busy day. Save yourself time and headache and get these dots!

Brads

Useful in activities that spin (clock, compass, and math spinner for example). They usually come in boxes of 100 or more, so you will have some leftover for fun crafts too!

 

 

Dry Erase Markers

I love the ultra fine tip on these dry erase markers – it makes tracing so much easier for little kids when they have the fine tip to work with. The marker usually comes off pretty easily as well. Sometimes if it is left on too long then a magic eraser or damp cloth take it right off. I have also used the UBrand markers and enjoy those as well- especially since they have a built in eraser on the marker cap!

Magic Erasers

Ooops…did you let the dry erase markers sit too long on your laminated pages and now it is being a little stubborn? These will help take marker off of laminated sheets in a jiffy! A damp cloth works good as well, I just love these things since they are super useful in our house where I leave art supplies in easy reach of a 3 year old.

3 Ring Binder

I take my pictures with Sugar Paper essentials 1″ binder from Target cause I like the cute design, but for the kiddos I use this 3″ heavy duty binder.

3 Hole Punch

I think we all know what these do…but if you want to kick it up to a whole other level see my recommendation below.

Tianse Coil Binding Machine

So….this one is not a need to have but I am super excited about it. With this little bad boy I can print my resources and bind them all together so they stay organized and are easy to flip through. Now my printed resources will not take up so much space on my bookshelf (used 3 ring binders before) and they will be less bulky and therefor easier for my children to handle and use on the go! I like this model in particular because of how it binds the booklets – you can open the pages a full 360 degrees with spiral or wire binding vs when you use the plastic combs and can just open the booklet 180 degrees or so. It has been very easy to set up and use and I have had great results with my planners, journals and more!

Printer

And of course….a printer! You could always get your pages printed by a company, library, or local printing business. If you are going to be printing on the regular though it is extremely helpful to have your own printer. I used to use a Brother printer for all of my printing. It was old but got the job done – problem was the cartridges cost me A LOT of money. I switched over to an Epson Eco Tank printer and it has been amazing! I print A LOT so the ink it has saved me has paid for itself in just a few months.

In Conclusion

You don’t necessarily need everything on this list, but they are things I have found very useful. It is well worth the investment especially if you are in the early years of homeschooling. Now go check out my shop for fun hand illustrated printables! If you leave a review and would like to leave a picture of your product in action I would love to see how you are enjoying it! Hope you have a great day full of learning and fun!

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