How to Reuse Old VHS Tapes: 11 Steps

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How to Reuse Old VHS Tapes: 11 Steps
How to Reuse Old VHS Tapes: 11 Steps

Video: How to Reuse Old VHS Tapes: 11 Steps

Video: How to Reuse Old VHS Tapes: 11 Steps
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Do you like crafts? Did you know there are lots of cool ways to reuse those old VHS tapes you have at home? You can glue them to make furniture or artwork, or even make them into light fixtures! Another option is to reuse parts of the ribbons to wrap gifts, roll up lines, and store your art supplies.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Making Furniture with VHS Tapes

Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 1
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 1

Step 1. Make a coffee table or bedside table with tape

Glue 16 ribbons together, side by side, forming four rows and four rows. This will be the table top. Then glue four stacks of four ribbons across the smooth sides to make the legs.

Use super glue or any other type of strong glue, such as epoxy, to hold the tapes tightly together

Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 2
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 2

Step 2. Make niches by gluing ribbons into squares

Place a tape lying on the floor. Then use superglue to glue another tape to the first one. Place the second tape in a vertical position so that one of the thin sides is in contact with the flat face of the base tape. Glue the thin part of the other tape close to the edge of the widest part of the tape you placed vertically. Finally, glue one more ribbon, following the same pattern, into the remaining space to create a perfect square.

  • Each tape should have a thin part glued to another and a portion of the wider face glued to a third tape.
  • Hang the tapes on the wall individually or glue them together to make a small bookcase. If you choose the bookcase, you can place the tapes on the floor instead of hanging them on the wall.

Tip: You can make several niches and use them as table legs with extra storage space.

Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 3
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 3

Step 3. Glue the ribbons together in the shape of a box for planting

Glue the ribbons side by side along the thin side with super glue to make the bottom of the vase. Arrange them in the shape of a square or a rectangle. Lay the ribbons on their sides over the base to make the sides of the vase. Glue the ribbons to the base at the thin end.

To make a small vase, lay two ribbons side by side and glue them together. Then glue four square-shaped ribbons over the base to make the sides. Fill the pot with soil, put the plants in place and that's it

Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 4
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 4

Step 4. Use ribbons to create abstract sculptures

Draw a structure with straight lines. Using superglue or a hot glue gun, join the tapes together to bring the sculpture you placed on the paper to life.

  • You can use VHS tapes to make the pixelated outline of an old video game character, like Pac-Man, for example.
  • Another option is to write a short text using the ribbons as letters. To make an E, for example, you just need to glue the smaller sides of two ribbons together. Then glue three ribbons horizontally on the wide side of the first two ribbons.
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 5
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 5

Step 5. Attach a VHS tape to an old CD to make a bookend

With super glue or a hot glue gun, attach one or two old CDs to the underside of one or two VHS tapes. Lay the CD on the table and drop a little glue onto the smallest, narrowest part of the tape. Then glue it to the middle of the CD so that it stands upright.

Preserve the ribbon cardboard box if you still have it. Use it to give each stand a unique look and make your bookcase more interesting

Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 6
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 6

Step 6. Disassemble the tape and fill it with LED bulbs to make a light fixture

Using a small Phillips screwdriver, unscrew the five screws from the VHS tape. Then disassemble it. Lift up the spools and cut the tape itself in half. Then unscrew the tape from the bobbins. Wrap an LED flasher on the coils and put them back in place. Finally, just screw the tape back on.

  • Lights can be white or colored. Try making several light fixtures and scattering them all over the house.
  • Put the mains plug and power switch out of the tape before closing it.

Method 2 of 2: Reusing Tape Cases and Parts

Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 7
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 7

Step 1. Store your art supplies and other knickknacks in the plastic tape cases

Open-and-close plastic cases are perfect for storing pens, pencils, markers and other art supplies. Once closed, they don't open easily, so your material won't fall out.

You can use the cases to store board game pieces, such as dice and items for scoring points

Tip: If the cases have a plastic pocket for an insert, you can create a custom cover indicating what is stored in the box.

Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 8
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 8

Step 2. Use spools to store different types of threads and ribbons

Remove the five screws from the tape and disassemble it. Discard the actual tape and plastic wrap. Save the bobbins and use them to wind thread, wool, wire or any other type of rope.

The outer layer of VHS tapes can be thrown away in the general trash, but the tape must be disposed of in an electronics wastebasket

Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 9
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 9

Step 3. Place a photo in place of the film cover to make a super original frame

Remove the film cover from the plastic pocket and replace it with a photo. Hang the frame on the wall or put it on display on a bookcase or elsewhere.

You can put a standard photo in the box or make a collage of smaller photos, such as two or three Polaroids

Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 10
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 10

Step 4. Use the ribbon itself to wrap gifts

Open the plastic wrap and remove the tape from the bobbins. Use it to tie bows on presents, like a decorative ribbon.

Wash hands after handling old tapes. The metallic coating will smudge your hands with a black powder that can be toxic. Advise the person receiving the gift that they should wash their hands after opening the gift as well

Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 11
Repurpose Old VHS Tapes Step 11

Step 5. Replace the cover of an old notebook with the cardboard cover of an old ribbon

Take a spiral notebook about the size of a VHS tape. Remove the spiral the same way you would loosen a key from a keyring. Then cut the front and back cover of a VHS tape. Use a spiral punch to punch holes in both parts of the cover. Place the notebook sheets between the front and back covers and thread the spiral back as if you were putting a key on a keyring.

  • Spiral punches serve to open a specific number of holes for a spiral of a certain size. Choose a device the right size for your notebook.
  • To save time, you can also glue the tape front and back covers to both sides of the notebook.
  • Another option is to make a collage with several covers to decorate a wall in your home. To do this, glue the covers onto cardboard.

Tips

  • A good idea might be to donate the tapes to a school or NGO near your home that still has a VCR.
  • Instead of just throwing the pieces of tape in the common trash, recycle them.
  • Thoroughly clean the tapes before sticking them together.
  • Before reusing tapes, move all home videos to a digital format.

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