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

This little fella, who I often refer to as my nephew (admittedly not blood relation though), turns one year old today. Happy Birthday Grayson!

Grayson’s mom is my oldest and dearest friend (next to my sister), so I was happy to help her create a birthday party invitation to fit his celebration – a football-themed gathering, complete with beer and wings! Come on, we all know a first birthday party is for adults.

The original concept was a football field with various photos of this dimpled monster. But, after spending time in my husband’s childhood closet, I suggested a trading card invitation. (If only my influence could steer them back to the Bears.) Dad took on the task of getting him to sit for a photo and Mom and I got busy replicating an old-fashioned trading card.

The design is printed on Paper Bag to make it look authentic. I printed four to an 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet and trimmed down to fit the coordinating 4Bar envelopes. The Paper Bag labels were printed using the Word template provided on our website.

The celebration is supposed to be team neutral, though I suspect it will be a sea of Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning jerseys, so we focused on Night and Pool and added Curry accents. My favorite part of the invitation is the stat chart, an essential element of any trading card and a great way to share details of the first year.

Along with finished invites, I mailed a dossier to Grayson’s parents (pardon, his talent agency) with extra invitations, labels, envelopes and digital files. Everything fit perfectly into a Pool presentation envelope and gave them an easy way to store invites for mailing or upcoming press events.

–Crazy Aunt Liz
PS colors: fig & gravel
Latest fave: Personalized Note Pads

This well known baby game was extra sweet at Ann’s shower because it was something played at her mom’s baby shower when she was pregnant with Ann. We created a calendar with dates surrounding Ann’s due date – each guest wrote their name on the date on which they thought Ann’s baby would be born.

Done in our shower colors it made for great shower decor and more importantly was a lovely keepsake for Ann that will serve as a reminder of the guests who attended her shower and a wonderful memory of her mother.

–Kristen, Liz & Heather
PS colors: chocolate & fuchsia, fig & gravel, peacock & paper bag
Latest fave: Personalized Note Pads!

Since Ann is our go-to person for brilliant baby shower game ideas, it was challenging to think of something new she would not have seen before. Sticking with our sweet theme, we came up with a Sugar & Spice Timeline where everyone had to guess the year in which famous candies were born. A simple game card and a basket of the highlighted goodies (which also served as the prize for the winner) is all it took!

–Kristen, Liz & Heather
PS colors: chocolate & fuchsia, fig & gravel, peacock & paper bag
Latest fave: Personalized Note Pads!

When our resident Hostess with the Mostess announced that she was pregnant with her first child, nearly everyone at Paper Source squealed in delight. Not only was Ann the perfect candidate for motherhood, but she was also deserving of one spectacular celebration. After all, she had planned so many events for friends and loved ones – it was time to shower her with something special.

Only problem: What do you do for the woman who has done everything?!

Three of us (from non-creative departments) volunteered for the challenge and quickly realized we were in for a treat. After sourcing inspiration online we decided on a Sugar & Spice Baby Shower theme and a perfectly pink color palette.

Since charming treats and refreshments would serve as our main party elements, we concentrated on the buffet table itself as the focal point of the room. We filled the table with sweet (and a little salty) old-fashioned candy and snacks displayed in various glass and white ceramic containers. We dressed our tables with rolls of solid gift wrap in Blossom and Strawberry, and printed place cards matching our invitation style to mark each food item.

Treats included Read the rest of this entry »

Our dear coworker Ann recently gave birth to her first child – a very sweet baby girl! Little Maggie arrived earlier this month, which gave us a chance to revisit Ann’s very special Sugar & Spice Baby Shower thrown in late summer. We enjoyed planning this event so much that we wanted to dedicate a blog series to her special day.

Check back all week as we walk through concepting an original baby shower theme, creating accents, developing a baby shower game and folding in a bit of sentimental charm. It was an event to remember for a woman who has created many memorable events for others. Be sure to save room for a daily helping of sugar – it’s sure to be a delicious read!

–Kristen, Liz & Heather
PS colors: chocolate & fuchsia, fig & gravel, peacock & paper bag
Latest fave: Personalized Note Pads!

I am expecting my first baby in seven short weeks. It is a truly amazing time. I have loved sharing (possibly over-sharing) details with my family, friends and coworkers. A few weeks ago, family and friends threw me a butterfly-themed baby shower in my hometown.

Because I’m a Paper Source employee and former invitation designer, my hostesses felt some stress when coming up with an invitation for the event but, after a bit of collaboration, we came up with the most darling idea using our die-cut butterfly cards. (Note: Layout was a little tricky, but we just kept testing on white printer paper until it was perfect. Then, we used removable double-stick tape to attach the butterflies to a full sheet and fed them one-by-one through the printer.) At the shower, there was a matching banner and little butterfly gift tags to tie the entire theme together.

I was also introduced to a great new baby shower game – Midnight Advice. A tiny, newborn diaper was given to each guest. Read the rest of this entry »

Paper Source Fan Jennifer W. shared her DIY projects from a shower she recently co-hosted. As a regular of our Pasadena store, Jennifer worked with our team to create a bridal shower theme that perfectly celebrated the couple’s wedding plans.

Since the wedding colors were black and white with hits of red, I thought a theme of red with hints of black and white would be a nice twist.

Jennifer paired our graphic Iron Scroll Wrapping Paper with Red and Eco-White solid papers and envelopes, using this palette for everything from invitations to menu cards to favors.

Her DIY bridal shower creations were too pretty to pass up. Our only questions is: Did the cupcakes taste as good as the favor boxes look?

–Jennifer W., Pasadena PS customer
PS colors: bluebell & gravel
Latest fave: Double stick tape

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 Read the rest of this entry »