Purple Duct Tape Present Container in Honor of Prince

Hi and welcome to my very first Instructable. It was a sad day, the day I started this. It was the day I found out that Prince had passed away. It was also a happy one, as it was also Earth Day; and in honor of both, I decided to up-cycle something and make it purple. This is made quite easily with only 3 colors of duct tape, a cotton candy container, (emptying it is the best part) and a bow. All the tools you need are a utility knife and a pair of scissors

Step 1: What You Will Need...

1) An empty plastic container with lid.
2) Scissors
3) Utilty knife
4) Three or more colors of duct tape.
5) Decorative bow.

Step 2: Start Taping

I started with the bottom part of the container. Make sure it is perfectly clean and dry, inside and out. Place the first piece of tape where and how you'd like. If you use the pattern I did, make sure that you leave 1/2" at the top, and also at the bottom. I used two different colors and patterns of purple hollographic duct tape, and ran them straight up and down, overlapping as I went. Continue the process around until the whole surface of the body is covered. As you can see, I wound up with the lighter purple too close on the next to the last piece....

Step 3: Body Is Almost Done...

Now I merely took a piece of the darker purple duct tape and centered it between the 2 lighter pieces that were touching. Smooth everything down and take your fingernail and run it just under that lower lip on the container; making sure you have gotten the tape to adhere very well. Next, carely take your utility knife, and cut all that excess at the top away around the lip and pull it off.

Step 4: Finishing the Top and Bottom of the Container (not the Lid)...

Take your third color of tape and wrap it around the lip of the lid, but keep it loose, and making sure you have an overlap of at least 1/4". Cut that section off your tape roll and place it once again, loosely over your container lip. Take your utility knife or scissors and make a small nick in the tape, about 1/8" wider than the lip. Rip the tape all the way down and place it back on the lip, this time being careful to place it correctly, and smooth it out as you go. It should meet, or slightly cover the top of the tape from below. Flip your container over, and if you haven't already, make small slits, approximately 1/4" apart, all around the bottom where you have the extra tape hanging over, and press each one down seperately. Make sure to smooth each one as much as possible. Once you are finished with that, take the left over silver (or whatever color you chose to use) duct tape and cover the bare parts of the bottom. Mine is a tiny bit sloppy, as I was in a hurry. Take your time and make it look right.

Step 5: Let's Do the Lid....

I started with the darker purple run across the full length of the center of the top, leaving 1/2" overhang on both sides. I then took the lighter purple and overlapped that on both sides, leaving that overhang. Now take your nail once again and make sure the tape is adhered all the way up to both sets of ridges on the top. Take your scissors and trim around the whole lide, making sure you leave a 1/4"-3/8" overhang. Smooth that all down, around the whole lid. Now wrap your contrasting color, all the way around the top and leave another 1/4" overhang. Smooth everything down, flip the lid over, and use your utility knife to trim the silver tape flush with the lid.

Step 6: Tada!

Put something as a present inside, close it up, and add your bow. Now your done except for the gift giving. I sure will miss Prince! It is sad that there are a number of unpublished songs in his vault at Paisley Park. I hope they are released. Happy Earth Day!