Duct tape is perhaps the most versatile tool found in homes today. This popular tape was first made in 1942 for the military by Johnson and Johnson. The first purpose of duct tape was to keep ammunition cases free of moisture during WWII, and because of its water proof properties it was referred to as "duck tape."

The tapes popularity increased as military personnel started to discover that it was useful to fix aircraft, guns, even jeeps when more conventional tools were not available. When the war was over, duct tape found a new, permanent place in American society when it was utilized in by the building industry to attach heating and cooling ductwork.

Duct tape soon evolved into a rainbow of shrink wrapped rolls stacked on store shelves. Consumers took notice and soon colored duct tape was a big seller, making this one of the mostly common household tools. The tape now is found in colors such as the traditional grey, red, blue, day glow, pink and even camo for hunters.

A little known fact regarding duct tape is that, even though you can rip it with just your fingers, it is amazingly strong. For example, if you double it, duct tape can pull a car up to 2,000 pounds out of a ditch.

Duct tape has evolved into something more than a utility item in the past several years. People have begun to discover its other uses. Duct tape has become a shining star in the crafting world. The strength and flexibility, variety of color choices and wide availability of colored duct tape lends itself well to crafts such as duct tape wallets, roses, hats, duct tape purses even prom dresses. These items tend to go beyond your average craft and enter the realm of art, the pictures that have been taken of these items, are amazing, although surely they do not do the duct tape art justice. If you are interested, a quick search online will yield well written instructions to complete these projects and more.

In case the normal uses of duct tape and the crafting possibilities are not enough, duct tape is also known to help cure common warts. In fact, in a study, the patients treated with duct tape for their warts had an 85% cure rate, while the people treated with the traditional method had a 60% cure rate. Therefore, the next time you have a problematic wart, it might be wise to skip the doctors office and related fees and grab your purple or yellow duct tape to cure it. Remember to change the tape often, approximately once a day for best results.

Duct tape is without a doubt one of the most useful items in our homes today, in fact G. Weilacher may have summed up the importance of duct tape the best, "One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop."