Casettes

I really like casette tapes. I think they’re super neat. They play music, they’re classic symbols, and mixed tapes are the most powerful form of present you can receive/give, in my opinion.

I have another use for casettes. They make fantastically cute walletts.

I stumbledupon this tutorial by Chezlin, and needless to say this is where I got the idea for this blog, specifically the crafting part of it.

So here we go:

You get your hands on a casette tape.

My mothers car and thrift stores were fantastic finds for casettes. The ones held together by screws are super easy to get apart, it saves you a lot of trouble, but the ones glued together DO come apart, they just need quite a bit of coaxing. With this in mind, though, be careful- older ones can break apart really easily.

After you’ve got it opened and gutted (and perhaps taken out the tape to make some artwork out of?) you’ll notice all the little plastic innards that hold the thing together. They’re very easy to break off with a pair of pliers, just hold them by the base and be careful not to break the casette. Try to get as flat a surface as you can.

I won’t post many pictures, since the link above leads you to a great tutorial, I’m just sharing my experiences with it.

A 9″ zipper fits perfect around the three sides of the casette. They come in lots of colours and are easy to find at Wal-Mart.

The glue I used is a LePage brand glue in a purple tube called flexible plastic. I got it at Canadian Tire, but I’m pretty sure you could get it at Wal-Mart and any other hardward store. It’s a popular brand.

This glue is super effective, so you don’t need to use a lot- especially when you apply the felt. It comes off the fingers easily, and only a thin smear is needed to secure the zipper. Just hold it in place for a while! The hardest part, I think, it after you’ve glued the zipper to one side of the casette and then getting it on to another. After much trial and error I think the best way is to zip it up, and glue the side closets to the end of the zipper (bottom of it? The part that the pull tab is on when it’s opened) and then glue it on. After that you can worry about securing the very end and then keep on going.

After that, cutting out the rectangle of felt is next. I find that it doesn’t hurt to make it just a little bit longer, so that it can really attach to all of the casette, and still keep a space at the bottom. Rounding the edges makes it look a bit better, too.

–On a side note, never roll up the bottom of the glue upside down over your pants. it WILL fall onto them–

When attaching felt, like I said, don’t use too much glue. Use enough to cover the surfaces you want. In my experience it’s best to cover one half of the casette and lay it down, then move on to the next. If you casette has a little clear window, don’t put glue on it because it looks bad. This being said, using a solid coloured casette is definitely best- Though if you’re using a clear one, then try and use one with a sticker on the outside!

All that’s left now, is to leave it left open over night. I’m pretty sure with the LePage glue this isn’t necessary, but since it’s such a wide surface, I like to be safe than sorry. After that you’re good to go! Overnight the stifling heavy duty glue smell goes away, too

One last note: If you use the LePage glue, be careful! It doesn’t burn or stick your fingers together like super glue, in fact it’s really easy to get off of skin. But, when the casette and zipper and felt go together- they won’t come off. The glue practically melts the plastic of the casette to keep it on!

So, here is a gallery of pictures. I’ve made seven of these so far. The first one is still the best one, the zupper is straight all around. Every one since then has been crooked! I think I’ve figured out what I’ve been doing wrong now, so the one I made tonight might be better!

The green one is one I made while writing this, and you can see it with just the zipper on and after the felt’s been applied. The orange I finished yesterday. It’s a bit crooked at stiff, but it’s still super cute! I love the colours. I couldn’t find an orange zipper, sadly enough.

The black and yellow one is the first wallett I made, and it’s mine. It’s pictured here after seven months of use- still kicking! I haven’t had a single problem with it. The words rubbed off (it was a Police casette) but that’s no big deal! You can see black parts through the yellow on the inside because I used TOO MUCH GLUE! Take my advice! I mean it! haha.

In terms of use: these walletts fit a lot of cards really easily. Money folded in half twice fits perfectly in them, and even afterward there’s room for change! Change WILL fall out and be clumsy though. This is why I’ve made a habit of leaving the last end zipped when I take things out. I find the walletts clumsy in a hurry, so I only unzip them halfway and shove my cards back into them when I’m in a lineup. Opening them all the way and unfolding them is an accident waiting to happen. Your cards and change will flop out and fly everywhere- leaving the last little bit zipped is the best!

They’re simple and easy to make, and they really make a statement. They’re cute and functional! I have gotten SO MANY compliments on mine- and people are always shocked when I tell them I made it myself. I messed up my loan registrationg because the girl supposed to be helping me kept fawning over them and telling me I should sell them!

One bottle of glue costs 10 bucks or more, I think, and can make four or five casettes. Zippers are mere pocket change, and if you’re lucky you’ve got pliers and a couple of casettes lying around, it’s definitely easy to make profit off of them, or just to use as a gift! I will have given six of mine away once I give away these two new ones tomorrow!

happy gluing everyone

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