This page shows how to make the Elastic Straps you need to use with your T-Tapes. There is a whole variety of types of straps that can be used, but if you are just beginning, I recommend you try the ones shown here...they are very easy to make, and really do work quite well. The ones in the photos below are made from suspender-clips and 1/2" wide ribbed elastic found at a local fabric store. Wider elastic can be used, but the 1/2" wide ribbed elastic I found at the local fabric store works great -- it gives adequate pull (16 oz or more), is more flexible than the wider elastic (and thus less likely to damage the skin when you are moving around), and is very comfortable to wear.

Materials you will need: You will want to make two straps, one for around your waist during the day, and one for over the shoulder at night. You could make a single adjustable strap instead, but it is really best to have two straps -- you put a lot of wear and tear on the straps, and two will last twice as long as one before wearing out. Making two straps will require about 2 yards of elastic and two pairs of suspender clips. Visit the notions department of any good fabric store, and you should be able to find the clips for about $1 to $3 per pair, and the elastic for less than $1 per yard -- everything you need should cost you less than $10. The only other things you will need are a needle and thread (or sewing machine), and optionally, a few drops of glue (fabric, Elmers, or even clear nail polish) to seal the elastic ends and threads so they will not ravel and a pair of pliers to modify the suspender clips.

Some people make fancy straps with Velcro adjustments and other gadgets, but it is really quite easy to make the straps you will need custom fitted to your body, which eliminates the need for making them adjustable and simplifying their construction substantially. After you have used the system for a while, you can experiment with other types of straps if you want. Here is how to make the straps pictured here: Attach a suspender clip to one end of a long piece of elastic as shown in the photos below. Put on a T-Tape and attach the clip to it. For the waist strap: Wrap the elastic clear around your body just below waist level while stretching it so it applies about a pound of pull (see the next paragraph for comments about proper tension). Mark the stretched elastic about 3 inches past the point where it crosses your fly-line, cut at that mark, and sew on the 2nd clip. For the shoulder strap: This strap will normally be longer than the waist strap. Use the same methods as the waist strap but route it differently -- stretch it up and over your left shoulder, down your back and around to your right side under your arm, and back to a spot just above the T-Tape clip. Mark it there, and attach the 2nd clip (see photos below to see how the 2nd clip fastens while the strap is worn). For both straps, use care to get the clips sewn on the elastic with the same orientation so you will not have a twist in the elastic when you wear it. Don't worry if you get the strap a little too long or too short. You can easily shorten it by cutting off the clip and just reattaching it in a different spot. You can lengthen it by just cutting the strap near one clip, sewing a new piece of elastic on the end, and re-attaching the clip in the desired location.

How much tension? I suggest you limit your tension to 16 to 18 ounces. If you use much more than that, you may get sores or blisters or even torn skin, which ultimately slows down your progress because you need to let those heal before continuing. You will get best progress with moderate tension, and steady use. The last photo on this page shows a good method to use for determining the amount of stretch in the elastic which is needed to produce 16 or 18 ounces of pull.

Now, on to the "how-to" part:

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