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Children discover fine art of duct tape at Northlake library
Adrian Hurtado works with other children Oct. 8 at the Northlake Public Library to make keychains from duct tape. | Dan Luedert~Sun-Times Media
Updated: November 12, 2012 11:06AM
NORTHLAKE — Phoebe Padilla spent part of Columbus Day afternoon creating a key chain out of duct tape.
Padilla, 11, shakes her head no when asked if she has any keys.
“I’m going to give this to my mom,” she said.
While this is her first time making a duct tape keychain, its not her first experience with duct tape.
“I covered my room with duct tape,” she said. “I put up all types of pictures and duct tape was the only kind of tape I could find, so I started putting it everywhere. My mom got mad.”
Under the supervision of Northlake Librarian Tyler Works, Padilla and a dozen other children gathered in the library’s basement conference room. They cut 10-inch pieces of tape, folded them twice lengthwise so no sticky portion was exposed, decorated them with other pieces of tape, then added Velcro and metal key rings.
There was, perhaps, a connection between the colors of the tape and the favorite colors of those using it. Padilla, for example, wore a blue jacket and produced a largely blue keychain. A blond girl wearing a pink blouse made a largely pink key chain.
Others, such 13-year-old Alexa Jennings, used colors that didn’t match their clothing. There were many to choose from, including red, black, green, blue, yellow, zebra, cheetah, psychedelic mix and, of course, the classic steel gray.
Jennings preferred a mix of zebra and pink.
“I’m going to keep it forever and forever,” she said. “It will go from generation to generation.”
“A family heirloom,” Works commented as he cut pieces of Velcro nearby.
The library is considering starting a monthly duct tape club, Works said, though finding projects may be a challenge.
“It’s difficult finding items that are gender neutral,” Works said. “There’s a lot of projects, but they’re mostly for girls. Roses, purses, hair bows, bags.”
He could ask Jennings. Finished with their key chains, she and two female friends cut off pieces of black duct tape and put them on their upper lips like mustaches.
