We love these easy Halloween decorations for doorways and hallways. Our tissue paper pomettes (mini pom-poms) can be done in any color for any occasion – here the combination of black and poppy adds a touch of Halloween flair. Spooky fun!

–Annie
PS colors: peacock & paper bag
Latest fave: Spritzer Rubber Stamp Cleaner and Rubber Stamp Cleaning Pad

Materials needed:
How to PDF
Tissue Paper (black & poppy)
Black Linen Thread
Scissors

Instructions:
1. Cut tissue papers to approximately 3″ X 5″. Create a mix of black and poppy, all black and all poppy pomettes.
2. Stack 6 sheets per pomette (diagram A). Make 1/2” accordion folds with each stack (diagram B). Cut points at both ends of tissue (diagram C).
3. Tie centers with 6” pieces of thread (diagram D). Carefully pull ends of each layer towards knot to fluff up the pomettes.
4. String up one long length of thread where you want your decor to hang and attach tissue pomettes.

Is it wrong to collect something that wasn’t meant to be seen? No, according to me and my Paper Source work mates. A few months ago I brought in my collection of security envelopes and tacked them to my inspiration board. Each day since everyone in the Design Department has been adding to the mix! They’re really quite beautiful and detailed.

Some of the envelopes are duplicates so I made some origami with them. Read the rest of this entry »

I may not be heading back to school with a fresh supply of notebooks or have a locker in dire need of personalization, but that doesn’t stop my urge this time of year, to get organized. And of course, in the prettiest way possible! This cheery bulletin board made with our brand new Marigolds Wrapping Paper, envelopes and fun accessories will make putting things in their right place an absolute joy!

P.S. If there are kids in your family who would love a project like this, check out our Tween Message Board Workshop in stores August 21 (for ages 9-12).

–Annie
PS colors: peacock & paper bag
Latest fave: Spritzer Rubber Stamp Cleaner and Rubber Stamp Cleaning Pad

Materials needed:
How to PDF
2 pieces of 9 1/2″ x 13″ Bookboard Read the rest of this entry »

Now we love our double-faced satin ribbon dearly, but it’s nice to bring different ribbon styles into the mix and we’re thrilled to have new paper ribbon. These gorgeous biodegradable ribbons are made from 100% cotton that is responsibly grown and dyed in the USA. The ribbons can be recycled or composted after use. And for decorating and gift wrapping, they do it all…they shred and curl beautifully, you can write on them, or feed them through your trusty Xyron and even work with some inkjet printers.

These ribbons are made in Milwaukee in a small facility with limited workers who set up the machines and manually roll the ribbon onto spools once it comes off the line. The owner of the company bought the equipment at an auction back in the late eighties and revived a century old way of making the ribbon. Spools of thread (about 50 of them) are brought together from large machines, glued together and made into various widths of ribbon. The original company went out of business back in the fifties when ribbon started being made out of synthetic materials.

Paper Source carries 10 yard spools in 1/2″ width in solid color ribbons (including our three new PS colors peacock, persimmon and sunshine) and polka dot ribbons. Also arriving later this summer are 2 different colored bows made of paper ribbon.

–Reena
PS colors: fuchsia & red
Latest fave: Faux Bois 1.25″ Circle Stickers

If you’re throwing a bbq or pot luck for the upcoming holiday weekend, use these easy 4th of July decorating ideas to make your gathering extra special with patriotic touches made from paper.

A festive banner done in red, eco-white and blue (I mean, lake!) will add instant charm to your celebration. Adhere the leftover star punch-outs to toothpicks to dress up your 4th of July cupcakes, cheese plate or hors d’oeuvres. Or use them loose as table confetti. Couldn’t be easier! And as always, you can use these decorating ideas for any occasion by swapping out your paper colors and punch shape.

P.S. Check out our Independence Day paper rosettes from last year – so lovely, we want to use them again!

–Annie
PS colors: gravel & beet
Latest fave: Japanese 8 1/4″ Scissors

Materials needed:
How to PDF
8 1/2″ x 11″ text paper (red, eco-white and lake) Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of the time, it’s the small things in life that make me happy. But, every once in a while… it’s the big things! The Silhouette SD Digital Cutting Tool is one of those things. Roughly the size of an average inkjet printer, this machine is definitely a crafting power tool. It allows you to cut designs out of paper, vinyl, heat transfers and more! You can choose from templates, or be your own designer! Our stores have had a lot of fun creating cool samples to get you inspired…

Two lovely cards made by Olivia and Lacey from our new Houston store, opening soon!

Custom decals for a moped and helmet made by Nicolas in our Cambridge store – vrooomm!

A charming save the date with coordinating enclosure made by Martha in our Atlanta store.

We introduced the Silhouette into our stores a few months ago, and as I have been traveling around the country opening our new Paper Source locations, I have been training our employees how to use it. Most haven’t heard of this crafting machine, so I get to be the first to tell them! As I explain how it works and what kind of results you can get, I get a three stage reaction: Read the rest of this entry »

Another Paper Source baby is on the way, and last week we celebrated new mom-to-be, Heather! Between the three of us we brainstormed all sorts of baby shower ideas, eventually landing on a “cute as a button” theme, which worked perfectly for a gender-neutral baby shower. Using our button inspiration, along with Heather’s nursery colors of light green and white, we created a simple, sweet space for all to enjoy.

Annie’s button baby banner, featured earlier this year, was a perfect fit for our shower theme. We hung two rows spelling out “cute as a button, cute as can be”, which was also used in our invitation.

One of the best ways to make a shower extra special is to add a personal touch. We knew early on that we wanted to incorporate gumballs into our design as a nod to Heather’s father who is in the candy business. Large glass jars filled with white gumballs made for perfectly sweet table centerpieces. Our tables were covered in solid wrapping paper in sage and pool, and button decorations made from circle cards and circle labels dotted the table tops.

We love doing spectacular gift baskets for baby shower gifts – the baskets are reusable for the nursery and you can fill them with all kinds of adorable goodies. Honoring Heather’s personality, we created two gift baskets – one for “practical baby” and one for “stylish baby”. Read the rest of this entry »

Here at Paper Source headquarters in Chicago winter seems to linger until mid-May, so we can’t tell you how much pleasure we get from having the warmth of sunshine finally hitting the Midwest. Everywhere we look we see greenery – the hopeful anticipation of those colorful summer flowers, many of which have yet to bloom.

As you may have already guessed by our latest paper flower kit, gerbera daisies are one of our favorite varieties around here. While we featured them in our store windows last month, many of you were wondering when a workshop might be offered for making these bold, beauties. Well, this months Girl’s Night Out will teach you not only how to make these fabulous blooms, but also how to create a bookboard terra-cotta looking flower pot. It’s the perfect table accent (sure to get lots of oohs & aahs!) for your upcoming summer parties!

Please join us for our Girl’s Night Out Paper Flower Garden next Thursday, June 17 from 7-9pm for our version of summer planting…without the dirt! Grab your gal pals and enjoy a night out with us (don’t forget to sign up together so you can save $5 off the price of each ticket).

Can’t wait to see you there! Here’s to many happy summer days ahead.

P.S. Green thumbs not required!

Cheers,

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: Circle Stickers and Presentation Envelopes

My dad is a pretty handy guy, and so growing up, I was always encouraged to build, tinker and create. I remember as a little kid I was always outside in the tool shed with dad (yep, I was a daddy’s girl!) while he was working. Sometimes he’d give me a piece of wood, a handful of nails and a small hammer, and there I’d sit, hammering nails into the wood, and then sometimes finishing off my “project” by stringing twine around the nails. Now, all grown up and living on my own, I still go to dad when I need help constructing items to decorate my living space. And, of course, since I work at Paper Source, I have to incorporate paper! This is my favorite home decorating trick: paper-covered wall art.

It’s a good idea to select your paper first, because that will affect how large your piece of art can be. For the base, all you need is a wood frame (this is where my dad helps!) Using scrap pieces of wood, he constructs a simple frame to the dimensions that I need. Canvas stretcher bars, which are quite inexpensive, also work well, and you can customize the size by choosing the lengths you buy. An old wooden frame without the glass/picture might also work. If you don’t have access to wood (or someone who can build the frame for you) you could also try old shoe boxes, shirt boxes, etc. Read the rest of this entry »