Duct-tape bag a colorful way to stash trash
By Kathy Antoniotti
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
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The Great American Cleanup, the largest anti-litter program in the country, began on March 1 and continues through May 31. Folks in every state are working together to keep America beautiful. Many community improvement and beautification projects will take place that week.
This bag, made of duct tape and designed to hold all the litter you can collect, was made by the folks at Duck Tape brand duct tape.
SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED:
First, start by covering the bottom of your bag with tape. Tear off strips of duct tape to fit the length of the bag and be sure to cover the cloth or paper entirely. You'll need to overlap your strips slightly to cover the bottom.
Once you have covered the bottom of the bag, start covering the sides with vertical strips of tape. Overlap the duct tape on the sides to cover it fully. Tear off strips so they will fit the bag entirely. Make sure to leave at least a 1/2-inch of duct tape at the top of the bag so you can fold it over the edges for a nice, smooth look.
Now that the sides are complete, you can begin covering the front and back of the bag by laying strips of duct tape horizontally on the bag, overlapping them slightly to cover the entire bag.
Tear off strips so they will fit the bag entirely. Make sure to leave at least a 1/2-inch of duct tape at the top of the bag so you can fold it over the edges.
After everything is covered in duct tape on the outside, turn the bag inside out so the duct tape side is facing in. Repeat the first three steps above for the inside of the bag. Be sure all the edges are pushed out so you can get duct tape in every corner.
There are two ways to make or decorate your straps. If your bag already has straps, you can cover those with duct tape.
Tear off long strips of duct tape and wrap the straps of the bag. You can have fun with this by alternating with different colors of duct tape.
If the bag doesn't have straps and you want to make your own, or you want a one-strap bag that you can sling across your body, cut slits into the bag wide enough for a duct tape strap to fit through.
Tear off two long strips of duct tape (be sure that they will be long enough to fit over your head to wear it across your body).
Lay one piece down on a table and carefully lay the other on top of it. Trim any excess duct tape from the edges. Parents may need to help with this step.
Take the strap you just made and feed it through the slits you cut into your bag.
Take another strip of duct tape (roughly 2 1/2 inches) and secure it to the edge of the strap and affix it to the inside of the bag. Do the same thing with the other end of the strap.
You can decorate your bag with any of the more than 20 colors of Duck Tape brand duct tape, or use stickers and other embellishments to complement your new bag.
These bags are ideal for Earth Day, or for many other uses — think school or overnight bag.
