PAGE 6 • GO! MAGAZINE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021 • THE BULLETIN
cover story
Duct tape crafts: options are endless
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MAKENZIE WHITTLE • The Bulletin
T
urns out you can pretty much make anything out of duct tape. From duct tape hammocks, Christmas ornaments, flip-flops and even prom dresses (for
which students can win scholarships), if you want to make something, duct tape has you covered. With more colors and patterns on the market than the
classic silver utility style, the creative possibilities are endless.
Starting out making crafts with the ul-
tra-sticky tape can get frustrating, so take
your time and don’t get too worked up if
something rips or falls apart — you can al-
ways tape it.
It’s recommended that you use a cutting
mat, rotary cutter or X-Acto knife and ruler
with projects, as the tape doesn’t adhere as
firmly to those mats used for sewing and the
rotary cutter allows for more precise cutting.
For more craft ideas, duct tape maker
Duck Brand has a full page dedicated to
craft projects on its website duckbrand.com.
DUCT TAPE WALLET
Possibly the project that launched a thou-
sand others, the duct-taped wallet is sur-
prisingly effective and durable. Plus you can
customize it to your heart’s content with
taped designs and flourishes.
Materials
Duct tape
Scissors or cutter
Ruler or straight edge
Directions
• Make a duct tape piece of fabric (a rect-
angle made of duct tape on both sides) 8-
by-7 inches and fold in half lengthwise to
make it 8-by-3.5 inches.
• Tape both sides together creating a
pocket, fold any extra duct tape inside the
pocket to reinforce the seam.
• Make four to six 2-by-3.5 pieces of fabric
of one color, then make two more of a dif-
ferent color. These will be your card pockets.
• Cut a triangle-shaped notch out of the
long side of both of the pieces of a different
color and tape them to two of the other fab-
ric pieces along the bottom and side. This
should create two small pockets.
• Arrange all 2-by-3.5 pieces on the wal-
let, to check for spacing. Then tape three to-
gether on the backside. This will create the
cardholders.
• Tape the two cardholder sets to the in-
side of the wallet. Use narrow pieces of duct
tape to maintain a more uniform look.
• Add embellishments, designs or varied
A duct tape wallet has four card pockets along with a long cash pocket at the top.
A duct tape tote bag holds two
beach towels easily.
colored edging to complete.
Tip for making a fabric piece: For larger
pieces, use a piece of a plastic bag that mea-
sures slightly smaller than the piece you’re
trying to make. Cover one side in tape with
the tape overlapping the plastic, then flip it
and cover the other side. This helps prevent
unwanted sticking and makes it easier to
handle. Smaller pieces can be taped directly
together carefully.
DUCT TAPE TOTE BAG
You probably won’t be able to use this for
your larger groceries (unless you seriously
reinforce the straps and bottom) but this
makes a fun beach or lunch bag.
Materials
Plastic trash bag
Duct tape
Scissors or cutter
Ruler or straight edge
Directions
• Cut the trash bag open so it is one piece,
then measure out the dimensions of the bag
you want to make, doubling the height and
adding about an inch on all sides. Cut the
bag to size and lay it flat.
• Tape strips of duct tape to the bag in
whatever pattern you’d like, extending the
tape a couple of inches over the sides of the
trash bag. Note: the middle of the taped
trash bag will be the bottom of your tote.
• Once the entire trash bag has been cov-
ered in tape, cut the edges down to size us-
ing a straight edge or ruler and scissors or
cutter, then fold it in half with the trash bag
side in the middle.
• Tape the sides of the bag together and
fold over about ½ inch of tape to the inside
of the bag.
You can leave the shape of the bag like this
or you can create a flat bottom so the tote
can sit upright. To do that, look at the side of
the bag where the bottom comes to a point.
• Poke the corner of the bag inward about
an inch and repeat on the opposite side.
• Tape the bottom of the bag with one
strip of tape to keep the points inside the
bag, then tape the inside of the bag, covering
the points inside and reinforcing the bot-
tom.
• Reinforce the side seams with a strip of
tape. This also prevents any sticky side of
Starting out making crafts
with the ultra-sticky tape
can get frustrating, so take
your time and don’t get too
worked up if something
rips or falls apart, you can
always tape it.
tape from the outside from being exposed.
• At the top of the bag, create an edge with
a piece of tape and fold it over to the inside
along the rim of the bag. You may need to
use several pieces of tape as trying to keep
one long piece of tape even without it fold-
ing in on itself is tricky.
• Using the same color of tape, create the
straps. To do this, lay out one piece of tape
about 20-24 inches long and fold it along the
center, creating a skinnier strip. Repeat for
the other strap.
• On one side of the bag, tape the strap
down to the inside at the top and repeat on
the other side.
• Add extra embellishments or reinforce-
ments if desired.
e e
Reporter: 541-383-0304, mwhittle@bendbulletin.com