Nahm’sayin?: Why Am I Addicted to DIY and Tasty Vids?

What Is Washi Tape Anyway?

Photo Elisa Barbier

I have a confession to make. I am horribly, uncontrollably, addicted to Tasty and DIY videos.

It’s happened to the best of us. You’re scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed, with no particular goal in mind, watching as hours go by browsing memes and posts, when all of a sudden you come across an incredibly addictive video.

I’m not sure what it is about it. Perhaps it’s the overhead shot and the air of mystery as we watch an anonymous set of hands preparing an absurd meal that usually involves way too much bacon and cheese.

Perhaps it’s the hunger induced by watching a mirror cake shine as someone pours glaze over the icing. There’s something very satisfying about watching it pour down the sides of the cake.

Perhaps also it’s the curiosity and investment involved in watching a toilet paper roll slowly turn into a pencil holder when layer after layer of glitter-filled washi tape is laid over it. Does anyone even know what washi tape is? That stuff seems like a miracle in a roll.

I don’t know what is is about these videos, but I just can’t stop.

I knew I was in too deep when I found myself watching a video of someone turning a carrot into a flute, for my fourth time. Will I ever try this craft? Certainly not. It seems like such a waste of a perfectly good carrot, and I should mention that carrots are the MVP of vegetables—the only ones I truly enjoy eating. I’ve also always hated the flute. And yet I have now watched this video over 10 times, each time more intrigued than the last.

It isn’t all bad though. Some DIY videos have made my room look more organized than ever. Or at least made it look that way for a week, until the insanity that is life inevitably got in the way again.

Maybe someday I’ll be able to take my eyes off these videos—but I have over 200 of them in my “saved links” tab, so today is not that day.