Washi Tape Party Decorations: Mini Banners, Toppers and Table Details

Tape is at its best on small things, and a party table is full of them: picks, cups, straws, place cards. Washi tape party decorations work because one or two rolls repeated across all of those details make a plain paper-goods table look planned, without anything large to hang or store afterward.

Everything here is sized for a table or a shelf. Start with the banner, since the same folded flag is the basis for the toppers too.

Settle on two or three colors

Choose the tapes before the projects. Two rolls are enough; three is the upper limit before a small table starts to look busy.

• One patterned 15 mm tape (a stripe, dot or small floral)
• One solid 15 mm tape in a color from that pattern
• Optionally, a slim tape or a metallic accent for thin lines

Buy cups, straws and table covering in white or kraft so the tape supplies all the color. For a seasonal table the same projects apply with a different palette, such as the mustard and rust set suggested for fall crafts with leaf garlands and taped pumpkins.

Supplies for a table of six to eight

• Baker’s twine or thin string, about 3 ft (90 cm) per mini banner
• Two wooden skewers and two small weighted holders (jars of dry rice or lumps of modeling clay work)
• Food-safe wooden toothpicks or cocktail picks
• Plain paper cups and paper straws
• White cardstock for place cards
• A paper table cover or a roll of kraft paper
• Scissors and a ruler

Fold a mini flag banner onto twine

1. Cut the twine and tape one end temporarily to the table edge so it stays taut while you work.
2. Cut a strip of 15 mm tape about 3 in (7.5 cm) long.
3. Slide the middle of the strip under the twine, sticky side up. Fold one half over the twine and down onto the other half, starting the contact at the fold and pressing outward so no air is trapped.
4. Pinch the fold snug against the twine. The flag should grip the twine but still slide if you push it.
5. Repeat every 3/4 in (2 cm) or so, alternating tapes. Leave about 6 in (15 cm) of bare twine at each end for tying.
6. Shape the ends. For a fishtail, cut a V-shaped notch into the bottom of each flag. For a point, cut two diagonal lines that meet at the center.

The two sticky halves bond hard and at once, so you get a single chance to line them up. If a flag ends up crooked, trim its sides straight with scissors rather than trying to peel it apart.

To display the banner, tie each end near the top of a skewer and stand the skewers in the weighted holders at either end of a cake stand or dish. Keep the skewers beside the cake, not in it, unless they are food-safe ones.

Flag toppers on picks

A flag topper is the banner flag wrapped around a stick instead of twine.

1. Cut a strip about 2.5 in (6.5 cm) long.
2. Lay the top third of a toothpick across the middle of the strip, sticky side up.
3. Fold the tape around the pick and press the halves together.
4. Cut a fishtail or a point.

Cups, place cards and straws

Paper cups taper, so a band of tape applied level will wander. Two things help: keep the band near the top, where the cup is closest to a true cylinder, and use slim tape for any band lower down. Stay at least 3/4 in (2 cm) below the rim so lips never touch tape. Start and end each band at the cup’s seam.

For place cards, cut cardstock to about 3.5 x 4 in (9 x 10 cm) and fold it in half to stand as a tent. Run one strip of tape along the bottom edge of the front, wrap the ends around to the back, and write the name on the bare card above it.

For straws, wrap a 2 in (5 cm) strip around a paper straw about a third of the way down from the top, below where it meets the mouth, and well above the drink line. Tape that sits in liquid lets go.

If the party includes favors, the same strips make quick work of decorating small gift boxes with striped lids.

A runner line down the table

On a paper table cover, tape can stand in for a fabric runner. Mark the center at both ends of the table, then lay one long strip between the marks. Unroll about a forearm’s length at a time, set it down without pulling, and smooth it with the side of your hand before unrolling more.

Add a second line in the other tape about 1 in (2.5 cm) to each side, or cross the lines at each place setting to frame it. This is for paper covers only. On a bare wood or painted table, test a hidden patch first and do not leave tape down for days.

Drink markers on glass stems

Wrap a 2 in (5 cm) strip around the stem of each glass and press the two ends together into a small flag. Give every guest a different tape, or write initials on a pale solid one. The glass must be dry and at room temperature: condensation from a chilled drink loosens tape, so keep the marker low on the stem or on the foot, away from the bowl.

Peel the markers off before washing up.

Setting up and clearing away

• String banners indoors, away from candles and anything hot. Paper and tape burn.
• For a longer line of cards or photos behind the table, hang them from twine with tape-covered clothespins in the same colors.
• Flag banners survive well. Wind them loosely around a piece of cardboard and they are ready for the next occasion.