A Great Way to Make Sure Your Groom Sticks to You

If you're planning your wedding, you may be dreaming of having a unique wedding dress made just for you.

The good news is you can have a custom-made bridal gown, bridesmaids' dresses, and even a tux for your groom, all without breaking your budget... Or going any farther than your local hardware store.

On September 29, 2001, Joyce Lotta and Kevin Thomas made a little bit of adhesive history by having the world's first documented duct tape wedding.

The wedding was sponsored by the maddeningly named Duck Tape company. (The debate still rages over whether the term "duct tape" or "duck tape" came first and who is misusing the phrase. So far the linguistic evidence is on the side of the camp that uses "duct tape" as the correct generic term.) The bride's wedding dress was stunning duct tape creation decked out with 600 Bavarian crystals. The groom's tuxedo jacket, accessories for the attendants, and even the flowers and confetti were all made of rip-and-stick goodness.

Duct tape has certainly never been a stranger to wedding ceremonies. It's recommended for bridal emergency kits, and has been a lifesaver for repairing split tuxedo pants, attaching stubborn bustles and trains, and restraining unruly ring bearers.

(OK, just kidding about that last one. But speaking of things that should NOT be restrained with duct tape, many a bride has tried everyone's sticky friend as a DIY bra for backless dresses. Word around the punchbowl is that it does work well at keeping the girls where they should be, but taking it off later is no fun at all. Think very, very carefully about how sensitive your skin is and how well duct tape sticks before you try this.)

If you're interested in making a duct tape gown, your options are surprisingly open. Duct tape comes in dozens of colors nowadays, and the effects you can create are so oddly chic that many boutiques actually sell duct tape dresses to the public. Some effects are admittedly not so chic. If one of your attendants forced you to wear a Scarlett O'Hara bridesmaid dress for her wedding, you have just been handed a powerful tool for sweet, sweet revenge.

To make the basic duct tape fabric, you're sort of creating a weave. Start by choosing the length you want to work with. Cut a single strip of duct tape to length and lay it on your work surface sticky side up. Cut your next strip to the same length and carefully align it with the first strip, but with a slight overlap - your two pieces are now sticking together. (It is at this point that your cat will become intensely interested in what you are doing. Take precautions or you'll both be sorry.)

Keep overlapping strips of tape until you have the width you want, then turn your piece 90 degrees. Now do a top layer - sticky side down - that crosses your first layer, again, overlapping the strips.

You can use the remaining sticky edges to help attach pieces of your gown together, but you shouldn't rely on the tape alone, especially if you're going to be dancing at your reception. You can sew it with a needle and thread, but that will be slow going. The quick and sneaky method is to use staples. And why not? You're wearing a wedding dress made out of duct tape. There's no point in getting all delicate about it now. Cover the staples with duct tape to keep your look sleek and to make sure you don't get scratched.

You can just trim the sticky part off of edges that won't be seen. Edges that will be seen, like your neckline and skirt hem, need to be sealed so they don't fray. Fortunately you can just fold duct tape over them for a clean look. Do you have any of that handy?

Unless you want to be taped into and cut out of your dress (your groom may want a vote on that one), you'll need fasteners. You can staple a zipper in just like you did your seams, or you can punch in grommets and lace your gown up the back.

Tips:
It's a good idea to work with small sections of fabric. It's relatively easy to put them together and make a larger cloth. Working with huge, skirt-length strips of duct tape is the best way to end up with it firmly stuck to your hair.

If you're using a dress pattern, make a little more fabric than your pattern calls for. Duct tape fabric is tougher to work with than regular cloth, and you may need the extra play.

If you absolutely must use a needle and thread for your seams, grease the needle.

Remember that duct tape is stiffer than regular fabric. When designing your skirt, give yourself plenty of room for walking and dancing.

Do a serious test run with your duct tape wedding gown, paying special attention to seams and straps. Tuck a roll of tape in each color you may need and a mini-stapler into your bridal emergency kit.

Enjoy the attention! It's a sure bet your guests won't be able to peel their eyes off of you.