Some recent research about energy-saving tips for homes yielded the usual stuff: Clean the filters, use a programmable stat, and my favorite - seal leaky ducts. The first two I can do; sealing leaky ducts is not my strong suit. The research reminded me to “Seal leaky ducts with mastic, metal-backed tape or aerosol sealant. This will reduce heat loss when your furnace is on and may last longer than duct tape.”

However, I have a lot of duct tape stashed around my house, and if I were to seal my leaky ducts, it seems that is what I would use for the project. But, unfortunately for most duct tape manufacturers, almost nobody recommends using duct tape to seal ducts because eventually the adhesive dries out and the tape begins to peel.

So what good is duct tape if you can’t use it on your ducts?

At www.ducttapefashion.com you will find a myriad of uses for the much maligned tape: Duct tape wallets, duct tape baseball caps, duct tape roses (great for Valentines’ Day), duct tape bracelets, duct tape purses, etc. There is actually a Duck® Tape Club for fans to share a nearly endless amount of uses. Of course, the clever folks at Duck® Tape will happily remind you at the fan site that their brand also comes in more than 20 colors.

My favorite application was sighted in Carrollton, Texas, while driving to work one morning. An injured traffic light, swaying in the wind, was held together with an amazing amount of the silver stuff. Lovely.

What’s your favorite application for duct tape? And, please don’t tell me it’s for ducts.