Merriest, merriest of them all, washi tape has it all! She is colourful, biodegradable, decorative, and oh so Kawairashii [ka-wai-rashii: lovely].
Made from traditional Japanese paper; bamboo and plant fibres make washi a low-waste choice. This durable and inexpensive tape offers an array of colours and designs that make it an eye-catching decorative accent for gift wrapping or creative uses.
For being something that is used for a short period of time, conventional tape alternatives made of highly renewable resources can very well be your next swap in your eco-friendly repertoire. Considering that most tape can take up to 500-1000 years to decompose, sealing a package with washi can be like sealing a gift intended for mother Earth.
Did you know that traditional paper here in this part of the world is made from trees that are logged, or cut down, but washi is made from branches taken off of trees, bamboo and even hemp? According to https://www.beeco.green/facts/is-washi-tape-recyclable/, “Most washi tape is made from the bark of mulberry, gampi and mitsumata.” The bark can be used without killing the tree, so we can feel really good about that.
Also, the gentle adhesive on the back is made from natural rubber, making this tape as eco-friendly as it gets.
We have been carrying washi at Delish General Store since 2010, even before we opened our first brick and mortar location, and have enjoyed introducing our customers to the colours, designs and uses of this great craft tool. (A fun activity before you even open up the roll of tape is to try to use Siri to tell a friend about washi – you may end up with some hilarious results – our favourite has to be “Washington ape”.)
Get your creative pants on by exploring these 5 ways to use washi:
// Decoupage // spruce up lids of jars by brushing a layer of mod podge on top of a decorative washi print that you want to display.
// Display Artwork // place your child’s artwork on surfaces such as walls and not worry about damaging the paint.
// Gift Wrapping // adhere a sprig of nature on top of a gift or seal it with a fun and festive washi print.
// Card making // fold pieces of washi together over twine to create a wee banner as an embellishment on a card.
// Journaling // jot down temporary notes on washi or use as sticky notes to flag pages of a book.
What started thousands of years ago in Japan as a paper making tradition that ingeniously used local shrubs and plants to create, the art of Washi has grown into a resourceful way to re-imagine our everyday use of tape.
Signed, sealed, delivered.
Love,
Washi tape