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Crafting with VHS Tapes
comments (55) February 24th, 2011
When I want to do some green crafting, the first thing I do is look around for stuff that has lost its usefulness and needs a second life. My movie collection provided the gold this time. As I acquire more of my favorites on DVD, the old VHS tapes are gathering dust. I decided to see what I could make from them.
What you'll need:
- One or two old VHS tapes
- One or two old CDs
- E-6000 glue
- Small Phillips-head screwdriver
- Craft knife
Note: I'm using VHS tapes with card stock sleeves for the first of my projects.
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Make sure all the tape is wound to one side of the cassette. |
First, let's make a set of bookends. My partner and I came up with this project as a way to use another dust-gathering technology: old CDs.
To begin this project, remove the card stock sleeve from the videotape, and make sure the tape is all wound to one side of the cassette; this way, all the weight will be at the bottom of the tape, which is best for stability. Rewind or fast forward your tape as needed to get it to this configuration.
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Line up the edge of the tape with the edge of the CD. |
This is how you'll be gluing the VHS tape and CD together: The edge of the tape and the edge of the CD should match. The side of the tape that you glue to the CD should be free of any labels or label residue.
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Place E-6000 on the CD. |
Put a generous coating of E-6000 on the CD, placing it where the VHS cassette will go.
NOte that E-6000 (a one-part epoxy) may not be the "greenest" glue in the world, but it makes a strong, flexible bond, which is crucial to the success of this project.
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Stabilize the bookends for drying by placing them back to back with a weight on top. |
Stand the VHS tape on the CD. Remember how you wound all the tape to one side of the cassette earlier? Place the cassette so the tape is at the bottom.
The E-6000 will need several hours to cure, and you'll need to stabilize your bookends during this time so they won't move or fall over. If you make a set of two bookends at the same time, you can stand them back to back, as shown, and place a small weight on top. Leave them overnight.
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The next day, slide the sleeve over the tape. |
Lastly, slip the sleeve over the cassette. And you're done!
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The finished bookends are fun and functional. |
We keep making more sets of these bookends. They take up so little room on a shelf, have a nice, streamlined look, and are a cool way to show off our favorite films. I also love that they're a wry little commentary on how outdated new technologies can get. (Maybe one day, we'll be making iPhone bookends.)
If you also want to craft with the videotape itself, you can remove it from the cassette before you make your bookends. (They'll still work fine without the weight inside them.) Here's how to get at the tape:
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Remove the screws holding the cassette together. |
Most VHS tapes are held together by four or five small screws. You can easily remove these with a small Phillips-head screwdriver.
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If your tape has a label, slice it down the center. |
If your tape has a label along one edge, it will prevent the two halves of the cassette from separating. Cut along the center of the label with a craft knife.
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Separate the halves of the cassette. Remove the tape reels. |
Gently pull the cassette open and separate the halves. The tape reels will lift out. If you're making bookends, you can put the cassette back together and replace the screws.
Each video yields miles of tape to craft with. You may have seen MyRecycledBags.com. Cindy crochets videotape into a sparkly fabric, sometimes incorporating ribbon to make pretty handbags. (She makes bags from lots of other interesting materials, too.) You can also knit with VHS tape. The resulting fabric is very sturdy.
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This notebook cover is made with woven strips of VHS tape. |
I also modified my Woven Scrap Journal project, weaving strips of VHS tape to make the cover of this notebook. (It's edged, by the way, with duct tape-duct tape scores again.)
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VHS tape makes excellent ribbon for gift wrap. |
You may have seen this trick during the holiday season-VHS tape makes a nice, shiny ribbon for gift wrap. Look at the tape carefully, and you'll notice that one side is slightly more matte than the other. Run this side lightly over a scissor blade, and it will curl beautifully.
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Gently stretch the tape to harden it and create a thinner cord. |
Playing around with the tape, I discovered that if you gently stretch it, the edges will curl in tightly and it will harden a bit. (You may need a few tries to get the amount of stretch just right, but then you'll be able to make yards of stretched tape quickly, working a section at a time.) The result is something that looks and feels like patent leather cord, and this stuff has lots of possibilities, too.
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This thrift-store bag is adorned with loomed flowers made from stretched VHS tape. |
Following Cathy Callahan's tutorial for making loomed flowers, I turned out a set of pretty embellishments for this thrift-store straw bag, adding embroidery floss for color. The flowers will stand up to lots of wear and tear.
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Stretched VHS tape also lends itself well to macramé. |
And then, just for fun, I tried macramé and came up with this quick bracelet. The buttons add a fun touch. (If you have any interest in a how-to for this project, leave a comment and I'll whip something up.)
Granted, all these projects have a Henry Ford "any color you like as long as it's black" vibe, but there's no better way to stretch your creative boundaries than to try to make something new from something old.
After you make this project, show off your work to other members!
Post your project in the gallery
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Comments (55)
Thanks
Posted: 7:13 am on September 21st
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Posted: 11:05 am on June 24th
it is fantastic. love it ,love it ,love it
Posted: 7:42 pm on March 2nd
Posted: 1:01 pm on February 25th
Posted: 11:10 pm on February 24th
I really appreciate your reply - thank you and have a good weekend!
Posted: 9:08 pm on February 24th
Posted: 6:57 pm on February 24th
Love all your stuff! Any tutorials would be great!
Keep up the good work and thanks for all the ideas!
Take care and Happy Turkey Day!
Julie
Posted: 11:03 am on November 21st
Posted: 1:51 am on August 31st
Posted: 6:15 am on June 10th
Posted: 12:59 am on May 26th
Posted: 10:46 pm on April 21st
Sounds really cool! I hope you'll post a picture here so we can see!
Posted: 8:29 pm on April 20th
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Posted: 12:56 pm on March 30th
Posted: 12:55 pm on March 30th
Posted: 11:09 am on March 29th
I won't be destroying great old movies -- what I have are tons of tapes of tv shows I recorded that I now no longer need or have on DVD. I just can't stand the idea of throwing them out and very few places take them for recycling nowadays.
I was also thinking of gluing the boxes together to make book shelves, so I love your bookends idea!
Posted: 10:21 am on March 29th
Posted: 9:01 pm on March 28th
Posted: 7:09 pm on March 28th
Posted: 6:54 pm on March 28th
Still...how could you destroy a copy of The Princess Bride!?? It's one of the best movies ever! (I watch it ever time it comes on TV, sometimes several times in one week! Never get tired of it!) There must be some other videos more worthy of destroying? (I have some Jane Fonda work out tapes around here somewhere!)
Posted: 5:37 pm on March 28th
Posted: 5:19 pm on March 28th
Posted: 1:38 pm on March 28th
Posted: 1:19 pm on March 28th
Posted: 12:30 pm on March 28th
Posted: 12:13 pm on March 28th
Posted: 10:59 am on March 28th
Do you have trouble turning off your brain at night like I do. Now I know I will dream about VHS tapes and in the morning I will know why and that I am not crazy.
Love you ideas hope you keep posting more.
Posted: 10:02 am on March 28th
Posted: 9:22 am on March 28th
I wish I had thought of that!
You rule.
Thanks for the great ideas.
Kim and Mush
Posted: 8:39 am on March 28th
Birgitte
http://SewDanish.etsy.com
Scandinavian Textile Art, Unique Handmade Supplies
Posted: 1:56 am on March 28th
Posted: 10:13 pm on March 27th
Posted: 6:57 pm on March 27th
Posted: 5:57 pm on March 27th
Posted: 5:56 pm on March 27th
Posted: 5:31 pm on March 27th
Just wanted to add a word of caution on using tapes for jewelry. A friend of mine crocheted some great bracelets from cassette tapes a few years ago . . . they looked awesome, but they caused rashes on nearly everyone whom she gave one to (including me).
I'm guessing it was from the chemicals that coat the tape during manufacturing. I don't know if the same, or similar, chemicals are used on vhs tape, but I would be careful.
Thanks for the inspiration . . . I may just have to make some bookends this weekend!
Posted: 3:58 pm on March 27th
Posted: 3:13 pm on March 27th
Thanks!
Posted: 2:21 pm on March 27th
Posted: 2:01 pm on March 27th
Posted: 1:35 pm on March 27th
Posted: 12:35 pm on March 27th
also, love the Henry Ford bit :)
Posted: 12:28 pm on March 27th