How to make your own duct tape Waldo shirt
Start with a red shirt and white duct tape. If you are applying the tape before you put on the shirt, you should use a loose-fitting shirt because the fabric will not stretch after the tape is applied. You may use a fitting shirt if you are going to put the shirt on before you apply the tape. When using the latter method, you will have to remove the tape before taking off your shirt.
You may also use a white shirt and red duct tape, or a shirt of any color and both red and white duct tape. In this example, I will be using a red shirt and white tape.
Starting just under the armpits, loosely apply tape around the torso and arms individually. Leave a space below that is the same width as the tape you have just applied and apply additional rows of tape until you reach the cuffs of the sleeves and the hem of the shirt.
For a professional look, ensure that the ends of the duct tape precisely over lap each other.
Continue applying tape to the upper torso. If using a turtleneck, you may want to stretch out the collar to the size of your head before applying the tape.
1. austin | October 29th, 2006 at 9:11 pm
I was Waldo for halloween this year. I got a cheap white long sleeve shirt from WalMart for 10 bucks. Then I picked up some red fabric dye from a craft store (Rit brand dye #5 scarlet). I used masking tape to mask off white stripes on the shirt and then used a spray bottle filled with the dye mixture to “spray paint” the red stripes until I got an even dye job (it’s good to stick a peice of cardboard inside the shirt while you do this so the dye doesn’t mess up the other side). Once the shirt was dry, I peeled off the masking tape and got fantastic red/white stripes. I did the same with a white beanie and then safety pinned a pom-pom I made out of strips of cut felt.
Total cost: about $20. I probably could have pulled it off for cheaper if I already had the shirt and beanie. Those both cost $17.
A few pictures of the finished costume:
http://www.espressoninja.com/article.php?33
2. bob | October 28th, 2007 at 1:40 am
on what surface is this best applied, what should the weather conditions be like
3. jeff | October 28th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Whatever you do, don’t use duct tape as your final stripes. The problem is that your shirt won’t stretch with the duct tape; I eventually had to cut myself out of the shirt. This might work if you had a shirt that was a few sizes big for you, but think about it before you start.
4. Winona | October 28th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Duct tape sticks to pretty much any dry surface.
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