5 Creative Ways To Use Washi Tape In Digital Scrapbooking

What is Washi Tape?

Washi tape is a type of decorative adhesive tape that originated in Japan. It is made from traditional Japanese paper called washi, which is known for its lightweight, durable, and slightly translucent qualities. It’s available in a wide range of colors, patterns, and designs, making it extremely popular for various crafts and creative projects.

In the context of digital scrapbooking, where physical tapes are obviously not used (lol), “washi tape” refers to digital versions of these decorative tapes. Digital washi tape is provided in a PNG format, meaning that it the tapes are on a transparent background and easily added to your digital scrapbook layout.

How to Use Washi Tape on Your Digital Layout

Here are a few ways in which digital washi tape can be used in digital scrapbooking:

• Borders and Frames: Digital washi tape can be used to create decorative borders or frames around your photos, journaling blocks, or entire scrapbook pages. Simply place the digital tape image along the edges of the desired element and adjust its size and orientation as needed.
• Embellishments: Digital washi tape can serve as decorative elements on your digital scrapbook pages. You can use them as banners, flags, or tabs, adding a pop of color and pattern to your design. Place them strategically to draw attention to specific areas or to create visual interest.
• Photo Corners: You can mimic the look of physical photo corners by using digital washi tape. Apply them to the corners of your photos to give them a decorative and vintage touch.
• Paper Strips: Digital washi tape can be used to simulate paper strips or ribbons in your digital scrapbook layouts. You can create paper strips using solid colored or patterned digital washi tape and use them to layer or accentuate different elements.
• Layering: Because digital washi tape is translucent —  or semi-transparent — it can be used to add texture to your digital scrapbook pages. Layer the tape images over or under other elements to achieve a blended or textured look.

Remember, when working with digital washi tape, you have the flexibility to resize, rotate, and adjust the position of the tape as needed. You can also experiment with layering different tapes or combining them with other digital elements to create unique designs and personalized digital scrapbook pages.

Make Your Own Washi Tape

  Making Washi tape is easy — in this tutorial, I’ll show you how to do it in Photoshop Elements, although the same steps apply to the full version of Photoshop. And I’ll also show you how to make a semi-transparent ribbon or border element using a little-known feature buried in the Shape tools in Photoshop Elements — with instructions for the full version of Photoshop, too!