Ultimate Guide to Buying and Using Double Sided Tape

Double-sided tape, also known simply as double tape, is one of my favorite craft accessories. It can be used for a variety of different types of crafts from photo scrapbooking to sewing. What I’ve found over the years is that there are both good and bad types of double tape and that it’s best to go ahead and invest in the highest quality kind that is right for the job because doing so reduces the time required to complete your crafts and results in a better finished product. To do this, you need to really understand the types of double sided tape that are out there and how to use it properly.

What Is Double Tape?

Double tape simply refers to any type of tape that is adhesive on both sides instead of just on one side. It is also known as double-sided tape or double-sticky tape.

Benefits of Double Tape over Single-Sided Tape

There are a few major reasons that crafters may be interested in using double-sided tape instead of single-sided tape. Those reasons include:

• Double-sided tape is more effective. Most crafters have found that double tape will stick better and last longer than single-sided tape for a majority of crafts and projects.

• Double-sided tape is stronger. Double-sided tape can be used for mounting and for doing household fix-ups (like repairing falling fixtures around the house) which isn’t true of singe-sided tape.

• Double-sided tape is more professional-looking. You don’t see double-sided tape when a project is complete whereas you do see the outside of single-sided tape so you may find that crafts are neater and more professional in appearance if you use double-sided tape instead.

Types of Double Tape

There are many different types of double-sided tape available for crafters. Some of the most common types of two-sided tape include:

• Scotch Double-Sided Tape. This is the most common type of double tape used by crafters. It is designed primarily for paper crafts and other light weight crafts. It can be used to secure photos to scrapbook pages or to create collages without revealing the method of adhesive.

• Xyron Double Tape. This is another type of crafting tape but it tends to be stronger and more durable than Scotch Double-Sided Tape. This type of tape is good for mounting and household projects.

• Foam Double-Sided Tape. This is another type of double-sided tape that can be really good for lightweight mounting projects. It can also be used to create a three-dimensional effect on paper projects since it’s thicker than something like Scotch Double Tape.

• Double-Sided Film Tape. This is a specialty double tape which is designed specifically for crafts involving photos and film.

• Double-Sided Carpet Tape. This is another specialty tape that is designed to hold down rugs or carpets that are coming up. However it can also be used for different heavy duty projects that require double-sided tape.

• Double-Sided Fabric Tape. This is a type of double-sided tape that is used in sewing and in fabric crafts. It can also be used as a quick fix for things like hemming when you don’t have time to sew something before going out. It is designed to not leave a sticky residue behind when you’re done using it which isn’t necessarily true of the other types of double tape.

• Double-Sided Crepe Tape. This is an interesting type of double-sided tape because it is typically intended that one side of the tape is left exposed. This isn’t common with double tape since you are usually seeking to adhere two different objects together. In this case, however, the exposed side is designed to allow you better grip when using something. For example, you may put this type of double tape around the handle of a golf club or a hammer so that you can hang on to it better when you are using it.

You’ll have to spend some time playing around with these different types of double tape to figure out which ones you like best for the types of craft projects that you are doing.

Where to Buy Double Sided Tape

It is possible to get double-sided tape in all of the places where you typically buy craft supplies. Some of these places include:

• Craft stores. Any of the big or small craft stores that you shop in are likely to sell at least some of these types of double-sided tape. A store like Michael’s is a good place to start when looking for double-sided tape for craft projects.

• Office supply stores. It is also possible to find some of these types of double tape in office supply stores (such as Office Max or Office Depot). It is particularly easy to find Scotch Double Sided Tape in these stores.

• General stores. Any store that sells tape may also sell double-sided tape. Postal supply stores and stores such as Walgreens are examples of some of the stores that may offer double tape for sale in your area.

• Internet. I typically order my double-sided tape off of the Internet because it is possible to get it at a lower price (especially when buying in bulk) when you order online. Amazon and eBay both offer double-sided tape at a discount. Other great online resources for double-sided tape include ReStockIt, eOfficeDirect and RapidSupplies.com.

In addition to these options, specific types of double-sided tape may be purchased in other places as well. For example, foam double-sided tape is often sold in hardware stores since it is used for mounting projects and fabric double-sided tape can be found in fabric and sewing stores. Do some shopping around to get the best deal on your double-sided tape.