 Learn to laminate like a pro and save yourself some cash. Laminate is a super versatile material and knowing how to use it is a great skill to have. There are three basic steps. Measuring and cutting the laminate, attaching or adhering the laminate and then trimming it to fit. Start by measuring for the pieces of laminate you'll need. This countertop project needs four sides and a top. When you're ready to cut, put the laminate face down on a piece of foam insulation. The foam gives you a really nice sturdy flat surface and it doesn't matter if you cut into it. Cut each of the pieces slightly oversized. That excess allows you to trim back the pieces for the best fit. Now I'm ready to attach the laminate starting with the side. Apply contact cement and let it cure according to the manufacturer's instructions. You can work with two pieces at a time, but they always need to be on opposite sides so you can trim back easily. A good test to tell if it's ready, touch a piece of craft paper to its surface. If it lifts away clean, then you're ready to go. Carefully position the laminate. Once the surface is touched, you can't reposition it. Then using a J-roller, really lean in and apply a lot of pressure to get a super tight bond. Then use a trim router to cut away the excess. For this project, repeat the whole process on the other two sides of the countertop. And now we're ready for the top. For large pieces like this, use a short enough roller to apply a double coat of contact cement to the project surface and the laminate. And let it get tacky. Then watch this little trick. Put some half-inch dowels on the MDF about 10 inches apart and lower the laminate onto the dowels. This gives you the opportunity to get it positioned just right. Don't worry about the dowels sticking to the cement. The bond only happens when sticky surface touches sticky surface. Gently remove the center dowel, letting the laminate sag onto the MDF surface. Press it down lightly. Then start removing the remaining dowels, moving from the center out. Use your roller to get that good solid contact. And then, trim the top flush to the sides. The last thing you're going to do is stand up any sharp edges and clean up any excess glue with diolene. New countertop, new skills. And now that you've got the know-how, you can give your counters a fresh vanilla.