How To Cut Duct Tape Designs

I know it’s hard to pick favorites but I am pretty sure duct tape is my favorite crafting material. Duct tape comes in a wide variety of colors and designs making it easy to decorate and customize crafts. Learning how to cut duct tape is the key to working with it though.

How to Cut Duct Tape Designs

If you’ve ever tried to cut duct tape with scissors you know that the tape tends to stick to the scissor blades. If you want just a strip of tape, you can easily rip it off but then the edges are jagged. If you want to cut a specific shape or design you need to be able to successfully use scissors.

How to Cut Duct Tape with Parchment Paper

The simplest way to cut duct tape with scissors is using parchment paper. When you place a strip of duct tape on parchment paper it will only slightly adhere to it. Now when you cut through the duct tape, the parchment paper will prevent the tape from sticking to the scissor blades.

Once you’ve made your cuts, the duct tape easily peels off the parchment paper and the cuts have clean edges.

Using parchment paper allows you to cut designs out of duct tape as well. Simply draw your design or shape on one side of the parchment paper, then flip it over and cover the entire shape with duct tape.

The parchment paper is thin enough that you can see the design on the opposite side. Now turn the parchment paper back over and carefully cut out your shape using scissors. Peel off the parchment paper backing when you are ready to use it.

How to Cut Duct Tape with a Cricut machine

How to Cut Duct Tape Designs with a Cricut

While I often cut duct tape by hand using parchment paper and scissors, I love that I can also cut duct tape using my Cricut Maker. This is helpful when I need a more intricate design cut. my scissor skills are usually on par with a kindergartner, that’s why my Cricut saves me.

There are different opinions on how you can cut duct tape using your Cricut machine. Some people think you need to add a backing like parchment paper or wax paper before you put it on the cutting mat. Honestly I’ve had the best luck with just lightly adding the duct tape straight to the mat.

There is a setting for duct tape on your Cricut machine. My Cricut Maker cuts the duct tape well but the duct tape wants to stay stuck to the mat, even when using transfer tape.

I am successful (with patience) by first weeding the excess duct tape, then using strong grip transfer tape and finally carefully using my Cricut spatula to lift up the duct tape design

If you want to use duct tape regularly then I suggest buying sheets of duct tape, it already has backing that will come off easy.

Duct Tape Crafts

Being able to easily cut duct tape into various shapes allows you to create lots of fun duct tape crafts. One of my favorite duct tape crafts is my BB-8 paper lantern that required a lot of duct tape designs in different colors. I use duct tape in crafts year round from lightsaber Christmas lights to Halloween costumes.

This post was originally published July 20, 2020.