FAUX WASHI TAPES
For a long time I didn’t really know what to do with washi tapes, and what I’d seen online of people using them hadn’t impressed me much – not that I had looked much beyond their use in decorating planners etc. Once I got into the serious mixed media stuff and junk journal work, I could see how useful they could be.
I have quite a collection now, but it is small compared with what some people have got! Collecting them can be quite addictive! It is quite hard to find the diagonal striped ones which I really like but I did manage to get a few recently.
There are many available digital downloads with strips you can print and cut, and stick down with regular glue. I have a few of these. I’ve also made some from strips of inked kitchen paper stuck to double-sided tape.
Recycled used masking tape
Quite often, I stick a piece down with masking tape when I want to work on it with wet media, and this masking tape gets splashed and painted on, and the results can be gorgeous. Here are the tapes from the beginning of my deco mesh experiments the other day – not terribly exciting but definitely usable with the extra texture provided by the tea staining.
When I made my coloured deco mesh sheets with acrylic medium, the resulting tapes were gorgeous.
I adore the subtle colouring and the different textures. I just couldn’t throw these away! These tapes can be stored on waxed paper or plastic.
Wrapping paper
I usually go to WH Smith’s (UK stationer/book store) when we go on our shopping trips. Often, basic stationery and stuff from the gift wrapping department can provide really nice art materials at reasonable prices, particularly the lovely rolls of gift wrap paper they do. I use quite a lot of this, and usually alter it to suit my needs. I recently bought a roll of red and white striped paper, and yesterday I cut off a piece and sprayed it with tea to grunge it up a bit – I am not keen on bright white stuff!
Here it is, before and after tea staining.
I tore 5/8 in strips off this, tearing against a metal ruler which gives a nice rough edge, to create faux washi tape.
I cut this at 5/8 in which seems to be a standard washi tape width. Unfortunately I don’t have any double sided tape of this width so these strips will have to be stuck down with glue. Not being sticky at this stage, I rolled them up around an empty wooden sewing cotton reel to store them.
I am looking forward to using this faux washi tape, because I was unable to find this diagonal stripe design in red – at least not at a reasonable price, and where the postage was more expensive than the tape!! I shall look out for other wrapping papers with different coloured stripes and make my own at virtually nil cost!!
