Duct Tape Tricks That Will Make Your 2020’s Easier on You and Your Wallet

Fluffy’s To-Go Cup

There are plenty of tumbler and on-the-go cups to keep you hydrated, not to mention all of the thousands of water bottles on the market. But aside from grabbing your dog’s bowl and lugging it around in the car with you, there aren’t many options for giving them a drink on the road – but you can always make your own!

Sure, you can just buy another, smaller bowl from the store to keep in your car, but this is a great temporary solution if you need something in a pinch. Wrap their regular bowl with tape, sticky side facing you, and then again with the sticky side facing in. Close up any holes and boom, you’ve got a doggy water dish!

…And Your Own Boat

So, this one isn’t something that should be taken very lightly, although it could make a fun project! Also, if you do decide to try it – make sure that everyone who’s with you is in a life vest, just in case. But theoretically, this could work, as long as you’ve got the other necessary components and a ton of tape.

If you ever find yourself in a “build your own boat quickly” competition, hopefully, you’ll remember this image and take home first place! Just be careful out on the water in a boat that’s entirely held together with duct tape.

Fix Your Shoelaces

Shoelaces tend to start going before the actual shoe. They fray, and eventually, the little plastic piece that seals the lace falls off. If you’re in a spot where it’s not possible to get a new pair of shoelaces at the moment, duct tape has your back!

Grab your roll and snip off a small piece, maybe about an inch and a half or so. Press it down and wrap it around the lace, sealing it as best as you possibly can. This will at least help you out until you can get to the store, though it’s not exactly stylish.

Keep Your Heels on the Ground

High heels are the ultimate fashion statement, and they make a lovely addition to any feminine outfit. Unfortunately, they can also be a nightmare to walk around in. Sure, they can hurt your feet, but that’s not even the worst of it. The bottoms of a pair of pumps don’t typically have the best grip, which means that it’s super easy to slip and fall on your butt when you’re sporting a pair.

Next time the mood strikes to pull out the five-inch heels, try out this hack to save yourself from doing unwanted splits on the pavement. Just slap a couple of pieces in the center of the bottom area on the front of the heel. Of course, if you’re planning on anyone seeing the bottoms of those shoes somehow, you may want to think of using black tape on black shoes, etc., so it doesn’t stand out quite so much.

Measure That Mark

When you’re trying to build or repair something and you need to drill holes, you want to make sure they’re a perfect size. Why? Because otherwise, you may accidentally drill straight through something and ruin the piece of material entirely.

Next time you’ve got a construction project going on in your household, remember this trick! Just hold the drill up next to the piece of the size hole you’re trying to make. Then, use a piece of tape to mark it off so you know exactly when to stop drilling. This little bit of tape can save you a whole lot of time, energy, and money.

Outdoor Pillow Covers

This is another thing that may take a bit of skill to actually create something that looks like a work of art, but if you think you can do it – go for it! Or, if you just need to cover your outdoor pillows because, well, for some reason, you really need an outdoor pillow stat, this is for you!

Maybe you’re getting ready to throw a barbeque in your backyard and you want your friends to sit in style on your patio? Or, maybe you just love this idea and are ready to create one of your own!

Mark Your Luggage

Traveling can be a nightmare, period. Dealing with all of the rushing, and the traffic, and the people, and the luggage, blah – it’s just not very fun. Plus, 2/10 times something goes wrong with your luggage, which just makes it that much crazier.

Keep an eye on your bags and make sure no one accidentally walks off with yours, thinking that it’s their own, by marking it with a duct tape luggage tag. Tip: use a bright color to make it stand out even more. Then again, I guess silver duct tape hanging off of a suitcase would stick out, too.

Outdoor Seating

In the same sense of making a duct tape hammock and/or duct tape stretcher, we present duct tape lawn chairs! While they would be waterproof and be able to hold enough weight for semi-comfortable seating, they also shouldn’t go anywhere near the sun.

Make sure that you store these in a cool, dark place. They would work best on a back patio that’s covered by an awning or shaded by trees.

Get a Grip

If you tend to work with your hands a lot, you’ve probably already got some serious calluses from all of the manual labor. If you don’t, though, and you’ve got a situation that calls for a lot of it, you may want to try this trick to protect your hands from being rubbed raw by the metal tools.

Just wrap a couple of layers of your tape around the handgrip of your tools (pliers, hammers, etc.) Not only will this help keep your hands from blistering, but it will also help you to be more precise with the work, as you don’t have to worry about any slippage – at least, not as much as you would have to without this handy little hack.

Keep Track of a Charging Phone

Sometimes, you’ve got limited space to work with around a charging port. If you don’t have access to a table or something nearby, you can try this hack to easily keep an eye on your phone and keep it close to the wall.

This person decided to make there’s look visually appealing, but a good old silver-tape will get the job done just fine. You can always simply use another piece to stick it back on the wall each time you need to use it.

Keep Your Family Safe

Did you know that they sell glow-in-the-dark duct tape? Well, they do, and it’s great for houses with kids…or anyone who doesn’t want to fall on their face or trip on the stairs in the dark. Simply place strips of the tape on the center of the stairs in a line going from the bottom to the top.

Sure, it may not look wonderful during the day, but what’s more important in your home, aesthetics, or your family’s safety? Place one on every stair so that no one misses a step and falls at nighttime.

Label Your Seeds

If you’ve got a green thumb and like to play around in your garden, you’ll love this next hack. You don’t need to spend money on artsy little labels for your plants when you can simply create your own. Get as creative as you like and use different colors as you see fit.

All you need to make these labels are some popsicle sticks, tape, and (optional) sharpies. Mark the names of each different types of seeds so you can easily keep an eye on their progress.

Plug a Hole in Your Tire

Popping a hole in the tire of your car can be the absolute worst. And sometimes, you may not realize that it’s happened until you're forced to pull over because your car starts feeling more like a boat. But never fear – duct tape is here – and it’s ready to get the job done quickly.

This trick won’t save you from having to buy a new tire eventually, but it will give you a temporary solution so that if you can’t afford to go in for the next few days or weeks, you should be able to make it to and from work, at least. Make sure to keep a roll in the glove compartment for any roadside emergencies.

Seal Your Caulking Containers

It’s inevitable when you’re doing work around the house that you lose a couple of lids to random containers. Unfortunately, when it comes to thinks like glue and caulking, that means they end up drying out and becoming useless. Next time one of your lids goes missing, you don’t just need to toss out the entire container. Instead, try this!

Placing a piece of duct tape directly over the opening and pressing the sides down firmly around it will actually seal the top! This can save you from wasting any money or product, and you can even still hang them up in the shed. Brilliant!

Design Your Own T-Shirt

There are tons of websites like Cafepress, that allows you to upload your own designs and print out t-shirts. Except, that costs money, so if you’re looking for more affordable ways of making a bold statement – try duct tape!

No, we don’t just mean to press a bunch of letters on, although you could do that if you wanted. But with this method, it’s actually possible to create a good-looking shirt that appears as though you bought it from a store. You can get as creative as you want with the stenciling and make it all your own!

Save a Friend

If at any point you’re hiking through the woods with a friend who happens to break their leg or something – you don’t have to panic. This is why you should carry duct tape around with you basically everywhere. Since it can hold so much weight, it can even be used to create a makeshift stretcher.

If you’re really in the woods, you may be able to find some large enough branches to support the person’s weight. If you’re around an area where you can find some actual poles, even better. Just make sure you test it out before you actually put your injured buddy on it.

Make Your Own Sled

See? You’ve probably never thought about creating an entire sled out of duct tape, have you? But think about it, when you were younger and that snow would fall, and everyone else had their sleds, but you forgot that the one from last year broke and you hadn’t gotten a new one, yet? Don’t let the same thing happen to your kiddos and grand kiddos!

If there’s a perfect day for sledding and no sled, you don’t have to worry as long as you’ve got plenty of duct tape. All it takes is a cardboard box or two and loads of the sticky stuff. These things fly down the hill, just so you’re aware.

Hold Your Pants Up

We all have that day when we wear our pants that are a little big around the waist. But that’s okay because we’ve got our belt – nope, never mind. Well, don’t panic. If you’ve got your duct tape, you’ve got access to a makeshift belt.

This guy may have been using this as a fashion statement, or so he thought. But you can actually use this hack if you’re having trouble getting your pants to stay up. Maybe not so much in the office, though.

Dustpan Duct Tape Hack

You know when you sweep the house, and the floors all end up looking amazing until you go to collect the piles of dust? At that point, it seems like all of your hard work was for nothing, as you try, repeatedly to sweep all of the particles into the pan.

Next time you run into this issue, grab your roll of duct tape and lightly tape it to the ground (not on the dust, of course.) Then, try again. Doing this should allow you to smoothly get everything into the pan.

Binder Pen Cover

When it’s back-to-school time, that means dropping a pretty penny on school supplies – especially if you’ve got girls, who need to have all of the latest and coolest designs. Fortunately, duct tape comes in a ton of different patterns, too, and makes it easy to have the best of both worlds – functionality, and fashion.

You can get these funky designer tapes online, from retailers like Amazon and eBay. Or, you can take a trip to your closest craft store and see if they have any that you can’t find on the net. Use it to decorate binders, and create little pockets for storing pens and notecards, etc.

Temporary Clothesline

If you’re on vacation or staying somewhere where you don’t have access to a dryer or a clothesline, you can always make your own! Now, keep in mind that this will look horrendously tacky, so don’t plan on leaving it up for a long period of time. But for in a pinch, this can be a great way to dry clothes, towels, and sheets!

If you’re just hanging lightweight clothes, you can get away with sticking it to the sides like in the picture. If, however, you’re planning on hanging sheets or something heavier, you may want to wrap it around once for good measure.

DIY Sling

If you’re like one of the 45 million people in America who can’t afford health insurance, you may have to get creative when it comes to taking care of yourself. After all, a trip to the emergency room can run you thousands of dollars. If you’re in a life-threatening position, you should absolutely go see the ER docs. But for some things, like minor sprains, you can work some magic with duct tape.

Just check out this guy’s duct tape sling. It doesn’t really take that much tape, but you will also need some gauze to put underneath it. After all, you need something for the layer between your skin/clothes and the tape

Mend Broken Glasses

If you wear glasses, chances are there’s been at least one time where you’ve broken them and been in a situation where you needed then fixed ASAP. It can be expensive to have them repaired, or to buy a new pair altogether. But thanks to Urkel, we’ve wizened up to the duct tape glasses hack.

To keep your glasses together, use a neutral-colored tape and wrap around as many times as necessary to cover the broken part. If you only have access to silver or some other light color, and your glasses are black, you can always use a black sharpie over the tape to make it blend a bit better for the time being, until you can get them fixed.

Keep Chairs from Scuffing Floors

The last thing you want to do to your nice, clean wood floors is scuff them up with chairs and table legs. Unfortunately, some furniture, especially when it’s older, can have rough edges that tend to do it each time the piece is moved. Save your floors by placing some duct tape on the bottom of the legs to prevent scuffing.

Unlike a lot of the things on this list, this one isn’t a visible hack, which makes it so much better. You know, if you like the look of duct tape for some reason, you can always just cover the entire chair. But if you’re a normal person and you want to hide the fact that you’re using duct tape on your furniture – it’s super easy to do with this one.

Differentiate Your Bottle

If everyone has the same water bottle, how are you supposed to know whose is whose? You won’t have that problem if you decorate your tumbler cup with different colors of tape. Create a cool design – something that you’ll be proud to carry around with you to yoga class.

Plus, this is something that the whole family can get in on. The kids probably take a bottle with them nearly every day. So, make sure it’s one they’re going to remember to pack and take home after school!

Cover a Cut

This is, again, something that should only be done if absolutely necessary, and never for any lengthy period of time. First aid kits should have butterfly Band-Aids, but if you don’t have access to a Band-Aid, and you have zero choice, this may work. Note: you will also need an additional layer, like a t-shirt, or toilet paper.

Of course, it will also hurt like hell when you pull it off and may just cause it to open and start bleeding again. If you do this, make sure to put something like tissue over the actual wound before applying the tape. Do not apply it directly to an open wound.

Clean Your Pores

This may or may not work, but that doesn’t mean people don’t continue trying it. If you’ve run out of pore strips, just grab your duct tape and slap a piece directly on to your nose (or forehead, or wherever you’ve got blackheads) and press down for 30 seconds. Then, tear it off quickly, like a Band-Aid.

Now, just make sure you’re not doing this over facial hair because that could make for a very unpleasant couple of minutes. It also has the potential to irritate your skin and cause inflammation and redness, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to do damage control before you’ve got to head out of the house, just in case.

Plug a Hole in a Raft

If you’re having fun on a camping trip and you realize all of a sudden that your raft has a hole in it – don’t panic. If you’ve brought your duct tape like you should have remembered to do by now, you’ll be just fine!

The toughest part of this operation will be discovering the exact location of the hole. Once you’ve looked it over and found it, however, all it takes is a little bit of tape to cover the hole. This solution won’t last forever, but it will certainly get you through the rest of the trip!

Clothes-Folding Guide

Folding a t-shirt can be much harder than you’d think. Unless you’ve worked in retail – oh hell, even if you have worked in retail – it’s a tough thing to learn to do. Fortunately, there are some hacks in place that can make it easier for you.

You’ll need a cardboard box, your trusty tape, and scissors. Cut the box into six rectangles that are the size a folded shirt would be. Then, lay them next to and top of each other in a three by two pattern and use the tape to connect them. If you’re not sure how to use your DIY folding board, there are tons of videos on YouTube that can show you exactly how to do it!

Pencil Toppers

This is another cute little craft you can do with your kids before they head back to school. Or, even in the middle of the school year after spring break, they’d make a big bang when they come back to math class. Dress up some plain old number two pencils with some colored duct tape and a little time.

To create these duct tape pen toppers, you’ll need different colors of tape, pens or pencils to place them on, and scissors. Cut about 20 little squares of tape and set aside so they’re easy to grab (perhaps on the ledge of a desk or table.) Then, fold the squares into triangles and leave a little bit of the sticky part showing so you can piece them together. Wrap the triangle around the top of the pencil and start repeating until you have something that looks like this!

Face Off

If a shirt made out of duct tape is uncomfortable, how do you suppose a mask of tape over your face feels? Probably not very good, that’s for sure. If you’re in a pinch come Halloween, though, you may not have much of a choice when it comes to designing a last-minute costume.

Next time the holiday sneaks up on you and your kids are ready to go trick or treating, try this trick for a fast solution! You can get really creative with it, depending on which colors you have available. Make sure the mask is double-sided, so it doesn’t actually stick to your kid’s face. That wouldn’t be a very pleasant experience for either of you. But mainly them.

Make a Hammock

Yep. You can actually make an entire hammock out of duct tape. One that actually holds some serious weight. You’ll need quite a bit of tape for this craft, along with some rope and wood. Consider using lighter colored duct tape, since darker colors will absorb heat and be much too hot to sit on.

Of course, even the lighter colors of this type of material can get way too hot in direct sunlight, so try to keep your hammock in an area where it’s blocked from the sun’s rays. Under the trees in your backyard is the perfect spot!

Makeshift Chip Clips

I can’t believe that there are people out there who just roll their chips up – or worse, just toss them aside and leave them open. Doing that is a surefire way to make sure they go stale before they’re supposed to. Chip clips are the way to go. Just roll the bag over and clip it to keep them fresh – and keep bugs out.

But we don’t always have access to store-bought chip clips. So, what’s the next best thing? Duct tape, of course! Just put a small piece over the top and press down on both sides, lightly, but also enough that it stays closed.

Close a Leak in a Hose

If you haven’t been able to use the hose without losing some water out of the little hole that’s sprung, just use a little bit of duct tape. Wrap it around, pressing it against the whole be keeping it close enough it doesn’t constrict the hose.

Keep in mind, this won’t last forever, since it’s not really meant for watertight repairs, and it’s still possible that the hole may get bigger. But it’s good enough for a temporary fix that will let you get some use out of that hose today.

Colorful Tote Bag

Whether you’re headed to the store and you don’t want to use single-use plastic, or you’re just bored and feel like creating your own bag, give this trick a try!

You could do this in silver or black, too, but it wouldn’t look nearly as cool! Now, keep in mind that there’s a slim chance yours will actually turn out like this one. Still, if you’ve got artistic talents, you may be able to make it happen. And, if you just need a bag, who cares how it looks, right?

A Hat to Scorch Your Skull

Sure, you could spend your time creating a hat purely out of duct tape as this person did. However, you probably shouldn’t, considering it would be more about (crappy) aesthetics than functionality.

Since duct tape absorbs heat, it wouldn’t work very well to protect your face from the sun, like hats are supposed to do. It may work to keep your head dry when it’s raining, though. Just don’t put it on when there’s even a hint of sun.

Keep Your Shoes Dry

Do the kids love to play outside when it’s raining, and then track everything right back inside, all over your nice, clean floor? This trick can be a fun family craft project and save those floors from the wrath of the muddy shoes.

Use the shoes as a guide while putting these together so that they’ll be the perfect size for each person. Next time it’s raining, simply have them put these on over their shoes and then take them off at the door! Bonus: these are super quick and easy to make, so you can remake them whenever yours are beyond saving!

Make Your Mark

You know when you get into your car in the morning to head to work, and your legs won’t reach the pedals, because your spouse took your car out again and moved your seat? Yeah, it’s annoying, because it means you have to move it back and you never get it quite where you like it.

Grab the duct tape roll from your glove compartment and snip off two small strips of tape. Once you’ve got your seat positioned perfectly, mark it on the seat and on the floor, so you can line it up again once it inevitably gets moved again…which is probably later today.

Bug Trap

This isn’t very nice to do, much like glue traps are being noticed as being inhumane lately, since harmless critters and get stuck and parish horribly in a slow, panicked death. If you’ve got a problem with flies, or gnats, however, and they’ve become invasive, try this trick to remedy your situation.

Just stick long strips of duct tape to the ceiling around rooms where the flies frequent. You can try putting a bit of honey or something on the tape to attract them, as well. Change the tape as they start to collect flies. After all, that’s pretty gnarly looking, and you probably don’t want that hanging around in your kitchen.

Create-a-Cup

Now, in most cases, you will probably have access to either some kind of cup or at least a water bottle. But, if you do ever end up in a position where you need a drink of water, stat, and you have nothing to drink it out of, just whip out your trusty duct tape.

Make sure you make it double-sided, because you don’t want to taste the adhesive. All it takes is a couple of layers and voila, you’ve got yourself a drinking cup.

Add a Cup Holder to Any Chair

There’s nothing worse than sitting around the campfire, drinking a beer with your buddies, and going to put it down in your cup holder when – gasp – there’s no cup holder! Okay, there are a lot, and we mean, a lot, of things that are worse than that. But that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t suck to have to hold on to your beer and make it all warm in your hand.

If you’ve been paying attention, at this point you should have a roll of this stuff on you everywhere you go. To pull off this hack, you’ll use the entire roll. Just wrap it around the sides of itself and then around the arm of the chair! And don’t forget to take it with you when you leave!

Fit Your Clothes

Do you sell clothes on Poshmark or eBay? Or perhaps you’re just interested in designing some of your own outfits in your spare time. In either case, having a form of your body to fit and show your designs will make everything so much easier.

Use something like an old sheet or pillowcases, to cover your shoulders to your thighs. Then, stick the tape all over it. Hint: having a friend or family member help you with this will make things go more smoothly. And whatever you do, make sure you're thinking about how you will get it off of you once it’s ready.

Remove Pet Hair from Furniture

If you’ve lived with cats and dogs throughout your life, you’re aware of just how much of a struggle it can be to sit down on something that isn’t covered entirely in fur. Rather than spending too much money on what’s essentially tape with a handle – why not just go back to the basics and simply use the tape?

All it takes is a roll of duct tape and a bit of effort. Just loop some of it around your hand and start pressing it into the furniture. Repeat until it looks like your butt isn’t going to wind up just as furry as your dog’s when you sit down.

Pencil Case Covers

This one would make a nice craft that you and the kids can do together before school starts at the beginning of the school year. When it’s time to do the dreaded back-to-school shopping, which means all new supplies.

Save a couple of bucks by turning last year’s pencil case into their favorite new schooltime accessory.

Designer Tissue (Boxes)

Sure, Kleenex sells some pretty nice-looking boxes with different types of art and patterns on them. But it still isn’t your art, and it’s not exactly unique. If you’d prefer to have one-of-a-kind designs, make your own box covers with tape!

Rainy day? Get the kids together and make a family craft out of it! After all, they use tissues just as much, if not more than you do. Tell everyone to grab a box and do their best! Make sure you’ve got a few different colors for them to use.

Boost That Flame

Did you know that duct tape burns super slowly, and makes the perfect fire starter? All you need is your roll of tape, dryer lint, and some cotton. Peel off a 6-inch strip of tape and roll it into a little canister shape, about an inch wide, sticky side facing out.

Pack your dryer lint inside of the little tube, stuffing as much in as you can fit without opening the tape. Then, roll your cotton around the outside. Charcloth actually works best for this job, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can use cotton. Make sure to set aside enough lint and material to fill and coat as many pieces as you plan to make.

Hang it Up

You’ve got to have some serious talent to create something like this out of tape, but this person certainly does. They were able to create this wall art of Bryan Cranston’s character, Walter White, from the hit show Breaking Bad. The artist did an amazing job of bringing his face to life, too.

No matter how good you are, though, you’re bound to wind up with all of the uneven edges from piecing it together. Perhaps a very good artist could figure out how to blend them seamlessly?

The Grateful Dead

When you’re a fan, you’re a fan. Or perhaps when you take this amount of time and effort to craft a one-of-a-kind look for an event, you’re a bit more than just a fan. After all, when you make an outfit out of tape…it’s not likely you’ll be using it more than once – not easily, anyways.

Admittedly, they do look pretty great for being made out of tape. We sincerely hope they’ve got a layer of something like cotton on underneath all of that, though. If polyester binds heat, you can only imagine what duct tape does. It makes us too hot just looking at this picture!

The Carnival

This couple decided to get creative with their Halloween costumes and make some clothes they knew were one-of-a-kind. This pre-party photo shoot says everything – except what it is that they’re supposed to be, exactly.

Perhaps they’re carnies that have escaped their boss that forces them to work in the sideshow, fix the rides, and clean out the roach-infested port-a-potties and disgusting showers for more than 16 hours per day and less than $200/week, without any days off. Not to mention takes everyone’s vehicles away so they can’t leave on their own. Stay forever young, kids. Run! Run and never look back!

Stand-Out Suitcase

If a duct tape luggage tag isn’t going to be enough for you to pull your bag out of the lineup at the baggage check, you may want to opt for something a little more…extreme. Grab some bright colored tape (or dark, if you have a light-colored suitcase,) since you want it to stand out from the crowd.

Get creative when it comes to creating a design that’s truly unique to your bag. If you don’t necessarily have artistic abilities, you can always just make a giant “X” or checkmark. Or possibly even a smiley face, depending on your mood.

Cute Lunch Carriers

This is something that would be more about the arts and crafts than the end game. That’s because, as cute as these food storage containers look, they won’t keep your lunch cool or anything. But if you want to send your little one off to school with a nice surprise, these would make a lovely addition to any lunchbox!

Just make sure that before you place the food in the tape containers, you wrap them in plastic or put them in a baggie to protect them from any germs. Plus, you don’t want it getting all sticky before they try and eat it.

The Duct Tux

Hey, you know what they say: go big or go home. This young couple decided to go…well, sticky, by creating the entirety of their prom wear out of duct tape. Amazingly, they did a really great job, because both outfits look nice and put-together.

If anything were to happen and the building was to catch fire, however, that would be a very unpleasant situation to be in. Not to mention, it looks extremely uncomfortable without adding intense heat. Let’s leave this one checked as “already done, leave it alone.”