Braided (looking) Duct Tape Bracelet

     This is a pattern I lifted from a leather bracelet I once had. In my earlier days of tape craft I liked to apply various patterns and ideas from other disciplines to my duct tape work. This is one of the results.

All you need is a roll of duct tape, scissors and an x-acto knife.

     First tear off a length of duct tape easily more than long enough to travel around your wrist. Split it down the middle lengthwise into two equal strips. Fold each of these strips in half, lengthwise with the sticky sides in to make two equal length silver ribbons. Cut off the ends to clean up those edges.

     Take each of the ribbons you made and fold them in half, lengthwise to make a crease down the center. About half an inch from one end of one of the ribbons use the x-acto knife to cut a small slit along the center crease. I usually make the cut about as big as the blade is. Set down this ribbon on top of the other one. Make sure the creases on both point down, toward the table.
     On the bottom ribbon, find the end sitting below the cut you just made. Fold the end of that bottom ribbon by its crease and feed it through the slit. Stop pulling it through when the ends of the top and bottom parts match. Allow the ribbon to unfold, but make sure the part that passes through the slit remains folded.

     Go to the point where one ribbon crosses through the other. Around that point cut a slit in the ribbon that passes through the other one (it should not have a slit in it yet). This will be the ribbon with its long end on the bottom.
     Take the long end of the top ribbon and pass it through the new slit, folding it in half just as before. Pull it through as far as it will go.

     From this point on simply repeat the previous step, making a cut in the bottom ribbon and feeding the top one down through the opening. Try your best to keep the size of your cuts and the distance between as consistent as possible. Inconsistency can ruin this pattern.

     Now there's nothing left to do but tape the ends together to form a bracelet.