Next week marks Omiyage's third birthday - which means this week is all about prepping for a little birthday fun! Like these washi tape dots - as I was making them last night (they're a pretty perfect park-yourself-in-front-of-the-tv activity), I thought you might like making them too!
When you want to graduate from simple strips of washi tape to shapes, waxed paper or parchment paper will be your best friend. I would recommend testing this technique on a small section of the paper before covering it with tape so that you aren't left with shapes that are frustrating to peel off. The finished shapes should peel off with little effort. I use the leftover paper backings of our shipping labels and one side is perfect - the other side is too matte and might just have caused a crafty tantrum or two. Maybe.
Anyway, simply cover your piece of waxed/parchment paper with strips of washi tape. Ensure to start from one end and work towards the other, laying strips so that they overlap slightly. If you lay the strips randomly or don't overlap, when you go to peel your sticker off your backing it will come apart and then you can either attempt to re-line up the tiny strips or simply scrap it. This too might cause mega-frustration. Maybe. Either way, it's best just to make sure you overlap those strips!
Flip your parchment paper over, grab a roll of washi tape and use it as a template for your dots. I used the inside of the roll, but you could use the outside edge or something else entirely, if you'd prefer a different size.
You could, of course, use a paper punch to create your shapes. But, if like me, your paper punch would rather chew your carefully arranged washi tape/waxed paper combo than punch it - good old-fashioned cutting works wonders!
Cut out your dots. If your traced circles were a little wonky, try rounding them out a bit as you cut. Yes, those are a pair of small sewing scissors. No, I don't recommend them for paper cutting, but if you know where my regular scissors are, please feel free to let me in on the secret!
There you go, cute washi tape dots - custom stickers perfect for dressing up gift wrap, notebooks, blank walls, envelopes...
As for me, I'm using mine to decorate washi tape grab bags.
A limited number of these will be available in the shop next week. Just one taste of the special goodies you can look forward to during our third birthday festivities!
Any questions about this technique? What would you use washi tape dots for?
