Top 10 Uses for Duct Tape
November 16, 2006 by Karen Weideman
Filed under Top 10 lists, household product, odds and ends, shopping
During my yard sale a few weeks ago, I found The Duct Tape Book. I decided that rather than selling it, I would put it to good use for thrifty mommies. So, you may find a good idea from these . . . or at least a good chuckle. Enjoy!
1. Quickly mat your favorite artwork or mount photos in frame behind existing matting. Who needs a professional framer?
2. Make instant snow pants: Cover the kids’ old jeans from ankle to waist with duct tape.
3. Use it to reinforce broken candles. Adds a nice aroma when the candles burn down to the tape. Use empty duct tape rolls for decorative holders for extra-fat candles.
4. Is your high chair falling apart from your third kid? Duct tape will make it last through three or four more. Also works great to keep kids from slipping out.
5. If your wallet is bulging (with credit cards) reinforce it with duct tape.
6. Remove roadkill while keeping your hands clean.
7. Reinforce window panes and secure household items in preparation for hurricanes. Better yet, wrap the whole house.
8. Who needs to know how to sew? Duct tape hems pants and skirts in a jiffy!
(I am a bit embarrassed to say this, but I actually did this to a formal dress. My husband and I had an event to attend and I could not find a dress until the night before. Of course it was too long on me, so we hemmed it with duct tape. Worked great!)
9. To avoid losing your way in the woods, hang little strips of tape from branches to find your way back.
10. Expedite exit from airports: A big X on your suitcase makes locating it at the baggage claim carousel much easier.
Do you feel like you just sat through Jeff Foxworthy’s “You Might Be a Redneck?”. I sure do! This silly book can be purchased through Amazon. Now you know what to get that person on your Christmas list that has everything. Seriously, though, there are some great uses for duct tape. It’s an amazing product.
Click this picture for more information about the book.
One of my favorite fantasies is duct taping my kid to the wall when he’s driving me crazy. I’d only put the tape on his clothes, really. It wouldn’t hurt him. It would just give me a respite from the constant, ‘Mama, mama, mama, mama, mama…”
So it has developed into a kind of shorthand at our house. He’ll be driving me nuts, and I’ll just look at him and say, “Hey, buddy? DUCT TAPE.” He’ll grin, sometimes laugh out loud… but he always quiets down.
I can see how that would be tempting. Especially when the “why” stage begins.
There’s been many days that duct tape has crossed my mind.
When I was writing this post, I actually saw some pictures of people tape to the wall.
Oh, Karen! You make me laugh, and wouldn’t that feel good!!! never considered some of the uses featured in your post
I enjoyed the laugh too. Those are definitely some thrifty uses you don’t hear of much.
I had to laugh at the high chair suggestion. Our third child had to move into a car seat, and our second was still in one as well. I thought we’d buy a new one (we had two still) since the first one that we had was ripped by our oldest child when she was little (not any part that was involved in the safety of the seat, just a flap of material on the front). Our second child had shown us that the velcro tabs that we used to attempt to fix it were a joke to a toddler and ripped them off immediately! Anway, Bald Man just took two strips of duct tape and wrapped them around the material. I initially wanted to cry thinking of how shoddy the stuff my youngest is getting compared to when his sister (the oldest) was born. And then I just had to laugh at myself, because what does he care?! And we saved a good chunk of moolah.
Duct tape is a commodity at our house LOL
this is funny
my ex doesn’t know how to/like to sew, so he uses glue instead of thread. maybe i should advice him to also use duct tape
btw, i’m swedish & i used to think it was called ‘duck tape’.. and i couldn’t get what it had to do with ducks :p
I think glue would be a bit messy when it came time to wash your clothes.
karen – i agree
i’ve wondered how it would hold up. never got around to asking that, though. although i suppose duct tape wouldn’t last in the washing machine, either? 
Ulrica: My husband had a pair of work pants that he duct taped. The tape held up in the washer for a long time. There is a problem when you try to remove it though because it is so sticky!
karen: oh! i would never have thought it would – but that’s good to know
You can also use it to restrain unruly passengers on the airplane. I’m not kidding! I once had to duct tape a guy to his seat!
Oh my goodness. That’s just crazy! Glad it worked for you though.