Sliding paper doors give a subtle elegance to any room, but unfortunately for homeowners in Japan who like to keep things nice, are extremely fragile. Even the slightest finger poke can damage the thin paper, leaving you with the task of trying to cover up the imperfections. But those with shoji are in luck! Crafty netizens have come up with an easy and eye-catching way to fix those holes, using their favorite patterned fabric to add a splash of color to the traditionally white doors.
Often, the damage to your shoji doesn’t look too bad from afar, but definitely takes away from the simple beauty of the door.
Homeowners have the option of purchasing little stickers made of the same paper used in shoji to cover up the tears. Here’s one shaped like a cherry blossom:
However, using too many stickers starts to make things look crazy:
▼ There’s an entire gang of butterflies loitering on this door.
RakutenOf course, for families with children or cats, keeping shoji intact is a full-time job:
▼ “Oh hey, mom, what’s up?”
▼ “Don’t mind me, just getting some climbing in.”
So what’s a homeowner with kitties, kiddies, or a clumsy spouse to do? A new decorating trend suggests you should use colorful cloth to gussy up your sliding doors. And we have to say, it’s a lot classier than those butterfly stickers:
Beautiful, isn’t it? Best of all, changing up your shoji panels is actually easier than you might think. IKEA Japan even sells kits with instruction manuals explaining the process step-by-step.
▼ Choose the cloth you’d like to use, make sure it’s thin!
▼ Cut the cloth to size and use double sized tape meant for shoji doors to secure your new panels.
▼ Press the fabric onto the double sided tape, making sure there aren’t any wrinkles or loose areas.
▼ FINISHED! Now look how good that looks!
The fabric choices and placement are endless! You can get really creative with this technique. Take a look at what people have done all over Japan:
http://instagram.com/p/gfBybaKP7C/
Online forums suggest that it’s best to use patterns that are predominantly white because too many colors will turn your room into a rainbow when the sun shines through the cloth.
▼ Although all those colors makes it look like Japanese stained glass, not such a bad thing.
Room Code
▼ You don’t even have to replace all of the panels. Change up a few of them for a really beautiful look!
AchikaNet
▼ You can even get extra fancy and use lace.
Doily
So if your cat has clawed its way through your paper door for the second time this week, don’t despair! Just get your creative juices flowing and start getting excited about how cute your new cloth shoji is going to look!
▼ And maybe train your cat to help out with all that replacing.
Source: Naver Matome
Featured image: Neko no Mainichi, Sweet Hode to Love Blog (edited by RocketNews24)
Japanese university student wows Twitter with unique shoji paper sliding door calendar
Japan’s instant ramen snack theme park features an athletic course even adults can enjoy
Pizza Hut Japan’s drinkable curry pizza is here – Is it all we dreamed it would be?[Taste test]
Tokyo’s new extra-expensive ramen restaurant is dividing opinions, so we tried a bowl
Japanese temple burns to the ground, fire burning inside for 1,200 years unharmed
Krispy Kreme Japan is bringing two special donuts to the most-forgotten big city in the country
Bizarre Japanese vending machine sells “Peace and Equality” and “Angels and Demons”
Japan has a new cute and clever sunblock for cat lovers
Starbucks Japan hoping fans will go bananas for its new mottainai banana affogato Frappuccino
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Man in Japan calls in bomb threat because he doesn’t want to go to his own work farewell party
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
This Tokyo Station sweets sensation sells out daily, but we finally got our hands on it
Hundreds of rose bushes in bloom at Tokyo’s off-the-beaten-path, next-to-the-tracks flower street
Japan’s izakaya pubs closing at record pace, failing to attract foreign tourists
Studio Ghibli’s president is leaving the company. Will it change how they make anime?
Let’s hike a Japanese mountain (that isn’t Mt. Fuji) – Mt. Tsukuba[Photos]
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Japan now has gyoza doughnuts, and they taste like no other doughnut we’ve tried before
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Studio Ghibli launches huge new anime movie T-shirt collection with special design details
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa