What's Up With All the Washi?

Did you know that this week was the official Washi Tape Awareness Week?  Okay, maybe I just made that up, but why not?  Shouldn't we all be aware of the awesome things we can do with washi tape?  This week while watching all the new products companies were giving while at CHA, I noticed that everyone seems to be adding more washi tape products to the lines.  Just like rhinestone, decorative brads, twine, and chipboard embellishments have become part of many of our favorite lines, now more and more companies will be releasing coordinating washi tape with their lines.   

 

Check out this bike covered in washi tape that My Mind's Eye had at CHA this past week! So cool...

So what's up with all the washi?  Washi tape is like a masking tape made from paper, only prettier, and comes in many different patterns.  There are many different kinds of washi products at Scrappin' Happily Ever After, including great patterns from Tim Holtz, Smash, Queen and Company, and both tape and sheets of washi from We R Memory Keepers.  Ivy says she has also ordered some new washi, including the new collections from My Minds Eye.  Here is one collection below, but they are going to have many different color families. You don't have to pick which pattern you want, because all of them come in one pack! 

 

I have liked the idea of washi tape since I first saw it.  I started buying it, but did not really know what to do with it.  I would put pieces here and there to embellish a page, but I thought, "I know I can do more!"   So off I went to S.H.E.A. to get some washi tape and some of the very awesome 12X12 sheets of washi paper that Ivy carries.  The washi paper is made from the same material, only it is huge.  It is like a giant sticker sheet that you can cut, tear, or even use in your favorite die cutting machine! 

So I challenged myself to use washi tape a bit differently than I had in the past, and think of some new ways that we could try to use this very versatile product.

First, I thought of the great way that Dedra showed us how to use washi tape to make a hinge in our mini albums.  Take two pieces of paper and put a piece of washi on the outside as a partial binding, then open up your two sheets, and make a "+" sign with the washi on the inside.  Presto...an instant hinge!

Then I thought, washi is so great at embellishing a page with all the little colorful strips, what if I tried to make a background out of washi?  So I took a plain piece of white cardstock and started layering on pieces of washi in many different patterns and colors.  I was a little worried at first, but the more I added, the better it started to look.  This will make a great background for a photo.  I envision finishing off this page by spritzing on some Mister Huey mist in grays and yellow to add some texture to the white space, then adding a photo, creating some nice big chunky letters for a title, and layering on some finishing touch kind of embellishments. 

Do you have stuff in your crafting supplies that you don't really like?  Perhaps you got a kit of product, or you have some items left over that you don't know how to use.  I had these big chipboard tags and shapes that were not really my style.  They came in a big kit that I got as a gift, but I knew I would never use them.   

Ugly embellishments + washi tape = something you can actually use! 

You can also use washi on smaller pieces of paper, then run it through your die cutting machine to cut out shapes.  You can then use the shapes or use the negative space in your projects!

I was able to use some chalk ink on the Tim Holtz newspaper looking washi tag above, which gave it a nice look.  Then I thought...can I stamp on it?  I tried some Adirondack ink, but that would not set because of the texture.  A quick call to Ivy and she said...use the Archival or Staz On ink.  Voila!  I got some great stamped images on the washi paper! 

  Even More Ideas....

- Write on it!  You can write on it with a pen, so you can use strips or pieces as backgrounds for journaling or fun photo captions.  Outside of crafting you can use it like you would post it flgas and make your calendar very pretty with all the washi tape options. 

- Use it to wrap gifts with plain kraft paper, and instead of ribbon use the washi tape as your color.  Put a piece as a "seal" for cards you send in the mail.

- Decorate with it.  Find some old books and cover them in washi tape to make a cute stack of colorful books on a shelf.  You can make some super cute office supplies by covering pencils and binder clips with washi tape.  Use it as your labels on file folders, or as a way to create squares on a white board or chalk board.   

The possibilities are endless.  If you need more ideas, go to Pinterest and type in "washi."  It is amazing what people come up with!  So in observance of the official Washi Tape Awareness Week, get on over to S.H.E.A., get yourself some washi tape and paper, and go out there and get crazy with the washi!  What would you do with some washi tape right now? 

Anyone want to washi their car? - Joanna