Craft: transforming traditional crafts

Scotch Blue Tape

"Meg and I learned a pro tip when making a nautical striped lampshade for her bathroom in a recent CRAFT video. After using Scotch Blue painter's tape to block off stripes on the shade, we used Mod Podge to seal the edge of the tape to the shade. This prevents paint from seeping under the edge and ruining your clean lines. Meg exclaimed, "I wish I had known this when I used tape to paint stripes on the credenza!" - Becky Stern, Associate Editor

"I keep ROLLS of Scotch Blue Tape in our basement - we started to renovate our 1926 farmhouse this year and thanks to decades of wallpaper and poor paint jobs on our old walls, the Blue Tape helps keep you sane as you paint, no matter how many coats you have to add!" - Lish Dorset, Staff Writer

3M Scotch Tough Duct Tape

"When it comes to DIY and repairs, my husband and I are pretty much never on the same page. But, when it comes right down to it, we can always agree on this: there is almost nothing that a little bit of Scotch Tough Duct Tape can't fix. Need to hold together the floors of a cardboard cat rocket? Duct tape. Need a wallet? You get my point."
- Haley Pierson-Cox, Contributing Editor

Sad pup

Happy pup

"I'm a total mountain junkie: snowboarding in the winter and backpacking in the summer. Years ago, when I was trying to outfit my pup Sugar for backcountry adventure, I was checking out the dog gear, including booties, at REI. A seasoned veteran who had been packpacking with dogs for 30 years told me I had no need for booties, but instead could craft them together with three things: duct tape, cayenne pepper, and Super Glue. After this, Sugar had protected paws on the trail for years with these simple tools: cayenne to stop any bleeding (doesn't actually sting like you would think and is a powerful folk remedy), glue to close up deeper cuts, and Scotch Tough Duct Tape to wrap it all up. I've used duct tape on its own and it turns sad pups with painful paws into happy pups who are back to running around. No joke!" - Goli Mohammadi, Senior Editor

"My brother, cousin and I have all carried homemade duct tape wallets for years, not just because they were cheaper to make than buying a new wallet, but because you can customize them to carry all of your stuff and fit into your pocket just right. Also, sometimes you just need a skinny little wallet, like if you want to go for a run and want to carry some money with you. Learn how to make your own duct tape wallet here."
- Andrew Salomone, Associate Editor

"I don't know if you heard about a little lady named Irene who just came into town in a hurry. Well, my husband and I live in an old, rundown Brooklyn apartment with windows that are merely cheap band-aids put in by our latest landlord. Hearing that a possible category 2 hurricane was coming to town made us question our "fixer-upper" apartment and her ability to ride out the storm. Our answer to a possible smashed or cracked window: plastic sheeting and duct tape. The huge gaping hole in our backyard exposing our basement before a hurricane: wood sheets, plastic tarp, and duct tape. The egg crates we fashioned into a make-shift cage for our bunny when we brought him in for the storm. You guessed it: duct tape. Come hell or high water, the one "tool" my husband and I could agree upon to save us during an apocalyptic New York hurricane was our trusty friend duct tape." - Meg Allan Cole, Video Producer and Host

3M Advanced Abrasives

"I spray paint everything - old bikes, picture frames, deck furniture. You name it, I've sprayed it. While the painting part is easy, I learned the hard way about the importance of a thorough sanding. Guess what happens if you don't completely sand a surface before spraying? If you are lucky, the paint will only flake off in giant chunks. If you aren't, the paint won't even stick. Unfortunately, I also learned the hard way that not all sandpapers are created equally - some will shred apart or lose their grit after only a few swipes. After discovering the 3M Sheets, I found their Angled Sanding Block - it handles like a dream! I now stick with 3M, and the paint sticks to all of my projects too." - Brookelynn Morris, Staff Writer

3M TEKK Protection

"One day when my husband and I were painting outside he presented me with Tekk Protection Sunglasses. I asked him why he bought new sunglasses when I already had a cute pair that I picked out myself. He said these were made for working outside and would protect my eyes better. "Fine," I said, which, if properly translated, meant, "Well, I'll wear them only because I'm too lazy to go back into the house to find my other pair." Later that afternoon when we were taking a break at a gelato shop, I realized I was still wearing them. At first I was embarrassed - I was wearing toolbox glasses in public! - but then when I saw myself in the reflection of the shop window, I had to admit they were actually pretty cute! Now I sometimes wear these glasses just for style, knowing that I'm also fully protecting my eyes." - Carla Sinclair, Editor-in-Chief

Giveaway Rules:

In order to enter the 3M product giveaway, you must:

1. Submit a "translation" at 3M's Framework Facebook page. (For instance, when a DIY partner says "That looks interesting," she might really be saying, "You're doing it all wrong!" You'll see more examples at the FB page.

2. Copy your translation here in the comments field.

You will then be entered to win both $250 from the FB page and the 3M product goody bag by participating here. (CRAFT will be choosing the winner for the goody bag at random on September 21 from those who commented.)

You can keep up with this and other 3M happenings through their Twitter feed and Facebook page.

Have fun and good luck!