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08 May 2013

Using Washi Tape In Your Filofax

Do you marvel at the creativeness of some people when they show us their 'My Week' posts over at Paper Lovestory? I'm not sure how long people have been using Washi Tape and stickers in their Filofax organisers on a regular basis, but it is certainly a trend that appears to have been on the rise in the last 12 months or so.

So I called on one of the 'experts' in to sharing their techniques and layouts with us. Jennifer of 'My Purpley Life' kindly agreed to help me co-write this post. Her blog and You Tube channel has lots of information on them about her weekly page designs. So over to Jennifer....


Using our planners has now become a reflection of our creative selves.  I feel that this trend of decorating planner pages has been increasing due to the ability of personalization.

I have gotten reactions and comments like, “Wow, that looks fun!” or “You’ve inspired me to be more creative with my planner.” I have even inspired others who haven’t used their Filofax in a while, and have now been able to bring them back to life.

Using a planner has evolved from being an appointment tracker, and a list of to-dos into pages that can be decorated with stickers, and pretty tape to make it more pleasing to the eye.

For me, I can’t help but smile when I open up my Filofax. It gives me motivation to use my planner in a more effective manner.  It doesn’t have to look like an overwhelming list of things to do.

“Decorating” is another tool, which can help us to be more organized. Even before we knew about washi/ paper tape, masking stickers, and cute diary stickers in planners, we used color-coding dots, colored highlighters, colored sticky notes, and sticky flags. Using colors and patterns call out important words and phrases.

Using these effectively helps to put an emphasis for the text that was written.

There is a purpose to all this madness, not just for making things look cute and pretty. It’s one thing to use stickers and things to fill up gaps in our pages, but to say use a sticker that describes your mood for the day, or a something to remind you of an important task, is a more effective.

It’s our human instinct to be attracted to pretty things, but to utilize pretty things to enhance their usability and function is key. Otherwise, it would get boring and people would start to lose interest. So, let your creativity out! If decorating your pages with washi tape and stickers isn’t your cup of tea, it doesn’t have to be. It’s all about making your Filofax work for you.



You can also watch my video of how I created the page layout above on my YouTube channel here. Why not also join the Facebook group lots of help and ideas are shared there too.



So this post could have just ended there, thank you very much Jennifer, what do you think etc.. the end... 

Well no not quite... 'encouraged' by the lovely Alice of 'The Wonderful Life of Alice' blog who sent me a small parcel of tape and stickers for me to have a go.... 



So I did...  so whilst I was waiting for the parcel to arrive I 'had a first attempt' with the stuff we had in the office already...  



Not exactly pretty is it... more like how not to do it. Vinyl hazard tape, it is tough that's for sure... and fragile parcel tape is slightly transparent.... But this wasn't going to ever win any prizes more of a 'Must try harder' from my teacher Alice...  


And so my second attempt....



Well it's not perfect, but I hope you will agree it is a step in the right direction. If got a laugh or two from both Alice and Jennifer when I submitted my 'homework' to them for marking!  

I used some of the goodies that Alice had sent me. But I also had a go at creating some of my own stickers by printing simple graphics files on to mailing labels. The flags for instance to show the bank holidays in UK and France on this particular week. 

I found it a little fiddly to get the stickers and tape in the right position on the page, but that is mainly due to my big fingers and my less than perfect eyesight. But I enjoyed putting the pages together it was a bit of fun if nothing else. 

So again thank you to Alice and Jennifer for their help and support. 

Have you tried using stickers in your Filofax at all?


40 comments:

  1. I love love when I see creative filofax's! They inspire me to try a little harder with mine! It adds oomph to what could be a boring week ^_~

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  2. This is a trend which I admit to having no understanding. I have made the odd attempt to use stickers in my planner but find that even using post it notes tends to offend my aesthetic sensibilities. I also find that I require virtually all of the paper space available for appointments and tasks, so don't have space for add ons. Post it notes cover other things and I forget about the other things... so I try to just keep things simple and straight forward. I find something about the unadorned pages filled with writing to be incredibly beautiful and functional.

    That said, I fully support doing whatever you like with your planning! The important thing is to use some sort of planning in your life.

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    1. I'm with you Josh. The only adornment I use is the occasional Frixion highlighter pen! It's what works for the user that counts!

      Maybe I need something though as I've never thought of my ever-lengthening to-do lists as "beautiful and functional" :-)

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    2. I have to agree. A while ago, I tried using stickers for just a little embellishment, but they covered too much real estate and/or my writing, so what good was it. Then I started putting the stickers on at the end of the day so as not to take up valuable writing space. That lasted only a few days before I forgot to do it at all. So in the end it wasn't worth it for me.

      I do marvel at how lovely some pages look with washi tape and the like. And if I could up with a way of using something like that in order to make my pages more functional, I might consider it. But the truth is, it's too much work for me. Decorating my pages take away from the fact that I use a Filofax to manage my time. To spend more of it getting things just right only makes the point of my Filofax moot. And since I'm a perfectionist, it would be too much pressure for me to get everything lined up just so.

      But I agree with the sentiment that whatever works for people is what they should do, especially if it helps them to be more organized.

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    3. I have to agree with Josh, Tim and Kanalt, this is something that I just cannot get into.

      I prefer a plain and simple page without the added visual distractions.

      The only exception is appointment style stickers which are functional, small and unobtrusive but serve as a quick visual reminder like the Filofax branded ones which take up less real-estate than writing the reminder in full eg: Birthday, Doctor, Dentist, Hairdresser.

      Like the others, I did try using some stickers but it just wasn’t for me.

      I do like the idea of using the washi tape as a page/hole reinforcement because it does look attractive and does not encroach on the writing space.

      Each to their own, this is just not my thing but if it works for you, that’s what matters.

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    4. And I'm in agreement too. I love looking at other people's pages with washi tape, colour & stickers but I know I'd personally find it too visually busy & distracting. My only decoration comes from dividers made from a calendar & A-Z stamps to head up my to-dos, but other than that it's mostly lined paper.

      I once put some stickers on the flyleaf & today marker, but I removed them before the day was up...

      Love both Jennifer's & Steve's pages!

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    5. I'm so glad I'm not in the minority who doesn't get washi tape phenomenon.... I have some sticky notes, Martha Stewart teardrops, yet they are rarely used for my filofax

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  3. Aw, Steve. I love your pages!! It definitely put a smile on my face. :D

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  4. After seeing both those filofax blogs I started using washi tape on my filofax too and adding a bit more color to my filofax. Slowly but surely it is getting more pretty.

    Jamie
    greyskysaturday.wordpress.com

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  5. I've had my filofax for about a month now and it's remained plain all that while -- until two days ago. I had a really off day so I pulled out all the washi tape that I've been gifted and started decorating my filofax.

    Great therapy -- and now I have colorful, inspiring filofax pages. Win win. ^_^

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    1. Love that. It is a relaxing way to unwind and be creative. It takes as little as 5 minutes sometimes but there is a brilliant creative hit.

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  6. Love your pages there! Flags and butterflies, good combo.
    Using Washi tape is a cheap and easy way to change the look of a binder. One can't afford or justify a new folder every month/week/day but a washi tape.... That you can afford! And the creation of or seeking for beauty in a utilitarian object is part of human nature. I love my diary now where before I just liked it.

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  7. Loved this post!! I was thinking of not decorating as much and this has pulled me right back in haha! Great work Mr Philofaxy! :D I spy that lil blue hello kitty hehe! :D

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  8. I can't believe that decoration tapes can fit in your Filofax too. And I like the way you do it, straight forward.

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  9. Thanks for the mention, Steve!

    I also love your second attempt haha - good effort! x

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  10. Thanks for the mention, Steve!

    I also love your second attempt haha - good effort! x

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  11. <3 that i got a mention - im glad you enjoyed the little experiment Steve and your package - i did try hard to do manly, you should of put a picture up of it all!
    Thanks to Steve i have now gone back to how i used to do my weeks - less decorated, more functional!
    I may try Jennifer's themed week ideas once i get into June :)

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  12. I got a good laugh out of that experiment. Good laughs all around. I thought my planner would be messy since I am a messy artist and a scrapbooker as well but it has made me fall even more in love with my washi tape and products because I can use them in a new way.

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  13. I can't wait to see someone using hazard tape or gaffer tape in the same way I did.... it's ok I've not got any copyright on my designs... you are free to use them... if you dare! I will just have the pride in thinking 'I'm a trend setter' LOL

    Steve

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    1. Gaffer tape in a Filofax is a GREAT idea!

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  14. I've become a tape, sticker, clip, etc. junkie. There's a great opportunity to let the creative juices flow and at the same time, make your Filo decorative, but also so much more interesting. A blank diary sort of connotes a somewhat bland existence - for instance you might look back to a day where something wonderful happened and now that's reflected in your decor! It helps to create a more accurate "diary" of your mood on a certain day, etc. rather than reading mundane appointment notations. Although it does cut down on writing area real estate, I have conquered that by adding in a blank page of quadrille paper which can be segmented and further customized. There are myriad stickers from which to choose, from the fun scrapbook-ie type, to the omnipresent Hello Kitty (to which I finally succumbed) to the beautiful Cavallini ones, an interesting stamp and beyond. I've had to finally buy and create a 3-ring binder with clear sleeves in order to store and categorized my many stickers. I also use colored pencils, LePens, journal tags, highlighters, decorative paper clips and the like and as Jennifer notes - it makes me smile when I use my binder. Someone (forgive me for not remembering your screen name right now) on the Flickr site who went a step further and "distresses" her pages which amps up the decorative punch and really makes writing in it and referring back to it so much more fun. I am all for it!

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  15. I love the creativity of embellishments, but also get a little distracted with them. I am using FC pages that I have "redesigned" to work for me. So I am happy to get to use washi tape as functional dividers for the spaces on the page. I'm still no good with stickers... they just look random on my pages (but many people make theirs look great!).

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  16. Embrace the tape Steve . . . Embrace the tape!!
    Good on you for having a go.
    Much respect!

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  17. By the way, you did a great job Steve!!

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  18. Steve! It's nice to see that you're open to experimentation and that you're willing to have fun with it! Says a lot about you. I liked both designs!

    Now that you've stuck your toe in the water, will you be dipping your whole foot and maybe adopting some embellishment into your regular FF use?

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  20. Great Job Steve! I love to look at how others use their filofaxes so I can use mine to its fullest! I get inspired by all and take what I feel I can use.

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  21. I have always envied my friends with kids that are big scrapbookers...the scrapbooking part, not the kids part...no offense meant to those of you with kids:) Anyway, I could not partake because I didn't have anything to put in a scrapbook. So, when I rediscovered Filofax, I was thrilled to see all of the Filoscrapping going on. This gives me a nice little creative outlet. Bonus is that it makes me want to open my FF everyday and use it.

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    1. "Filoscrapping" - I love it! you've coined a new word!!

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  22. When it's done well (and Jennifer and Angela do it very well, Steve not so much - sorry) it looks very attractive. If it's done without an eye for design it just looks like a toddler's homework. If it turns out that makes you happy, have at it. For me, though, it's all a distraction from self-organisation.

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  23. Good going, Steve! I like how you used the stickers to make things like the flight stand out. I like Jennifer's point about how decorating can improve, rather than interfere with, effectiveness and organization, and the picture of her organizer (at top) shows that she's accomplished that.

    I have some tiny little stickers made by Franklin Covey, which helped mark birthdays, doctor's appointments, etc. I probably still have them somewhere. I used to make my own greeting cards and stationery with rubber stamps, and I think I still have those, too. I'd like to experiment with those in my Filos, assuming the ink is compatible with the paper.

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  24. Steve, hazard tape above my work schedule and fragile tape above my personal journal column... That would just about sum up my day today!!!

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  25. I have only recently started using washi tape and stickers. I didn't think they were necessary but I have to admit, they do make me smile when I open my planner. The pages are a lot more pleasant.

    My daughter-in-law hasn't ever been interested in having a planner but she LOVES having a Filofax and decorating the pages. She's really creative and it works great for her to personalize her pages. It makes using her planner a lot more fun.

    Oh, and practice makes perfect. At first I wasn't thrilled with my pages but they've gotten better and better.

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  26. I use the standard Filofax stickers, as well as washi tape, in what I like to call a 'semi-organisational' (if you've ever seen me do anything remotely crafty, you'll understand my use of the 'semi' prefix!) way. I use different colours and designs of washi tape to signal things like weeks of lectures, mid-trimester break, and the exam period. I've also got start- and end-of-the-month washi, which I pop into the spaces for the first and last day of each month.

    As for outright decorating, no, I don't do that. (See previous description of total lack of artistic ability.)

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