Haslett — Blue, green, pink, yellow and black rolls of duct tape rested on two tables as more than a dozen middle school students listened intently.
Soon, those rolls were transformed into rainbows of wallets and bookmarks.
William Beacom, a 16-year-old from Midland, performed his duct tape show Monday afternoon at the Capital Area District Library branch in Haslett.
"I've always been kind of crazy, and this is just (one of) those weird things that I've done and (it) turned out to be a job for me," Beacom said.
For five years, he taught himself how to make other various items out of duct tape, such as vests, shoes, hats and a carryall bag he is now creating.
Beacom makes $75 a show, plus mileage.
Ann Chapman, head librarian of the Haslett library, said the duct tape show was the first of a once-a-month craft day for students.
Most of the students came after their school day at Haslett Middle School and said the duct tape show would be interesting and fun.
"It's something to occupy me while I'm waiting for my mom — it's productive and it's fun," said Matthew Britton, a seventh-grader at Haslett Middle School. "I just made a wallet that I'm now decorating."
Joey Meier, a sixth-grader at the same school, looked around at the duct tape posters, bookmarks and shoes displayed in the library and thought if Beacom could make them, maybe he could too.
Beacom got his start when a library in Midland, where his dad worked, asked him if he could teach a workshop about making items out of duct tape.
"I thought it'd be cool, and when I did it, all the kids seemed really interested in how to make things out of duct tape," Beacom said.
Monday marked his 17th show since December. It's his fourth in the capital-area library district.
Beacom is also competing in the Duck brand duct tape "Stuck at Prom" Scholarship Contest. He will make a tuxedo and his date's dress purely from duct tape.
Winners receive a $6,000 scholarship split between them.
Beacom has upcoming November shows in Mt. Pleasant and a December show in Midland.
He said his inspiration for a duct tape show came from watching a Canadian television show called The Red Green Show.
"They do all sorts of crazy things and one of them was with duct tape, and from that, I decided to make a wallet," Beacom said.
