DIY Washi Tape Keyboard

Hello! I’m going to show you how to make this super cute DIY Washi Tape Keyboard for back to school today! This is such a fun way to add some color to your desk, and is completely safe for your keyboard. Plus, it’s removable and only takes about 15 minutes to do, so you can even have different colors for the different seasons!

DIY Washi Tape Keyboard

Supplies: 

• Keyboard.
• Washi Tape. Try to find widths that are either the same or slightly wider than your keys.
• Craft Knife.

Note: This craft looks best on a white keyboard, since most washi tape is transparent. If you have a black keyboard, try finding opaque washi tape for the best results. Metallic and glitter washi tape is almost always opaque.

Start by turning off or unplugging your keyboard. If you’re going this on a laptop, the easiest way to do this is to just shut down your computer while you’re doing the project. First check your washi tape against your keys. On my keyboard, the bottom row of keys is wider than the rest of the keys, so I had to use a wider washi tape. This tape was too wide, so it just required a bit of extra trimming.

First, line up the free edge of your tape with one side of your key. If the tape is too wide, make sure all the excess is on either the top or bottom for easier trimming. Smooth the washi tape down the length of the key, adjusting if you need to to make sure it’s straight. If it’s too crooked, just lift the tape back up and try again. If you have a keyboard where the keys sit flush when pressed down, push your key all the way down and you can see exactly where to trim. If your keys aren’t flush, you just have to be a bit more careful when trimming.

Trim all the excess tape off, and smooth down the edges of the tape with your fingertip. See how cute that is?

Now you can repeat the process with any keys you’d like. The rest of my keys were the same width as my washi tape, so I only had to trim the ends. I only covered a few keys, but you can cover as many or as few as you’d like! To remove the washi tape, just loosen a corner with your fingernail, and pull it up. If there happens to be any adhesive residue (unlikely with real washi tape) just dip a cotton swab into rubbing alcohol and wipe the residue away.

I love the bright pop of color this brings to my desk.

This can also be really helpful for kids learning how to type! You can cover the keys with an opaque tape so they can’t peek when learning to touch type. You can also use the tape to highlight special keys for beginner typers, like the space bar, return key, period, and delete.

I hope you enjoyed learning how to do this DIY Washi Tape Keyboard with me!