These DIY bracelets made with Duck Tape are SO easy! Make these braided bracelets as a fun kids’ craft idea for a summer boredom buster. Teens and tweens will love them.
Skills Required: Beginner. These braided bracelets are extremely easy to make, and once you get the hang out of how to do it, you’ll be making a ton of them!
Have you ever looked at a craft supply and thought, “I wonder if I can do X with that?” I feel like I do it all the time.
I’m a big proponent of using items I already have in my stash, so I’ve spent many minutes just staring at what I have and wondering what else I can turn it into.
Steve was actually the one who looked at our Duck Tape stash and asked me if we could braid it. I told him I had no idea, which he took as a challenge.
DIY Bracelets
Once Steve discovered that he could braid the tape, he realized these DIY bracelets would make a fun kids’ craft for summer. I totally agreed!
You can use any colors or patterns to make these bracelets, and they don’t use that much tape – so you can get a ton of bracelets out of three rolls (because you want three different colors). If you get your children hooked on making these braided bracelets, I’m so sorry. Sort of.
A nice “side effect” of these braided bracelets being made from Duck Tape is that they are waterproof! So kids can wear them all summer while swimming, running through the sprinkler, or anything else that involves water.
What Size to Cut Your Duck Tape
For these DIY bracelets, you’ll need to cut three initial strips of Duck Tape that you’re going to braid. My bracelets are 9 inches round, and they easily slip over my hands onto my wrist.
I’ve given you a general guideline below for how long the strips should be cut for the circumference of a bracelet. My wrists are on the smaller side for an adult, so the 9 inch round are like bangles on me. The good news is that if you don’t estimate correctly, you can always trim them down!
- 6 inches – 11 1/3 inch strips
- 7 inches – 13 1/4 inch strips
- 8 inches – 15 1/4 inch strips
- 9 inches – 17 inch strips
- 10 inches – 19 inch strips
Are you ready to learn how to make them? Keep reading!
Duck Tape DIY Bracelets
Gather These Supplies
- Duck Tape – you’ll use three separate colors for each bracelet
- Craft knife or scissors
- Craft mat
- Clamp (optional)
Start with a 17 inch piece of Duck Tape (or the correct length using the chart I gave you above). Place it down on a cutting mat and trim.
Peel the Duck Tape off of the cutting mat and fold in one side toward the middle. Having a cutting mat can really help you estimate the middle of the Duck Tape.
Fold the other side so that both pieces meet in the middle. If they slightly overlap, that’s totally fine. Repeat with two other colors of Duck Tape.
Attach your Duck Tape to a table using a clamp, or you can even secure with another piece of tape. Yet another option – a clipboard! Just like a lot of kids use for friendship bracelets.
Begin braiding the Duck Tape, just as you would do a regular braid. You’ll want to braid rather tightly.
Cut two 1/2 inch x 2 inch pieces of Duck Tape that are going to secure each end.
Place each of these pieces toward each end of the braid, and trim as shown.
This is what the end of your braided bracelet will look like.
Lay your DIY bracelet out on the cutting mat. You’re going to cut more Duck Tape!
Cut a three inch piece of tape – you can layer it if you like so that your DIY bracelets have a cool look! It’s really up to you!
Secure your braided bracelets by bringing the two ends together and wrapping the three inch piece around to secure. Not only does this secure your bracelet, but it makes it really easy to take on and off.
You can see that we tried these DIY bracelets in a few colors. What you don’t know is that behind the scenes, we made a ton more with my niece later that day!
I wore these braided bracelets for several weeks. They are just so fun! I haven’t found someone yet that struggles to make them, either. If you’re looking for easy – this is your project.
What do you think of these bracelets? Would you make them with your children? I’d love to hear in the comments! I’d also love for you to check out these other easy summer crafts: