If there is something I look forward to every year, it’s holiday card making! But with the hustle and bustle of the season, the task can seem daunting. Luckily, with a little imagination I’ve discovered a few ways to embellish cards that are quick and easy. For example, what’s easier than peeling and sticking? Decorative stickers are a simple way to add colorful images to a card. To really make them stand out, stick them onto a strip of paper in a contrasting color, and add a few adhesive crystals for sparkle.

When I’m feeling really crafty I use rubber stamps in my card making. Try rubber stamping in a bold color and adding layers of paper to create borders and dimension. The card above features our new Holiday Greetings Square Rubber Stamp, which is a fun way to add holiday sentiments to the outside or inside of a holiday card. Layering a rubber stamped piece onto a patterned note set creates a festive finished look.

Use decorative punches to create graphic shapes that turn blank cards into modern works of art! I punched circle shapes in a few bright colors using a 1″ circle hole punch. Next, I punched cute holiday shapes with the Fat Tree Punch. Once I was happy with the arrangement of the shapes, I used a glue stick to stick them in place. The overall effect is striking, yet so simple!

This technique works for many occasions with different hole punches and colored paper. Just imagine our Heart Hole Punch with red and fuchsia paper for Valentine’s Day cards, or a card with our Rubber Duck or Bunny Hole Punch and pink or blue paper to congratulate a new parent! Make a bunch and keep them on hand for when you need a last minute greeting card.

Here’s a tip for when you want to send a handmade card that looks exceptionally sharp – use our classic holiday shape cards as a base. They’re already diecut, so all that’s left to do is embellish! With so many combinations of adhesive crystals, stickers, ribbons and snippets of paper, the options are limitless!

Happy holiday card making!

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

We worked hard for it and now we’re seeing the results – a whole lot of exciting Paper Source product featured in the press this holiday season! The fun part about seeing our products in these wonderful magazines are the great ideas their creative teams come up with on their own – often with new uses we hadn’t thought of, that we love!

Better Homes and Gardens really showed us off with their story on holiday trimmings. Our Solid Wrapping Papers in pool, moss and red are coupled with our Moss, Pool Diagonal Stripes Wrapping Paper, along with gift wrap from our good friends at Snow & Graham – an inspiring mix of pattern and color. They used the 2010 Paper Source Mini Calendar to top a gift box in place of a bow (a great idea if you’re shipping a gift wrapped package since a bow might get smashed in the mail). The pool January page of the calendar looks so fresh with the red and white wrapping paper featured.

Another clever idea is using our Moss, Pool Diagonal Stripes Wrapping Paper as a bellyband around a pool package, then topped with a band of red wrapping paper that’s trimmed at the end to look like ribbon! It’s all held in place with a Pool Border 2.75″ Circle Label and a 1 1/4” Chartreuse Circle Sticker in the center – we love the layered look!

InStyle got crafty creating homemade wrapping paper with many of our rubber stamps. I love how they used the Alphabet Rubber Stamp Kit to stamp a recipient’s initials onto solid gift wrap – a great way to call out whose gifts are whose under the tree. I also love the Fleur de Lis Rubber Stamp done in gold on pool wrapping paper – very French. And finally, they used a technique that we too like to use – making dots of ink with a pencil eraser… so easy!

In their Christmas Ideas magazine, the folks at Better Homes and Gardens came up with another clever use for our product. Featuring our Red #1 Baby Envelopes tacked onto a background of our Moss Flourish Wrapping Paper, they created a 12 Days of Christmas activity calendar. They rubber stamped numbers onto metal-rimmed key tags you find at the hardware store to count down the days. Beginning with Christmas Day and ending with Twelfth Night, each envelope holds a holiday activity – making cookies, sledding, ice skating, and others. What a wonderful way to remind us all to celebrate the joy of the holidays!

p.s. Real Simple and Redbook each featured our 2010 Paper Source Wall Art Calendar – thank you, thank you, we’re so glad you love it too!

– Cindy
PS colors: pool & red
Latest fave: Dutch Woodcut Floral Wrapping Paper

I recently found myself needing a gift for a friend of mine… a friend who has everything. I came up with the idea of making him a set of decorative kraft letters in his initials. Although I’ve used glitter to decorate these in the past, I wanted to try a new technique that would create a handsome piece he could display on a shelf in his home.

Turns out heat embossing using a metallic powder creates an elegant and sophisticated finish. I used the VersaMark Watermark Inkpad on the kraft letters, sprinkled on embossing powders in a mixture of Jade Patina and Metallic Copper, and used the heat embossing tool to set in place. Combining those two embossing powders created a patina that looks similar to an old penny.

In the past I’ve decorated kraft letters with glitter by covering them in PVA, then sprinkling on glitter. These “JOY” letters in True Red Glitter make a great holiday decoration – use in a centerpiece arrangement or display on a mantle surrounded by evergreen branches. You could achieve a different red finish by using the heat embossing technique described above and Cherry Twinkle Embossing Powder.

My gift of the “JC” initials was extremely well-received, because it was personal and unlike anything he had. They turned out so well in fact that I decorated other kraft letters to display in our store!

–Ken, Paper Source NorthPark Dallas Store
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: Woodgrain A2 Embossed Stationery

With save the dates under her belt, Sarah moved onto planning her wedding invitations and day of details. Continuing to leverage colors from her inspiration print, she used Sapphire cardstock to create a custom piece that would hold all of the items in her invitation suite. She backed her printed invitations with the featured Italian paper creating a decorative trim, then adhered that to the inside of the Sapphire folder.

A sheer ribbon tied around one half of the Sapphire folder secured the response card and envelope in place, and created a lovely embellishment for the closed invitation. Each envelope was lined with the Italian paper for a fully finished look.

Knowing that she would be having a photo booth at her wedding, Sarah wanted to create her own guest book that would hold the memories captured in the photo booth that day. Using a photo album kit, she created a one-of-a-kind guest book covered in the same Italian paper.

As guests took photos in the photo booth, they used photo corners to add them to the guest book and signed personal messages on the bright white pages. A true keepsake for the bride and groom!

Sarah used 3D Star Kits covered in the Italian print to create large dimensional decorations for her wedding venue. Read the rest of this entry »

Come to a Paper Source store this weekend for free holiday demonstrations and “make & take” projects… AND be one of the first to see the brand new at-home Letterpress Machine! We are so excited about this amazing table top machine that allows you to make your very own letterpress cards. Paper Source is one of the only vendors in the country to carry this item, and we’re thrilled to give you the opportunity to see how it works in person.

11:30am – 12:30pm • Holiday Gift Wrap, Accents & Hang Tags – Make & Take
During this hands-on make & take, we’ll show you how to dress up your holiday packages and hostess gifts using our baby #1 envelope template, hang tags, punches and more.

12:30 – 1:30pm • Keen Holiday Shapes & Kraft Ornaments – Demo
Learn simple tricks for dressing up our kraft ornaments with ribbon, adhesives, glitter, and paper accents. Perfect for hanging on your tree and adorning your holiday packages.

1:30 – 3:30pm • The NEW Letterpress Machine – Make & Take
Be one of the very first to see the new at-home Letterpress Machine in person! We’ll show you how to use this table top machine to create amazing letterpress cards. You’re sure to fall in love and be inspired to make your own letterpressed holiday cards this year!

3:30 – 5:00pm • Creative Crafting Time
Explore rubber stamping, heat embossing, quickie glue pens, glitter and more during our free Creative Crafting session. Please contact your local store for this “reservation required” crafting experience.

Come early to our make & take sessions (especially to see the Letterpress Machine!) as supplies are limited and available on a first come first serve basis.

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: Saddle Stitch Notebooks

What could be more personal than creating custom stationery for a special friend? By choosing specific paper colors, embellishments, and adding their name you are honoring their personality and creating a one-of-a-kind gift. A stationery set can be as simple as a collection of note cards and envelopes, but by adding other letter writing components like labels and pens, or personalizing the stationery with rubber stamps, you create something truly unique.

To take it over the top include a custom return address embosser plate – an easy and elegant way to add a return address to envelopes. Finally, be creative in your presentation – put all of your stationery items into an adorable suitcase, or organize them inside a linen folio.

Here are some things you might need:
• Flat cards & folded cards
• Envelopes
• 8.5″ x 11″ text paper
• Labels
• Stickers
• Pens
• Return address embosser plate
• Rubber stamps – try alphabet rubber stamps to add a name or monogram

As the holidays approach, consider making a set of personalized stationery for family members, or as a thank you gift for a teacher who has made a difference in your child’s life.

p.s. If you’re looking for inspiration on making your own stationery, sign up for our Personal Stationery – Handmade Gifts Workshop taking place at all stores tomorrow – Thursday, November 12.

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: Saddle Stitch Notebooks

I like to think of our die-cut paper snowman shapes as a blank canvas, and I decided to create a rather debonair pair for the holidays. I’d like you to meet my Mr. and Mrs. Frosty!

I’ve used just a few things to make my festive, dimensional characters. I started with our die-cut snowman (or snow lady) shapes, then cut hats and scarves out of card stock. Our leaf hole punch and red adhesive crystals make a perfect sprig of holly.

A tiny mustache rub-on transfer was just the thing for Mr. Frosty… and a string of adhesive pearls for the misses.

Just sign your name or add a greeting to each and use as keepsake holiday cards (they fit into an A7 envelope). They would also make wonderful holiday gift tags, place cards or even menu cards!

Happy Holidays!

–Dustin, Paper Source Lincoln Park Store
PS colors: gravel, chartreuse, moss, pool & grape
Latest fave: Kraft Boxes & Satin Ribbon

We’ve turned our Pocketbook Favor Boxes into just about every kind of animal, so we knew we had to try a turkey for a fun Thanksgiving party favor! With just paper, labels, and tape or glue, these favors are super easy to put together. If you’re having little ones over to your house this Thanksgiving, use this as a kids craft project that will keep them entertained while you’re busy in the kitchen with the big bird!

Gobble, gobble!

–Annie
PS colors: gravel & beet
Latest fave: Owl Placecard Kit

Materials Needed:
8 1/2″ x 11″ Text Weight Paper
Chocolate Pocketbook
Eco-White 1.25″ Circle Labels
1/8″ Hole Punch
1″ Circle Hole Punch
1/8″ Super Tacky Tape
Glue Stick
Scissors
Pencil

Instructions:
1. Using tape, assemble the pocketbook favor box according to instructions.
2. Stick eco-white 1.25″ labels in place for eyes.
3. Print out our PDF template, then trace the feathers, beak, and other turkey components from text weight paper in various colors. Cut out pieces as indicated.
4. Adhere pieces in place with glue stick, as pictured.

This Thanksgiving each guest at my dinner table will be welcomed with one of these personalized keepsake boxes. Our craft boxes are so wonderful to decorate – the perfect blank palette for adding colored paper, ribbon, rubber stamps, etc. I will also have a stack of “I am thankful for” letterpress cards on hand so everyone can share their gracious thoughts of one another and slip them into each box. It’s a nice way to engage your guests and remind everyone of the true meaning of the holiday. The boxes themselves make charming Thanksgiving table decorations and double as favors for your guests to take home.

This extra special touch is sure to stir up smiles, joy and happy hearts this Thanksgiving!

–Annie
PS colors: gravel & beet
Latest fave: Owl Placecard Kit