I couldn't get my fingers going fast enough to say NO TAPE!!! Thankfully the community of snake lovers here at BP.net was quick on the draw! hahaha!!
There are a million things you could use, and plenty you can find at a dollar store for super cheap, especially if appearance isn't your highest priority. I've also seen some videos of how to make hides really cheap. I haven't tried making them, but some of them seemed really easy and cheap, and ended up looking good and natural.