I have a much loved leather portfolio which I have been using for over 25 years. Sadly, the inside has ripped and frayed, and looked so tattered that it was embarrassing to use it. The duct tape contest inspired me to try repairing it with black duct tape. I am thrilled with the result (photo above) - the portfolio looks almost new - much better than buying a new one!

Step 1: Materials

I used scissors, a black Sharpie pen, and 2" wide black "Duck" tape. There are many brands of duct tape - I choose one which was wide enough for my needs, came in black, and had the best texture and overall appearance.

Step 2: Remove Frayed and Ripped Section

As you can see, my leather portfolio was in tough shape.

I trimmed away the entire middle section (which was ripped and frayed) and cut off the pen holder loop with scissors.

Step 3: Cut Duct Tape to Fit and Cover Naked Section

I left the duct tape on the roll, but pulled enough of it away from the roll to cover the 12" length of my portfolio so there wouldn't be any drag on it. I notched out the top right hand edge so that the duct tape wouldn't cover the slot that the pad of paper goes in, then carefully pressed the duct tape down, starting with the centre. Once it was in place, I cut it away from the roll.

Step 4: Make New Pen Holder From Duct Tape

Cut a piece of tape about 1" wide from the roll
Fold about a 1/4" of the tape inward, along the long edge
Fold the other long edge inward, so that the raw edges meet roughly in the centre. This will be the inside of the pen holder loop
Cut a thin strip (about 1/2" wide) of duct tape and attach the pen holder strip to it (see 3rd photo)
Use this strip to attach one side of the pen holder to the middle of the portfolio. Fold pen holder in half with the remaining raw edge of pen holder extended away from the first thin strip
Cut another 1/2" strip and use it to cover the remaining raw edge of the pen holder strip and attach it to the portfolio. The two thin strips should meet (see 4th photo)
Unflatten the pen holder strip and insert pen!