Japan’s Colorful Washi Tape Is the Budget-Friendly Alternative to Repainting Your Space
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When it comes to switching up your home decor, there’s no easier way to do it than with a few rolls of washi tape. In case you haven’t heard of the craft craze, washi tape is a decorative Japanese paper that, like tape, has an adhesive back. But unlike the tape you’re thinking of, it’s not super sticky, so it won’t harm your walls or other surfaces. Consider it more like masking tape or painter’s tape: It’ll stay, but it won’t stick once you’re done with it.
Unlike painter’s tape, though, washi tape can be a fun way to brighten up your home. You can use it to make fun, DIY charging stations for your phone, decorate the pages of your bullet journal, or even transform a room. It can become faux wallpaper, photo frames, or a substitute for a new paint job with ease. And we’ve got plenty of ideas for how to use it in different rooms of your house. Want to try it out? Check out how we transformed the rooms below using washi tape alone — no other work necessary.
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Kitchen Counter Plain
Getty Images In the Kitchen
Cooking space looking a little bland? Washi tape can be an easy way to add some extra flavor to the room and revitalize your space. If you have flat cabinets, spice them up with a pattern.
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Kitchen Counter Washi Tape
Getty Images, Amazon In the Kitchen: Washi Tape Decor
You can use a different pattern of washi tape for each cabinet if you want to add a few different colors to the room, or you can match them to keep the room consistent. For this kitchen, we used watercolor patterned washi tape.
Where to buy: $10.59 for six rolls, Amazon
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Kitchen Plain
Getty Images In the Kitchen
If your cabinets have different panels on them, you most likely don't want to take the time to wrap each different level in washi tape. But there's still plenty that you can do to add a pop of color and some extra dimension.
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Washi Tape Kitchen Cabinets
Getty Images, Amazon In the Kitchen: Washi Tape Decor
Using plain-colored washi tape, we brightened up this space by lining the inset panel of the cabinets. If you have a particular color scheme in mind for your kitchen, you can keep it to one color — or play around with a couple for a fun, light look. We loved the warm tones here in contrast to the cool backsplash.
Where to buy: $11.99 for 40 rolls, Amazon
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Living Room Plain
Getty Images In the Living Room
Got a lot of open space along one of the walls? There are easy ways to decorate that space, whether you're feeling particularly artistic or just looking for something simple.
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Living Room Washi Tape Photo Frames
Getty Images, Amazon In the Living Room: Washi Tape Decor
One of the easiest things you can do is use washi tape to make improvised photo frames. Because it doesn't damage your walls, you can feel free to change out the photos frequently — or switch out the "frames" depending on the season or the holiday. We love this metallic gold pattern to add a little shine to the wall.
Where to buy: $13.99 for 21 rolls, Amazon
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Plain Living Room
Getty Images In the Living Room
If your living area is lacking in decor, a little faux wallpaper can go a long way. You can use washi tape to create a pattern or print to fill that empty space — and we don't mean you have to cover the whole wall in skinny little strips of tape, either.
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Living Room Faux Wallpaper Washi Tape
Getty Images, Amazon In the Living Room: Washi Tape Decor
A cross or dash pattern interspersed throughout can breathe new life into a boring paint job. Whether you use washi tape with a print on it or just a solid color, you can't go wrong. And if you want to get really fancy, you can go for more expert-level geometric shapes.
Where to buy: $7.99 for 48 rolls, Amazon
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Plain Bedroom Windows
Getty Images In the Bedroom
An all-white bedroom can seem like a clean slate, but it can also be a little dull. Adding a simple color or texture can totally transform the tone of your room. And there's one easy spot to do that.
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Bedroom Washi Tape Windows
Getty Images, Amazon In the Bedroom: Washi Tape Decor
The window sill is a great place to use as an accent piece. To add a little extra color to the room without upsetting it's calming atmosphere, we lined the sill and part of the pane with a marbled washi tape that further emphasized the beautiful greenery outside.
Where to buy: $13.95 for 12 rolls, Amazon
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Bedroom Plain
Getty Images In the Bedroom
It's nice to have everything clean and put away — but leave too much blank space and your room will look empty. A straightforward design on the walls can transform your decor.
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Bedroom Washi Tape Geometric Pattern
Getty Images, Amazon In the bedroom: Washi Tape Decor
We kept things geometric but easy here — all you have to do is make parallel lines. We loved the cool tone colors to complement the blue comforter, and brought them all through the room without having to break out the paint.
Where to buy: $9.99 for 24 rolls, Amazon