People always joke about the many uses of duct tape, but few take its use as a material as seriously as these diehard duct tape designers. While a lot of articles concentrate on the humor behind using duct tape as a material to keep one’s car from falling apart, this article concentrates on a higher level of duct tape use. Duct tape art, formal wear, and sculpture are just a few areas where duct tape designers put their skills to the test. Here are 11 of the most intricate and awesome duct tape creations:
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Art has no requirements in terms of subject matter or material, and some art students flex their creativity by elevating one of the most mundane household items into something beautiful. With the introduction of duct tape colors beyond the typical gray, artists are able to use a varied palette to create portraits and exhibits that dazzle the eye.
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There are some crazy car decorations out there, and duct tape has not escaped the eyes of intrepid art car decorators. Whether duct tape is used to detail, or to overwhelm, the other drivers on the road are sure to be surprised when they see these cars drive by.
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Some girls enjoy making their own dresses, but get tired of hunkering down in front of the sewing machine. With careful planning and a steady hand, they’re able to create unique and inspired dresses that stun their friends. As time consuming as creating clothing out of duct tape is, the time is well worth the head turning attention.
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Flowers wilt and die, but a duct tape rose will last forever! Far from the trashy plastic and vinyl leaved fake plants that grace your grandmother’s living room, these duct tape bouquets will impress your friends and bloom forever. Duct tape flowers are an intersting way to spice up a table, or you can impress your date to the dance with a homemade corsage!
(Images via threadforthought, formallongdresses, celebritysmack, sodahead, thisweekontheinternet)
Duct tape companies have an annual duct tape prom contest where couples create intricate and beautiful formal wear for their prom, and send in pictures to the company. The prizes are scholarships, but the real winners are the students at the dances who get to see these mouth dropping works of functional art.
(Images via octanecreative, ilovestickytape)
Most college students have fixed a tear in their furniture with a hastily smacked on strip of duct tape, but what happens when these students graduate and become designers? They create duct tape furniture, of course! Whether they build duct tape into the production process, or simply give some old furniture a duct tape upgrade, the result is surprisingly appealing.
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Nobody can say duct tape isn’t versatile! Some groundbreaking sculptures are moving away from the age old (and cliche) use of stone and plaster to create sculptures, and gravitating toward duct tape. There are few materials easier to use, as long as you live near a hardware store, because creating Mount Rushmore out of duct tape requires a lot of rolls.
(images via spuloacle, divinecaroline, the-leaky-cauldron, candywrapperpurse)
Purses are undeniably important to one’s style, and most girls have one for every outfit. It’s natural, then, that some would like to spice up their purse collection with handmade and carefully designed duct tape purses. Duct tape is durable, comes in variety of colors, and doesn’t require stitching or knitting… what else do you need?
(Images via secretlifeofshoes, feverishthoughts)
Only the most extreme duct tape manipulators are willing, or able, to take on the most functional item of clothing: shoes. It’s not easy to coat your favorite pair of sneakers with this protective material, but it may be worth the effort just to know you’re the only one with your special style.
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Wallets have long been a target by duct tape designers, because their shape and use lend themselves to the material. As these designers have become more sophisticated, and the duct tape colors available have diversified, the upsurge in duct tape wallet quality has been impressive.
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When geek art happens, there tend to be geeks involved… and where there are geeks, there are videogames. The duct tape wallet has a strong videogame niche that helps line the duct tape walleted pockets of a whole group of designers on craft sites and in trendy stores across the nation. The retro favorites from Atari and early Nintendo are especially popular, as their large pixels and geometric shapes are well suited for duct tape.
