• 72 ideas
  • Checked October 2026

Washi Tape Art Ideas

Three washi tape pictures per press, with their tapes and first strip; the list has masking and duct tape too.

Washi Tape Art Ideas

Show all 26
  1. A washi frame stuck around a snapshot, strips overlapping at the cornersOne patterned washi. Stick the top strip first, a little over the photo's edge, then the sides and the bottom.
  2. A caterpillar of torn washi squares with pen legsGreen and patterned washi. Tear rough squares and overlap them in a wavy row, head first.
  3. A row of washi bunting hanging from a pen lineWashi in several patterns. Draw a sagging line first, stick a short strip under it and snip each end to a point.

Next step Doodles to draw beside the tapeCollage projects in paper

All 72 ideas

Washi tape 26

  • A cactus from three strips of green washi with pen spines Green washi. The trunk strip goes down first; the two arms are short strips with an elbow snipped in.
  • A caterpillar of torn washi squares with pen legs Green and patterned washi. Tear rough squares and overlap them in a wavy row, head first.
  • A chart of your week with one washi column per day Seven patterns of washi. Rule a base line; the first strip is Monday, as tall as the day was good.
  • A hot-air balloon striped with washi and trimmed to a circle Washi in warm colors. Lay strips side by side over a pencil circle, then cut around the circle and add a basket.
  • A patchwork heart torn from many rolls of washi Every washi you own. Tear thumb-sized bits and overlap them inside a pencil heart, then trim the outline.
  • A plaid background woven from two washi tapes Two washi colors. Lay every strip of the first one way, then weave the second over and under across them.
  • A rainbow built of straight washi bars stepping down like stairs Washi in rainbow order. Start with the red bar on the outside and step each color down and in.
  • A row of washi bunting hanging from a pen line Washi in several patterns. Draw a sagging line first, stick a short strip under it and snip each end to a point.
  • A row of washi pencils with snipped points and pen tips Bright washi. Lay long strips side by side, cut one end of each to a point and ink the lead.
  • A sailboat with triangle sails cut from one strip of washi Striped and plain washi. Cut a strip corner to corner for two sails; the hull is a strip with slanted ends.
  • A swatch card with a labeled strip from every roll you own All your washi. Stick a short strip of each in rows on card and letter where it came from underneath.
  • A washi city skyline in strips of different heights Dark and patterned washi. Lay the tallest tower first, upright from the bottom edge, and add pen windows last.
  • A washi evergreen: strips that shorten toward the top Green washi. The longest strip goes at the bottom; each one above is shorter. A plain snip is the trunk.
  • A washi feather: slanted strips either side of a drawn quill Washi in two or three patterns. Rule the quill in pen, then lay short strips slanting up and trim to a leaf shape.
  • A washi fence along the bottom of a page with pen flowers behind Pale washi. Stand short strips side by side, snip each top to a point and run one long strip across.
  • A washi frame stuck around a snapshot, strips overlapping at the corners One patterned washi. Stick the top strip first, a little over the photo's edge, then the sides and the bottom.
  • A washi ladder with a pen cat climbing it Plain washi. Two long strips for the rails first, then short rungs; the cat is drawn on afterward.
  • Birthday candles in washi with pen flames Striped washi. Stand short strips in a row along a pen cake and draw a flame over each.
  • Book spines in washi, piled up with pen titles Washi in many patterns. Lay the bottom book first as a long strip; letter the titles in pen once the stack is up.
  • Gift boxes of washi squares tied with a sliver of plain tape Patterned and plain washi. Stick the square, then cross it with two thin slivers and add a pen bow.
  • Kites made of crossed washi strips with pen strings Two washi patterns. Stick four short strips into a diamond, cross two thin slivers over it and draw the string.
  • Page tabs: washi folded over a notebook's edge as dividers One washi per section. Fold a strip in half over the page edge so a small tab stands out.
  • Piano keys: black washi strips over the edge of a white card Black washi. Stick short strips in groups of two and three along the top edge; rule pen lines for the white keys.
  • Washi cottages along a pen sidewalk, a snipped roof on each Patterned washi for walls, plain for roofs. Stick the wall squares first; a roof is a strip cut to a point.
  • Washi tulips on strip stems with notched blooms Green and pink washi. Stems first, as long strips. Each bloom is a short strip with a V cut from the top.
  • Your name in capitals built from straight washi strips One bold washi. Start with the uprights of every letter, then add the crossbars and slants.

Masking and painter's tape 20

  • A diamond lattice of masking tape left on a canvas board Masking tape. Lay slanted strips one way with even gaps, then cross them the other way.
  • A floor plan of a toy house taped at toy scale Masking tape. Outline the outer walls first, leave gaps for doors and label each room on a tape flag.
  • A gallery frame of tape around a drawing on the wall Masking tape. Four strips overlap the drawing's edges; a second, wider box outside makes a mat.
  • A hopscotch grid in tape down the hallway Painter's tape. Start with the first square nearest the door; tape the numbers as straight-line digits.
  • A marble maze with walls of masking tape rolled on edge Masking tape on a tray. Fold strips lengthwise into low walls and stick the outer wall down first.
  • A mountain range in tape zigzags across a window Painter's tape. One long zigzag for the far range, then a second lower one that overlaps it.
  • A portrait on black board built from torn bits of masking tape Beige masking tape. Tear small pieces and stick them where the light falls: forehead, nose, cheek, chin.
  • A road layout for toy cars taped across the floor Painter's tape. Lay the main road as two parallel strips, then branch off side streets and a parking lot.
  • A rocket of taped rectangles and triangles on the refrigerator Painter's tape. The body is a tall box; add a triangle nose, two fins and three short flame strips.
  • A see-through cube drawn in tape on a wall Painter's tape. Tape a square, tape a second one up and to the right, and join the four pairs of corners.
  • A sunburst spreading from one corner of a window Painter's tape. Stick a quarter circle of short pieces in the corner, then long rays out to both edges.
  • A table-sized tic-tac-toe grid in tape Masking tape. Four strips make the grid. Tape Xs for one player and use jar lids for the other.
  • A taped bullseye of squares on the floor for a beanbag toss Painter's tape. Tape the small middle square first, then a larger square around it, and a third around that.
  • A taped tree on the wall with paper leaves on its branches Painter's tape. The trunk is three strips side by side; branches fork off in single strips.
  • An origami-style crane in tape outlines on a dark board Masking tape. Outline the body as one long triangle, then the wing, neck and tail as slimmer ones.
  • Paper stars on a dark board joined by tape into a made-up constellation Thin masking tape. Stick the stars first, then join them with single strips and name your constellation.
  • Skyscrapers outlined in painter's tape on a window Painter's tape. Run one long strip along the sill as the ground, then box in each tower above it.
  • Tall taped capitals spelling a name down the length of a door Painter's tape. Tape a top and bottom guide line lightly first so the letters come out one height.
  • Three crossed strips with barbed tips, stuck on the glass as a snowflake White painter's tape. Cross the long strips at their middles, then add two short barbs near each tip.
  • Your shadow's outline taped on the floor at noon Masking tape. Stand still while a helper tapes around the shadow in short straight pieces.

Duct tape 26

  • A bow tie from one folded rectangle pinched by a narrow band Duct tape in one pattern. Stick a strip to itself, pleat the middle and wrap a thin strip around the pleat.
  • A card sleeve with a thumb notch cut in the top Duct tape in one pattern. Fold a small sheet in half around a card and tape the two open sides.
  • A city skyline cut from black duct tape on a white board Black duct tape. Stick a wide band along the bottom first, then stand towers of different widths on it.
  • A coaster woven from folded strips in a checkerboard of two colors Duct tape in two colors. Fold each strip in thirds lengthwise so nothing is sticky, then weave a square.
  • A coin pouch that folds in thirds like an envelope Duct tape in one color. One sheet; fold up the lower third, tape the sides and trim the flap to a point.
  • A duct tape bookmark with a fringed tassel Duct tape in two colors. Fold one strip over on itself; the tassel is a short strip slit into a fringe.
  • A duct tape daisy with looped petals around a yellow middle White and yellow duct tape. Fold narrow strips into loops; stick the first loop to a yellow disc.
  • A duct tape feather slit along both edges One color. Fold a strip around a wire or straw, cut a leaf shape and snip fine slits toward the center.
  • A duct tape pencil case with a fold-over flap Duct tape in one color. Build a long sheet, fold up the bottom third and tape the two sides shut.
  • A folded duct tape wallet with a second color for the pocket Duct tape in two colors. Make a sheet first: strips stuck sticky side to sticky side, edges overlapping.
  • A game board of duct tape squares with bottle-cap pieces Two colors. Cover the board in the lighter color first, then add squares of the darker in every other space.
  • A luggage tag with a clear window Duct tape and a scrap of clear packaging. Make a small sheet, cut a window and tape the clear piece behind it.
  • A mountain landscape in overlapping torn strips of duct tape Blues, grays and white. Tear each strip along one edge; the farthest range goes down first.
  • A notebook cover wrapped in stripes with a pen loop Two or three colors. Cover the spine first with one strip, then lay stripes outward to each edge.
  • A party crown: a duct tape band with folded points standing along the top Gold or yellow duct tape. Fold a long strip onto itself as the band; each point is a strip folded to a tip.
  • A pennant flag of duct tape on a stick Two colors. Fold a long strip around the stick and onto itself, then cut the free end to a point.
  • A pet portrait in a mosaic of duct tape squares Duct tape in the pet's colors. Cut small squares; place the eyes and nose first and work outward.
  • A rose of folded petals wrapped around the top of a pen Red and green duct tape. Fold a short strip into a pointed petal, wrap it around the pen's end, and repeat.
  • A small basket woven from folded duct tape strips Two colors. Weave a flat square base first, then fold the loose ends up and weave around them.
  • A striped cuff bracelet with a slot-and-tab close Duct tape in two colors. Fold a strip to wrist length, then band it with thin stripes of the second color.
  • A tote bag of overlapped duct tape strips with strap handles Duct tape in two colors. Make two large sheets; the first seam joins them along the bottom edge.
  • A zipper pull braided from three narrow folded strips Three colors. Fold each strip into a narrow cord, tape the three together at one end and braid.
  • An autumn tree with a rough-torn trunk and leaves of bright tape Black duct tape and three leaf colors. Tear the trunk lengthwise first; add branches, then leaves.
  • Duct tape tulips on drinking-straw stems Pink and green duct tape. Wrap the straw in green; a bloom is three pointed petals wrapped around its top.
  • Sunset bands of torn duct tape behind a black palm tree Yellow, orange, pink and black duct tape. Tear the yellow band first, near the bottom of the board.
  • Your initials as a two-layer monogram, one color cut out over another Duct tape in two contrasting colors. Stick a block of the first to a board; cut the letters from the second.

How it works

In these 72 pieces the tape is what you see, not a mask under paint. The page opens on the washi tape art ideas, pictures built from torn and cut strips; choose masking or duct tape from the list.

Read the full guide

Washi tape pictures

Washi tape holds pictures made of straight strips on a card or a journal page: a row of bunting hanging from a pen line, book spines in washi piled up with pen titles, piano keys along the edge of a card. A pen adds what a strip cannot: flames, strings, windows.

Duct tape art ideas

Duct tape has things to carry, flowers and pictures on board: a folded wallet, a rose wrapped around the top of a pen, a city skyline cut from black tape. The wallet, the pencil case and the tote bag start from a sheet: strips stuck sticky side to sticky side.

  • Tear washi for a rough edge and cut it for a clean one.

Questions and answers

What is washi tape?

A decorative masking tape used in craft projects. Its name comes from washi, traditional Japanese paper processed by hand from the inner bark of the mitsumata shrub, the gampi tree or the paper mulberry.

What can you make with masking tape?

Straight-line pictures on glass, walls, floors and boards, most of them peeled off afterward: skyscrapers on a window, a road layout for toy cars, a snowflake of three crossed strips. Masking tape, also called painter's tape, is thin easy-to-tear paper with an easily released adhesive.

What are easy tape art ideas?

Easy marks the pieces with a few straight strips and no weaving: a cactus from three strips of green washi, a table-sized tic-tac-toe grid in masking tape, and a duct tape bookmark with a fringed tassel.

Is duct tape the same as washi tape?

No. Duct tape is a cloth-backed or scrim-backed tape, often coated with polyethylene, and washi tape is a decorative masking tape. Here washi makes flat pictures, and duct tape is also folded into wallets, flowers and bags.

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