Washi tape

Have you heard of washi tape? It's a Japanese thing apparently, coloured adhesive tape, that you put on stuff. Purely decorative, and comes in an enormous range of patterns and colours. Apparently the original stuff was made from proper Japanese washi paper, but I don't think the tsunami of rolls that is currently sloshing around my house is. Number two son hit on this trend at the end of last year, and asked for tape from Santa. Santa obliged, because Santa likes a present with pandas on it, especially if it's around the dollar mark.



This is a decorated notebook - it is very pretty. We also have decorated shopping lists, envelopes, tissue boxes and writing paper. Stripes are common, and also borders.



We have decorated jars of vanilla essence, and cinnamon.

And a kitchen timer.

Perhaps the cutest thing you can make are tiny little washi toothpick flags. The sacrificial gingerbread had one through his heart, and so did the Christmas salad, and the prawns. I don't know what number one son is doing there - trying to get in the picture I think. Honestly, why would I take a photo of my children when I can get a washi tape flag stuck into a tomato.

I like to capture all their enthusiasms as they go past - it seems like forever that we lived and died by Thomas the Tank Engine, and now it is completely forgotten. Well, forgotten by him, I can still tell Murdoch from Fergus at fifty paces.