![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
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![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
How to Make a duct tape wallet
Having a duct tape wallet for when you just need a few bills and a card is very convenient. It’s smaller and cheaper than normal wallets and can be customized.
Items necessary:
For the wallet:
9 7¾ inch strips of duct tape
2 3¼ inch strips of duct tape
Optional:
Heavy textbooks to press down the wallet
For the card holder:
3 3½ in strips of duct tape
2 pieces of small duct tape (1-2 inches is ideal)
Note: It’s best to cut out longer strips (8 inch strips instead of 7¾ inch strips) in case trimming is necessary.
The first step is to pick colors for your wallet. Mine will have a purple base and I will add various other colors on the outside just for decoration, though I will only show you how to make the base and a card holder.
Next, grab a ruler and a pair of scissors (you can rip or use a craft knife if you want, though I recommend scissors because it’s neater and you don’t have to stick down the tape). Cut out the necessary strips and set aside all but two of the 7¾ inch pieces.
Stick the two pieces on top of each other, make sure to line up the edges. Once you have combined the sticky sides of the duct tape, you can’t take it apart, so be careful. If you make a mistake you can either try to cover it up later or redo the piece.
Use a ruler (using two helps to make sure that the other side will be uniform) and line up the two pieces of duct tape stuck together so that it starts at the zero inch mark. Take another 7¾ inch strip and line up its bottom with the 3¼ inch mark on both rulers before pressing it down.
Flip the wallet so far over and stick a 7¾ inch piece on it’s bottom so that no sticky sides are visible. This will be one side of your wallet, so repeat measuring and sticking the duct tape until you have another identical piece.
Stick a piece of 7¾ tape on the bottom and wrap it around. Next, take the 3¼ strips and put them on the side of the wallet to create an actual pouch.
Carefully fold the wallet in half and press it down. Now would be a good time to pull out a few of your textbooks to press down the wallet for a while. I left mine out all morning and it now mostly lays flat on the table when folded.
Next I will show you how to make a card holder. Take two 3 ½ inch strips and stick them to each other and place it on the bottom of one side of the wallet’s inside. Take the other 3½ inch piece and place it on the bottom, folding it over to the other side.
Use the last two thin strips to secure the edges of the card holder and you’re all done. Feel free to cover up any stray tape if necessary.
Now that the basic structure of the wallet is complete, you can decorate it more if you want by adding pockets as shown and cut out designs.