Tissue paper is a thin, strong, translucent paper made for use in crafts, as well as for wrapping and other applications. Waxed tissue paper is coated with wax so that when it is heated with a warm iron, pieces will stick together. Japanese mending tissue is a kind of tissue paper used in art conservation to mend or repair paper that is old or worn. Honeycomb tissue paper, sold in pads, is an accordion folded paper for making three-dimensional centerpieces, ornaments, and decorations, and crepe paper is also a variety of tissue paper. Acid free tissue paper is used in preservation, in folded items such as fabric, and for interleaving.

Most tissue is sold in single sheets or collections of 25, 40, or 50 sheets, but white tissue specifically for bulk wrapping is also sold in 480-sheet reams. Craft tissue paper may be white or brightly colored, and there are also pastels, metallics — which are matte on one side, and patterned offerings. Patterns include animal prints, two colors that shade into each other, stripes, small floral motifs, plaids, and other themes. In addition, specialty inclusion tissue paper uses petals, ferns, fiber, jute, leaves, and other natural fibers to add color and texture.

Weight. Paper is described in several ways: by point sizes that measure the thickness of a single sheet in thousandths of an inch, and by basis weight, a measurement in pounds of the weight of 500 sheets of the standard size of the paper, whatever that may be. Because the size of different types of paper is not consistent, comparing basis weights is complicated. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) paper industry standard is considered the most consistent way to compare paper weights. The ISO measures weight in grams per square meter (gsm). With this measurement system, it is much easier to see what tissue paper means:

Sometimes the division between tissue and textweight paper is given as 40 gsm, rather than 35 gsm.

Size. Tissue paper is characteristically sold in the following sizes. Japanese tissue paper can be found in the last size:

• 12 x 18 inches (305 mm × 458 mm)
• 15 x 29 inches (381 mm x 736.6 mm)
• 20 x 30 inches (508 mm × 762 mm)
• 21 x 31 inches (533.4 mm x 787.4 mm)

Arts and Crafts Use of Tissue. Tissue paper is used in a wide variety of arts and crafts. It is used in collage, mosaics, stamping, gift wrapping, papier-mâché, ornaments, garlands, paper flowers, paper sculpture, and pomps for parade floats. Some tissue paper is guaranteed not to bleed, and some is designed to bleed so that water can be applied and the color used to create artistic effects.