Ready for the flowers to bloom? Get in the spring spirit by making duct tape flowers. They’re inspired by a few ideas in Stick It! 99 DIY Duct Tape Projects by T.L. Bonaddio. Best of all, they’re fun, funky and always stay fresh! Read on to learn how to make a few “crazy daisies” (pictured above: the white flower with teal in the foreground, and the purple-and-teal in the back).
A quick word to the wise: Duct tape can be tricky, sticky stuff. You’ll likely “wreck” a few pieces. Don’t get discouraged! Simply wad it up, toss it, and try again. Or, if you discover a method that works better, go with it. We suggest this project for the elementary-and-older set.
Materials
- Duct tape: green for stem; any color for petals (white, teal, purple, pink, red, etc.)
- Something round for the center (ours are a pair of cheap yellow earrings; or try buttons, coins, etc.)
- Wire (18-guage electrical – i.e., something sturdy-yet-bendable)
- Wire cutter
- Sharp scissors
Instructions
A. Stem
- Cut a length of electrical wire (about 6-8 inches) with the wire cutter.
- Measure and cut a length of green duct tape the same length as the wire.
- Position the tape with the sticky-side up. Then, with scissors, carefully trim a half-inch horizontally off the long edge of the tape. (Set this strip aside for later.)
- Place the wire horizontally along the top edge of the tape. Carefully roll the wire, down pressing along the way, until it’s completely covered by the tape.
B. Petal base
- Cut a 2-inch strip of green tape, so it’s roughly square. From each corner, make one diagonal cut halfway to the center. (Note: Be careful not to cut all the way to the center, or you won’t have a “base” surface.)
- Place the middle of the green square on the top of the stem, sticky-side down. Wrap the “cut” corners around the stem. (Note: Don’t worry if the “base” is lumpy and uneven. That’s fine! You just need a bit of surface area to stick the petals onto.)
C. Petals
- Cut a small length of tape (2-3 inches is plenty). Place the sticky-side up. Then, from the top edge, fold the upper left- and right-hand corners in toward each other, and press down, so they’re slated toward each other. (Your tape should now look like a little house, with a small point on the top.)
- Repeating the same action, fold the left and right slanted edges in towards each other. (Your tape should now look like a teepee.)
- From the bottom of the teepee, make two cuts (approximately a half-inch), angled up to the left and right. Don’t make your cuts exactly from the middle, though: Be sure to leave a 1/4-inch squared edge at the bottom, to give the petal some “sticking” surface area. (Your tape should now look like a long diamond.)
- Repeat until you’ve made eight petals.
- Stick each petal, sticky-side down, onto the petal base. Arrange them in a “compass pattern”: Place the first four in “north,” “south,” “east” and “west” positions; then place the next four on top of them (“northeast,” “southeast,” “southwest” and “northwest”).
D. Center
Take your round object and affix it to the center of the flower with a small, rolled piece of duct tape. If using post earrings, simply wedge the post into the center. (Note: You can also cut out a round piece of duct tape. Just make sure it’s big enough to cover the area where the petals connect.)
E. Final touches
- Take the leftover strip of green duct tape (from the stem) and wrap it around the base of the petals, to secure them to the stem.
- For an extra touch, create a leaf or two. Just follow steps 1-3 for the petals, only using green duct tape. Affix the leaves anywhere you’d like on the stem.
