Duct tape Book Cover!

This is an instructable describing, in detail, how to create a book cover out of the most useful tool known to mankind, duct tape.

Step 1 Materials...

1. A book
2. duct tape
3. scissors
4. marker
5. tape measure (not necessary, but helpful)

Comments

[Mrballeng]

I did this to my math book in the 7th grade. My math teacher freaked out thinking I taped directly to the book. Good times.

[account3r2]

lolz

[no_fear]

Awesome Instructable. Yes, you could point your friends to this tutorial, or you could make some extras and sell them. That's what I would do.

[hailtothkngbby]

Thanks! Maybe selling one or two could help recoup the money spent on your roll of duct-tape, lol.

[Saturn V]

Then you use the extra money for more duct tape, and before you know it, you have a duct tape book cover empire!  But whoever does this will need to give you a portion of the profits.

[hailtothkngbby]

I would pay to meet the man who could turn this into an empire!

[Saturn V]

It's possible.  I don't beleve in many things, but I do beleve in duct tape.  It also looks really good.

[no_fear]

I just thought of something else. There are all the different colors of duct tape now too, so you could make it out of a different color. Or hell, you could do a rainbow. Lol. Not really my style, but it's a thought.

[hailtothkngbby]

I did make a camouflage one for a book a few years ago. When I was in my ROTC uniform, you could barely see I was carrying it! I dig the colored duct tape, but for some small reason, most of the stuff I do with duct tape, is still in the old-school grey kind. I can't say why, with the myriad of colors, I haven't found anything I like better, but I think it just feels more authentic, more homemade, with the grey stuff.

[agent]

Grey is just classic. I prefer grey to any color when it comes to duck (or duct (I originally thought that it was duck and it was the brand I first used)) tape.

[toaignika]

Duct tape is wonderful for everything except doing what it was made for, repairing ducts, so sad

[hailtothkngbby]

Duct tape is wonderful. That's where I would end that statement...lol

[Saturn V]

When in doubt, break out the duct tape.

[hailtothkngbby]

Agreed!

[crak-a-bottle]

when you buy books that already have a little ribbon book mark attached, why do they always attach it at the top so it sticks out the bottom? I always thought doing it the other way - as in this awesome 'ible - would make more sense.
I'm going to go and make one RIGHT NOW, to cover my army cadets pocket book, possibly the least durable item of my kit...
YAY!!

[crak-a-bottle]

its a little scruffy, but i don't think it's bad for a first duct tape project ^.^
cheers for the great instructable!

[hailtothkngbby]

Nice work! I like my bookmarks to hang out the top as well.

[SylverX]

This is awesome! Sadly, I only have about 1 month left of school, but. . .I could do this next year, right?? Sweet, duct tape! With it, we could fix all the world's problems! :P Who made duct tape anyway?? SylverX

[crak-a-bottle]

lol i know what you mean about not having long left in the year...every year, i think of something awesome to do to my homework planner, and then it comes to the end of the year, and the planner becomes useless :(

[hailtothkngbby]

Thanks! I don't think the book cover has an expiration date! Bookmark it until you get next years books! It appears Johnson and Johnson invented duct tape in 1942. http://ask.yahoo.com/20030502.html

[frickinducttapegodess]

duct tape was invented because the army men people could keep their amo dry. they saw how it repelled water like ducks, hence the name Duck Tape. It was origanally army green. Then they used it to repair broken ducts, changing the name to Duct Tape and also changing the color tho the gray color.

[junits15]

I have that exact same textbook

[hailtothkngbby]

I love this text. It was being decommissioned when I passed American Lit, and my teacher let me keep my copy. I still thumb through it all the time.

[junits15]

it does have some very good stories in it.

[hailtothkngbby]

I definitely agree!

[watermelonhead]

Cool! I lurves duct tape, but i have a bunch of paper bags that mah mom expects me to use.

[hailtothkngbby]

Paper bags are cool too, just not as tough...

[watermelonhead]

SIGH
Yes. They're good for doodling on too, and I can't go a single period of math class without doodling.
What I ended up doing was caver it with paper, then i bordered it with all mah colorful duct tape :D

[DucttapeNinja]

This is an invaluable project for students. I made a few in highschool and my books were completely weatherproof! I actually used my PreCalc textbook to shield my head in heavy rain/hail with no damage to the pages at all.

I wish I had thought of that book tail, though. Great idea! A well made instructable, and fine product.

[hailtothkngbby]

Thanks for the complement! I love the way it looks, and it is super tough. I have never used it to protect me from the rain though, but I'm sure it would hold up pretty well!

[killersquirel11]

another way to do this if you want to conserve on duct tape is to get a piece of paper to cover then duct tape the paper.  Almost as strong and looks identical

[sharlston]

woaa thats well good,neat design -sharlston

[hailtothkngbby]

Thanks!

[sharlston]

this is awsome im considering making one :)

[hailtothkngbby]

You definitely should! Even if you don't need it currently, you can make one extra large and then use it on a book you must cover in the future!

[adome]

And removal of tape? I would use a layer of wax paper to protect the actual book from the adhesive.

[audioredneck]

Ummm....I believe if you follow the directions, you will find that *no* part of the book comes in contact with adhesives. The tape only adheres to itself and the book is held by the pockets created.

[hailtothkngbby]

That's correct. You aren't actually putting tape on your book. The only adhesive that ever comes in contact with the books surface, is the tiny bit at the very edge of the duct tape. This edge-adhesive is unavoidable due to the cutting they do in the production process.

[trevyboy]

hey paper back books work too!! (because i just made one)

[hailtothkngbby]

Awesome!