Colorful duct tape has become quite the popular craft medium in the last several years, and for good reason! it’s easy to work with and the finished product is usually pretty durable. This parade stick can be made now, used for the fourth of July parade, then pulled out again for any other parade your kids attend! Wave it in the air to show your patriotism and watch the tassels fly back and forth.

To make this parade stick you will need the following supplies:

• Duct tape: red, white and blue
• Scissors
• Sturdy cardboard tube (from aluminum foil or plastic wrap container)
• Hole punch (optional, can also use stickers)

Pull off a strip of white tape about 12 inches long. Fold the tape in half lengthwise onto itself and stick it together, pressing down squeezing the air out. Repeat this until you have 3 of each color.

Use scissors to trim off any sticky edges. Starting from the bottom of a strip, cut strip up the middle, stopping about 3 inches from the other end. You now have two separate tassels, cut each of those tassels up the middle making a total of four. Repeat these steps for all of the tape strips.

Cut small bits of tape to attach the strips to the end of the cardboard tube. Overlap each one as you go. Once they are all loosely attached, cut a strip of blue tape and wrap it around the taped tassels to secure it. Repeat with another strip.

Wrap the cardboard tube with strips of white tape. Pull a piece of blue tape, long enough to go around the tube once, but don’t cut it from the roll yet. You can hold the roll in your hand and stick the end of the tape to the table while you work, or have a friend hold the roll for you. Use a hole punch to create some holes in the tape for the stars. (If you prefer, you can skip this step and just apply silver or white star stickers instead.) Secure the hole punched blue tape around the top of the cardboard tube, just below the tassels. Finally, add red strips of tape that have been cut to about 1-1.5″ wide around the stick to add the stripes.

You are done! Wave your parade stick and have fun!