Cassette Tape Letter

We all know that e-mails, pm's, im's and wallposts are now always used to send letters and messages worldwide yet the even though we put our most sincere feelings in the content, it still quite feels like the essence diminishes... as they say, "nothing beats the classics..."

i have made this cassette tape letter dating way back in 2004... this may take time making this but this is really worth the effort...

things you need:
1. old blank cassette tape (with its case)
2. draft of your letter
3. colored pens
4. stickers for your designs
5. pair of scissors
6. screw driver
7. scotch tape

procedure:

- have your draft letter ready in a piece of paper (it does not need to be a very long one as few paragraphs will do)

- dismantle the cassette tape with the use of a screw driver. (make sure you don't lose the screws)

- then remove the tape where the music can be heard from its inner rotating wheels... (note: this involves very small parts so it helps that you have your friend assist you and you should have sufficient lighting)

- in a piece of bond paper, lay the "music" tape and measure the exact width, then mark your bond paper with a pencil... (don't cut it into strips yet...) so your bond paper would look like an intermediate paper that has a very small space between the lines.

- then with the lines that you have made as a guide, you can now write your letter in that bond paper... (make sure that your writing fits between the lines... although it is small, it's best that you would not write in cursive...) make sure that you allow few cm. of space along both sides of your bond paper because as you cut them in strips it will not be difficult to put them together...

- now you have to cut the bond paper (with the letter) into strips that is the same width as the former "music" tape you have taken out from the cassette case...

- tape the strips together so it will form into a long paper letter trail... with your clean spare strip, attach that part into the left
rotating wheel of the cassette tape then attach that to the first part of your letter trail... then start assembling the tape...

- carefully rotating the wheel then collect your paper letter into the tape looking like the same as before... yet this letter can't be played in the player...

- as the letter trail ends, tape the last part of your letter to another spare blank strip then attach it to the other wheel making the cassette tape ready to be screwed together...

- as you screw your tape securely and the letter paper trail securely in place, you can now "rewind" your letter with the use of a pen inserting it to the right wheel...

- decorate the case of your cassette tape... you may write your P.S. on the cover in case you forget something... :)

enjoy making this present i hope your partner will like this too... :)

Contributed by: Weng Solidum, RN