Make St. Patrick’s Day a cinch (not a pinch) by donning a bit o’green you’ve created yourself! Our four leaf clover die cut shapes make it easy to wear some flair. Simply layer shapes, print and stick the labels and finish off with a glittery accent. Simple enough to make for all your friends. Lucky you!

Materials Needed:

• Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Badge How-To PDF
• Clover Shapes Pack
• Eco-White 2.5″ Round Labels
• Grass Glitter Ribbon (coming soon!)
• Scissors
• Double Stick Tape
• Large Zots Dots
• Safety Pin

Instructions:

1. Using this PDF label template, print “KISS ME I’M IRISH!” onto labels.
2. Stick label onto clover shape of your choice.
3. Use double stick tape to layer the clover with the label onto another clover, slightly staggering the shapes.
4. Tie a piece of glitter ribbon into a square knot and trim ends into a “V” shape.
5. Adhere ribbon in place using a Zot Dot.
6. For the most secure hold, we recommend using a pin to wear your badge.

Erin go Bragh!

– Claudia
PS colors: curry & fuchsia
Latest fave: Mini Magnolia Paper Flower Kit

Kids, they grow up so fast. It seems like only a few days go by before the celebration shifts from baby shower to baby’s first birthday to a full on birthday party. Each moment reminds you of how big they are getting… AND tests your creative capacity. If you are lacking inspiration, then we have just what you need. We caught up with an old friend who knows how to throw a party that both kids and adults can enjoy.

Kelly, who once helped drive creativity in Paper Source stores, gave us loads of party ideas for kids when she shared two of her latest creations. Words hardly do these celebrations justice, so we asked Kelly to tell her story the best way she knows how… through photographs!

Enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Kelly Allison Photography

Garden Party
Paper Source elements:
Party Flags
Paper Crowns
Chalkboard Garden Signs
Straw Pennants
Origami Food Containers
Bottle Wraps
Butterfly Cupcake Decoration
Pin the Bee on the Flower Game

Photos courtesy of Kelly Allison Photography
Read the rest of this entry »

Bun in the oven? You’re in luck! We have wonderful things cooking too. Not only are our baby announcement designs an adorable way to welcome your new arrival, but our growing Paper Source family has provided plenty of reason to showcase real baby shower ideas.

Check out these DIY shower ideas…

Many of you celebrated our newest bundle of joy when you followed along with creating Something Sweet for Ann. Learn everything from concepting an original baby shower game to incorporating personal details from Ann’s coworkers.

Heather’s team celebrated the arrival of her first child with this Cute As a Button baby shower theme. Check out the clever ways a little button can go a long way. Read the rest of this entry »

No one loves a wedding more than those of us here at Paper Source. Ask our associates how they first learned about Paper Source and many will answer with tales of wedding planning, same goes for our customers. Some recall spinning through a room filled by our Colorscope or sifting through racks of inspiring fine paper. Most remember falling in love with perfectly packaged wedding invitations and everyone fondly reflects on the DIY finishes of their big day.

Whether you are dreaming of a DIY wedding or simply looking for ways to incorporate a few handmade touches, our new Do-It-Yourself Wedding Resource offers a single place to browse products and inspiration. Designed to mirror the store experience — for those who cannot sneak away or seek inspiration after hours — this page walks you through the various components that many couples consider including.

Shop favor boxes, table tents and guest books. Or, customize your wedding invitation, return address stamp or embosser. We have even given you access to a number of planning resources and loads of inspiration.

Newly engaged couples and those who are inspired by weddings are sure to find inspiration for their big event with this new easy-to-navigate resource. We hope you enjoy it!
http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/wedding/index.html

For DIY wedding inspiration from real Paper Source brides, check out:
Laura’s paper flower centerpieces
Susan’s satin ribbon pomanders
Lauren’s ribbon-wrapped enclosures
Cindy’s Lake Michigan wedding inspiration

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, which means this weekend might be the perfect time to create something sweet for your Valentine. In addition to the fun and easy craft kits offered at Paper Source, we surfed the web for other inspiring Valentine’s Day cards and crafts.

Photo courtesy of Paper. Scissors. Superheroes.

Paper. Scissors. Superheroes. shows us how to turn magazine pages into adorable Valentine’s Day heart ornaments. Try your hand with your latest Paper Source catalog, thread or Baker’s Twine and a few handy adornments.

Photo courtesy of One Sheepish Girl

Recycled never looked sweeter than this upcycled version of our Letterpress Calendar. Our Bridgeport store fell in love with the crochet edge of these cards.

Photo courtesy of One Sheepish Girl

One Sheepish Girl walks (or should we say stitches) through the steps of creating this boarder on a flat card or around a heart card. Read the rest of this entry »

Last spring our colleague Laura married her best friend in their hometown of Peoria, IL. Laura incorporated a number of DIY wedding projects to make her event a Paper Source wedding. Her day was special in so many ways, so we asked Laura about the inspiration behind this hometown celebration.

Here’s her story…

What were the themes for your day?

Ross and I grew up in Peoria, Illinois, but didn’t meet until we were counselors at Camp Highlands for Boys and Clearwater Camp for Girls, respectively, in Northern Wisconsin. Although I knew his sister (from camp and school in Peoria) and Ross knew my brothers (one was his camp counselor when he was 10), our paths never crossed until that summer. And, ironically enough, our parents now live three blocks apart.

We considered Wisconsin and Chicago for our wedding, but ultimately decided that the Peoria connection was too strong to overlook. It was also the perfect way to share our fondness for our hometown and our families.

After selecting Peoria, our goals become clear: keep everything calm, simple and personal.

Did you plan anything special for your ceremony?

The May showers and cloudy skies made for a cozy, warm feeling at First Federated Church, where I have been a member for years. It was important to honor my grandfather, who passed away last June. He was a minister for 25 years and was married to my grandmother for nearly 70 years. My cousin read a passage from First Corinthians, a passage he included in every wedding of his career. We also included two special readings read by close friends and my middle school band director played the trumpet.

I also incorporated a piece of lace from my grandmother’s wedding dress in my bouquet. Our siblings were our attendants and my niece and nephew were the flower girl and ring bearer. Read the rest of this entry »

Love is all around and this year we found new gift items — along with adorable cards, kits and crafts — that you are sure to fall in love with. Whether you’re looking for something quirky or sweet, you are sure to find the perfect little thing in our latest Valentine’s Day gift selection.

Here are a few that I find to be swoon-worthy:

Adding to our collection of kitchen aprons is this simple and sweet Heart Apron. It is a great way to pamper yourself for Valentine’s Day or a lovely way to shower your favorite baker with love. Add the heart-shaped oven mitt (shown above) for the perfect ensemble. Read the rest of this entry »

Love is in the air and we are ecstatic! Not only have we launched the 2012 Paper Source Wedding Invitation Collection, but we are hearing inspiring stories of love from brides-to-be and newlyweds. Even our associates have bells on – recently engaged Kristen shared her wonderful Will You Be My Bridesmaid card concept and newlywed Susan gave us a peek inside her perfectly Night and White destination wedding. And there is plenty more ahead!

For those of you who just started wedding planning (raise your hand by commenting to this post), be sure to check out the Paper Source YouTube Channel where our associates take you through DIY projects and planning exercises that help you create an event to remember.

In this video, Ann sheds light on a term you hear quite often at Paper Source — the wedding invitation suite. And suite it is! Together, with your wedding invitation, these components help inform and inspire your guests.

But that is just the beginning… there is more inspiration come, so stay tuned!

It’s time again to ask yourself, “What’s my Colorscope?”

We’ve added readings for our new Paper Source colors — Aubergine and Slate — providing more ways for you to express yourself through color.

Go ahead, think of your two favorite Paper Source colors. Check out our Colorscope readings, then tell us what you discover!