This weekend, I wanted to see if I could create the classic tie-dye tshirt craft using Pro Gaff^® tape. So I got my white tshirts, some Rit^® fabric dye, and three different sizes of Pro Gaff^® tape to put to the test: ¼ inch, 1 inch and 2 inch. 

Method #1: Classic Spiral Twist Tie-Dye

First, I tried your standard spiral dye and striping dye. Except here, I didn’t use any rubber bands – only Pro Gaff^®!! For this method, pinch the center of your white shirt and twist it until you’ve reach the end, then tuck in the edges. Tightly wrap a few pieces of pre-ripped Pro Gaff^® around your twisted tee. 

Method #2: Scrunch & Tape Dye

Fold your shirt (or just tightly scrunch it together), then tightly bind the shirt together using Pro Gaff^®. Do this repeatedly down the length of the shirt. Just leave some space between each piece of tape.

For both Methods #1 and #2, I submerged the shirts in warm water for a little more than 30 minutes, occasionally stirring. Once lifted out of water, I did notice that the tapes which were only stuck to the t-shirt fabric lost their stick and fell right off. But the areas where the tape stuck to itself (adhesive to adhesive) proved to be the most successful! I think this helped create a seal against moisture and gave the Pro Gaff^® extra strength. Funny thing is… the dye even dyed the tape!! 

Check out this video to see Methods #1 and #2 in Action:

Method #3: Masking Effect

The last technique I tried was a tape-mask effect. I hand ripped and cut the Pro Gaff^® tape to write out the word “love” and a zig zag design. I also used tape to pinch up a few gathered areas around the bottom of the t-shirt. I tested this method out on both a canvas tote and a cotton tee shirt.

This time I did not submerge the fabrics in water, I used a squirt bottle instead. I found that it worked the best if I did not over-spray with the dye. It seems like too much dye starts to “un-stick” the adhesive.

If I were to do this method again, I would use a spray bottle instead of a squirt bottle. This way, you can have more control over the amount of dye that comes out. I believe this would be very successful as long as the fabric doesn’t absorb too much liquid too fast!

All in all, I think using Pro Gaff^® for tie-dye was a success! You just have to use it the right way. And I think the shirts look awesome!! What are your thoughts? Comment below (and let us know if there’s another craft we should try to tape-ify!!)

The post Pro Tapes® for Tie-Dye: Success or Bust? appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

I found these used cornhole game boards at a garage sale – they were smaller than usual, which I thought would be great for my kids! But the paint on them was pretty faded, so I sanded them down to a real smooth surface, thinking I would spray paint them after.

 Unfortunately, the past few days here have been rainy, so we’ve been stuck inside and unable to spray paint life back into them. Of course the kids have been impatient and playing with them in the house “as is.” But the bean bags just don’t glide over the recently sanded surface. 

I looked around to see what I could do – and as always, Tape is the answer! I found a few rolls of Pro^® Splice 50 Tape- which is a SUPER smooth tape. Very thin, light, and even a little bit stretchy. I started layering 2” stripes of Pro^® Splice from the top of the boards down to the bottom edge. I folded the edges over and created nice corners– kind of like wrapping a present. Next, I applied White Pro^® Splice all around the edges, but I didn’t stop there…

I then added Pro Glow^® around the outer edges and Pro Glow Gaff^® inside the center cut-out holes. I cut the Pro Glow Gaff^® into smaller pieces so I could easily mold them around the cut-outs. In case anyone got confused there: Pro Glow^® is a shiny, smooth vinyl tape, whereas Pro Glow Gaff^® is matte like regular Pro Gaff^®. These are two different products! I used the Pro Glow^® vinyl tape on the surface of the board because it is smoother than Gaff, so it allows the bean bags to slide right down the board.

NOW with the added Glow, we can play all day, and all night!! Check out the results!! I must say, this tape is so smooth and really does allow for the bean bags to do their thing and glide right over the surface! 

I’m SO impressed with how fast and easy it was to bring these boards back to life without needing to use paint. Not to mention, these tapes gave the boards a very Pro^®-fessional new look!! Pro^® Splice 50 was a great choice for this project: its smooth, stretchy to pull and wrap over edges, thin enough to be able to layer, and strong enough to hold up on wooden boards!  And Pro Glow^® with Pro Glow Gaff^® added a really unique somethin-somethin to the final result

The post Cornhole Game Board with Pro Tapes® appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

HOW TO ENTER:

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED AS OF 8/08/2019. Congratulations to our winners!!

Step 1: Go to our Instagram (@protapes) and follow our Instagram page.

Step 2: Find our Birdhouse Giveaway post and comment with which birdhouse you’d like to win (“Shiny Blue” or “Beach Condo”).

Step 3: That’s it! Winners will be announced one (1) week from the date of the announcement post. There will be one winner for each birdhouse!

Winners must be of legal age for entry (18) and must live in one of the 48 contiguous states. Winner must have a physical mailing address capable of receiving the winning package (we cannot ship to a P.O. box.)

Summer is in full swing…

…so we wanted to make some arts & crafts that are fun for this season! It’s been a hot one so far, and we’re all looking for shade to keep cool in – and our feathered friends need shade too! I decided to make these birdhouses inspired by the bright yellow sun and blue ocean waves at the beach. The best part about using tape to decorate these birdhouses is that it’s safe to use for all ages! Let’s jump in and see how I made these.

Birdhouse #1: Shiny Blue

Materials:

• Wooden birdhouse
• Pro^® Duct 120 in 1” and 2”, yellow, blue, and green
• X-ACTO^® blade

This birdhouse is 100% Pro^® Duct 120– which is a great weather resistant choice! Not to mention, the colors will never fade. This house will certainly attract frequent guests!

I started from the bottom up… Wrapping the edges and base in 1″ green Pro^® Duct 120. I used an X-ACTO^® blade to slice the corners and keep the folds over the corners crisp.

I took out the wooden perches and vertically laid down blue duct right over the holes, hand tearing each strip. Then once the sides were completely sealed in blue 2″ Pro^® Duct, I felt around for the circular holes and trimmed them open again with an X-ACTO^® blade.

I then covered the corners and edges of the roof, layering from the bottom up with multiple rows of 1″ yellow Duct. As always, it was easy to hand-tear each piece – I didn’t have to deal with scissors for cutting sticky tape.

Birdhouse #2: Beach Condo

Materials:

• Wooden birdhouse
• Pro^® Artist Tape, ¼” and 1″
• Craft paint
• Embellishments (in this case, rocks, glass pieces, lady bug toy)
• EHB tape (Pro^® 5050C)
• X-ACTO^® blade

I wanted to try something a little harder for this fancy birdhouse – but it was still pretty easy, using Pro^® EHB! First, I used Pro^®’s repositionable Artist Tape (seen in orange) to mask off the areas I choose to paint. This birdhouse has so many fun angles and small details, so I wanted to keep the lines clean and crisp. I can quickly hand tear and place the tape straight (even around the curved windows), paint, then peel off the tape.

Then, to add more details, I dug out some ¼” Pro^® 5050C (extra high bond, double sided adhesive tape). It looks like the “red” tape in the pictures, but the red part is actually just the backing paper (we call it a liner in Pro^® terms!), which you peel off to reveal the clear tape underneath.

What’s great about EHB tape is that it bonds very strongly, but it’s safe and easy to use – unlike a hot glue gun! Although hot glue guns are very popular for crafting, it can be a hassle dealing with the wire, finding a plug near your work station, all those messy hot glue “strings” that form (if you’ve used hot glue, you know what I mean!) and don’t forget burning yourself by accident! Ouch!! This EHB Pro^® 5050C tape has none of those problems, so it’s great to use even with kids!

The ¼” size Pro^® 5050C EHB tape perfectly fit around the trim of the birdhouse’s roof. I was able to cut and trim the adhesive with the help of my X-ACTO^® blade (you can use scissors here instead.) Once the roof was taped up, I peeled back the red liner and sprinkled some blue colored gravel over the sticky areas. The gravel had no problem sticking right to the EHB tape and strongly stands in place.

I perfected this process (and sped things up a bit) by dumping out some gravel on a sheet of silicone and pressing the open adhesive down into the gravel. So, whatever works best! I recommend the silicone sheet for this process to ensure the EHB tape won’t stick to your surface! EHB tape like Pro^® 5050C is a great choice for adding small embellishments like this because it is so strong and easy to use, and it is also weather resistant – so it will hold up to all the elements of the outdoors.

I continued to bedazzle the house with Pro^® 1″ EHB and some glass beads. Here, I just applied the adhesive to the back of each bead and trimmed the edges with my X-ACTO^® blade (you can use scissors, too), peeled off the red liner and affixed to the house. When using extra high bond tape, you may want to measure or pre-mark your surface before you apply, because once it’s on… it’s on there for good!!

I loved how simple this craft was for both birdhouses! It’s easy enough for adults to decorate, but it would be great for kid’s art classes and families doing a craft project together. If you make a birdhouse using our tape, be sure to tag us on social media with @protapes !!

The post GIVEAWAY: Summer Birdhouse Craft with Pro Tapes®! appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

HOW TO ENTER:

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED AS OF 7/25/2019. Congratulations to our winners!!

Step 1: Go to our Instagram (@protapes) and follow our Instagram page.

Step 2: Find our Mailbox Giveaway post and comment with which mailbox you’d like to win (“Lakeside Home” or “Big Red Barnhouse”).

Step 3: That’s it! Winners will be announced one (1) week from the date of the announcement post. There will be one winner for each mailbox!

Winners must be of legal age for entry (18) and must live in one of the 48 contiguous states. Winner must have a physical mailing address capable of receiving the winning package (we cannot ship to a P.O. box.)

Learn how these masterpieces were made, with tapes from Pro®!

Not too long ago I was cleaning out my desk drawers, and of course I had A LOT of tape, and not enough drawer space for it! I had a lot of Pro® Duct 120, Pro® 714 and Pro® 788. I scratched my head at first. These were vastly different tapes! ProⓇ Duct 120 has excellent holding power, a waterproof backing and has fantastic conformability and tack. It is permanent and has a shiny finish, whereas ProⓇ 714 is a blue mask painters tape and ProⓇ 788 is a premium painters tape typically used in the automotive industry.

I really had to think outside the BOX on this one. Autumn was coming around so I wanted to do something outdoorsy…and that’s when it hit me! Mailboxes!! I decided to design two mailboxes, each showcasing different benefits and features of each of the tapes.

For the first mailbox, I decided to do a lakeside design only using ProⓇ Duct 120 in a variety of colors. For the second mailbox, I would use the ProⓇ 714 & ProⓇ 788 to mask and spray paint a barn house design (because those tapes are amazing at producing clean crisp lines and removing cleanly, too.) Using these tapes to create these mailboxes was not an easy task, but it was fun and challenging! A lot of what I did was on the fly, but I did my best to give you guys a “How-To” below.

Decorating the Mailboxes

MAILBOX #1: Lakeside Home

Materials:

• X-Acto blade and cutting mat
• ProⓇ Duct 120 ¼ inch, 1 inch, and 2 inch
  Colors: White, Black, Tan, Brown, Yellow, Olive Drab (Olive Green), Green, and Blue
  

The mailbox has a smooth metal surface, so I knew the ProⓇ Duct 120 would cling to it with no problem, and it would easily stretch over the rounded top and sharp corners along the edges without creasing or bunching up. I pulled out my cutting mats and an X-Acto blade, and began slicing through tape, peeling it up off the mat, and sticking it to the mailbox. I found myself knee deep in ripping and cutting ProⓇ Duct 120 in different lengths and geometrical shapes, layering them just like you would colors in a painting; creating shapes and movement all around the mailbox.

I was worried that slicing through the tape with an X-Acto blade might mess with the integrity of the product, but I was happy to see it did not! I was also happy to have 14 bold colors to work with – although for this particular project, since I had an Autumn lakeside theme, I stuck with just 8 colors. I used ProⓇ Duct 120 in White, Black, Tan, Brown, Yellow, Olive Drab (Olive Green), Green and Blue.

I also made use of 3 different sizes, ¼ in, 1 in and 2 in. The one and two inch rolls of ProⓇ Duct 120 were better for cutting organic, curved shapes. The ¼ inch rolls were best for precise and straight lines. Overall, the variations of widths kept this piece visually interesting!

ProⓇ Duct 120 was a great choice for its flexibility and how cleanly it cuts. In fact, I think the ProⓇ Duct extended the life of this mailbox! Now the mailbox will not rust, leak or fade. ProⓇ Duct 120 holds up amazingly against most weather conditions – so no need to worry about this artwork lifting or curling, it is guaranteed to stay put!

MAILBOX #2: Big Red Barnhouse

Materials:

• Red & Black Spray paint
• Scissors
• ProⓇ 788: ¼ inch, ½ inch, and 2 inch
• ProⓇ 714 Scenic Blue mask: 1 inch and 2 inch
• Shur Blue (used as a guide for marking lines)

I really wanted to focus on a design with lots of crisp lines. I needed to create a few angles around the roofline, and I gave each side 3 windows, and a barn door on the front. Before I could begin taping or painting, I washed and fully dried the mailbox to ensure all tape and paint would adhere properly.

Then I dug into my huge box of tape and grabbed my yellow ProⓇ 788, a premium painter’s tape. This stuff is used on cars, so it had to do the trick! I tried a piece and right away it clung to the box. I really felt the adhesion and how it clung to the surface…It stayed put. I even waited 30 minutes or so, and NO lifts! So with the ProⓇ 788 I started masking off the areas where I wanted to create crisp, clean lines.

ProⓇ 788 is easily repositionable, so I had some room to play with the placement of my lines. Another great feature is the sheerness of this tape – it has a bold color, but you can easily see through the tape. This made lining up the edges around the windows and door so much easier. It was key to see that I covered and masked certain areas properly so I didn’t get any funny overlaps. I also used Pro® 714 here and there to mask off certain areas, like the roof. With the masking done, it was time to (spray)paint.

Once the paint dried, it was time to unmask. ProⓇ 788 gave me the razor sharp edges I was looking for. Look at the precision of detail here in the doors! I was able to overlap this tape to create the barn door look. It even clung well over the raised text on the face of the mailbox. I’m so impressed! I must also point out how reliable this tape is. It removed neatly without damaging the mailbox, pulling up paint, or leaking at the edges.

Overall, I really enjoyed this opportunity to work with tapes I have never worked with before. It really challenged me, and I always love a good challenge! I hope someone will love these mailboxes just as much as I do!!

The post Pro Tapes® Designer Mailbox Giveaway! appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

Materials Used

• Pro Extreme High Bond (EHB) ½”
• Pro® Duct 120 ¼” black
• X-ACTO® blade
• Scissors
• Silicone sheet

This summer my family and I have been working on building and growing a garden from scratch! While my husband did the prep work for the garden, the kids and I set off to buy some seeds. And we pretty much bought one of everything! So, that got me thinking we better label everything we planted!

We set off to the craft store and found a wooden sign, letters, paddles, and stakes that can all be put together with Pro’s extra high bond tape. No nails, screws, drilling….Yadda yadda, just tape! Which allowed me to keep the kids involved with this project safely from start to finish. EHB is both permanent and weatherproof so I know it will hold. To take it a step further, we grabbed some extra embellishments for our signs, keep reading to find out more!

First, we painted and polyurethaned the wooden parts and let everything dry real well. Once everything was dry (24hours), I added a ½’ EHB tape as a border around the frame of the larger wooden sign. You can see in the photos EHB has a red backing, it easily peels off (my sons’ favorite part!) once you pull off the backing you have a SUPER sticky double sided tape. Here we sprinkled on a decorative tiny blue stone gravel. Which added a fun pop of color. We pressed the gravel in and around to make sure it got in all the “nooks and crannies.” and flipped the sign over to shake off any excess. EHB is clear and a little glossy, so it was a bit tricky to photograph… here the before and after of how well the gravel stuck. No hot glue burns or long dry times here! Tape, sprinkle, and done!

For the letters I used an X-ACTO blade to cut a more precise outline. The red silicone backing is a bit transparent, so you can easily see where you need to cut. This made it so easy to make the custom cuts I needed for each letter. Finally, one strip of EHB down the stake and done! Even with the extra weight of gravel on the top, the sign feels really secure! I love that EHB is water/weather safe so I can leave this outside and not have to worry about rusty nails or anything seeping into our garden!

We also made veggie signs to mark where we planted the various seeds. The wood we selected was again from the craft store, there are many wooden shapes you can pick from. I chose these little paddle ones because I wanted to have room to customize each. First, we painted and polyurethaned the wood and let them dry as mentioned earlier.

Then I used Pro^® Duct 120 ¼’ Black to frame out and mask an area for the hand painted label. Pro^® Duct is weather safe too, so I actually decided to leave it on as a framed border. You could even use Pro^® Duct’s variety of colors to simply color code your garden if you don’t want to hand paint or label each one. Lastly, to cover that little hole in the hand of the paddle I was able to cut the EHB down to size and shape and let the kids stick it right on! Again, no hot glue, drippy messes, or wait time.

Our signs have been out since we planted our seeds a few weeks ago, and you can see how well even on this rainy summer day they look.

The post Tape Used to Assemble & Decorate Summer Garden Signs appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

It’s that time of year! Easter, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, you name it there’s a gift basket for the occasion.

If you’re making any gift baskets this year, UGlu^Ⓡ is going to be your best friend!  Check out how easy it actually is to make gift baskets with just 6 simple steps that anyone can follow!

1. Gather and layout all your materials.

You have to see what you’re working with. See how many items you have, the various sizes and see if you have a good variety of sized items.

Here’s what I used:

• Basket (I used a wicker basket, but any basket will do)
• Various sized treats
• Filler grass
• Foam bowls (at least 2)
• Cellophane
• Embellishments: decorative carrots, bows, and ribbons
• UGlu^Ⓡ

2. Build a solid base:

Build up the center of basket simply with foam bowls and UGlu^Ⓡ. I used 2 foam bowls stacked on top of each other to build up height. You want to build up the items so they are showcased not sunken in! I used UGlu^Ⓡ Dashes to hold the bowls together face to face, and a UGlu^Ⓡ Power Patch to secure the bottom of bowl to the inside of basket. By doing this, you are creating different levels within the basket to allow for an interesting and appealing display.

3. Prep it

Add another UGlu^Ⓡ Power Patch to the top and maybe around the sides of bowl to stick your filler grass and scatter it around so your basket looks full. Make sure to save some for some extra “fluff” later.

4. Fill it up!

Fill with goodies…but keep in mind the “Florists rule” try to keep the items on display 1 ½ times taller than the container. This is why I used the foam bowls to add a taller base within the basket, to add dimension and height. Also, try to open any items that are packaged in multiples, because you can scatter them and make your basket appear fuller.

UGlu^Ⓡ is amazing for this step! I was able to use the UGlu^Ⓡ Dashes to affix the smaller items and the UGlu^Ⓡ Power Patches for the larger items. UGlu^Ⓡ is my go to for making gift baskets because it keeps everything put, but if needed I can remove it with a “simple twisting technique” and reposition the item without damaging the display item or the basket…truly a unique double sided tape!! UGlu^Ⓡ made it so easy for me to play around with the placement of my items if needed, but let me tell you these things aren’t going anywhere. If you need to ship out a basket, rest assured, your items will stay put!

5. Spin your basket

Spin your basket around. Make sure it is presentable from all angles. Looking good?? Notice how you can see all them items, nothing is buried or hidden. You can use UGlu^Ⓡ to stick your items directly in place and even hide or mask things that aren’t as appealing…such as the barcodes on the back of the packages.

6. Wrap it up!

I cut a large piece of cellophane from a roll and was able to pinch the top and sides together with a single dash of UGlu^Ⓡ per side to help keep the wrapper in place. Thankfully UGlu^Ⓡ is transparent, so it will go unnoticed and will not distract from your design. Once all wrapped up you’re ready to go!

*Bonus Points!

Grab some bonus points by further accessorizing your gift. Can’t tie a nice bow? Or maybe just short on some ribbon? Try this HACK for BOWS MADE EASY!

P.S. I like to use wired ribbon for bows because it keeps its shape best.

1. I cut my left over ribbon into 3 pieces. 2 smaller ones of equal length (the loop part) and one about double the length (the tail).

2. Loop the shorter pieces of ribbon ends together and affix with one UGlu^Ⓡ Dash.

3. Find the center of the longer piece and tie on some curly ribbon (this is how you will attach the bow to your package). Add a UGlu® Dash to the base of each tail of the ribbon.

4. Peel back the liner of the UGlu^Ⓡ Dash and affix your loops right on either side. Use those ties to place bow perfectly onto your package! Viola!

Now that you have all the basic skills to create an awesome gift basket, don’t limit yourself to just a basket. A basket can be anything, an umbrella, a pail, a tote bag, and etcetera. If you can imagine it, you can create it! You can cater your basket to any person for any occasion! So think outside the box and get Gift Basketing!

Some Inspiration:

For the kids: a pail & shovel…fill with a beach towel, flip flops, sunglasses, candy, and a ball
For the “chef”: a crock pot…fill with wine, pasta, bottle opener, wine glass, and a cook book
For the beach bums: A cooler…fill with ice packs, hat, to go cup, sun block, and a towel
Your options are limitless!!

How to remove UGlu®

The post 6 Easy Steps to Creating Any Gift Basket appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

I stretched a 36×40 canvas and stared at its blank white surface for over a year. I had the vision of an abstracted antique airplane for my son’s room. There was just one problem however, I didn’t know anything about airplanes. I took out some reference books from my local library and dug up some of my husbands’ old airplane books but that wasn’t enough. Researching, learning and building a story is what’s great about the process of art. While doing my research, I was really drawn to the vintage looking green, navy, and copper colors of the old propeller planes. It wasn’t until a visit to a local antique store that I really started to see my vision come to life. When I found some very old LIFE® magazines along with some other older books, I began to read through the stories and text about pilots, aircrafts, war and Americana.

I was immediately drawn to the faded look and feel of the old paper because of the browning of the edges, the tiny text and the old vintage ink. I knew I wanted to not only use this vintage articles as a reference but actually rip and collage this material right onto the surface! I thought about how this would add an element of texture and depth and a story literally right to my piece. At this moment, I realized I wanted to explore depth and textural elements

The magazine I bought was only a few bucks but the more I thought about it, I couldn’t let myself rip up the history. I began to hunt for old maps and aerial views; again something old and faded. I liked the idea of layering the words, the text and the textures of the lines of the old thin paper. I envisioned the airplane to be abstracted appearing to be flying over this layered surface in the sky but I couldn’t find maps, and much like the magazines and books, I hesitated against the thought of ripping up a piece of history. I thought about photocopying the pages but the paper just wouldn’t have the same look and feel, so again the canvas sat.

The more I thought about it, the answer was right in front of me. I ran down to my tape stash and I found a montage of colors that were perfect. Right down to the copper! It was like a sudden light bulb effect because that was the texture I was searching for!

I thought about it all wrong, the texture, the color, the lines, the visual impact should be the plane itself.

I laid out my tape color palette, using mostly Pro Gaff®, Pro® Spike, Pro® 46, Artist Tape and gold Pro® Sheen. I immediately knew the Pro Gaff® tape would hold up perfectly over my surface. I could mask and layer with the Artist Tape and Pro® 46 and use the gold Pro® Sheen for added dimension and a pop of metallic!

The first thing I did was sketch out the plane in watercolor pencil and began to block in some colors.

The layers began with reddish/brown Pro® Spike tape in the center of the propeller. I also used Pro® 46 light blue to mask the edges off, as well as white Pro® 46 as a guideline for myself in the propellers to keep them symmetrical. The use of Pro® 46 here was only as a guide, as I intended to remove it later. Intentionally, I ripped the Pro® 46 by hand and directionally layered the Pro® Spike tape around the circular area right onto my canvas and over the pencil and water blended areas. Building up the lines and geometric shape, simply with the lines and layers of tape.

I had to allow some dry time between blending the watercolor and application of tape but I was too excited and impatient to get to work and one area had lifted because it was only 75% dry. My impatience soon led me to introduce oil pastels because it has no drying time like with paint. I wanted to layer the tape but also see how well it’s surface worked in combination with my art materials. So far a win!

Close up of masking details on propeller and layers of Pro Gaff® on top of watercolor with reworked oil pastel on surface.

Below you can see how next I began to layer the body and the left wing of the F4U-Corsair. Creating movement and rhythm within the line and curved shape of the plane. The tape has a very straight line but I was able to find harmony in its juxtaposition of form, using the straight lines of the tape to create a curved surface of the body of the plane. At this moment I realized this was my perfect media for collage! I was able to layer multiple colors and widths to find gradation on the contour of the plane. Best of all, the texture of the Pro Gaff® tape gives an overall unique look and a 3D effect.

Continuing on, I painted the sky pulling up the pigments from the watercolor pencil and blending them with acrylic paint. When that was dry, I blended oil pastel and more pencil on top. I peeled back the white Pro® 46 (colored masking tape) to protect the propellers. Below reveals the original lines and shading of my colored watercolor pencil. You can see how the masking held up between layers of paint and blending.

I decided I liked some of that added tape texture and line form in the propellers too. I left some tape in place and added more Pro Gaff® white tape layered around the masking. I then continued this area with acrylic paint, pastel and an acrylic blending medium which pulled the watercolor pencil through and brought just the right shaded tone to the form. The areas I had first masked off left the impression behind of highlights. When these layers were dry, I topped it off with some more pastel. The raised areas of tape picked up an interesting texture.

I continued to rip by hand and add multiple layers of Pro Gaff® tape. I focused on the contour of the plane by adding different lengths and widths of tape in a variation of shades to create depth and shadow around the form. Blending pastel right on top of the new surface and even more layers of acrylics and blending medium. I’ve been working on this piece for about two weeks and all of the Pro Gaff®, Pro® 46, Artist Tape and Pro® Sheen have all stayed in place. The extra weight on top of it with watered down and layered paints or oil pastels did not in any way affect the quality of the art piece.

There really are no limitations for the uses of Pro Tapes® quality products and there certainly are no rules for how to create art. Whatever your canvas, whatever your muse, don’t be afraid to explore something new and think outside the box. Add some texture, color and dimension to your art any way you like with anything you like!

The post How to think outside the box when approaching a mixed media art piece appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

Everyone in my family is pretty “crafty”. We’ve always done crafts together, whether it was a holiday, dying eggs, carving pumpkins, making decorations or just having fun; crafting was something that pretty much was an everyday thing.

I used to spend mornings watching Bob Ross. He was my first real favorite artist. He always started right out with paint, no pencils, blocking in lines and shapes with paint right onto the canvas. He made his paintings come to life with a few happy little lines and dashes. I loved learning how to fix or accept a “happy little accident.” I always loved watching his process. I learned from Bob, that art can be whatever you want it to be, and there is no right or wrong.

From a very young age I was always encouraged to draw my own pictures, as opposed to coloring in the lines or tracing characters out of books. I mostly had lots of blank sketchbooks and pads of paper. I had coloring books too but I was always encouraged to draw it myself and make my own pictures, so I did! I filled up probably every piece of paper in the house. I was always drawing up my own story, much like my muse Bob Ross.

In middle school I started taking private art classes. This is when I was able to begin to explore many different mediums and challenge myself to new things. I was introduced to oil and acrylic paints, oil and chalk pastels, charcoal, watercolors and even clay. I was intrigued to try them all out. I can’t say I favored any one, I wanted to explore each medium and learn a new process.

Later on, in high school, I was accepted into a limited gifted and talented program which was through auditions and portfolio reviews. For an entire semester, I got to leave school early and complete the afternoon of studies at a local college. There, myself and other selected fellow art- nerds, were taught advanced visual art courses by college professors, distinguished artists themselves. These are the years, where I learned how to really think outside the box, or more abstractly about my art. My list of aspiring artists now grew to include: Warhol, Cezanne, Monet, Renoir, Pollock, Van Gogh… and the list can go on and on!

I continued the visual arts field into college. When I bought myself a film camera, I was eager to spend long nights in open labs developing film and processing prints, so I switched my major, into media arts and design. I took up graphic design for a short while but decided that wasn’t what I wanted to focus on. I didn’t enjoy sitting at a computer to create. Art to me is about the process of creating something, getting your hands dirty, making a mess, and exploring.

Fast forward, I became a preschool teacher’s aide and an elementary art teacher, I was never sitting, and I was always messy! I enjoyed helping kids learn how to hold a pencil, how to make lines, how to cut with scissors, how to NOT use an entire bottle of glue, how to read and how to play. More importantly though, I learned from them and it was fulfilling!

These days, I’m a stay at home mom of two that kind of stumbled upon a few deliveries of tape and I guess the rest is history…

Today, as Pro Tapes® Crafters Corner Artist, I find myself exploring yet another new medium, tape. Challenging myself here, once again, to think outside the box. A tape artist, kind of by accident, a DIY expert and hacker by trade. I get to share with you all kinds of wild and crazy projects and hacks to do with various tapes. I get to play, explore and find new ways to create with this new medium and I love it. Proving and sharing with you in these blogs, that art can truly be anything you want it to be, there is never a right or wrong.

Mostly, I love the impressionist style of art, but I love the bold color of pop art and I love the idea of blowing images up outside the frame spilling onto one or more giant canvases into abstractions. I mostly work in mixed media: collage, paints, ink, and pastels. Now I can add tape to that list! Below are a few Examples of my past and current works. other than what you see I do here on the Crafters Corner Blog with Pro®.

The post Crafters Corner: Meet the Artist appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

• Empty Pro® cores 1” I.D. and 3” I.D.
• Pro® Sheen, Red, Green, Gold
• Pro® 183 Kraft
• Pro® Gaff ¼” White
• Pro® Duct ¼” Green, 1” Red
• UGlu® Dashes, UGlu® Power Patch
• Laminating sheets (Transparent film)
• Yarn
• Faux snow
• Figurines
• Decorative foam shapes
• Rhinestones
• Holiday cheer!

Hey Crafters,
Oh the weather outside is frightful
So let’s get to crafting as soon as possible
And since we’ve got no place to go
Let’s craft, let’s craft, let’s craft

Can you imagine a holiday season WITHOUT your HOT GLUE?!? Well start imagining it NOW! UGlu® can fulfill all your holiday crafting needs.

Whether you already have a family tradition of ornament making, or are looking to start one, you’ve come to the right place. The past few weeks I’ve been working on a bunch of different types of fun, personal, DIY ornaments I can show you guys how to make, that are easy enough to do alone or with the whole family. It’s fun, simple, and you can upcycle items you already have. So throw some marshmallows on that hot chocolate and crank up your favorite holiday tunes or movies, because it’s time to spruce up that tree with some personalized, handmade ornaments!

After wrapping countless amounts of gifts, I’m sure you have a ton of empty tape rolls, or as we like to call them, cores. Cores are the basis of almost all of the ornaments I am going to show you today.

Snow Globes

Snow Globes: I turned an empty 3” I.D. Pro Tape® core into a super cute snow globe using a piece of transparent film (laminating sheet) to close off the front. First I grabbed some Pro® Sheen to frame the brim of the empty core, leaving a little overhang. This way as I folded down the edges inside the core, it sealed the transparent film shut and left a fancy edge. BUT FIRST, before you seal up that back, you have to decorate the inside! Lay down some UGlu® Power Patches and add some 3D decorations. I added a little figurine by rolling up a UGlu® Dash, so it better conformed to the contours of the rounded base. It doesn’t have to be perfect because the faux snow will just cover the excess. Now, add a few scoops of faux snow and seal up the back. For the back you can either use decorative pieces of scrapbook paper, recycled Christmas cards, or even another piece of transparent film if you want to be able to see through the entire thing, it’s up to you. Now repeat the same technique as the front to close up the back. Don’t forget you can decorate the inside of the core too. You can use some of our decorative tapes, or some yarn, or simply just draw on it with some markers or paint. For this particular one, I just used some Pro® 183 Kraft tape and tied some yarn around to hang.

Picture frame

Picture frame: If you don’t have the materials to execute a full on snow globe ornament, here is another easy, modified way to get some fun, personalized ornaments that look just as nice as the slow globes. Decorate some larger cores that will best fit your favorite photos. This creates a festive frame, in which you can insert any photo into the center using UGlu®, or other multi-functional Pro Tapes® products. Then just wrap yarn, ribbon, or your material of choice around the core, tie it in a loop on top and hang! Simple and oh-so personal!

Cute and cozy winter hats

Cute and cozy winter hats: This one is super simple! Wrap your favorite color yarns around an empty core, preferably a 1” I.D. core size. You’ll just need to cut yourself a handful of yarn into about 10inch strips or so, fold them in half and loop them around the entire core until it’s fully covered. Gather the excess that is hanging off and bring to a point (aka the top of the hat) and tie a bow to secure in place. Trim the excess off the top for a clean, pom-pom look. You can also add embellishments like I did. I added a little foam bow with a UGlu® Dash.

Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree: These were a little more time consuming, yet just as easy and fun to make. Cut or hand rip a bunch of strips from the ¼” width green Pro® Duct Tape, making them all around the same length; approximately 4 inches long. Now using 1’’ green Pro® Duct tape, cover a tiny espresso sized disposable cup and begin attaching the pre-cut strips. Bend the strip in half and attach as a loop. Leave some over hang on the end and use this to stick directly to the cup. Start from the bottom and work your way up, to give it a layered look. I used green Pro® Sheen in between each layer to add some extra pizazz and dimension. Now decorate your tree however you please. I used some UGlu® Dashes to attach some rhinestones to the top!

Galaxy saucers

Galaxy saucers: These eye catching ornaments may be super simple to make, but they do pack a big punch on the tree. All you need to do to execute these beauties is wrap 3-1/4” Pro® cores with your favorite color Pro® Sheen and stick inside one another and affix with a few UGlu® Dashes. It’s that simple. Here I used one color per ornament but if you want to get fancy with it, wrap each core in a different color, and when combined you have a beautiful combination of colors! Pro® sheen comes in 6 vibrant colors, red, green, blue, silver, gold and black.

Snowflake

Snowflake: Following the same method as above for the tree, I hand ripped strips of ¼” white Pro® Gaff tape. I married two pieces together. Then I took 3 married strips, bent them each over individually, creating a loop and combined them together like a tiny bouquet, then I secured them together by wrapping a piece of silver Pro® Sheen around the stem of the “bouquet”.

After making 8 or 9 of these I trimmed them all to be the same length. I then attached the stem of each individual “bouquet” together by using a rolled up ball of UGlu®. The ball being the center and the bouquets attaching to that. Then to disguise the UGlu® ball, I added a foam snowflake to the center with a UGlu® Dash.

Which one of these ornaments is your favorite? Let us know by commenting below!

If you enjoyed what you saw today, share this post with your friends! All you need to do is click one of the share buttons on the left hand side!

The post DIY Christmas Ornaments appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

What we used:

• Pro® Artist Tape Orange ¼ inch, ½ inch, 1 inch,
• Pro® Gaff ¼ inch and 1 inch: Olive Drab (Olive Green), Yellow, Red
• Pro® Sheen Gold 1 inch
• Pro® 183 Kraft Tape 2 inch
• UGlu® DIY pack
• Misc. fall embellishments: burlap, Kraft paper, gems, faux leaves,
  Markers

The best thing about DIY decorations is that if you don’t have one item, you can always substitute it for something else. For example, if you don’t have kraft paper you can use cardboard, poster board, or printer paper that has been folded multiple times. Or if you don’t have a ¼ inch roll of Pro Gaff®, you can take your ordinary 2 inch roll and hand tear it or cut with scissors down to your desired size, it’s that simple! The beauty in crafting is that there is no cut and dry way to get something done, there will always be other embellishments to use, different techniques, and just overall, differences in styles and color preferences. Here at Crafters Corner we like to show you how we have had success with executing specific crafts or hacks for those to want to replicate it exactly, but otherwise, be creative and be yourself. We are always here to share new ideas, techniques, and products that work well. Shall we jump right into it already?!

How To:

In case you didn’t notice, Becky created 4 different versions of place settings, but used the same materials in different ways for each of them to maintain one cohesive look. She thought it would be fun to not have all the place setting look exactly the same, but look similar enough that they all fit nicely into the overall theme of the table decor.

Becky created 4 elements to enhance her table settings:

1. Utensil holder
2. Napkin ring
3. Placemats
4. Place cards

Becky wanted to take a different approach when creating these enhancements, because she didn’t really plan out a step by step ahead of time, she just went with that looked good to her and what techniques worked the best, so we are going to share all that good stuff with you. Go ahead Becky!

Have you ever cut burlap? Yikes, what a mess! How I got those clean nice edges was not by trying to cut perfect clean edges, but rather by using UGlu®. I realized UGlu® is like an instant hem without even sewing! It’s a peel and stick hem in my opinion. SAY WHAT?? UGlu® performed amazingly on this tricky surface. I was playing around with my UGlu® DIY pack and burlap and then I ran and grabbed some fall colored Pro® Gaff, Pro® Artist tape and Pro® 183 Kraft paper tape and began layering my tapes and putting together some really cute table settings. I made napkin rings, utensil holders, place cards and even placemats all with tape!! Basically, no cost at all- all materials I already had on hand.

1: Utensil Holder

The utensil holders are just pieces of burlap folded in half like a birthday card. I secured the one longer end with UGlu®, leaving the top and bottom open so I can slip the utensils right in. Essentially, it’s like a pouch. That’s right no sewing, and no hot glue burns…seems like a win-win to me! Just peel, stick, and DONE. I was able to make so many of these so fast. No mess, no wires, no burns, none of that weird spider web stuff the hot glue makes, it was clean and effortless.

2: Napkin ring

I even wrap the burlap around my napkins and made some napkin rings to match. Then I just added embellishments like Pro® Sheen strips and rhinestones from my local craft store.

3: Placemats

I did the same with burlap on cardstock and made a few patterns that I decided to use as placemats. I used UGlu® to attach the burlap to the card stock. I also used other tapes such as Pro® Artist tape and Pro® Gaff in black as embellishments, alongside the fallen leaves from my fall garlands that I got from my local crafting store.

4: Place cards

Then I began to make the place cards, because I love an organized table. I cut some cardstock and folded it in half, then… you guessed it, I began to layer with burlap using UGlu® of course. I began layering and adding patterns simply with tape. I used whatever fall colors I had on hand of Pro Gaff® and Artist Tape. Then on top of it all I added a piece of 2 in Pro® 183 Kraft Paper tape down the center, so that not only did it polished the whole look off, but it also left a writable surface as the utmost top layer. I mean, you be the judge, tape or fancy ribbon? To me there’s no comparison, a tape that looks like ribbon but can be written on?! No brainer. This practically took no time at all and was fun!! I didn’t have to spend a lot of time or money, I made do with that I had.

Have fun with it!

If you know how I am, you would know I couldn’t just stop there. I needed more embellishment!! So I added more “bling bling” to each of the table decorations. With the help of UGlu® again, I realized I could roll up UGlu® dashes into a little ball and use that to attach small rhinestones. To complete the look, and to get that cohesive feel, I added pieces here and there of gold Pro® Sheen and some faux fall leaves from my garlands to all 4 of my table decor items and layered them together with…DUN-DUN-DUN…UGlu®!

I feel like I will be playing a trick on my guests this thanksgiving, waiting and wondering how long it will take people to realize it’s all just TAPE!!! LOL. I guess it’ll be just me and the turkey’s little secret! Shhhh!!!

Your DIY Essentials:

• UGlu® DIY pack
• Pro® Gaff 2 in (in your favorite colors)
• Pro® Artist Tape (also in your favorite colors)
• Pro® Sheen…a must have to replace all that messy glitter!!! (Also in your favorite colors, although, I LOVE the Gold, and Silver)
• Pro® Duct 120 (In all your favorite colors)

The post How to Upgrade Your Thanksgiving Table Setting With a Little Love, Fun and Pro Tapes®! appeared first on Pro Tapes®.