Teens Create Prom Dresses Using Just Duct Tape to Win Scholarship

Some High school students have impressed people on social media for crafting impressive prom dresses from duct tape for a chance to win up to $15,000 in the “Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest.”

High school students impress social media users with their skills as they craft impressive prom dresses from duct tape for a chance to win up to $15,000 in the “Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest.”

This annual contest, hosted by Duck Brand, challenges students to design their prom outfits entirely from duct tape.

Contestants create artistic gowns, tuxedos, and tunics, displaying their creativity and skill. In 2023, Karla Tejeda won the “Best Dress” title.

Karla’s dress, inspired by 18th-century French art she saw at the Getty Museum, featured an off-shoulder gown in white and rose pink, adorned with pastel floral details, bell-style cuffs, and gold trimmings. She completed her look with a matching choker and hair clip. Inspired by Rococo fashion, Karla said, “I wanted to showcase a dress that reflects a glamorous era of fashion.”

Ian Rojas, another winner in the 2023 contest, won “Best Tux” with his Mayan-inspired tuxedo. His design included a glossy black suit with gold accents and vibrant colors like parrot green and cherry red. Ian drew inspiration from Mayan gods Kinich Ahau and Kukulkan, aiming to blend Mayan culture with the elegance of promwear.

Ian stated, “I wanted to fuse the culture of the Mayans and the formality of promwear without it coming off as a costume.”

In a previous contest, Erika Avallaneda, the “Dress Runner-up,” designed a high-low off-shoulder gown with blue and gold eye motifs. Inspired by ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, Erika incorporated colors like gold, white, black, and turquoise.”

She said, “The evil eye can symbolize multiple meanings depending on what cultures you ask.”

Erika told CTV News she spent 143 hours making her dress from 17 rolls of duct tape, costing about $100. She found the contest exciting because “it’s not like your average scholarship where you have to write essays, so I thought it would be super fun.”