Recently I saw a very interesting product online. Some online retailer (name withheld) was selling a very slick-looking “emergency duct tape” on a keychain. It was such a brilliant idea and obviously very well constructed. However, the asking price was $20 and for me this was a deal-breaker. I started thinking about how this could be made in a cheaper yet more rugged way. For those of you who require an acronym, allow me to present a DIY tutorial on how to construct what I like to call the “Torbin’s Super Awesome Emergency Duct Tape Keychain of Fortune” or TSAEDTKOF for short. Total cost? Only $4 and change at the local hardware store!

Items You Will Need

2 inch clevis pin: I went with a 2 inch pin because it was still fairly long but had a small pin diameter. You may want to modify this depending upon your needs. Keep in mind that most duct tape widths are approximately 1.88 inches wide so if you go with this pin, you'll need something a bit thinner.
flat steel washer: The diameter of the hole should almost match exactly the diameter of the clevis pin.
slip ring: You might have to spend a little time picking around your local hardware store. Some of these are thicker than others and you want to find one that fits nicely.
duct tape no wider than 1.5 inches: Again, this width is dictated by the length of the clevis pin you choose.

Step 1: Put the Flat Steel Washer on the Clevis Pin

There should be no wiggle room with the fit for the flat steel washer.

Step 2: Attach the Slip Ring to the Top Hole on the Clevis Pin

Attaching the slip ring now will give you something to use to turn the clevis pin and keep the tape tightly wrapped.

Step 3: Peel Back the Duct Tape About 1 Inch and Place the Clevis Pin at the End

Make sure that the side with the flat steel washer is flush with the top of the roll of tape.

Step 4: Begin Rolling the Tape Onto the Clevis Pin Slowing, Ensuring That the Tap Remains Flush With the Flat Steel Washer

Continue rolling until the top of the rolled tape is flush with the top of the flat steel washer.

Step 5: That’s It! If You Want More Tape, Then You Can Get a Larger Flat Steel Washer. Enjoy!

Thanks to the popularity of duct tape these days there's lots of options for customization from neon stripes to pastel cheetah and polka dots (yes, that's really a thing). With a little imagination, you can always have some duct tape available when you need it, and remain fashionable at the same time!

UPDATE: I happened by the hardware store tonight and I got a slightly larger clevis pin and washer. As you can see from the photo, although the overall construction is only slightly larger, the red one is holding a little less than half the roll of tape I purchased (approximately 2 yards)!