While hanging bedroom curtains last week, I took some photos of a simple trick I use to keep drywall and plaster dust from making a huge mess when drilling holes for curtain rod anchors. Some people probably already do this, but for those who haven’t heard of it, it’s worth sharing. We only started using the tape trick about a year ago, and it has made drilling far less annoying — especially since sweeping drywall dust out from under furniture and off decorative items is nobody’s idea of fun.
The method is straightforward: fold a piece of painter’s tape in half lengthwise to form a small, sticky “shelf” and press it to the wall directly below the spot you plan to drill. Some people use a Post-it note the same way, which gives a slightly larger catching surface. Either option creates a temporary ledge that catches the dust and debris that would otherwise fall straight down onto the floor or nearby surfaces.
When the drill produces a stream of fine particles, they land on the tape instead of scattering across the room. The tape’s adhesive keeps the dust in place, preventing it from blowing or brushing off onto baseboards, carpets, or furniture. This small step means you don’t have to move as many things out of the way beforehand, and the final cleanup becomes quick and tidy — usually just a fast fold and toss.
I considered switching to a Post-it for a larger shelf area, but I kept using painter’s tape because its sticky surface holds dust more reliably. With a Post-it, the non-adhesive portion can allow a loose pile of dust to shift when you remove it, which is how I would inevitably end up dropping half the debris onto the floor. Painter’s tape keeps the particles secured, and the folded edge makes it easy to pick up the collected dust without spilling.
One pleasant little perk of the tape method is how neatly the dust can be wrapped up. After you finish drilling, simply fold the tape over the debris to form a small packet, press it closed, and toss it in the trash. No sweeping, no dusty cloths, no dusty footprints. For small jobs like hanging curtains, installing shelves, or mounting hooks, this saves time and reduces the annoyance of post-project cleanup.
Of course, the tape trick doesn’t replace basic safety measures or contain larger chips of masonry from heavy-duty drilling. For big jobs, use proper drop cloths, a vacuum attachment on your drill, or an assistant to hold a container under the hole. But for routine household tasks, this tiny bit of prep goes a long way.
There you go — an easy, inexpensive tip that keeps drilling less messy. If you have your own variations, like using a small cup temporarily taped in place or placing a folded paper towel on a sticky surface, feel free to try what works best for your tools and materials. I’m sure I’m not the only one who adapts this technique depending on the job size and location.
Before I go: Sherry tackled a fairly unusual project today, so I’ll share the details soon. Meanwhile, if you’ve discovered any other quick tricks that make home projects faster, cleaner, or easier, I’d love to hear them. Sharing simple solutions like this saves time for everyone tackling small renovations or decor updates.
Pssst — best spam comment to date (well, maybe besides one we saw before) left by a jumbled URL under the name BuyLinks: “Man if I ever saw two raccoons fighting over a blog it’d be this one. Nicely done my friend.” Pretty great, honestly.