How to Make Snakeskin Plant Pots

I would like to share with you a quick DIY project using Duck Tape.

Snakeskin Duck Tape, to be exact.

I started off with this bright jade plant in a plain plastic pot.

I wanted to jazz up the pot without using paint and thought that snakeskin duct tape would be the way to go.

I ended up going to seven different stores in search of the elusive snakeskin. Who knew that Duck Tape came in so many different styles? I saw everything from jaunty mustaches to One Direction designs. (Tempting, but I really wanted to find the snakeskin.) Finally, at Target I found one.

The creepy snakeskin design!

I simply wrapped the tape around the plastic pot. I created folds in the tape to give it more texture, but then realized that real snakes have smooth skin without any wrinkles. Oh, well.

It still looks positively slithery.

I had plenty of tape left (still do!), so I was looking for another application.

Creative Snakeskin Duct Tape Projects

I happened to have a heavy-duty cardboard gift box lid lolling about that I spray painted spring green a couple years ago, but even a shoebox lid would work great.

I got to work covering the lid, and the process was incredibly simple. My one tip would be to use scissors, instead of ripping the duct tape, to keep the edges neat. Once I was done, I attached four self-adhesive felt pads to the bottom. (Which isn’t really necessary since there’s no risk of this tray scratching anything, but it seemed to elevate it slightly and give it more polish.)

Here it is after some initial styling on the coffee table:

The last picture serves as a good reminder that if you’re going to be using your tray on a mirror or any reflective surface, be sure to wrap the tape onto the underside enough so that the original finish doesn’t show.

I had still plenty of tape left. This little candle was a perfect victim.

Originally, it was black glass with black wax, so it was just crying out for some embellishment. This taping didn’t go flawlessly however. The candle appeared to be a perfect cylinder, but from my experience making lampshades, I should know better than to make any geometrical assumptions. So, the tape didn’t go on without a few creases and lumps. Plus, I should have cut a section for the bottom, instead of having the two pieces of tape overlap so much (to keep the pattern clearer). But it’s not bad for about 35 seconds of work.

Last, but not least, I’ll go ahead and make this a hat trick by showing you one more little snakeskin project!

I hope this was inspiring! If snakeskin isn’t your thing, there are SO many other patters to choose from. Ikat, leopard print, zebra, damask etc. The possibilities are endless!