Student makes award-winning parrot costume from duct tape

Josh Keen just won $500 and a year's supply of duct tape.

He's pretty excited about the tape.

After all, it will feed his hobby of making hats, wallets, flowers, knickknacks, flags and other items from countless rolls of tape. His most recent project, a parrot costume, won him first place in the Henkel Corp.'s Duck Brand Duct Tape Stick or Treat Halloween Costume Contest.

"I've always liked duct tape," said Josh, 17. The Rampart High School senior plans to attend Colorado State University and major in English, with an emphasis on creative writing.

For most of his life, duct tape was a practical thing. He used it to make book covers and repair things.

Then, early this year, he was browsing online and saw a duct tape rose. He was hooked.

He made flowers and little animals, such as a penguin and a parrot. He joined the online Duck Tape Club and got more creative.

The club sent a notice about the costume contest, and he decided to enter. Because use of color was one of the judging criteria, he went with a parrot. He didn't make a pattern or draw a design - after all, he'd already made a miniature one.

"I just decided I was going to make a parrot and started putting tape together and made a bird," he said. "The beak was pretty hard."

He worked on it about two months, on and off. He doesn't know how much tape he used or how much it cost; he'd just run out for more tape when he needed it. He used Duck brand, though the contest doesn't require it. "They have the most colors," he said. Twenty colors, to be precise.

He was notified last week that he'd won first place. The top three finishers will be posted today on the Web at www.ducktape.com.

Josh wasn't sure about his Halloween plans, but said he'd likely wear the parrot costume to school Friday.

He also hasn't decided on his next project, but said that because it's his "obsession," there will be something.

"I have to do something with that case of Duck tape," he said.

And how many rolls are in there? "I don't know," he shrugged. "They said $50 worth. It doesn't matter. If it's duct tape, I'm happy."

-

Contact the Writer: 636-0251 or sue.mcmillin@gazette.com