Scotch Tape Day
Whether it's wrapping gifts or mending a torn page, this versatile adhesive is a must-have in any household.
Sort of like Kleenex or Post-it Notes, Scotch® tape is one of those brand names that people use for some generic items, even when they aren’t the official brand. In this case, the term for Scotch tape is typically just ‘cellophane tape’. Or some people call it Magic Tape!
But no matter what it is called, the purpose of Scotch Tape Day is simply to celebrate and show appreciation for this amazing and helpful invention.
History of Scotch Tape Day
Scotch brand tape started out with masking tape, which was invented by Richard Drew in 1925. This began the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) company’s start of manufacturing tape. The tape was specifically used for painters that came off easily, without removing the paint in the meantime.
But the Scotch tape that most people are referring to when they use that name is the transparent tape that was not invented until five years later, in 1930. This was the first waterproof adhesive tape that has the added feature of being invisible and its invention came after the development of cellophane by a Swiss inventor in 1912.
When this clear tape was introduced during the Great Depression, it was especially important for helping people to repair various household items that were wearing out or broken but there was no money to buy a new one. During this time, banks would even use Scotch tape to repair torn paper currency so that it could continue to be used.
The struggle with this tape in the beginning, though, was the fact that it was almost impossible to use because it did not originally have a tape dispenser. That made it difficult to find the end as well as making it hard to cut with scissors. After almost two years of experimenting, the Scotch tape dispenser was invented, with its built-in cutting blade, in 1932.
Because of his creativity and problem solving, Richard Drew, the inventor of Scotch tape, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007, after his death in 1980.
It is true that this type of tape often gets forgotten and overlooked as an important part of the office supply closet. That is, until the roll gets lost and someone desperately needs it!
Now, Scotch Tape Day has been established to pay heed to this handy and effective household tool that has been around for the better part of a century.
How to Celebrate Scotch Tape Day
Celebrating Scotch Tape Day comes with all sorts of opportunities for having fun and getting creative! Try out some of these ideas for celebrating the day:
Buy Some Scotch Tape
Those who don’t have a roll of cellophane with a dispenser in their house or office are certainly missing out! National Scotch Tape Day would be the perfect time to head out to the office supply store, discount department store, drugstore or even the post office to pick up a roll! For those who already have a roll, go ahead and pick up some replacement rolls, so there’s never the risk of running out.
Use Some Scotch Tape
Every day is a great day to use some Scotch tape! Whether it is used to bind up the end of a shoelace that is frayed or pick up broken bits of glass, this is the day to use the tape for many of those household projects. Try out some of these uses for Scotch tape:
- Scotch tape lint roller. In a pinch, a lint roller can be made by using Scotch cellulose tape wrapped around the hand several times. Tap or roll the tape along a piece of clothing whether picking up white pet hair from a pair of black pants or picking off dark pieces of sweater wool from a light colored shirt.
- Keep a hem in place. When a hem at the bottom of a skirt or a pair of trousers falls during the day, Scotch tape can make a great last minute hack to keep the hem in place until there’s time to retrieve a sewing kit.
- Protect labels from smudges. When labels are made, for items placed in the refrigerator or in the garden, address labels or labels on prescription medications, they will be well protected when covered in Scotch tape.
- Manage that plastic wrap. Many people have trouble losing the end of their plastic wrap roll in their kitchen, but just using a piece of Scotch tape to attach it to the edge allows you to keep it perfectly in place.
Create Art with Scotch Tape
Scotch tape can be used for all sorts of different projects! Some people like to use this type of clear tape to create nail art by turning it into a stencil that can then be painted with nail polish. Other ways that Scotch tape can be used for art projects include using the tape as a stencil and then coloring within the lines, or it can be formed into small sculptures.
Scotch tape can even be used to apply makeup art, making a perfect cat eye with eyeliner. So many creative ideas and options can be come up with using this cellophane tape!
Learn Some Fun Facts About Scotch Tape
One interesting way to celebrate Scotch Tape Day might be to learn some bits of trivia about Scotch tape. Consider some of these fun facts:
-
Scotch tape adopted a fun character as a mascot in 1944, called Scotty McTape, who wore a plaid kilt.
-
The matte finish tape, called “Magic Tape” is a matte finish clear tape that was introduced in 1961. It is well-liked because it can be written on and also didn’t turn yellow like other cellophane tapes could.
-
The product doesn’t have any connection with Scotland or Scottish people. Instead, the name “Scotch” was originally used as a bit of a slur that was used to pick on the manufacturers. But apparently, it stuck.
-
In 1946, Scotch tape was used to repair the fabric on the rudder section of a Taylor craft airplane.
