duct tape pen and notebook

I love patterned duct tape. The only thing better than patterned duct tape is patterned duct tape for $1! When I saw my local dollar store had a fun new pink zebra pattern, I knew I had to make something with it. Since my rainboots are already patched up, I kept looking around and found my answer in the school supply aisle.

Project estimate:

  • Patterned duct tape, $1 and up
  • Solid colored duct tape, on hand or $1 and up
  • Composition notebook, $1
  • Bulletin board shape, $1
  • Scissors or craft knife, on hand
  • Small piece of velcro, on hand
  • Glue (I used E-6000), on hand
  • Pen, on hand

Total: $3 and up

The duct tape and bulletin board shapes come with enough to cover multiple notebooks, making this a great project for your whole family or for a teen girl craft night.

dollar store duct tape school supplies

Step 1: Make the closing flap. Run a piece of duct tape across the front cover (leave 1/2″ extra hanging off the front edge to wrap around the cover). Wrap the tape around the spine and across the back of the book. Leave a 4.5 inch tail.

tutorial duct tape composition notebook

Fold the long tail back on itself at the two inch mark. This will leave a 2 inch piece of smooth duct tape “fabric” and leave a .5 inch allowance to adhere to the inside of the cover.

Make a Duct Tape covered Notebook 2 step 3

Step 2: Cover the rest of the notebook in duct tape.  Continue wrapping strips of duct tape across the front, around the spine and across the back of the notebook. Leave about a .5 inch tail on each side to wrap around to the inside of the cover.

Make a Duct Tape covered Notebook 2 step 4

Step 3: Make the butterfly. Cover the bulletin board shape by applying strips of duct tape to the front of the shape.

duct tape butterfly

 Flip the shape over and trim the tape, leaving a .25 inch border all around.

trim duct tape butterfly

Fold the duct tape down to make the shape of the butterfly. Cut slits in the duct tape (especially around curves and corners) to make folding easier.

duct tape butterfly tutorial

Step 4: Attach with glue. Use your glue (I used E-6000) to attach both the butterfly and the velcro to the front of the notebook. Allow to dry for the suggested amount of time before using the notebook.

duct tape notebook tutorial

Step 5: Optional matching pen. If you’d like, you can even create a matching pen by wrapping a piece of patterned duct tape around a non-tapered plastic pen.

duct tape pen and notebook