Duct Tape Purse

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Take duct tape out of the toolkit and into your wardrobe with this cute shoulder bag, designed by Julia Scholl of Colfax, Illinois. It’s both durable and distinctive, and requires no sewing.

New to duct tape projects? Craft Editor Jane Craig offers helpful tips (below) to keep you from getting stuck.

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Materials

  • Duct tape—one roll each of blue, green, gray, turquoise, white and yellow
  • Two 1-1/2-inch silver D-rings
  • Eight 1/2-inch silver grommets
  • Magnetic purse closure
  • Craft knife
  • Two screwdrivers
  • Ruler
  • Scissors

Finished Size: Purse measures about 12 inches across x 7 inches high without strap

Directions

BODY OF PURSE

  1. Cut fourteen 14-inch lengths of gray duct tape.
  2. Place two pieces together with edges matching and sticky sides facing.
  3. Add a third and fourth strip with sticky sides facing, overlapping the first strips by 1/8 to 1/4 inch.
  4. Repeat Steps 2-3, adding the remaining 14-inch-long strips, to make a piece that measures 14 inches x about 24 inches.
  5. Cut fourteen more 14-inch lengths of gray duct tape.
    On one side, add a third layer of tape, offsetting the strips by about 1/2 inch so the tape does not overlap in the same areas.
  6. Cut fourteen more 14-inch lengths of gray duct tape.
    On the other side add a fourth layer of tape, offsetting the tape by about two-thirds.
  7. Trim the tape rectangle to a 12-inch-wide x 24-inch-long rectangle.

SIDES OF PURSE

  1. Cut twelve 8-inch lengths of gray duct tape.
  2. Place two pieces together with edges matching and sticky sides facing.
  3. Add a third and fourth strip with sticky sides facing, overlapping the first strips by 1/8 to 1/4 inch as before.
    Add two strips to one side with the overlaps in the same place.
  4. Turn the piece over and add two strips with the overlaps in the same place.
  5. Cover one side of this piece with overlapped strips of blue duct tape.
  6. Fold the piece in half lengthwise and trim the piece so the fold is in the middle and the width matches the width of the bottom of your purse.
  7. Trim each side to a 3-inch-wide piece with the bottom edge cut straight across.

STRAP

  1. Cut a 62-inch-long piece of blue duct tape.
  2. Fold the strip in half lengthwise with the sticky side in the middle and the long edges matching.
  3. Cut another 62-inch-long piece of blue duct tape.
  4. Fold this strip over the first strip so both folds are along the long outside edges.

INSIDE POCKET

  1. Cut twelve 9-inch lengths of gray duct tape.
  2. Place two pieces together with edges matching and sticky sides facing.
  3. Add a third and fourth strip with sticky sides facing, overlapping the first strips by 1/8 to 1/4 inch as before.
  4. Add two strips to one side with the overlaps in the same place.
  5. Turn the piece over and add two strips with the overlaps in the same place.
  6. Trim to make an 8-inch x 8-inch piece.

OUTSIDE OF PURSE

  1. Attach the magnetic closure to the inside center of the flap, about an inch from the edge.
  2. Attach the strap across the outside bottom by meeting the ends in the center and taping it with a 9-1/2-inch-length of gray duct tape centered along the bottom. This will leave about 3/4 inch untaped to allow for a trim strip of blue around the edge of the purse.
  3. Tape over the outside of the body of the purse with lengths of blue, green, gray, turquoise, white and yellow duct tape, overlapping strips to create lengthwise stripes as shown. Do not tape the strap down to the edge of the purse.
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INSIDE POCKET

  1. Using and 8-inch length of gray duct tape, tape the inside bottom of the pocket close to the bottom of the inside back of the purse body.
  2. Use another 8-inch length of gray duct tape to cover the outside of the bottom pocket.
  3. Make the sides by taping the side and outside of the side edges, but attach these strips straight up and down leaving a bit of space so the pocket is not flat against the inside of the purse.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Referring to diagram of folds and with the colored tape on the outside, fold the body of the purse to form the front, bottom, back and flap of the purse.
  2. Trim the blue side pieces so they are the same length as the front of the purse.
  3. Attach the bottom of the side to the inside bottom of the body with a piece of grey duct tape.
  4. Cut a 10-inch length of blue duct tape. Starting at the center of the bottom, center the strip along one side of the purse and wrap the tape over to encase the front edge of the purse.
  5. Repeat steps 3-5 on the other side of the purse.
  6. Attach the inside back of the purse body to the inside back of the sides with gray duct tape.
  7. Cut an 8-inch length of blue duct tape. Center the tape lengthwise along the center of one side of the purse. Wrap the excess tape over to the back, encasing the back edge of the purse and leaving a band of blue showing along the outside back edge. Cut another 8-inch length of blue duct tape. Center the tape lengthwise on the same side with the long edge meeting the long edge of the previous strip. Wrap the excess tape over to the front, encasing the front edge of the purse and leaving a band of blue showing along the outside front edge.
  8. Repeat steps 6-7 on the other side of the purse. In the same way, add tape to the inside front edge and flap edge of the purse, encasing the raw edges.
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FINISHING

  1. Fold one side piece in to the center of the purse along the fold line.
  2. Attach a grommet to the upper corner of the front and back of the purse and to the corners of the folded side section as shown in photo.
  3. Repeat steps 1-2 on other side of purse.
  4. Open a D-ring by prying in opposite directions with two screwdrivers. Use a cloth to protect the D-ring from scratches.
  5. Fit the strap through the D-ring, insert the ends through the grommets and close the D-ring.
  6. Repeat steps 4-5 on the other side of the purse.
  7. Fold the flap of the purse over to the front and attach the remaining half of the magnetic closure to the purse front. Place a piece of gray duct tape on the inside to cover the magnetic closure.

Technique tips

Duct tape comes in a rainbow of colors, and even patterns, so crafters are fashioning it into everything from wallets to prom dresses! Get started with these general tips from Craft Editor Jane Craig.

  1. Work on a flat, lint-free surface, like a countertop or cutting mat.
  2. Most items are made from sheets. Overlap strips of tape to create the desired size sheet, then turn it over and repeat on the other side so all sticky areas are covered. Adding more layers increases strength and durability.
  3. Make sheets larger than the finished size needed. You can simply trim away any uneven edges.
  4. For a smooth edge, fold the last strip added or the ends of the strips to the back side, completely covering raw edges.
  5. Be careful when working with long strips! Once sticky sides are put together it's difficult to separate them. Leave a tail of tape and overlap the ends when making really long things like purse straps.
  6. Too many layers may be difficult to fold and might not hold a crease. If a crease is desired, place two sheets side by side with a small space between them and use a strip of tape on both sides to hold them together.
  7. Duct tape doesn't curve well, so make curved pieces larger than needed.