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 »

It’s always fun to make a themed party extra special, and our pre-cut heart shapes and striped paper straws are a perfect match for your Valentine’s Day get-together. They’re a cinch to make and will make a bold, colorful statement on your table. Show your guests extra love and customize them with names!

Materials Needed:

• Valentine Party Drinking Straws How-To PDF
• Red & White Paper Straws
• Heart Shapes Pack
• Fuchsia Glitter Ribbon
• Rouge Glitter Ribbon
• Hot Pink Adhesive Crystals
• Red Adhesive Crystals
• Uniball White Gel Pen
• Small Zots Dots
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Layer heart shapes using small zots dots.
2. Embellish by writing a loving message or adding adhesive crystals.
3. Attach to straws using more small zot dots.
4. Create ribbon flags by wrapping a small length of glitter ribbon around straw and using a zot dot to keep in place.
5. Trim ends with scissors for added flair.

Sip & Enjoy!

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

As letter writers, we were tickled when Stephanie told us about her New Year’s resolution. We thought her story would inspire your creativity and, for those of you with sisters or loved ones who live afar, touch your heart.

We hope you enjoy this story and the inspiring year ahead!

I am so lucky to have an incredibly amazing sister who just so happens to live on the other side of the world– Sydney, Australia to be exact. Several years ago (when she lived oh-so-much closer) we went through a brief phase where we would send each other wacky postcards that we found on our journeys. It was always such an unexpected surprise to go the mailbox and find a postcard mixed in with the bills, magazines and junk mail that awaited me. It’s so rare to receive a piece of handwritten mail these days and these little cards brightened my spirit. They made me laugh, they warmed my heart and they made me think of my beautiful sister and remember how dear she is to me.

Postcards from Allie

Late in 2010, an idea came to me that I hoped my sister would embrace. I thought it would be fun for us to do a sort of New Year’s Resolution together, but instead of giving something up, we would take on a challenge. The challenge? Send each other a postcard each week of 2011. Thankfully, my sister jumped right on board and, by the first week of January, a beautiful postcard of the Sydney Opera House arrived in my mailbox.

Searching for postcards fitting to send is part of the adventure. Wherever I go, I now scout for postcards that either make me giggle or evoke a memory from years past. The messages written on the cards vary from week to week. We share details of recent trips (hers are admittedly more exciting than mine– I sent her a postcard about my day-trip to Minneapolis to conduct a Store Audit the same week that I received a card from her with details of her adventure in Malaysia), other times we share memories from our childhood, and stories of the crazy things that our cats– and husbands– do. Read the rest of this entry »

Our handmade holiday card inspiration continues with this magnificent creation by Rick V., Midwest Regional Manager for Paper Source. The corporate office was buzzing when this wonderful creation arrived.

Of course we had to find out more, so here is his story…

Having spent the past few years in the Pacific Northwest, the mountains, snow and beauty of the moonlight shining on the snowy trees was the initial inspiration. The snow and surroundings are amazing after a nice snowfall.

The card went through several rounds. At first it was going to be a pop up card, but I could not perfect it in time (will probably be included in my card next year). Then, the idea of cross sections of wood spurred this iteration, as did our Faux Bois stationery and rubber stamp. The layers of trees and forest animals completed the idea with additions added throughout the process. Read the rest of this entry »

Our Annual Holiday Card Contest drew to a close yesterday. Thanks to those of you who submitted fantastic and original holiday card concepts, voting is going to be difficult.

While we wait for votes to trickle in from our teams, we wanted to put the spotlight on a few of last year’s submissions. We hope the recap will serve as inspiration and connect you with others who share your love for the handmade greeting.

Enjoy!

Created by Elisa B.

Created by Haley S. Read the rest of this entry »

Anytime I share a project on the PS Blog, I feel like the title should be prefaced with, “From the less than crafty files.” But, with the constant encouragement of colleagues — Linda, my go to for execution tips; Rebecca, who shares similar taste and IS crafty; and Kristen, who I frequently poll regarding the cool/helpful/unique/funny nature of content — I feel better about throwing my amateur projects up as inspiration for our readers.

Which brings me to today’s post — a ridiculously simple holiday card.

I’m sure a true designer could really make this magical. But, if you lack the time, resources and patience (like me), then know that this ornament card transforms into a wonderfully cute invitation or greeting card with the help of Microsoft Word, a home printer, fine paper, adhesive and colorful envelopes.

Here’s how:

Simply format the text in Word based on 5 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ paper dimensions, remembering that the longest text line should be approximately 3″ down from the top (taper up and down from there).

Run a 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet through the printer, then line up the ornament card to the printed sheet and adhere with tape, lightly so you can remove after it is printed. Read the rest of this entry »

‘Tis the season for holiday gift guides, festive décor, crafts and more! We are delighted that much of our holiday assortment has been featured in recent press, so we wanted to give you a look at a few Paper Source picks of the season.

In the December issue, Better Homes & Garden suggests a new family holiday tradition and asks readers to write down good deeds using our Paper Chain Garland Kit and hang it from the tree. Read the rest of this entry »

As many of you learned last year, I like to have a holiday gift wrap theme each year. Born out of necessity, I am extra excited to share this year’s look.

With a new baby in the house, gift wrap was not at the top of my list. One day, she was napping especially well and I found myself with some free time to get some wrapping done. One problem – I hadn’t planned anything or purchased any paper. Creative inspiration struck! I love the look of our Paper Bag wrapping paper, and decided to use the months of my Great Big Calendar as the base for this year’s gift wrap. Once I started, the ideas kept coming.

One month is the perfect size for a standard shirt box. For larger packages, I banded with a strip of calendar or used our Holiday Typography Paper, which matches perfectly (though this required my husband to make a quick run to our Evanston Store). So far, my favorite idea is this bow made out of the days of the week.

I hope this idea inspires you. For more inspiration, check out these wrapping tips for the season.

From our new family to yours – happy holidays!

–Ann
PS colors: pool, peacock & chocolate
Latest fave: 2012 Great Big Wall Calendar

Make the holiday season merry and bright with this Silvery Tree Holiday Card. Use the Fuchsia base recommended in our How-To or modify with your favorite colors of the season.

Materials Needed:

• Silvery Tree Holiday Card How-To PDF
• Fuchsia A2 Folded Card
• Cover Weight Paper in Fushsia, Pure White & Shimmer Silver
• Foil Tree Rubber Stamp
• VersaMark Watermark Inkpad
• Silver Embossing Powder
• Sticky Tape Runner
• Embossing Heat Tool
• Guillotine Paper Trimmer or Cutting Mat, Ruler and Soft Grip Knife

Instructions:

1. Cut papers into the corresponding sizes indicated in the How-To PDF
2. Using the VersaMark Watermark inkpad, stamp tree onto Fuchsia layer, sprinkle with embossing powder and tap off excess, then emboss with your heat tool.
3. Layer and adhere pieces together and onto card using the tape runner.

Execute a perfect heat embossed treatment with the help of our rubber stamping expert Linda. This video walks you through tips and tricks for working with your heat tool.

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