This simple drywall tape roll holder hooks on your belt to allow you to have both hands free when embedding paper drywall tape in joint compound to cover the seams in drywall.

To make a homemade tape, simply bend a wire coat hanger into the shape shown, then tape the two ends together. Make sure to make the holder wide enough to hold a 2” wide roll of drywall tape.

Drywall tape roll holder made from wire clothes hanger.

The holder can also be used when working with other types of tape, including painter’s masking tape, duct tape, and carpet tape.

Watch the video above to find out more.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Danny Lipford: If you’ve ever attempted to finish any drywall around your home, you realize that it takes a little skill, and the first step is to tape all the seams.

Joe Truini: Well here, Danny, you see that I’ve applied the first layer of joint compound between two seams on the ceiling. The next step is to set the paper tape in the joint compound. And that’s where a lot of homeowners run into trouble, because it takes two hands to handle the roll of tape.

Now what I’ve come up with to make that job a little easier is simply this little holder made from a wire hanger. Take a pair of pliers and just bend the hanger as shown here. Snip the ends, tape them together, and bend it over. This dimension here has to be wide enough to hold the two-inch roll of tape. Then this part you can simply clip right on to the waistband of your pants or belt.

Danny Lipford: Now this is real handy, because when you’re taping a room like this—full of drywall—you’re having to move around the perimeter of the room, and up and down the ladders many times.

Joe Truini: And here, once you get it set, you use both hands to put it in there. Then you just come back with the knife and squeeze out any wrinkles and excess air. You get a nice, smooth joint.

Danny Lipford: Now this works great if you’re using other rolls of material—say duct tape, or masking tape, or carpet tape—all of those work real well with a handy little rig like this. But, Joe, over the years you’ve shown us a lot of different ways to take coat hangers and make little things like this. I just wonder, where does he put his clothes?


Further Information

Editorial Contributors
avatar for Joe Truini

Joe Truini

Radio Show Co-Host

Joe Truini is a contractor, author, and the host of “Simple Solutions” on Today’s Homeowner TV and the weekly Today’s Homeowner radio show. He has worked on both large commercial projects and residential remodeling, and has written for national publications such as This Old House and Popular Mechanics. He has also written eight books, including three best-selling shed-building books. Joe lives in Connecticut with his family and enjoys hiking, traveling, and baseball in his spare time.

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