Tag: creative use of duct tape

Make a Thrifty Fashion Statement With A Duct Tape Dress

Could a duct tape dress really be considered a “trend”? I like to think of duct tape style as innovative and inexpensive fashion.  A good way to be creative on a budget. For sure no one at the party will be wearing the same thing.

Duct tapes are being used for dresses, wallets, caps, purses, ties, etc. When it comes to creativity, there is no boundary. The biggest advantage of duct tape is that it is affordable and easy to find. Obviously, you can “waste” as much material as you want. Make a dress, try a pattern– and if you don’t like the outcome, scrap it. Best of all– duct tape is available in a variety of colors and shades. That gives you all the choice you want. Here is how to make a duct tape dress:
Materials Needed:

Six rolls of duct tape

Scissors, Measuring tape

Steps to Make a Duct Tape Dress:

First of all, decide the color of your dress and get the duct tapes.

Sketch the dress design. It can be body fitting or can have frills and flares.Take your measurements accurately. You can take help from a friend while doing so.Make a sheet of duct tape to be used as a fabric to cut the dress. For this, place a long strip of duct tape, sticky side up. Place another same length strip overlapping the previous one by about one inch. Do this until the sheet is large enough to cut a pattern piece.

For covering the sticky side, you can either use another similar sheet of duct tape by placing both the sticky sides together, or you can use a fabric. The fabric is preferable and should be thin. While sticking it to the duct tape sheet, make sure that there are no creases on the fabric.

Now cut the sheet according to your pattern keeping at least 2 inch margin on all sides. You may have to fold the sheet to cut the skirt or the bodice. Here, it is important to keep in mind the direction of the duct tape before you cut the pattern piece. It is preferable to keep the running same for the skirt and the bodice.  For sticking the pieces together, remove the inner lining about 2/3rd inch at the joint and stick the two pieces. Cover it up with a strip of tape from above and fold the tape at the sides.

To make the hem, remove an inch of backing fabric and fold in the edges. For the top edges of the bodice, fold strips of tape around it to cover the raw edges.  To finish it, you can either stick a zipper or a stick-on Velcro.

A few things should be kept in mind while making a duct tape dress. Since the tape does not allow air to pass through, keeping a margin is very important. It is better to use a thin cotton fabric lining since it absorbs the sweat and is more comfortable.

Now get ready to strut your stuff in that trendy duct tape dress!

How to Make a Duct Tape Mini Skirt

How to Make a Duct Tape Mini Skirt

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

So you’ve always thought duct tape was cool, and been jealous of those totally unique people with their original fashion sense? Then a duct tape mini skirt might satisfy you on both counts! But even if none of the above applies, it’s still a fun project!

Make a Duct Tape Mini Skirt

Steps

  1. Take a few measurements. Measure your hips and the length you want the skirt to go down from your hips. Now add two inches to both measurements. (Measurements are made bigger because it is easier to cut off than to add on when using duct tape.)
  2. Divide your hip measurement in half, and then cut a strip of duct tape a little longer than that measurement. Lay it flat on the floor (or other large flat surface) stickyside up and cut another one. Lay that one stickyside up so that the long edge overlaps the long edge of the first piece just a little. Add more strips in the same fashion till it is a little bit longer than your skirt length. What you’re essentially doing here is making duct tape fabric that forms the front half of your skirt.
  3. Cut another strip of duct tape the same length. This time, instead of laying it overlapping one of the other strips, lay it stickyside down on top of the top piece of duct tape. It is a good idea to make sure you have a firm hold of the tape so that a part you don’t want to touch your skirt will not accidentally become stuck to it. Put one end of your new piece of tape down and slowly smooth the rest out across the skirt. Don’t worry if your ends don’t meet up on either side. Just continue this until you’ve covered your entire sheet.
  4. Make another one, but this one should be at least several inches wider so it can wrap around the back. The more ample your backside, the wider the fabric should be!
  5. Cut off any extra sticky parts on the sides.
  6. Tape one side of two pieces loosely together and hold it up to your body. Measure where you should cut off the other side and make a mark using a pen or pencil. (Remember, you’ll need room to get in and out!)
  7. Tape both sides together firmly, making sure they won’t come apart. Cut little slits on each side, as it will be hard to maneuver otherwise.

A small side slit

Cut a long gash that allows you to slip out of it easily on one side of the top of the skirt, and add a button to it so it doesn’t fall off while you wear it.

Fold another layer of duct tape around the edges of the skirt so that any rough edges will be smoothed over.

Buttons in pretty colors

Tips

  • Duct tape comes in all types of colors and patterns. Don’t just be limited to a grey skirt! denim colors are best for an original/modern look.
  • This project can be very difficult, so don’t be discouraged if your first attempt is a failure. Duct tape is a hard material to work with. Start with a smaller project, like a bracelet, then graduate to the mini skirt.
  • Tie up loose hair, tidy up your work area, and thoroughly moisturize your hands before beginning; minimize the irritation of the tape’s stickiness by minimizing the availability of things for it to stick to.
  • Remember to take your time!
  • Duct tape can be very irritating to the skin so it is a good idea to wear shorts, tights, leggings or jeans under the skirt. (As tacky as it sounds, a duct tape skirt looks great over light jeans.)

Things You’ll Need

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make a Duct Tape Mini Skirt. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.