I’m always challenging myself to find new ways to customize our favor boxes – they’re wonderful for so many occasions. Experimenting with our pillow favor box, I discovered that our ivory linen bookcloth worked perfectly for creating a Halloween mummy party favor. I love the color and texture, and tearing the bookcloth into strips makes it look like the real deal!

Create a bunch of these party favors to fill with yummy treats for your Halloween guests!

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

Materials Needed:
Pillow Favor Box Luxe Fino White
8 1/2″ x 11″ Ivory Inkjet Linen Bookcloth
1 1/4″ Gravel Circle Labels
8 1/2″ x 11″ Red Text Weight Paper
1″ Circle Hole Punch
1/8″ Super Tacky Tape
Scissors
Glue Stick

Instructions:
1. Begin to assemble the pillow favor box Read the rest of this entry »

We welcome one of our newest crafting accessories: clear cellophane bags! Though the product itself is really basic (how exciting can clear bags be?), there are literally hundreds of ways you can fill and decorate these handy food-safe bags. Here a few easy gift wrapping ideas, perfect for the upcoming holiday season!

Halloween Goodie Bags
What you might need: Papaya #10 Folded Backing • Small Cellophane Bag • Bone Folder • Metal Ruler or Straightedge • Black 1/4″ Satin Ribbon • Scrap Paper • Skeleton Rubber Stamp • White Colorbox Inkpad • Opaque White Embossing Powder • Heat Embossing Tool • 1/8″ Hole Punch

1. To create the skeleton tag, cut a piece of scrap paper to your desired size (I cut a 1 1/2” x 6” piece, which folds in half to create a 1 1/2” x 3” tag). Stamp the skeleton with the White Colorbox Inkpad, sprinkle with Opaque White Embossing Powder, shake off the excess, then heat emboss. Punch a hole in the top corner of the tag to attach to the bag with ribbon.
2. The #10 folded backing becomes a colorful liner for the cellophane bag. To do this, use a bone folder to score the backing card 2″ from the bottom, then fold to make an “L” shape. Insert the backing into the bag – the short folded portion will line the inside bottom of the bag, and the long portion will line the inside back of the bag. Make sure to place the backing against the back seam of the cellophane bag so the seam doesn’t show from the front.
3. Fill the bag with goodies!
4. Fold the top pre-scored portion of the backing card down over the top of the bag to close. Use a 1/8″ hole punch to punch holes through the bag itself where it intersects with the pre-punched holes in the card.
5. Feed 1/4″ Satin Ribbon through the holes and knot in the front. Before tying a bow, string the skeleton tag through the ribbon to attach.

That’s it, so easy! If you’re making several goodie bags, remember that it’s always easiest to work assembly-line style. So score and fold all of your #10 folded backings first, then cut all of the ribbon, then create all of your tags, and so on.

Valentine Goodie Bags
This lovely bag doubles as a Valentine’s Day card and a special gift! Read the rest of this entry »

There’s nothing I love more than planning a good party. Coupled with my love of paper… well, you can imagine the trouble I get in working at Paper Source. This year one of my dearest friends announced that she was getting married, so naturally I planned the perfect bachelorette party (which doubled as a lingerie shower because she needed some fun things for her honeymoon!). Here’s how the mind of a party planner works:

The Theme: The best party planning advice I can give is to come up with a theme – it always makes for an event full of unexpected and fabulous details. A theme can be as simple as a color, a destination or an object. Use the theme to drive decorating decisions from invitations to favors to décor. For this shower I used our new fuchsia (it’s so hot and so very bachelorette) and polka dots as the base for all of my decorations.

The Invitation: Every great party starts with an equally great invitation – it sets the tone of the event. I printed the party details in a chocolate ink onto a fuchsia 5.5” square card then layered that onto a chocolate 6.25” square card. White and chocolate 1.25″ circle stickers served as festive polka dots. My finished invitation went inside fuchsia envelopes – I mean, who wouldn’t want to get that in the mail!

The Details: I live by the adage, “It’s the little things that count,” and parties too should be full of little details. I filled our classic square favor box with candy favors, banded it with a strip of fuchsia paper, and embellished with chocolate stickers and a tiny white bow. For a bachelorette party game we put together a simple (and slightly risqué) scavenger hunt. Instructions for the game were printed onto a white #10 card, which I trimmed slightly so it could be backed with a fuchsia #10 card to create a colorful border. Once again chocolate stickers (quite possibly the easiest way to decorate) are used for polka dots.

The Wow!: I know I just got done singing the praises of the details, but it’s also important to have a showpiece – think the tree at Christmas or the cake at a wedding. I picked up an old dress form at an antique store and dressed it in this stinkin’ adorable paper lingerie set. Despite its couture appearance, it couldn’t be simpler to create – make a form out of cardstock in the shape of lingerie, pleat tissue paper by folding over and under, then attach the tissue to your form. Accent with braided ¼” satin ribbon. I set the dress form behind the cocktails and it was indeed a show stopper.

Happy Planning!

–Ann
PS colors: moss & papaya
Latest fave: Fall Wreath Kit

Requested by SO many of our customers, this spring we introduced the classic square favor box. This perfect little square is quickly becoming one of our favorites to embellish. With just a few folds and double stick tape they are ready to fill with little cookies, tiny treasures, or four exquisite truffles.

Here’s a great way to dress up favor boxes with ribbon, rubber stamps and glitter glue. Layering violet and silver ink creates an elegant muted tone and can be done with any color combination (use any base color with silver on top).

Pick a ribbon, ink color and rubber stamp design to coordinate with your wedding or party theme!

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

Materials Needed:
Classic Square Favor Box
Leaves Rubber Stamp
Violet Color Box Inkpad
Quicksilver Color Box Inkpad
1/4″ Satin Ribbon
Stickles Glitter Glue
Scissors
Embossing Heat Tool (optional)

Instructions:
1. Rubber stamp an all-over pattern Read the rest of this entry »

After Linda (head of workshops) described this technique to me I just had to try it! Embossing on ribbon? Sweet! I think it works best with rubber stamps that have a clean bold image like this cherry blossom. Imagine how lovely this would be wrapped around a package or used to embellish an invitation.

Be on the look out for cool (and free) in-store demos – this embossing on satin ribbon technique was featured in stores this month!

–Annie
PS colors: eco-white & pool
Latest fave: 12″ Guillotine Trimmer — great for cutting large sheets of paper!

Materials Needed:
Pillow Favor Box – Luxe Fino White
Read the rest of this entry »

Did you know that you can create your own embossed design on solid ribbon? We’ll show you how– come check out our free hands-on demonstrations this Saturday, August 15 in stores to learn this simple technique for dressing up favors, gifts or invitations. Just stop by between 11am-2pm, no reservations required!

We’ll also be demonstrating how to use our super cute new owl kits (which are all the craze this year and really easy to make), plus some fun ways to put our new grid calendars to use long past 2010, transforming each month’s art into things like gift boxes, stationery and file folders.

Saturday, August 15 Demo Schedule (all Paper Source stores)
11:00am Owl Kit
12:00pm Grid Calendar Templates
1:00pm Embossing on Satin Ribbon

Hope to see you at the stores this weekend for some fun hands-on learning!

Cheers,

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: Saddle Stitch Notebooks

Created by one of our assistant store managers, these make great kid’s party favor boxes — or a rainy day project for kids to make themselves. Come by your local Paper Source store to see this favor box created in person!

Materials needed:
Chocolate Pocketbook Favor Boxes
Chocolate Oval Scallop Cards
Cover Weight Paper in Eco-white and Strawberry
Brads in Chocolate, Pool and Silver
Scallop Paper Punch
1/8″ Round Hole Punch
Scissors
Gluestick

Instructions:
1. Fold and assemble favor box according to instructions in package.
Ears & tail
2. Cut one scallop circle card in half lengthwise and fold each down to create two ears.
3. Cut a half moon or u-shape out of another scallop circle card to create tail, folding end about 3/4″ to create an anchor.
4. Using 1/8″ hole punch, punch holes in the ends of each ear Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a fun, affordable way to do a fresh take on party favors (think also wedding favors or baby shower favors). I picked out these sweet mini grape hyacinths at the market and set them into our recycled takeout boxes, lined with a simple wax paper to prevent moisture from showing. An unexpected gift for your guests, not only does this create a wonderful aroma, but it gives them something to plant and grow when they get home. And they make for a lovely table decoration during the party. Any small flower will do– pansies, mini daisies, spruce seedlings, etc. This simple little takeaway will leave a lasting impression, and it’s eco-friendly too!

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: Saddle Stitch Notebooks