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Does the whole idea of washi tape feel overwhelming? Do you even know what washi tape is? These ideas from Bullet Journal enthusiasts offer big visual impact with very little effort!

14 Easy but Brilliant Ways to Use Washi from Bullet Journal Junkies

Last updated on April 24th, 2022 • Art Journaling, Journaling Supplies

Until I joined a bullet journal group on Facebook, I’d never heard the term “washi.”

It felt like a secret code word that you’d have to be in The Club to understand. 

And the term “washi” popped up so ubiquitously it was intimidating to ask. 

But I did ask! 

How do you guys use washi tape? Mind sharing spreads? (I'm a long time bujo addict, but I'm not sure what to do with washi.)

Here’s what I learned:

What is Washi? (The basics, please, in plain English.) And why the heck would a journaler use it? 

Washi is patterned masking tape, usually found in Japanese stationery stores and at craft stores in the States or online. (Amazon has a lot of options!) 

Think of it like paper ribbon that sticks to a page. 

Standard washi tape is usually 15mm wide (just over a half inch), but it also comes in other sizes, including 30mm (a little over an inch) and really skinny washi around 3mm.

Washi comes in solid colors, beautiful patterns, metallics, lace, and glitter designs. 

Okay. It’s pretty tape. So… why is it so popular with Bullet Journalers? 

Washi adds visual interest to your pages without the need to draw anything! It’s also a practical way to attach things to your pages in a visually beautiful way. 

(Like the receipt from that cafe where you had that great conversation. Or the crayon scribbled note from the 3 year old you adore. Or the napkin sketch you made when you’d left your journal at home.) 

Need some inspiration on how to use washi? (Want someone to explain what it is???) #washi #journaling #bulletjournal #bujoinspire #yourvisualjournal

Here are 14 creative ideas for journaling with washi tape!

1. Create subheadings. (Washi tape can make words pop.)

By strategically placing a piece of washi and writing on it, you can promote information on a page, much like a subheading in a magazine. Check out how Bujo_Anne uses washi to make the days of the week pop in this weekly spread. 

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A post shared by Sierra Lamb (@perceptively_type_a)

2. Add a theme to a page. (The pattern doesn’t have to stay on the tape.) 

Washi can add a thematic element that can easily copied through other elements on a page. In the design below, Jodi Trinkle starts with a washi tape that features banner flags, then carries that theme through the spread. 

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A post shared by Jodi Trinkle (@joddog1)

3. Create vertical borders for pages you want to refer to frequently. (They’re like a bookmark that never falls out.) 

Using washi to create vertical borders is a simple way to mark a page you want to refer back to frequently. It makes it easy to find when flipping through your journal. I use it for the spread where I’m logging the books I read this year. 

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A post shared by CathyHutchison | VisualJournal (@cathy.hutchison)

4. Block out the blank days on a calendar. (Make awkward space an asset.) 

What do you do with those empty spaces on a monthly calendar? Clare Gissane uses washi to transform them from humdrum to interesting, adding a colorful splash to her theme.. 

5. Layer a design. (Who knew tape could add such beauty and depth?)

Washi allows you to create artistic layers on a page. In this spread, washi tape doesn’t just anchor the polaroids, it adds to the beauty of the design.

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A post shared by design (@alleyaak)

6. Fashion page tabs. (Washi tabs = function + beauty.) 

Remember those handy page dividers in three-ring binders that separated your notebooks so you could easily locate the section you needed? @leona_wong13 uses that same technique in her journal, folding the tape to make tabs.

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A post shared by @leona_wong13

7. Cover a date in your planner when you need more space. (It happens.) 

Popular planners like the Hobonichi include pre-printed dates. But what happens if you need more room? @irene.plans uses washi tape to adapt the planner to her needs, while making it all look intentional. 

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A post shared by Planner addict: my Hobonichi (@irene.plans)

8. Visually separate information on a page. (You could just draw lines, but this is way more interesting.) 

You can section out information to create a beautiful layout, like this one from @konylia_dayosi

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A post shared by Thuy Duong Cao (@konylia_dayosi)

9. Fill blank space. (A quick addition of texture and color creates a nice aesthetic.) 

Washi can add visual interest to a basic page when you use it to dispatch empty space. This simple layering of two pieces of washi by @eri_bujojapan completely alters this page.

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A post shared by Eri (@eri_myjournal)

10. Embellish the inside cover. (Your endsheets don’t have to be blank.) 

Most of us leave the inside covers of our journals blank, but we don’t have to! In just a few minutes, washi tape can enhance those endsheets. Check it out! 

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A post shared by CathyHutchison | VisualJournal (@cathy.hutchison)

11. Create a text box. (Employ the techniques that magazines utilize to anchor text on a page.) 

A simple line of washi tape can anchor text on a page and make it pop. This page by @rbaburina uses a line of washi tape to create a text box for a quote. 

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A post shared by Richele Rae Baburina (@rbaburina)

12. Reclaim blank space. (Trade boring for beautiful.) 

Most planners come with some space you won’t use. Washi to add a thematic element, rather than letting the space go to waste. 

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A post shared by Hertz • Hobonichi Planner (@hertzplanner)

13. Design a dutch door spread. (You’ll feel like a bullet journal ninja.) 

In a house, a real “dutch door” consists of two sections  (top and bottom) which can be opened independently. In a journal, trimming a page to be half-size (usually vertically) creates a similar utility. Washi tape used as a border for a dutch door makes the page easier to turn.

@cayaline has a quick animation showing how her dutch doors trimmed with washi tape work.

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A post shared by Cayaline (@cayaline)

14. Combine with stamped images to create an artistic layout that looks like you spent days on it.

Helen Colebrook of Journal with Purpose creates headers with brush lettering techniques, then adds washi tape and rubber stamps to complete the design with beautiful results.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Helen, Journal with Purpose (@journalwithpurpose)

How to store your washi tape

I have a favorite solution for storing washi tape.

This product by Walden Woodworkers (sold by Galen Leather) is beautiful and high quality.

Better yet, I discovered I use my washi tape more when it is sitting out creating easy access. Not only does this washi tape dispenser do a lovely job of displaying the tape, but it also has a functional edge that cuts it.

Isn’t using washi sort of cheating?

As I’ve talked with bullet journalists, I’ve found there are strong opinions on washi. Some people feel like it is too “scrapbooky” to be authentic – to bullet journaling specifically or journaling in general.

My question is: “so what?”

Washi is a tool. And the creatives who use it are making amazing things. More importantly, journals are personal–so shouldn’t you get to pick what you do in yours without being judged for it? 

This stuff is fun! 

I’ve been having a blast with it. 

Washi tape can be found at big box craft stores or ordered online.
Washi tape can be found at big box craft stores or ordered online. There is a difference in quality on washi tape. Washi tape shouldn’t stick permanently, but it should have enough adhesive not to peel off your pages. (Super cheap washi can do that. So far, the one I purchased above is holding up well.)

Ready to experiment? 

Just because “washi” seems like a code word doesn’t mean it’s hard to incorporate it in your journal. (It’s just tape.) 

And you don’t have to buy a ton of it (unless you want to). (I only have those two rolls – one 15mm and one 30mm – and I picked them up at a craft store with a 40% off coupon.) 

Go snag yourself some washi and experiment. 

Oh! And it isn’t actually all that sticky. So if you find you don’t love it, you can always just pull it off! 

Want more bullet journal ideas? Check out the “big ass list” with over 1,000 ideas. https://yourvisualjournal.com/bullet-journal-ideas/

About Cathy Hutchison

Cathy Hutchison helps people get more joy, meaning, and freedom in a world of demands through the practice of visual journaling.

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Cathy helps people banish overwhelm,
boost creativity 🎨
and reconnect with their ♥️
through visual journaling. 🖌
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CathyHutchison | VisualJournal
Simple can be beautiful. A small doodled flower. A Simple can be beautiful. A small doodled flower. An underline of color. Your #bulletjournal can be as elaborate as you like, but our lives are complex. #Simplicity feels good.
#Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay enga #Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay engaged in meetings.
I love the A5 size journals because they can go ev I love the A5 size journals because they can go everywhere with me! #journaling #leuchtturm1917 #yourvisualjournal
This morning I received an email from @songdance.c This morning I received an email from @songdance.co with a link to a song. I had no idea how much I needed to hear these words. #journaling #yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal #artjournal #neocolor2
Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. #journaling #stationery #artjournaling #sealingwax
I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was seven years old. 

I realized that now that I'm a grown up I could just buy it. 

On Amazon. 

#sealingwax #journaling #artjournaling #yourvisualjournal
I love learning about the authentic fascinations o I love learning about the authentic fascinations of the people in my world. The obscure hobbies they love. The ideas they just can't stop thinking about. The things they pour time (and money) into for no reason except that it gives them joy .

As you jump into 2023, I highly recommend purchasing a #notebook that you can take with you everywhere to feed this part of your life . Write down your inspirations. Capture ideas. Develop thoughts by reviewing them periodically. (And definitely scribble doodles in the margins--that's an important part.)

Engaging a #journaling practice--whatever that looks like for you--can give space for the quirky, beautiful, creative part of you to grow. And as it turns out, #visualthinking in a #journal is my personal, random fascination.

#yourvisualjournal
#bujo #bujoideas #journaling #artjournaling #sketchnotes #bulletjournal #dotjournal #leuchtturm1917
I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I le I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I learned from @michalroots . 

As one part of this, I wrote the sentences that jumped out at me from my 2022 journals as I went page by page. It left me with a sense of what the year was about and gave me an appreciation for the incredible beauty of friends, creativity, inspiration, and big ideas. 

I also looked at my vision board to see what happened, and what didn’t. For the things that didn’t happen, I gave some heart time to figure out the level that I actually want them (and learned it was low.) The things that happened had a lot of desire behind them. (It was an interesting thing to observe.) 

If you want to take Michal’s course, DM him for the link. I found it a valuable process that I will continue going forward.
#journaling #yourvisualjournal #artjournaling #bulletjournal #bujoinspiration
Do you create a #visionboard each year? The latest Do you create a #visionboard each year? The latest post at YourVisualJournal.com dives into how to create one in your journal. #journaling #artjournaling
Happy thanksgiving 🍁 Happy thanksgiving 🍁
Brush markers make my heart happy. #brushmarker #t Brush markers make my heart happy. #brushmarker #tombowdualbrushpens #bulletjournal #bujo #yourvisualjournal
Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few d Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few doodles at the bottom of your todo list makes it more engaging for your brain. This whole thing was quick to draw. (Mostly circles, a rectangle, and a few lines.) Coloring in with #brushmarkers was fast and easy. 

#yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal #artjournaling #sketchnotes #tombowdualbrushpens
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Disclosures

Some links on this site are affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The author receives a  small (really small) commission if you happen to buy something.  Funds are used to support journaling supplies & four crazy sweet Aussies who bark for treats every time I come in the door. (To be fair, I have a pattern of giving in to them.) I write about all kinds of journaling, and if Bullet Journaling is your thing, I’m here to support you. But if you want to go deep, go to the original source–Ryder Carroll, who created the system, and started it all at bulletjournal.com. I use the method daily which is why I started writing about it here.
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