Crafting With Duct Tape: A Program for Tweens

I know doing duct tape craft programs at libraries is not a new idea. However, it was new for me! I decided to try hosting the program for tweens on December 19th this year. That way, I could not only market as a plain old fun program, but also as one where the participants could give their creations away as gifts for the holidays.

I ended up with about 25 tweens which is great for my library! I decided to plan 4 different projects ahead of time, but also set out a variety of duct tape craft books so the tweens could use their imaginations if they chose.

I purchased about 20 rolls of duct tape from my local craft store. I had a 30% coupon which saved me a lot of money. I also received some duct tape from a local adhesives company. I had gone to the Duck Tape brand website and contacted them about donating tape for the program.

I also made sure I had plenty of rulers, scissors, and hold punches on hand. (Note: I tried the kids craft scissors but they just weren't sharp enough. I had to go get my box of adult craft scissors for them to use.) 

These are the crafts I had planned for them:

1. Duct Tape Rose Pens: I found a tutorial here. I purchased some plain round stick pens from an office supply store in bulk. These are super easy and fun!

2. Pencil Pouches: I found a tutorial here. These are also super easy. I just pre-cut a sandwich sized Ziploc bags with the slider zippers. Then the tweens just add the tape!

3. Bookmarks: I pre-cut some carstock to make the bookmarks sturdier. Then after sticking the 2 pieces of tape to the cardstock, the tweens could punch holes in the top and use embroidery floss to make a fun tassel. 

4. Duct Tape Wallets: This project was for the more advanced crafters. I found a good tutorial here.










This program was a lot of fun! I did spend a good chunk of my time helping the tweens with making the wallets and the rose petals. Next time, I might either have another helper or assign teen volunteers to a different craft. By far, the most popular crafts were the pens and the pencil pouches.