Make a Duct Tape Cap
Whether you're bored or just want to play with duct tape, making a duct tape cap is fun. You can build your cap using a variety of colors or opt for the traditional duct tape gray.
Steps
- Place the model cap on a clean flat surface.
- Find a cap that fits you to use as a model; you will use this model hat as a sort of mold for your duct-tape copy, without harming the model cap. You can select a beanie-type cap, a hat with a brim, or just about any other shape of hat/cap.
- Cover the top of the cap with aluminum foil or saran wrap. Be sure to cover ONLY the top half.
- Cover the foil/wrap with duct tape. Try to keep it as smooth and wrinkle free as possible.
- Once the top of the foil/wrap is covered with duct tape, remove the model cap and cover the bottom of the foil/wrap with tape as well.
- Try on the cap to check fit occasionally throughout the building process; it is easier to add more tape if your cap is too loose than to take tape off if it's too tight.
- Fix any spots where the tape sticks to your head by putting a piece of duct tape where it sticks.
- Try the final product on for size.
- Now that your cap is done, check yourself out in the mirror and give yourself a pat on the back!
Tips
- You may want to use a ring of stiff cardboard instead of foil to protect the brim of the hat. This will help make the brim of your duct tape hat more rigid.
- If you have a cap you don't care about - maybe one that is stained or is a color you don't like - you can just cover the cap with the duct tape and forget about the foil. You're not really "making" a cap this way, but the results will look similar.
- If you cover a piece of thin cardboard with duct tape you can use it as a brim.
- If the cap you are using as a model is not stiff enough, it can be hard to cover it with foil. You can put the cap on your head and have someone help you with the foil.
- You may wish to wear a bandana or dew rag under your tape cap so the edges of the tape don't stick to your hair.
- You can make cool-looking transparent tape caps by substituting plastic wrap for the foil and clear packing tape for the duct tape. Packing tape is thinner and harder to work with than duct tape, so be patient.
- Be sure to use a sturdy cap. Cheaper caps are weaker and the weight of the duct tape will cause the hat to implode, ruining the project.
- It'll be easier to make a good cap if you first make some simpler duct-tape projects, such as wallets.
- If you made the cap too small, cut a small line in the back, widen the crack, and use duct tape on both sides to keep the cap together.
- Be sure to go very slowly with the duct tape or you could ruin the whole project.
Warnings
- Don't use a cap that stretches to go onto you head -- if you do your duct tape replica will be too small.
- Always use aluminum foil under the tape, or you might seriously damage your model cap.
Things You'll Need
- Duct tape or packing tape
- Aluminum foil or plastic wrap
- A suitable cap you want to copy ("model" cap)
