washi tape is a Japanese decorative ribbon made of paper, it is originally handcrafted with a traditional Chinese method that was introduced to Japan thanks to a Korean Buddhist priest, around the year 610.
The name Washi Tape is the mixture 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 people 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.
Being able to have a wide variety of colors, prints and sizes, this ribbon is widely used in crafts and in the decoration of various objects. In addition, it can be used to create personalized objects, and there is still a multitude of uses for Washi Tape, this will depend on the creativity of those who own it.
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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 of them are made by industries, and the first to bring this product to industrial manufacturing was a Japanese company called Kamoi, which was founded in 1923.
According to the company's own website, they have a wide variety of tapes, including handmade adhesive tape using artisan 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 ed the company, these customers would buy the ribbons, but customize and decorate them over the ribbon itself. With that in mind, the company started to study a possible new product, already with this characteristic of drawings 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 referring to Washi tapes as masking tapes. Today there are several other factories and brands that produce tapes around the world, thus increasing the types of washi, designs, textures, and accessories for these tapes.
The many uses of Washi Tape
There are endless possibilities for using Washi Tape, mainly in decoration, as it is made of paper, resembling the tapes used in stationery, notebooks, planners, agendas, and the famous bujos.
These tapes also arouse interest because they are removable, which has a glue that "takes off" and leaves no residue and still has enough glue to reposition 3 or 4 more times, it also depends 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, since 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 on paper, on an object, or on the wall.
The use of Washi Tape is also closely related to paper because it is also made of paper and is inserted in the world of stationery. But in addition to paper it is also possible to use it to decorate packaging, card, gift, pencils, pots, cans, bottles, cup, wooden clothespin, straw, vase, mirror, glass, table, furniture, painting, wall, ceiling, decoration of party, and much more, as already said, the possibilities are countless and it depends a lot on the creativity of who uses it.
Washi Tape Variations
With the great and rapid popularity of Washi Tape, many variations of this tape began to appear, see below some of the most popular of them:
The fabric ribbon is also used for crafts and can even be useful for finishing touches; however, its adhesion is not very strong and may require reinforcement (such as sewing or a little glue).
The plastic tape or decotape is a variation of decorative tape and has the same purposes, but it does not tear easily and scissors are required to detach it 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 applied to.
From some time to now, Washi Tapes are increasingly taking up space in the stationery world and it's becoming easier to find them here in Brazil.
Until a few years ago it was only possible to find them in stores that imported and brought from abroad or buying in other countries such as the United States and countries in Europe or Asia. But currently there are Brazilian brands that produce these ribbons that have already won several countries around and Brazil has been gaining more and more.
