Washi Tape is a decorative Japanese tape made of paper, originally handmade using a traditional Chinese method that was introduced to Japan thanks to a Korean Buddhist priest around the year 610.
The name Washi Tape is a mix of a Japanese word with an English word; Washi comes from the union of [和] which means harmony, peace, Japanese style and which means paper, and Tape, which means tape.
In the beginning, this tape was mainly made of rice, but this – contrary to what some think – was not the only material that could be used to make Washi tape, as it could also be made from bamboo, hemp, wheat, among others.
Having a wide variety of colors, patterns, and sizes, this tape is widely used in crafts and in the decoration of various objects. In addition, it is used to create personalized objects, and there are countless other uses for Washi Tape, depending on the creativity of the owner.
Table of Contents
Washi Tape and Industrialization
Of course, nowadays Washi Tape is no longer made in an artisanal way. There may still be some, but the vast majority is made by industries, and the first to bring this product to industrial manufacturing was a Japanese company called Kamoi, founded in 1923.
According to the company’s own website, they have a wide variety of tapes, including handmade adhesive tape using handmade paper as a base material, a long-standing product is the sealing tape Kamoi, there is also heat-resistant tape for painting using crepe paper as a basic material and the “Kabuki“, an adhesive tape for automobiles.
In 2006, a group of Kamoi customers contacted the company; these customers bought the tapes but customized and decorated over the tape itself. Thinking about this, the company began to study a possible new product, already with this characteristic of designs and decorations on top.
Kamoi then saw that it was indeed possible and created a new company in 2008 called Masking Tape Kamoi Kakoshi Co. Ltd., better known as MT, and began to refer to Washi tapes as masking tapes. Today there are several other factories and brands that produce tapes worldwide, thus increasing the types of washi, designs, textures, and accessories for these tapes.
The Various Uses of Washi Tape
There are infinite possibilities for using Washi Tape, mainly used in decoration, as it is made of paper, it resembles the tapes used in stationery, in notebooks, planners, agendas, and the famous bujos.
These tapes also attract interest because they are removable, having a glue that “unsticks” and leaves no residue, and still has enough glue to reposition 3 or 4 times, depending on the quality of the glue and the product.
Another characteristic of this tape is that it does not necessarily need to be cut with scissors, as depending on where and how it is used, many prefer to tear it by hand. However, scissors are also widely used to make a straight cut, usually to stick it to paper, an object, or the wall.
The use of Washi Tape is also closely related to paper due to the fact that it is also made of paper and is inserted in the world of stationery. But besides paper, it is also possible to use it to decorate packaging, cards, gifts, pencils, jars, cans, bottles, cups, wooden clips, straws, vases, mirrors, glass, tables, furniture, frames, walls, ceilings, party decorations, and much more. As already mentioned, the possibilities are countless and depend greatly on the creativity of the user.
Variations of Washi Tape
With the rapid and widespread popularity of Washi Tape, many variations of this tape began to emerge; see below some of the most popular ones:
The fabric tape is also used for handmade creations and can even be useful for finishing touches, however, its adhesion is not as firm and may require reinforcement (such as sewing or a bit of glue).
The plastic tape or decotape is a variation of decorative tape and has the same purposes, but it does not tear easily and requires the use of scissors to detach from the roll.
The paper tape is the closest to the original Washi Tape and has advantages such as ease of tearing, it can be written on, and it easily comes off most surfaces it is stuck to.
Recently, Washi Tapes have been occupying more and more space in the stationery universe, and it is becoming easier to find them here in Brazil.
Until a few years ago, they could only be found in stores that imported them from abroad or by purchasing them in other countries like the United States and countries in Europe or Asia. But currently, there are already Brazilian brands that produce these little tapes that have already gained popularity in several countries and are increasingly gaining ground in Brazil.
Leave a Reply