When I was little, the closest we ever got to customizing school supplies was with the brown paper supermarket bags to cover our books.

Now that we’re in Generation DIY, there is a world of possibility when it comes to school supplies. Thanks to decorative Duct Tape, we can design or even MAKE our own.

This week, the girls finished up their supply shopping at Staples. They both needed a 3-ring binder and when I spotted all the decorative duct tape, my middle Fancy Girl decided she would decorate hers. We picked up a thin roll of blue glitter tape and a white binder and then went to work to create a quick design for the cover. She said it looked like laser beams that a spy would use. I can see it, can’t you?

This was a super quick fix to a plain notebook, but if you had aspirations to make your own, I have 3 projects for you from The Duct Tape Queen, Richela Fabian Morgan.

Project #1: Notebook/Binder Decoration

Material: duct tape, notebook

Tools: parchment paper, pencil, scissors

Additional tool: bubble letter stencil (the one used in photo is a free printable from
http://www.woojr.com/printable-bubble-letters/bubble-letters/

1. Cover front of notebook with vertical strips of duct tape.
2. Fold the duct tape strips over the top, bottom, and right edges of the cover.
3. Trace letters onto the parchment paper.
   
4. Cover the traced letters with a strip of duct tape.
5. Flip over the parchment paper. You should be able to see the traced letters.
6. Using a pair of well-oiled scissors, cut out the letters.
   
7. Move around the cut letters on the notebook cover until you find an acceptable position.
8. One by one, remove the parchment paper on the back of each letter and adhere it onto the notebook cover.
   

Project #2: Pencil Case

Materials: white, blue, yellow, light blue, gold, orange, green, red, and fuchsia duct tape; 2 round neodyne magnets, key chain ring

Tools: self-healing cutting matt, corked back metal ruler, craft knife, parchment paper, 1/8″ hole puncher

1. Place a parchment paper measuring 10″ wide x 15″ high on top of your worktable. Starting from the bottom, place 9 strips of white duct tape across the parchment paper. Be sure the strips overlap along the long edges by at least 1/8″. Flip over and place the duct tape/parchment paper on your worktable in the landscape position. Peel off parchment paper. Starting at the bottom of the half-made fabric, place 6 strips of blue duct tape across it. Be sure the strips overlap along the long edges by at least 1/8″. Trim down the fabric to 10″ x 15″. (See my instructional video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YZSNYyy57w)
   
   
2. Place the fabric on your worktable in the portrait position, white side facing up.
3. Cut two strips of 6″ white duct tape. Measure and mark 6″ from the bottom left and right corners of the fabric. Starting at the two marks, vertically place each strip along the left and right edges. Be sure the strips are halfway on the fabric.
   
4. Fold back the vertical tape strips and pull up the bottom portion of the fabric. Push down along the outer edges to form the main pocket.
   
5. Trim the corners of the flap in a curved line.
6. Cut 12″ strips of various colored tape. Trim the width of each trip to 1/4″. Use these strips to decorate the front of the pencil case. Trim edges of strips that extend past the edges of the pencil case.
7. Flip bag over so the opening is face up. Place a magnet on the inside of the flap, centered and approximately 1/2″ from the top edge. Cover with a piece of white duct tape.
   
8. Place a magnet inside the pocket, centered and approximately 1/2″ from the bottom edge. Push it agains the top fabric of the pocket and cover from the inside with a piece of white duct tape.
   
9. Using the hole puncher, make a hole on the upper left corner of the pencil case near the top of the pocket.
10. Loop the key ring through the hole.
    
11. Close the flap and flip the bag over.

Project #3: Cell Phone Case

Materials: fuchsia and multi-colored chevron duct tape, bubble wrap, cell phone

Tools: self-healing cutting mat, ruler, scissors, ball point pen, pencil

1. Cut 2 rectangles from the bubble wrap that are 1/2 wider than your phone.
2. Trim down the height of the bubble wrap rectangles to 1″ shorter than height of your cell phone
3. Fold strips of fuchsia duct tape over the top edges of the bubble wrap rectangles. Trim down the left and right edges.
   
4. Place one rectangle on top of the other and line up the edges. Starting from the top edge, horizontally place 10″ strips of fuchsia duct tape on the bubble wrap rectangles, overlapping the strips along the long edges by approximately 1/8″. Flip over the bubble wrap rectangles. Fold the left and right edges of the strips over the rectangles, creating a pocket.
   
   
5. Horizontally place a strip of fuchsia tape halfway along the bottom edge of the pocket. Fold the strip under the pocket to close up the bottom.
6. Draw 8 flower petals on the parchment paper.
7. Cover drawn petals with chevron duct tape.
   
8. Flip the parchment paper so the drawn petals are visible. Using a pair of well-oiled scissors, cut out the petals.
   
9. Move around the cut petals on the cell phone case until you find an acceptable position.
   
10. One by one, remove the parchment paper on the back of each petal and adhere it onto the cell phone case.

Richela Fabian Morgan began her duct tape odyssey 8 years ago with a simple bi-fold wallet, before writing the best-selling crafting books Tape It & Make It, Tape It & Make More, and Tape It & Wear It. She is an indie crafter specializing in paper, adhesives, and found materials. Her newest duct tape crafting book, Duct Tape Bags, is available nationwide. For more information, please visit, www.RichelaFabianMorgan.com and connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. For more fun duct tape projects, make sure to check out Fabian Morgan’s YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/user/CraftyRichela.