Unusual Uses For Tape

Around the House:
• If you're hanging a picture on a plaster wall put a small "X" of cellophane tape over the spot you need to drive the nail this will prevent your paint from cracking.

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• When fixing a broken mug handle, use masking tape to gently secure the repair. Let the glue dry and the mug will be as good as new!

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• To clean cobwebs off of the ceiling all you need is some duct tape and some PVC pipe! Attach a length of PVC piping to the end of the vacuum hose and seal the seam with some duct tape. Now raise the new nozzle to the ceiling and turn on the vacuum cleaner. This will easily whisk away cobwebs and dust.

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• Tightly woven carpets look great in any home and they're really durable. But what happens if you get a snag in one of the loops? It's very easy to fix. Use a pair of scissors to snip the snag off of the carpet as close to the base as you can. Line each side of the run with some masking tape as close to the edge as you can to protect the surrounding carpet.

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Run a bead of carpet adhesive into the hole. Use an awl to carefully guide each of the loops back into place. You'll know where the loops begin and ends because there will be a little patch of the old adhesive along the length of the piece you're working with where each loop was originally connected.

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• Pesky silverfish? Make a trap by running double-sided tape up the side of a glass and putting it upright where you spot the bugs. They'll climb up the tape and once they're in the glass they won't be able to climb out.

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• If you're getting ready for move, masking tape is a handy tool. When you take pictures off of your wall. Take the hook off of the wall and tape it to the back of the frame. This way when you get to your new home you won't have to go searching for hardware.

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• Need to sew a tiny button onto a shirt. Tape the button to the fabric, it will hold it in place while you get the sewing started, then you can simply rip it away.

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In the Workshop:
• When you use a saw, you can end up splintering your wood. To prevent this, run a length of masking tape along your cut line, and this will keep the splintering in check.

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• Before you start a project with a sanding block, put a strip of wide tape on the back of your sandpaper. This will give you a cutting guide because it is just the right width and it will keep your paper from ripping on the block so it will last.

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• If you use a shop broom for cleaning large areas you know it is nearly impossible to get the mess into a dustpan. Well tape some newspapers to the floor, sweep the dirt onto the papers and then crumple the entire mess into the garbage.

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• If you need to do some serious nailing use some electrical tape to mark off your hammer handle at three, six, nine and twelve inch increments. This way you can hold the hammer handle against the wall and easily eyeball the next location of your nail.

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• If you're having trouble holding a screw when starting it, stick the end through a piece of tape and tape it to the screwdriver. This way you'll be able to drive the screw without dropping it and you can pull the tape off when you're done!

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• Wrap some tape around the metal rim of a paintbrush before you use it, the tape will prevent the paint from seeping up onto the rim, which is harder to clean. Simply peel the tape off when you're done.

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• Wrap tape around a new paint roller and then pull it off the loose fuzzies will end up on the tape not in your paint.

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