We pride ourselves on having some of the most creative customers in the entire world. And we know you guys really love to outdo yourselves around the holidays! That’s why we are pleased as an elf to present the Paper Source Holiday Crafting Contest! As long as you’re already creating beautiful cards, elegant decorations and festive gift wrap for friends and family, you may as well enjoy the opportunity to be rewarded for it!

 How to enter:

Prizes: Each category (Wrapping, Card Making & Décor) will be awarded:

Deadline: Submission deadline is December 16th, 2012 at 11:59pm CST. Winner will be announced on December 21st, 2012.

To see full contest details or to submit a photo of your project for submission, simply visit click to visit the Holiday Crafting Contest!

Online image submissions only, no submissions will be accepted at store locations.

‘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 »

We have so many splendid ideas to share with you at our Annual Seasonal Table Event that I couldn’t resist providing a little sneak peek at the collection of ideas we are featuring at Thursday’s Crafter’s Night Out.

These colorful holiday favor pouches provide the perfect opportunity to create something unique. We will be adding stamped accents to make them fun and personal. Imagine these on your holiday table?!

Or, perhaps you are a cookie aficionado – baking goodie bags for your work colleagues, like so many of us at Paper Source. (I know. Aren’t we lucky?!) These cellophane bags will be the perfect inspiration for your holiday confections, complete with fun retro accents cut from 12×12 decorative paper.

We also have other unique ideas using our new rubber stamps, like this one from a wonderful French Canadian vendor. They are sure to add charm to your seasonal presentation.

Be sure to sign up early, and enjoy $5 off your seat when you sign up with a friend! Sip wine with fellow crafters, nibble on treats, create stunning decorations and shop the night away with your 10% off coupon.’

Seasonal Table Collection of Ideas – Crafter’s Night Out
Thursday, November 10th
6pm – 8pm (local time)
To sign up, stop by your local Paper Source store or register online today.

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

Whether you’re grilling out, spending time with family or watching cars race in Indianapolis, we hope you celebrate the upcoming holiday weekend with PS style. The PS Blog is a great resource for inspiration. Check out our patriotic paper rosettes, festive banner and treat toppers, or try your hand at our newest kit!

The Patriotic Starburst Kit is an easy way to add style to your holiday gathering. The kit makes six 15″ starbursts (2 of each color shown) that you can string together as garland or hang individually. Read the rest of this entry »

The ever-busy gnomes at the Chicago Botanic Garden have just unveiled the 2010 PS Christmas tree at the annual Wonderland Express Walk. Our tree theme this year? Elves!

And not just cookie-cutter elves. My own elfin PS Crafts team and I started with our new Holiday Elf Kit and crafted 100 individual elves. Like snowflakes, every single one is different with his or her own personality. They’re all nestled in a garland made from our Holly A7 Leaf Cards.

A special gallery of trees is decorated by invitation only, to feature local designers and businesses. Paper Source was honored to be asked back by the curators of the world-renowned 385-acre living green museum just north of the city. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently I came across this image on the Martha Stewart Living website and fell in love! But it also inspired me to point out an easy DIY solution. Using the Paper Source Fall Leaf Wreath Kit or Die Cut Fall Leaves as a templates, you could make this beauty out of old books, sheets of music, or newspapers. I love the red bow and found pine cones with the black and white paper leaves. I’d keep this wreath up after the holidays, to enjoy all winter long!

– Cindy
PS colors: persimmon & paper bag
Latest fave: 2011 Paper Source Booklet Calendar

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.

At this time of year, we at Paper Source are reminded of how blessed we are to be surrounded by inspiring ideas every day. We recently had our annual office Holiday Party. To get everyone in the holiday spirit, we asked team members from around the organization to design placemats to be used at each table. It started with a simple piece of 12” x 12” cover stock in either pool or red. We asked each person to create a place setting aligned to the corner. The last step was to attach four squares together with double-sided tape to make a “cloth” for each table of four.

While this is a super fun idea for kids; I’m here to tell you, it’s a fun idea for anyone who is young at heart. Our office had a blast coming up with creative ideas. We had nearly 100 completely unique settings, which created a stunning effect. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re having a New Years party or are looking for New Years activities for your family, you must make these glittery gold New Years party hats! CBS 2 Chicago (click to view) even featured them as a fun way to get kids involved at New Years. You could, of course, use this party hat design in different colors with different stamped messages for other celebratory occasions!

–Annie
PS colors: gravel & beet
Latest fave: Tree Trunk Tea Light and Japanese 8 1/4″ Scissors

Materials Needed:
How to New Years Party Hats PDF
8 1/2″ x 11″ Cover Weight Paper (Eco-White & Shimmer Gold)
8 1/2″ x 11″ Text Weight Paper (Black & Shimmer Silver)
1/4″ Super Tacky Tape Read the rest of this entry »