Thanks for the suggestions! It sounds like printing the cards on regular paper and then laminating them will probably be the best way to go... although I'm a little worried that the ink might bleed through to the other side. In any case, I'll play around with it and see what works best—I'll post my findings, too, if anyone is interested.

Thanks again!

[Mod Podge:]

[First, a big hello to everyone! I lurked & occasionally posted about 2 years ago, but pesky life/work got in the way and I stopped visiting Craftster for a long time. But I'm back now and ready to craft. ]

I want to make a deck of fully customized playing cards. I plan to design all 52 cards (front & back) in Adobe Illustrator and print them out on cardstock, then cut them to size with a paper cutter and round off the corners with my corner punch. So I have that much figured out but I'm not sure what would be the best way to "seal" the cards.

I'll be printing the cards with an inkjet printer, and although I don't expect them to get a lot of use, if any (they're a gift), I do want to make them usable if desired. That means protecting them in some manner. So far I've come up with:

• Mod Podge: Maybe I can brush this over the front & backs of each card. However, I'm not thrilled with the fact that the brushstrokes will probably be visible & that the ink may smear. Plus, there's the drying time...
  
• Laminate: I could get those clear sticky laminate sheets or take the cards to Kinko's. But, I'm afraid laminating the cards will make them too thick.
  
• Protective artist's spray: But I don't think this would be protective enough, and it might dry slightly tacky...
  

So, Craftsters, do any of you have any brilliant suggestions as to what I could use to coat my playing cards? I would love something as close to "real" playing cards as possible. Please help me out! Thanks so much. I'll post pictures of the final result if they turn out nicely.

Check out "Counting Sheep" by Collin Raye (for a fun, from-a-kid's-POV song) or "A Mother and Father's Prayer" by Collin Raye & Melissa Manchester (a beautiful song from parents' perspective). You should also check out Collin's entire Counting Sheep CD for more goodies. It's a children's CD, but I know many parents who love it. It features some more "grown-up" songs, i.e. a cover of the Beatles' "Blackbird."

jasfitz, that is SO amazingly beautiful. I especially love the screened "click-clack"s behind the pocket and the idea to make the pocket as a scooped piece on the front of the tote! Awesome!! And the way all the pieces fit together but are each unique and not *exactly* alike is genius. If I had the money, I would commission you to make me something in a heartbeat. I completely agree that this should be a featured project.

Awesome ideas. Thank you, all!!

I love the elephant!!!

Me too! The entire bag is amazing, but the elephant is my favorite. If I were a laptop, I would want to live in that bag.

That is AWESOME! I love it.

My computer case is cute (Mac mini), but I have an ugly beige monitor. I wonder if it would be possible to spray paint the monitor without damaging any essential parts? Hm... off to research!

That shirt is ADORABLE. I love the color, the pixelated kids, everything. My favorite kid is the one with the striped beanie.

I just bookmarked this thread also.

I've seen tutorials for tape dress forms on other websites, but this is the clearest, most well-phrased one I've come across yet. Thanks so much, xrockgeekx!

[non]

I am planning to put on a craft program for a group of non-experienced crafters. My first project will be marble magnets. 

I would love some ideas for similarly simple crafts that still have that "cool" factor! These people are 18/19 years old.

Thanks so much in advance for any and all ideas!