'The Tackifier' Blog by FindTape

Creating Art with Washi Tape

Washi Tape comes in dozens of colors and styles and can be used to decorate almost anything, including furniture, walls, laptops, pencil holders, and even bicycles. Because it is both versatile and offers a lot of creative potential, it is a favorite among crafters and scrapbookers.

What is Washi Tape?

This decorative tape is a masking tape made from Japanese rice paper that can be torn by hand. It can be used on paper, objects and walls, and because it's easy to reposition, it's ideal for decorating projects.

The tape is manufactured by Japan-based Kamoi Kakoshi, a specialist in Japanese Washi paper tape for industrial use since 1923. For its first several decades, the company focused on producing paper tape for use in the painting of buildings, automobiles, and furniture.

In 2006, three women approached the company with an idea to create Washi masking tape in many colors and patterns. The new tape could be used in a myriad of everyday projects around the home: to decorate rooms or books, to make gifts, and in creative projects of almost any kind.

Kamoi Kakoshi released the new product in 2008, to great success. It has been sold in more than 20 countries, won awards, and even inspired a museum in an old factory at the manufacturer's headquarters in Okayama. In a few short years, it has become one of the hottest trends among crafters.

The tape is popular not only because it is available in a variety of colors and patterns. It has a number of other attractive attributes. It's strong, but extremely thin, and it's easy to reposition. Washi tape is also semi-transparent, so it can be layered for a greater creative effect. And because it's easy to write on, it's great for making notes or sharing messages.

How Washi Tape is Used

Crafters use Washi Tape to make picture frames, clocks, bracelets, and jewelry boxes. During the holidays, they use it to make cards and ornaments. Scrapbookers use it to embellish pages, create intricate designs, and decorate planners and book covers.

Washi Tape Projects

There is no shortage of ideas for projects and crafts on the Web. A Google search for "Washi Tape crafts" returns more than a million results, and Pinterest is a treasure trove of Washi Tape projects for kids, home, and scrapbooking.

There are hundreds of ideas on craft and scrapbooking blogs as well. Over at Omiyage Blogs, blogger Marisa Edghill has written a book called Washi Style, and on its pages are 101+ ideas for Washi Tape projects.

If you're just getting started – or even if you're looking for a little bit of inspiration, here's a short wrap-up of some ideas we've gathered from around the Web.

Using Washi Tape in Craft Projects

Blogger Tanner Bell has collected 14 DIY projects using Washi Tape at A Little Craft in Your Day. Some of these ideas include decorating your laptop keyboard and your power cords, and creating coasters and shadow box art.

At DIY Lifestyle magazine, colorful Washi Tape birds is a fun spring project.

Washi Tape Ways to Decorate Your Home

Wall art is featured in a post on Washi Tape Crafts (this blog is a great resource for craft, holiday, and home décor ideas for Washi Tape). Amy Anderson, who also blogs at Mod Podge Rocks, highlights 15 unique ideas culled from crafters around the Web, including picture frames, shadow boxes, and wall decals.

The wall decals are inspiration from the Everything Emily blog. Emily had wanted to decorate the walls of her son's bedroom, but didn't want anything expensive or permanent because she knew she'd be moving soon. One of the benefits of Washi Tape is that it can be easily removed. As Emily said in an update to her post: "We currently just moved from the home where these lovely diy decals were and the removal process was EXTREMELY easy! The decals peeled right off without damaging the walls! I will say they left a little dark coloring around the area where they were but I cleaned it off with a damp cloth and it came right off!"

Jenni Radosevich at ISpyDIY offers some more wall art inspiration from around the Web, including a city skyline headboard, and designs for – yes – stairs. Radosevich calls Washi Tape "one of the greatest craft inventions ever," adding: "Honestly, the patterns, the colors, the ability to put this paper tape on anything makes it so fun to use."

Scrapbooking

Washi Tape is ideal for scrapbooking because there are an infinite number of combinations that can be created from the many colors and styles available. Posting on the Get It Scrapped blog, Michelle Houghton demonstrates how Washi Tape can be layered to create unique scrapbook designs. The tutorial covers Washi Tape weaving and is a good example of the art that can be created with this material.

For more ideas, visit our Pinterest boards for Washi Tape Projects, Scrapbooking, Creative Cards, and Event Planning.

You can find and buy Kamoi Kakoshi's mt Washi Tape at FindTape.com. We offer 30 different solid colors and over 35 patterns. Roll sizes are 0.6 inches X 33 feet and price breaks are offered in quantities as low as 8 rolls at a time. You can even build up a set of mixed colors or patterns to still take advantage of the 8 roll price break.

JVCC SLPT20 Designer Packaging Tape offers custom designs or patterns printed on standard polypropylene film carton sealing tape. This tape is great for projects such as crafting, hooping, fashion and others; but is also exceptional at basic box and carton sealing or for just grabbing attention. Patterns include boat flags, chain, color bars, dashed-line road, purple circles and scissor cut.

Duck Brand Printed Duck Duct Tape Patterns is patterned duct tape with high performance strength and moderate adhesion characteristics. Excellent for repairs, color-coding, fashion, crafting and imaginative projects. Patterns include ACU digital camouflage, black and white checker, blue tie-dye, dragon, hot rod flames, hardwood camouflage, leopard, orange tie-dye, paint splatter, pink zebra, skulls and zig-zag zebra.

Duck Brand Printed EZ Start Packaging Tape is a 2.6 mil thick high performance packaging tape loaded into a disposable dispenser. The tape offers a wide temperature range; doesn't split or tear; and offers ultraviolet resistance to eliminate yellowing and to increase shelf life. Patterns include black olives, peace sign, pink zebra and tie-dye.

Platypus Designer Duct Tape comes in 14 patterns which include Argyle, Candy Cane, Denim, Diamond Plate, Grass, Houndstooth, Jolly Roger, Leopard, Paisley, Polka Dot, Snowflake, Wicker, Wood Grain and Wool Stocking. It's the perfect tape to use for your next duct tape project. The polyethylene coated cloth is 10.5 mils thick and offers 32 ounces per inch of peel adhesion.