How to Use Washi Tape in a Journal: 10 Easy Ideas

Washi tape is one of the easiest ways to add color, structure, and personality to a journal page. You don’t need elaborate layouts or advanced drawing skills — a few small strips can turn a blank page into something that feels thoughtful and finished.

You can use washi tape for practical things like marking sections and creating page tabs, or simply as decoration around writing, photographs, stickers, and keepsakes.

If you’re just getting started, here are 10 simple ways to use washi tape in a journal without making your pages feel overcrowded.

What Do You Need to Start?

You really don’t need much.

A simple setup can include:

• a journal or notebook

• one or two rolls of washi tape

• scissors, if you prefer clean edges

• a pen

• a few stickers, photos, or memo notes if you want to add more layers

Start with tapes that already work well together. Choosing similar colors or one visual theme makes it much easier to create a balanced page.

If you’re still deciding between different decorative tapes, read our guide to PET Tape vs Washi Tape: What’s the Difference? first.

1. Create a Simple Page Border

One of the easiest ways to use washi tape is along the edge of a journal page.

You can run one strip vertically down the side, place a small piece across the top, or frame only one corner instead of making a full border.

This works especially well when the rest of the page contains mostly handwriting.

A floral tape, such as the Floral Scenery Botanical Washi Tape, can add a decorative edge while leaving plenty of open space for notes.

Try not to frame every side of the page at once. One or two edges often look more relaxed and give your writing more room to breathe.

2. Use Washi Tape Under a Date or Header

If your journal page begins with a date, title, or short phrase, place a small strip of washi tape underneath or beside it.

This creates an easy visual starting point for the page.

For example:

September 16
small strip of washi tape
your journal entry

You can also place a short strip behind part of the heading, as long as the pattern doesn’t make the text difficult to read.

This technique works well in daily journals, planners, reading journals, and weekly spreads because it adds structure without requiring a full decorative layout.

3. Divide Your Page Into Sections

Washi tape can act as a simple divider between different parts of a page.

Instead of drawing a line, use a thin strip of tape between:

• morning and evening notes

• personal and work tasks

• weekly goals and reflections

• writing and photographs

• lists and journal entries

You don’t need to run the tape all the way across the page. A shorter strip can make the separation feel softer and less rigid.

This is especially useful if you like functional journaling but still want the page to feel decorative.

4. Frame Photos, Postcards, and Small Memories

If you use your journal for memory keeping, washi tape is a natural way to visually connect photographs, tickets, receipts, postcards, or other paper pieces to the page.

Try placing short pieces at opposite corners rather than surrounding the whole object.

For a photograph, for example, you could use:

one strip in the upper-left corner
one strip in the lower-right corner

Then add a handwritten date or short note nearby.

This creates the feeling of a small scrapbook without taking over the whole journal spread.

Before using tape on anything irreplaceable, it’s worth testing how that particular tape and paper behave together.

5. Layer Washi Tape With Stickers

Washi tape doesn’t have to be the main decorative element.

It often works best as a background layer.

Start with a short strip of tape, then place a sticker partly over one end. Add a small handwritten note beside it.

A simple three-layer combination might be:

washi tape → sticker → handwriting

This gives the page more depth without requiring lots of separate supplies.

If your tape already has a detailed pattern, pair it with simpler stickers. If the washi is subtle or mostly one color, you can use a more decorative sticker on top.

You can browse stickers, PET tapes and washi tapes together to find combinations that share a similar mood or color palette.

6. Make Simple Page Tabs

Washi tape can also help you navigate your journal.

Fold a short strip over the outer edge of a page so that part of it extends slightly beyond the paper.

You can use different patterns to mark:

• months

• important notes

• reading lists

• goals

• travel pages

• favorite journal spreads

For a cleaner look, keep your tabs roughly the same size.

If you’re using a very delicate notebook page, be gentle when folding or removing tape around the edge.

7. Build a Color Theme for Your Spread

If you’re unsure how to decorate a blank page, begin with color instead of a complicated theme.

Choose one main washi tape and pull two or three colors from its design.

For example, if the tape includes dusty pink, green, and cream, you might use:

a pink title
green page markers
cream memo paper
the patterned tape as an accent

The tape becomes a simple color guide for the rest of the page.

This is especially helpful for beginners because you don’t have to decide where every decorative element will go before you start.

A coordinated set such as the Premium Gold-Foiled Washi Tape Gift Set can also make it easier to keep several elements within the same visual style.

8. Use Small Pieces Instead of Full Strips

You don’t always need a long strip of washi tape.

Sometimes a piece only a few centimeters wide is enough.

Try adding small pieces:

• beside a date

• underneath a quote

• in an empty corner

• next to a sticker

• beside a photograph

• between paragraphs

These smaller accents are especially useful when you want your journal to feel decorated while keeping plenty of white space.

If a page starts to feel busy, removing one decorative element often improves the composition more than adding another one.

9. Create a Washi Tape Swatch Page

If you start collecting different tapes, dedicate one journal page to small samples.

Add a short strip from each roll and write a tiny note next to it.

You might organize your swatches by:

• color

• floral designs

• seasonal themes

• minimal patterns

• favorite combinations

A swatch page helps you see what you already own and makes it easier to choose tapes for future journal spreads.

It can also become a visual record of how your journaling style changes over time.

10. Combine Washi Tape With PET Tape

Washi tape and PET tape can work particularly well together because they play different visual roles.

Start with washi tape to create structure, such as:

• a border

• a header

• a strip behind a photograph

• a horizontal section divider

Then add PET tape or decorative stickers as more detailed focal elements.

A simple layout could look like this:

Top: short washi strip + date
Middle: writing or photo
Corner: transparent PET illustration
Bottom: small washi accent + short note

This gives the page layers without making every area equally decorative.

For a more detailed explanation of how the two types differ, see our PET Tape vs Washi Tape guide.

If you’re still deciding which decorative tape to use, read our guide to PET Tape vs Washi Tape: What’s the Difference?

 

How Much Washi Tape Should You Use on One Page?

There isn’t a fixed amount.

A useful approach is to choose one main decorative role for the tape before you begin.

For example:

Functional: use it as a divider or page tab.

Decorative: use it for a border or header.

Layering: place it behind stickers, photos, or memo paper.

You don’t need to use every technique on the same page.

If you already have a photograph, several stickers, and a lot of writing, one or two small washi accents may be enough.

White space is part of the design too.

How to Make Washi Tape Look More Aesthetic

The easiest way to make a journal spread feel more intentional is to limit your palette.

Try choosing:

• one patterned tape

• one or two supporting colors

• one main decorative focal point

Repeat those colors in small details throughout the spread.

You can also vary the length of your tape pieces instead of using identical strips everywhere. A longer piece can anchor the page, while shorter pieces act as accents.

Most importantly, leave some areas undecorated.

A page usually feels calmer and more polished when the decorations have space around them.

Washi Tape Ideas for Beginners

If this is your first time decorating a journal, start with just three techniques:

1. Put a short strip beneath your date.

2. Use another piece beside a photo or note.

3. Finish with one small sticker.

That’s already enough for a complete spread.

Once you feel comfortable, experiment with tabs, layering, borders, and more detailed layouts.

There is no need to build a large stationery collection before you begin. A journal, a pen, and a few decorative pieces can go a long way.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to use washi tape in a journal is mostly about finding small ways to support the page rather than covering every empty space.

Use it to create borders, mark sections, highlight dates, frame memories, build color palettes, or add a little texture around your writing.

Start simply, leave room for your own words, and let your style develop naturally over time.

Explore LUMIYEAR’s aesthetic stickers, PET tapes and washi tapes for more decorative pieces to use in your next journal spread.