The Easy Way To Make A DIY Handy Washi Tape Holder

This is a tutorial on how to make a washi tape holder. I say washi tape, but the same craft storage design can be used for ribbon or twine.

Most of my craft supplies are stored in one fancy craft cupboard; I upcycled myself. It has glass doors at the front. Making a holder for all my fancy washi tape would be nice. I wanted a design that showed off all the tape patterns.

This DIY washi tape holder was straightforward to make. It cost almost nothing, as I used repurposed materials. I love to repurpose and upcycle whenever I can, especially when finding storage solutions for my craft supplies.

What Is Washi Tape

You might be wondering what exactly washi tape is. You might have already seen the tape in stationary and craft stores, not realising it was called washi tape.

Washi tape originates from Japan. It’s a decorative adhesive tape made with traditional Japanese Washi paper.

Washi paper is made by hand, using traditional methods and local shrubs. It is used in many traditional Japanese arts. The tape is a pretty green product, made of highly renewable resources and is biodegradable.

However, not just the green credentials attract me to washi tape. But it’s the range of colours and patterns that it comes in. I have a bit of a washi tape shopping habit. Whenever I go into a fancy stationery shop and see some excellent washi tape, I can’t help buying a roll.

As well as the vast range of designs the tape comes in, it also comes in a range of widths. I use the tape for crafting; it’s great to decorate with.

I make handmade cards and gift tags with washi tape. I’ve also used it to decorate the back of a wooden kitchen chair. I’ve even seen many IKEA Bekvam stools transformed with excellent colourful patterned washi tape.

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What you need

• An old broom handle is approximately 120cm in length. Any old wooden pole will do, you could use an old curtain pole, or parasol stand as long as the pole’s diameter is small enough to fit a roll of washi tape. Buying wooden rods from your local DIY store is easy if you don’t have an old broom.
• A piece of wood could be from a pallet or scrap skirting. The piece I used was 10cm x 30cm x 1cm.
• Drill
• Five wood screws 2cm long
• Dark wood stain
• Copper Spray paint
• Tape and newspaper

How To Make A DIY Washi Tape Holder

Step 1: Cut the broom handle (wooden pole) into five lengths. Three longer lengths are approximately 25cm in length. The other two lengths should be slightly shorter at 20cm.

Step 2: Sand and smooth off the base piece of wood. Then drill five holes into it, three holes at the back and two at the front, evenly spaced. Then place the wood screws through the base so that they stick up through the drilled holes (see picture below)

Step 3: Next, drill a small hole into the base of each wooden pole length. This is so that you can screw the poles into the wooden floor.

Step 4: I decorated the wood before putting together the DIY washi tape holder. First, I stained the base and poles with a dark wood stain. Then, I painted the top tips of the poles with copper spray paint. I also painted the edges of the base with copper paint.

This would match the cool denim and copper craft caddy I had already made from old tin cans for my craft cupboard.

When all the paint had dried, I screwed the wooden poles into the base.

All that is left to do is to add the washi tape to the poles. I love storing washi tape this way as it makes it so easy to see all the patterns and designs simultaneously.

As mentioned, this holder could be used for twine instead of washi tape or both. I will make another one soon and collect washi tape; I’m also partial to colourful twines. They are all part of what I consider crafting essentials.

If you want more upcycle ideas for your craft room, check out all these DIY pencil holder ideas.