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Washi all about you may ask ? (pardon my silly pun). I get asked a lot about how to use Washi Tape on projects. I must admit that I have a slight addiction to Washi Tape. In this post I will explain what is Washi Tape. where to get it, storage ideas plus give you some great ideas for using it on your creative projects.
What is Washi Tape ?
To put it simply, Washi Tape is a high quality masking tape made of rice paper. It is a decorative tape that comes in a variety of colors and patterns and is slightly transparent when applied to a surface. The way I understand it, Washi Tape was made in Japan in 2006 when a group of designers asked a tape manufacturer there to duplicate some designs on to a special tape made from Rice paper so that artist and crafters could use it on their projects.
Washi Tape is acid free and safe to use on your craft projects. They started out with only 20 different designs way back when and now there are literally thousands of designs available. A few years ago, Washi became a BIG hit with scrapbookers and card makers and still is today. Now many favorite manufacturers also have a matching line to their paper lines. Yeah for us !!!
Washi Tape is a material which is beautiful, slightly transparent and useful at the same time. You can tear it, stick it, reposition it, write on it… The low tack adhesive makes it extremely easy to use since it is very forgiving if you place it down wrong and need to move it around. It just adds that extra special touch to your craft projects.
Where Can You Get Washi Tape ?
You can buy Washi Tape at different places online and also I have seen it at big box stores in the craft aisle or stationary aisle. Some of my favorite places to get it are:
How Do You Store Washi Tape?
I will be honest with you…once you start using Washi Tape you will want more. Since they are so inexpensive and add such a great decorative element for so many creative projects you might just find a growing collection on your hands. So when that happens, you need a way to store them, right?
I really like this Washi Tape Store Keeper by Simply Tidy at Michaels. It has 4 removeable trays that each hold a lot of rolls. Its in a handy clear plastic tote with a handle on it so it’s easy to take on the go or store away and use when needed.
Another washi holder that I liked is this 3 Drawer Washi Organizer by Simply Tidy at Michaels. This one is a beautiful clear acrylic organizer with three pull out drawers. This would be great if you are a more visual organizer and like to have your things around in pretty containers.
Some of you may not have a dedicated craft space and use a mobile rolling cart. Well there is a great storage idea for you too. This Cart Vinyl Storage Hanger by Simply Tidy at Michaels is perfect for hanging off the side of the cart and keeping your washi tape handy. You can just peel off what you need so easily. I
Other Ways to Store Washi Tape
- in a basket
- on dowels on the wall
- on pegs on a peg board
- in a desk in desk drawer organizers
- in big glass jars
- on tiered slack cloths hanger
What ever solution you decide to use based on your needs, just remember to leave room for your collection to grow. Speaking from experience here.
How Can You Use Washi Tape ?
Use Washi Tape on Cards
I LOVE using it on my cards ! Here are a few examples of how I used some of my Washi stash recently.
It was easy to tear the washi and just layer on a card, add a sentiment and you have a great card in just minutes!
I used my Cricut and CTMH Stamps for the sentiments on both cards.
You can easily fold over Washi onto itself and make some adorable simple banners for your craft projects too !
You can even make Washi into shapes ! And the cool thing is you don’t even need any more adhesive since it sticks to itself !!!
On this card I covered the entire front of the card with Washi AND made a BOW out of Washi too. I just love the added dimension I can get.
Use Washi Tape on Scrapbook Pages:
Yes, you can even use washi on scrapbook pages too ! It’s great for making photo mats, decorative corners of the page, as a base for embellishments or creating a background for your layout like I did here.
While the layout is about the Duct Tape Obsession of my granddaughter…(hmmm, what is it about the lust for tape in our family? LOL), You can see that I used Washi Tape as the colorful background of my layout to imitate the look of duct tape. I didn’t use duct tape cause it is not acid free but Washi sure is !
What Else Can You Do With Washi Tape ?
- seal hand made card envelopes
- decorate the front of card envelopes
- wrap around tea lights to decorate the plain tins
- decorate the front of notebooks and journals
- make quick removeable bookmarks or tabs
- wrap around phone chargers and cords to personalize
- add to planner pages to decorate or mark tasks
- cut shapes out of cardstock or chipboard and cover them for embellishments
- decorate planters to create centerpieces
There are a million and one different things to do with Washi. But I’ve got one more to share with you.
A Much Different Way to Use Washi Tape
So I was crafting one day and poked a hole in my thumb with a craft knife…ouch ! It just kept bleeding. I didn’t want to get blood on my project but I wasn’t at home and didn’t have a bandage handy. So I washed the wound with soap and water, put a clean paper napkin on it and wrapped it in Washi Tape ! It really came in handy as a temporary bandage. Plus it looked pretty too.
What’s Next About Washi Tape?
I have some questions for you to answer about Washi Tape.
- Have you ever used Washi Tape ?
- If so, what did you use it on ?
- How many rolls of Washi Tape do you have ?
- How do you store your rolls of Washi Tape ?
- If you have never used Washi Tape, are you wanting to try it now ?
I love to hear from you ! Leave me a comment. Come join us over in my Lets Learn Cricut Design Space Facebook Group and hang out with other crafters who love to try new materials and tools and share.
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I made some cards last night using some wash tape and it just makes it so easy to add some color and different prints, etc! I have to say I really had held out, but now I can see why people really enjoy using it!
I love washi tape as well and I am totally addicted to it! The more washi tape I have the better off I am. I love the layout you made with the washi tape!