I recently found myself with two problems. I needed file folders for my student teaching stint in the fall, and I have collected so many cool washi tapes that I have nowhere to keep them, such as this amazing set from the craft store that matches my new planner (also justified as a student teaching necessity).
Last summer, I found some file folders that were labeled backpack folders, and they were closed on two sides, like an “L,” with the folded side and the bottom sealed. I really like these, whether in a backpack or a totebag, because they stay closed. Of course, I couldn’t remember where I bought the ones last summer, so I had to improvise with some nifty teacher-ish folders I found in the Target Dollar Spot. First, I used regular Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive to glue the bottoms of each folder closed. 
Then I thought, why not use a little washi to make sure it’s really secure (as well as much cuter). I ran a strip of washi along the bottom, leaving the majority hanging over, so I could wrap it onto the back of the folders.
After running a bone folder over the washi tape overlap on the back, I flipped the folders to the front and added another, contrasting washi tape. Cuter by the step, right?
These just took a few minutes (maybe fifteen minutes for all six folders) and allowed me to use twelve different washi tapes from my stash. As a bonus, I now have super cute folders that will keep my calculus from my algebra papers when I bring them home to grade!
Don’t you need some folders that put the “fun” in functional for your life, too?
