Wonderful Washi Tape Options Have Expanded

My sister was captivated by a beautiful photo on Instagram posted by The Washi Tape Shop and asked if I had seen it... I had not. A quick investigation and wow, what elegant and unique tapes are available! Located in Toronto, Canada, The Washi Tape Shop is a small, but mighty online store that offers a vast selection of not just tape, but a few other special things with an Asian influence that I'll highlight also.

 

Enjoy this look at the newest offerings, as well as a discount code...

 

 

True washi tape, if you are unfamiliar with it, is a decorative paper tape made from the pulp of various Japanese shrubs. In fact, the word washi translates to Japanese paper. 

 

The first time you unroll a bit of washi tape you'll notice its lovely, lightweight feel and slight texture, yet it is surprisingly durable without being overly sticky. Many of the patterns have a slight translucence, and a new twist... some rolls are composed of washi stickers that can be assembled into beautiful flowers, ideal for springtime decorating.

 

 

Invented in Japan as recently as 2006, the first on the market was the brand "mt", which stands for masking tape. Washi tape has been growing in popularity with crafters in the U.S. and other countries for the past decade.

 

 

Things to love about washi tape: it can be torn by hand, written on, is biodegradable, waterproof, repositionable, and can even be reused. In fact, I've received some on items ordered from Etsy sellers who use it to seal their glassine bags and have saved pretty pieces to dress up my own handmade cards, envelopes and gifts.

 

Perhaps you've noticed boxed sets of decorative patterned tapes in large craft stores. While they might be appealing because they are less expensive than true washi tape, unfortunately its finest characteristics are missing. 

 

 

The manufacture of washi paper requires manual labor... boiling branches, stripping bark, drying, boiling again, beating the pulp... the list goes on. Needless to say it is an involved and lengthy process. If you are curious to learn more, this Tofugu post is an interesting one.

 

What else can be done with washi tape? Decorate for winter holidays, wrap Christmas presents, and make cards, of course! Another popular idea is to cut pennant shapes to fold over a string to make a party bunting. Scrapbookers press pieces onto layouts, planner aficionados create tabs and highlight to-do lists, while journalists use it to dress up entries. 

 

 

You can even jazz up walls and furniture with washi tape because another nifty characteristic is that it leaves no residue. Jessica Okui's little book Fun with Washi has lots of clever ideas for using it to decorate the home, accessories, and stationery.

I love a bit of metallic shine so that's another reason washi tape makes me happy... many of the patterns have touches of gold. The Washi Tape Shop has so many choices... there is a gorgeous galaxy collection, businesslike grid patterns for note taking and planning, nature-themed, solids, vintage, and even van Gogh-inspired. The latter are available as a set or single rolls.

 

Here are a couple of card making ideas I came up with that use washi tape and are perfect for Easter (egg card tutorial). and spring (quilled bird on a branch).

 

The Washi Tape Shop stocks a collection of ten pink rolls they call their Savory Pastel Set.

 

 

The Easter card shows off washi tape's translucent characteristic. It's fun to decorate eggs - paper or hard boiled - by overlapping a few pastel tapes to create different shades. I also like using it to add a final touch on cards as it nicely finishes background paper edges as I did on this little thank you card.

 

 

Along with washi tape, the company sells some of the most incredible bookmarks I've ever seen. While they are made of brass and 18K gold plate, not paper, they're definitely worth noting.

 

 

You'll also find this dramatic feather, as well as a dragonfly, butterfly, lotus and more.

The Washi Tape Shop has its own exclusive brand.

 

 

This Glitter Set [sold out] is especially gorgeous... it reminds me of sherbet colors. New designs and ideas for using washi tape are frequently posted on their Instagram feed.

 

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