Rachel Robin's Nest

I know what you’re thinking.  You all thought I died, or fell off the face of the earth, or hate you or something cause I didn’t post anything for almost a month.  I know.  Shame.  Sadness.  Boo.  I’m sorry, guys, I really am.

But after having been so busy this fall and early winter, what with working a full-time job and a part-time job, blogging, and trying to have a social life, I was pretty well exhausted.  Lately, my evenings have consisted of lots of reading, movies, baths, and glasses of wine.  And it has been awesome.  However, I think I’m now ready to get back on the wagon and start crafting again.  It may not be as often as it used to be, but my goal is to post at least once a week.  I just don’t want something that is supposed to be fun to be a burden, so I’m taking it easy.

Blah. OK, boring, administrative stuff taken care of.  Now for the good stuff!  If you’ll remember, waaaay back in January I told you it was my goal to save money by making more stuff (ie gifts and personal care stuff) myself.  I haven’t been doing too well with that so far, but since Christmas is a good 8 months away (I just had to count it in my head!), I figure now is as good a time as any to get cracking on some homemade gifts.

Therefore, it is with greatest pride and deepest pleasure that I present Duct Tape Cup Sleeves.  I know, I know, I already showed you how to make fabric cup sleeves, but these are a) just as awesome and b) about a gazillion times easier and cheaper to make.  No sewing necessary!  All you need is some duct tape, scissors, paper clips, and a cardboard cup sleeve from your favorite coffee shop!

What’s really cool is that Duck brand and Scotch have both come out with a lot of fun, pretty prints and colors, so there’s something for everyone.  I picked up 4 different ones to play with.  I got mine at Target, but I know you can also get it at Michael’s or Joanne’s.

Reusable Duct Tape Cup Sleeves (via Lish Dorset)

Materials/Tools:

• Duct tape in a variety of colors and patterns
• Sharp scissors
• Paper clips
• Cardboard coffee cup sleeve to use as a template

Directions:

1. Disassemble the coffee cup sleeve so that you can lay it flat to use as a template
2. Cut a piece of duct tape that is a bit longer than the flattened cup sleeve and lay it sticky side up on your work surface
3. Cut a second piece of duct tape the same length as the first, and lay it down so that the long edge overlaps the first about 1/4 inch and press out any lumps. You should now have a rectangle a bit longer and a bit wider than your template, with the sticky side up.
4. Cut another piece of duct tape the same length as the others, and lay it sticky side down so that the top edges line up
5. Cut another piece of duct tape the same length as the others, and lay it sticky side down so that the bottom edges line up, and this piece overlaps the last one about 1/4 inch.  You should now have a solid rectangle of tape with no sticky showing
6. Using paperclips, secure the template to your tape rectangle and cut out the shape of the template.  You may need to move the paper clips around as you cut.  If you feel more comfortable tracing the template, do so, but I didn’t want to have any pen marks on the finished product.
7. Using your original cup sleeve as a guide, fold the edges of your duct tape in toward the center so that they overlap–the edge with the longer tail should go underneath to straight side
8. Cut a piece of duct tape about 6″ long (long enough to wrap all the way around the width of the sleeve and overlap) and center it lengthwise over the seam
9. Carefully wrap the ends around the back of the sleeve to secure

And there you have it.  Quick, easy and cheap!  I finished 8 of these in about an hour tonight, which means you can definitely whip a few up before Christmas, or for your next birthday, going away party, bridal shower etc.

A few things to consider:

1. I found the Scotch brand tape slightly easier to work with, and found that the finished product was slightly less lumpy, but also less sturdy.  Use whatever works best for you.
2. I didn’t bother trying to line up the patterns.  I’m lazy, and I didn’t want to waste any of the tape trying to match things up.  If you are a perfectionist, go for it.

Wow.  It feels great to be back in the crafting game.  I can’t wait until my next project.  I hope you enjoyed this one!