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

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

Last year, Ann brought us together when she gleefully confessed that she is a Wrapaholic. Slowly, confessions trickled in from others who admitted their obsession with color, coordinated style and perfect corners. Her post was like a safe place for fellow Wrappers to disclose the amount of time spent preparing packages or share in the joy of present perfection.

This year, Ann revealed her secrets to perfect packages in our latest gift wrapping video. In it, Ann talks about five main components she credits for helping her stay cool, calm and coordinated.

Scissors
Ann recommends having two pair of scissors — one for paper and one for ribbon — but make sure you have at least one pair solely dedicated to gift wrapping, so they stay nice and sharp.

Tape
Always have a full roll of tape on your spool. If you’re a fellow Wrapper, we suggest using double-stick tape — it keeps your adhesive hidden and works really well with ribbon application.

Solid Gift Wrap
Select a few rolls of solid wrapping paper to have on hand. Mix up the colors, so you have a base for any occasion that might come up.

Ribbon
Store a few spools of ribbon, in various colors and sizes, so you can accent boxed packages and gift bags.

Patterned Gift Wrap
It is hard to choose just one, so Ann recommends having a wedding print, a gift wrap for kids, and a colorful polka dot gift wrap to cover events throughout the year.

Given the time of year, our fellow Wrappers are probably concepting holiday gift wrap themes, so patterns like Gingerbread Men Wrapping Paper and Candy Canes Wrapping Paper are great accents for the Polk Dot and Solid Gift Wrap styles recommended by Ann.

Ann also showed us how solid glitter wrapping paper can be paired with a festive pattern to create a magical Hanukkah presentation. This execution also introduced us to a new Wrapper staple: Super Tacky Tape!

These tips are just the beginning. There is so much to learn from Wrappers, like Ann, and what better time than the gift giving season?! So we challenge our fellow Wrappers to share your greatest tip or trick – comment to the post and help others wrap perfect packages this holiday season.

Create a lovely garland of thanks for all to enjoy this Thanksgiving.

Materials Needed:

• Garland of Thanks How-To PDF
• Printable Label Template
• Turkey Shapes Pack
• Paper Wraphia in Natural
• Superfine Soft White 2.5″ Round Printable Labels
• Small Die Cut Fall Leaves
• 1/8″ Hole Punch
• Transparent Tape
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Using the Printable Label Template, print the words “GIVE THANKS” onto Super Softwhite 2.5″ Round Labels.
2. Stick labels onto alternating colors of turkey shapes. (Note that we have turkeys facing each other in pairs.)
3. Layout shapes and use transparent tape to adhere them to Paper Wraphia.
4. Stack several leaves in various colors on top of one another and use a hole punch to make a hole through the layers.
5. Thread leaves through end of Paper Wraphia and knot end. Repeat so that each end is finished with a stack of leaves.
]]> http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-garland-of-thanks/feed/ 1 http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-happy-jack-spooky-cat-halloween-card/ http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-happy-jack-spooky-cat-halloween-card/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:42:27 +0000 PS Design http://blog.paper-source.com/?p=15258

Wish your friends a Spooktacular Halloween with this adorable Happy Jack & Spooky Cat Halloween Card.

Materials Needed:

• Halloween Card How-to PDF
• Beet A7 Folded Cards
• Pumpkin Shapes Pack
• Black Cover Paper
• Curry Cover Paper
• Eco-White Cover Paper
• Fuchsia Cover Paper
• Poppy Cover Paper
• Happy Halloween Rubber Stamp
• Wicked Black Color Box Ink Pad
• Orange LePen
• 3/4″ Hole Punch
• 1/4″ Hole Punch
• Glue Stick
• Scissors or Soft Grip Knife and Cutting Mat
• Pencil

Instructions:

1. Begin by tracing and cutting all of your templates – cut the pumpkin face templates and the cat head template out of Black paper.
2. Next, cut two cat eyes from Curry paper and 2 cat ears from Poppy paper using the templates .
3. Stick all of your templates in place using glue stick.
4. Using the 1/4″ hole punch, punch two Black circles (cat eyes), two Curry circles (pumpkin eyes) and one Fuchsia circle (cat nose). Stick the circles in place.
5. Adhere your finished cat and pumpkin shapes as shown, slightly overlapping them and letting pumpkin and cat hang over edges of card. Next, trim areas that hang over card.
6. Using the 3/4″ hole punch, punch a Black circle and cut in half to make cat paws and stick them in place on pumpkin.
7. Cut banner template out of Eco-White paper and stamp with message. Color in message using pen and layer banner onto Black paper. Trim banner leaving a Black paper border around three sides as shown.
8. Finally, stick banner in place and admire your spooky Halloween masterpiece!
]]> http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-happy-jack-spooky-cat-halloween-card/feed/ 1 http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/the-perfect-diy-calendar/ http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/the-perfect-diy-calendar/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:13:36 +0000 PS Workshops http://blog.paper-source.com/?p=14838

Are you always on the look out for personalized projects that are great for anyone on your list, including those hard to shop for folks?! Well, our new 2012 DIY Calendar is perfect! With 12 months to work with and a manageable size, all you need is inspiration… and a little time to create!

And, speaking of time, we totally have that covered! On Thursday, September 8 join us for our Crafter’s Night Out event. From from 6-8pm you can use our supplies, including stamps, ink pads, punches, paper cutters, decorative papers, glitters, and more, to create your own calendar. Learn tips and techniques from our craft experts and leave with a completely finished calendar – ready for giving or for treating yourself!


For details or to reserve your seat, check out the Paper Source Workshops page. Remember: You can save $5 off the seat price when you register with a friend.

Cheers,

–Linda
PS colors: paper bag & persimmon
Latest fave: Academic Great Big Calendar

]]> http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/the-perfect-diy-calendar/feed/ 3 http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-back-to-school-lunch-labels/ http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-back-to-school-lunch-labels/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:26:58 +0000 PS Design http://blog.paper-source.com/?p=14820

Take treats for school in paper bags with adorable personalized labels. Run our large circle labels through the printer with our print template or write each name by hand. An adorable back-to-school design that is great for single lunches or an entire classroom!

Materials Needed:

• Back-To-School Lunch Labels How-To PDF
• Red 4″ Round Labels
• 8 1/2″ x 11″ Text Paper in Clover, Chocolate, Chartreuse and Eco-White
• 3/4″ Hole Punch
• 1/4″ Hole Punch
• Tiny Zots
• Scissors
• Black Marker

Instructions:

1. Begin by printing names onto labels. Use the apple template as a guide to cut your red stickers into apple shapes and set aside.
2. Cut leaf from Clover paper and stem from Chocolate paper using templates. Fold leaf in half (lengthwise) and stick both leaf and stem behind apple sticker.
3. Punch 3/4″ circles from Clover and Chartreuse paper. (You will need at least two of each color to make one worm.) Adhere together using tiny Zots and stick to apple.
4. Punch two 1/4″ circles from Eco-White for eyes. Adhere to worm’s face with tiny Zots.
5. Draw in eyes and mouth. Stick finished apple onto fold of lunch bag!
]]> http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-back-to-school-lunch-labels/feed/ 3 http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-simple-page-markers/ http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-simple-page-markers/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:07:42 +0000 PS Design http://blog.paper-source.com/?p=14479

If you’re like me and haven’t gone completely digital… or you hate dog earring pages in your favorite books…then you’ll appreciate this simple how-to! These page savers are so FUNctional! Kids will enjoy making them and adding them to notebooks or text books.

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

Materials Needed:

• Page Marker How-To PDF
• 5 3/4″ x 5 3/4″ Square Envelopes
• Guillotine Paper Cutter
• Bone Folder

Instructions:

1. Begin by sealing envelope. Fold and unfold sealed envelope into quarters.
2. Use these fold crease as your cut marks. Using paper cutter, cut envelope into four quarter sections.
3. Fold and tuck in one open point.

Use as is to save all those important places in your books, notebooks and journals. Or, embellish with rubber stamping or stickers! You can even color code planners – A great back to school project for kids!

]]> http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-simple-page-markers/feed/ 2 http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/quick-step-guide-snaps-eyelets-brads/ http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/quick-step-guide-snaps-eyelets-brads/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:59:54 +0000 PS Workshops http://blog.paper-source.com/?p=14269

A PS Fan fan recently wrote in about a 4″ x 6″ booklet idea she was working on and, like many of us, the final execution of her project was unanswered – How was she going to secure the pages of her booklet?

Would it be snaps?

Could it be eyelets?

Or should it be brads?

Decisions, decision, decisions…

Sure, they seem too small for the fuss. But, take it from me, these embellishments add charm and function in their own unique way. To help her and others understand how and when to use each I created this quick-step guide.

Feel free to comment with other questions. I’ve tackled a lot of projects and have plenty of tips and tricks to offer the inquiring crafty mind.

Cheers!

–Linda
PS colors: paper bag & persimmon
Latest fave: Academic Great Big Calendar

]]> http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/quick-step-guide-snaps-eyelets-brads/feed/ 1 http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-patriotic-lei/ http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-patriotic-lei/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:45:57 +0000 PS Design http://blog.paper-source.com/?p=14021

Don’t just decorate your home for the holidays… Adorn your party guests too with this festive 4th of July lei! It’s a great way to add a patriotic touch to anyone’s outfit!

Have a happy AND safe Independence Day!

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

Materials Needed:

• Patriotic Lei How-To PDF
• Infinite Loops Trim Double Edge Paper Punch
• Star Hole Punch
• Text Weight Paper (Red, Night, Pure White)
• Ladybug Sugar Coated 12 x 12 Paper
• Red Stripe Fabric Tape
• Baker’s Twine
• Guillotine Trimmer
• Large Zots Dots
• Stapler

Instructions:

1. Punch infinite loops, trim along 11″ side of red, pure white and night paper. Cut bands of infinite loops in half measuring 51/2″ x 1″ and set aside.
2. Cut simple bands from pure white paper, or a mix of colors, measuring 51/2″ x 1″. Stick red stripe fabric tape down center lengths of bands and set aside.
3. Punch star shapes from ladybug sugar coated 12 x 12, or a mix of colors.
4. Begin linking approximately 15 bands in a mix of color combos of infinite loops and simple bands dressed with red stripes. Secure to one another with a staple and cover each staple with a star.
5. Tie ends of links with approximately 18″ of baker’s twine and pull over to head to wear!
]]> http://blog.paper-source.com/how-to/how-to-patriotic-lei/feed/ 2