Washi Tape Fun

(Washi Week 2017 is a blog series by Halley, my 13yo daughter.) Hello there! Welcome to day three of washi week, and today's topic, washi tape fun!  I apologize that this is a day late a storm knocked out our internet:( There are so many fun things to do with washi tape. It doesn't have to serve a purpose. As long as it's cute, it is worth making!

These are American Girl doll-sized folders and textbooks. The washi tape not only holds them together, but it makes them cuter, too!

A better view of the insides...

For Operation Christmas Child last year we made play scenes out of Altoid tins. The washi tape just made the outside cuter. You can read more about them HERE.

Here are some scrap-booked picture frames that only need a little strip of washi tape make them look cute. Tapes with phrases on them are my favorite to use for things like this. (See more frames HERE.)

The star box below was taken from my mom and washi taped with a set of washi tape I had bought.

As you can see, my sisters ruined it by drawing all over the top of it.

There are so many different thing to do with washi tape, these are just a few. So here is a list of some more ideas I have tried:

• Washi tape popsicle stick bracelets
• Washi tape covered staplers
• Washi tape on pencil sharpeners
• Hanging things (walls, lockers, etc.)
• Sealing notes
• Covering books

There are plenty more, but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

If you want to pin it for later...

Thanks for reading my post, I hope you liked it. Be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow and if you haven't already, please read the previous posts from this week. You can find them all HERE:

Doll Clothes Sewn by a 12yo

My 12yo daughter began making doll clothes this summer. She wanted some expensive shoes for school and would have exceeded her school shopping allotment. So, I told her she had to find a way to earn money to buy them herself. She began designing and sewing doll clothes (with a lot of help) and earned enough to get those shoes (YAY for a sale!), some additional clothes, gifts for friends, and add to her washi tape collection. She began by using clothes from our donation bag as a fabric source. So, the initial start-up was $0. It was hard to find things that matched in the bag. Some of the finished doll clothes had to be kept because they didn't pass my quality control. I also had to help her a lot with the T-shirts.

She also made matching beaded bracelets to go with each outfit as her signature accent.

After the first doll clothes sold, she reinvested a small amount in fabric with plans to create a "fall collection". We came up with two simple patterns that worked well with cotton fabric- a 3/4 sleeve peasant tunic and a simple dress. She upcycled some shirts from the donation bag to make the leggings and headbands, which were soooooo soft! This time, she only needed a little bit of help with sewing some details, like velcro or topstitching. When everything was finished we did an official photo shoot.

She sold out very quickly and had requests for more, so she decided to make a few more outfits. Again, she reinvested part of her income to get more fabric. This time, she also bought knit to match her fabrics, so the leggings had to be hemmed. For some reason, things didn't go as well this time. I unknowingly folded the top of a pattern piece before we cut the fabric and several pair of leggings came out too short. She had to do a lot of seam-ripping for various errors. Also, she accidentally ruined the skirt of a dress by catching it with the cutting blade on the overlock machine. She wanted to quit several times and learned an important sewing technique... walking away! After a few weeks they were finally finished.

She wants to make more in the future, but this was a good lesson for her. She learned some sewing skills, but she also learned to persevere when things are challenging and how to work towards a goal. Sometimes, the work ethic and thought process that accompany learning something new can be the truly valuable lesson.