I have a weird mental blind spot when it comes to my assumption that everyone in the world knows and loves washi tape. It's become such an ubiquitous part of my life that when someone gets a blank look on their face when I mention it in conversation, I get a little flabbergasted. I'm so addicted to washi tape, I've been known to use "washi" as a verb, as in: "I'm going to washi those paper straws before the party." You may have noticed my penchant for washi tape in my post about arranging grocery store flowers,considering two of the vases were decorated with it.
So, What Is Washi Tape?
Simply put, it's decorative paper tape. Nowadays, there are brands of "washi tape" that are made in the U.S. and China, but most well-known brands of washi tape, like MT, are made in Japan. With washi tape's growing popularity, you can now also find fabric tape, paper tape, tissue tape — there might be slight variations within all of them and even within those going by washi tape, but for the most part, it's just decorative tape.
Where Can You Get It?
Aside from your local craft store, and increasingly, your local office supply store, you can also check out some of my favorite sources:
And What Can You Do With It?
Here are a few things I've done ...
And many, many more — I'm talking about using washi tape to decorate walls, cabinets, floors, create art installations, window displays, dorm rooms, playroom features, etc. etc. Just check out all 10 of the easy, impermanent solutions using washi tape on HGTV.com's new dorm decor section. Washi tape is EVERYWHERE. And I applaud every single new use I see. I'm on the washi bandwagon and I want everyone else to join the party, too.