When a good idea goes bad. . .

Do you ever have a really, really good idea, until you try to implement it? Then you realize what a terrible idea it was? That happens to me all the time.  Today, I’m just kicking myself.

 

I love bulletin board border. I’m slightly obsessed with it. I was at a teacher store yesterday and my friend was laughing because I kept saying “I’ve got that one and that one and that one.”  Yes, I’m a border hoarder.  I have bought LOTS of border and I’ve inherited lots of border when my friends have retired. 

I try to take really good care of my border, because it’s a little pricey to just use and throw away. I carefully roll it up when I’m done and put it all in a big bin.  I actually found a clever way to store it on Pinterest and I’m going to try that soon. I have a HUGE plastic tub filled with roll after roll after roll of border. I’ve got frogs, planets, globes, books, gumballs, Care Bears, Egyptian pyramids, Australian aboriginal art, you name it, I’ve probably got it. 

Over the years I’ve had most of my borders laminated. It  makes them stronger and they tear a whole lot LESS when they’ve been laminated. I have border that I bought the first year I taught that I can still use, and it’s 20 years old.  I get it laminated, roll it up in a gigantic roll and watch TV while I cut it.  Then, I spend 20 minutes picking up little pieces of clear plastic, but that’s another story.

Most border is curvy, like this:

(and yes, I do own both of those borders!)  My sister and I had a big discussion one time because she just cuts her straight across the top when she gets them laminated and that drives me crazy nutso! But it is easy to cut.  Sometimes I have to pick up half moon shaped lamination scraps. 

 

Some border is straight like this:

 

That’s a Mary Englebreit (who I LOVE!) border and yes, I do own that one as well. It’s really, really easy to cut out after you laminate it. You just run your scissors along the edge and the extra lamination just falls off.

But then, there’s the OTHER border.  It has shapes, which makes a lovely, interesting bulletin board. 

BUT, it’s a  pain to cut out after it’s laminated.  No easy curves or flat bottom to just slide the scissors along. . .  (Yes, I own that border as well.  I told you I was obsessed!)

 

So here’s my good idea gone bad.   I bought this border last year before school started.  It’s printed on both sides, it’s interesting looking and it has great colors.

Do you see where this is going???

I bought it last August. I’ve never used it yet. Can you guess why? I wish I could be like my sister and just cut it straight across the top.  But I just CAN’T.  I just spend 35 minutes cutting – and I have three pieces cut out.  Of course, now I stopped to write a blog post, so I’m even further behind.  You can only imagine all the little, tiny pieces of lamination scraps that are left behind. . . What a horrible idea!