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Round-Up: Favorite New Stationery

Alyssa Nguyen


Round-Up: Favorite New Stationery

IT’S FINALLY HERE!

Our very own in-house stationery line here at The Paper + Craft Pantry! From the day we opened up our doors, it’s been a dream of mine to be able to get back to designing and creating paper goods. Fast forward through the past few years of learning the ropes of running a physical shop, hosting hundreds of workshops and events (which honestly feels like it’s own separate job!) there have been a ton of reasons as well as excuses why I’ve put it off.

To be really honest and vulnerable with y’all, a huge part of it was fear. I get to stock our shop with SO many beautiful things from truly talented artists and designers and it felt intimidating getting back to creating because I definitely fell into the comparison trap…

I’d been dreaming up the products and designs for several months but finally decided to just go for it one day in October. I know, what you’re thinking, you whipped all of this up over night? Kinda. But really I think it flowed naturally since it had been something on my mind for literal years! It also helped a ton that before I started The Paper + Craft Pantry, I had my own small stationery line soI already had a lot of the resources and was able to navigate through design + production and packaging fairly seamlessly.

Let’s also take a moment to think about how October was truly a horrible time to start all of this (insert face palm here) It’s right before the holiday season, with two big weekends of the East Austin studio tour in November, the Thanksgiving break and holidays…. but then again, no one said opportunity and going for your goals happen when it’s convenient right?

We officially launched our entire new line to the world on November 24th at our Small Business Saturday Market. I’m in the process of slowly uploading all our goods to our online shop so everyone can get their hands on a little bit of this shop’s heart and soul.

I hope y’all love each piece as much as I do. I poured over so many design options to really create a collection that I felt really lent well to our aesthetic, day to day use and functionality with a whole lot of fun (and sprinkles of our favorite mint color :)

p.s. Now that we are in December and everyone is out shopping for gifts, I’d love to encourage y’all to shop small this holiday season. No matter where you are, no matter your budget, I know that I (in addition to other small business owners) would love if you’re able to find that special something with us.

Shopping small makes a huge difference, directly in YOUR community. In YOUR town. In YOUR city! If you ever need a recommendation for a local business, you know where to find us- we’re so happy to point you in the right direction!

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO- I’VE ROUNDED UP A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS FROM OUR NEW COLLECTION BELOW- LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK?

(From left to right) How cute are our stickers? You know how passionate I am about properly spelling stationery :) And also, there’s an actual paper person! I was so excited to partner with Jess, owner of Tiny Deer Studio, for our extra large enamel pin. Our little spiral may be my favorite thing because of it’s convenient size, but also, the inside pages are BOTH lined and graphed!

(From left to right) We partnered with one of our favorite local candle makers to create a custom candle scent for the shop! I told Priscilla, with Herland Home, that I wanted a candle that smelled like writing a letter at a vintage secretary desk. And she delivered- because she’s magic! That little dropper bottle is filled with the scent we diffuse in our shop, it’s kind of become our signature scent that everyone swoons over when they come in our doors.

(From left to right) Our color block note pad adds some colorful fun and features 100 pages! We created a monthly calendar notepad spread that will last you several years! It also features a section for notes and place for making lists! Our larger spiral features graph paper and will likely become your new best friend if you get your hands on one :)

CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR PRODUCT LINE ONLINE!

D.I.Y. 5 Simple Holiday Ornaments

Alyssa Nguyen


D.I.Y. 5 Simple Holiday Ornaments

Whether you are ready for it or not, the holidays are officially here!

We’re in full swing holiday mode over here in the shop as we prepare to close out 2018 and we’re also already planning for the first quarter of 2019. We’ve got all of our holiday stationery and goodies out in the shop, holiday music streaming through our speakers, and just a few Christmas themed workshops left on our calendar.

The holidays can be a time of joy, wonder and happiness. But it can also mean a lot of hustle and bustle! We hope that our shop + studio can continue to be y’alls little slice of holiday time oasis :)

We also couldn’t pass up sharing a quick and simple D.I.Y. themed craft with y’all. This D.I.Y. takes less than 5 mins- which let’s be honest, anything longer is too long during the holiday season!

EASY HOLIDAY D.I.Y. ORNAMENTS

D.I.Y. PROJECT TIME: 5 MINS

MATERIALS

  • Clear plastic ornament
  • Ornament fillers (confetti, tinsel, mini trees, foliage, holiday type)
  • Ribbon
  • Scissors

Y’all, seriously, this is such a fun and easy way to decorate this holiday season. You can get super creative with personalizing the ornaments for your tree or as gifts. We just rounded up a few of our favorite things to add as fillers into clear ornament globes.

We added some holiday inspired type that we cut into strips to fill an ornament, stuffed extra holiday foliage clippings into another, added tinsel garland, confetti and mini holiday trees to the others!

D.I.Y. Painted Pastel Pumpkins

Alyssa Nguyen


D.I.Y. Painted Pastel Pumpkins

Hey everyone, happy November!

We wanted to continue the Fall celebrations with this very simple Painted Pumpkin D.I.Y. These were such a quick and easy way to add some fun color to the studio and we’re certain it will do the same in your home!

Try out different color palettes that aren’t the “traditional” fall colors- have fun playing around with colors :) And I mean, you can never go wrong with a pink pumpkin :)

PAINTED PASTEL PUMPKINS

D.I.Y. PROJECT TIME: 30 MINS (FOR A FEW DAYS TO LET THE PAINT DRY IN BETWEEN COATS!)

MATERIALS

  • Pumpkins in various sizes
  • Acrylic paint
  • Paint brushes

To start this easy D.I.Y. project, it’s all about deciding the amount and color palette of your pumpkins. We hosted a “Fall Festival Market” during this past October at the shop and wanted a bright and playful pastel rainbow ombre look in lieu of the more traditional and warmer autumn colors.

The finished product made for the perfect piece for our front door to welcome guests in to our event and now, these pumpkins have a home in front of our beloved card wall!

The only thing is you need to have patience. Because of the texture and slickness of the pumpkin it takes several layers of paint and time to let each one dry. And afterward it’s still incredibly easy to scratch off that paint so be careful when moving them and keep some extra paint on hand for little touch ups!

We learned after doing this D.I.Y that we would likely redo this but using faux pumpkins from the craft stores. That way, you can keep and enjoy them for many many years!

Round Up: Last Min Halloween Decor

Alyssa Nguyen


Round Up: Last Min Halloween Decor

Call all your friends because we are going help you throw the best Halloween bash ever!

It’s time to use all your creativity and make some D.I.Y decor that will add that perfect personal touch to any event! Here are a few fun projects and pictures to help you get inspired.

We’ve done the research for you and rounded up some of our favorite halloween inspired D.I.Y.s just in time for some last minute party ideas!

SPIDER WEB TABLE CLOTH/PHOTO WALL

This is a perfect and super versatile project that can be used in many different ways to decorate! Although we may not love having an ACTUAL spider web in our house, we will let this one slide. (:

Photo Credit: The House that Lars Built

GHOST PINATAS

BOO! How could you be scared by these adorable ghost pinatas?!? They make for the perfect decor piece and as traditional use - hitting them for candy!

Photo credit: Make and Tell

PUMPKIN BALLOON BACKDROP

Depending on how big of an event this is, you could go ALL OUT with this pumpkin balloon display that seriously makes for the perfect photo wall. It might look like an overwhelming task to create, but this tutorial shows that it’s easier to do then you might think!

Photo credit: The House that Lars Built

SPIDER STICKS:

Anyone with a fear of spiders might not want to participate in this D.I.Y. but we think it makes for a super fun party prop! It’s super easy and quick to make while still looking amazing.

Photo credit: Oh Happy Day

PRINTABLE PARTY FAVOR POPPERS

Did you say printable? You know we’re all about those freebies! This project makes for a great (and delicious) thank you gift for your party guests. It also gives you an excuse to eat a few pieces of treats while you stuff them inside your popper (it’s okay..we wont tell).

Photo credit: Oh Happy Day

We hope you enjoyed this round up and that it helped you get ideas for any Halloween celebration you join!! And thanks to all of these amazing creators that constantly inspire with their creativity and talent. How will YOU be spending Halloween this year?

Round Up: Favorite Snail Mail to Send

Alyssa Nguyen


Round Up: Favorite Snail Mail to Send

It’s officially fall (even if it doesn’t feel like it in Austin!), and I feel like we’re on the cusp of ramping up into every business’s “busy” season of the year. For most businesses, especially retail, the last quarter (October-December) is the busiest time of the year in regards to sales + revenue. No pressure right?

I’ve learned a lot over the past several years of learning to embrace the slower days (even months) as they offset the times where things seem to be moving at such a fast and sometimes frantic pace. Of course I’m grateful for the holiday season for so many reasons, and am so honored that The Paper + Craft Pantry gets to play a small role in our communities celebrations throughout the year.

It’s during the busy times and seasons that I feel it’s extra important to slow down, or at least find time to slow down. The holiday season can be tough for some people, for so many reasons- I think it’s a great reminder to just be extra kind, show extra patience and give extra grace whenever you can. A great way to slow down is to just sit down and write- write to someone you haven’t talked to in a while, write to your grandma who you only see once a year, write a just because note to your significant other, write a short note to your postman (or woman!)… You really don’t need an excuse to show someone you thought of them, and that they are valued.

I read this article that shared the five reasons to write thank you notes and this one on the science behind thank you notes. And was immediately inspired to write a few little notes and cards to pop in the mail.

The selection of cards we have at The Paper + Craft Pantry is something that makes me so proud because I thoroughly enjoy seeing guests in our shop take their time to peruse what we have, to really find the “one”. Here are a few of our current favorites that are my current favorite snail mail to send, just because.

INSPIRED TO SEND MORE SNAIL MAIL? SHOP OUR ONLINE STORE NOW OR POP INTO OUR NEW SHOP TO PICK OUT THE PERFECT CARD :)

Small Business School: An Interview With A 12yr Old Entrepreneur

Alyssa Nguyen


Small Business School: An Interview With A 12yr Old Entrepreneur

Earlier in the year (in January), I received an email that caught my attention. As you can imagine, my inbox is rather full and I would normally have assumed this particular email was spam. But boy am I glad I clicked on it!

The email was from a 6th grader who had written an incredibly concise email about how she was interested in doing her apprenticeship (a requirement for her school for credit) at The Paper + Craft Pantry. The email was extremely well worded and she even ended the email asking if we could schedule a phone call to discuss further. My first instinct was to say no, because honestly,taking on an intern, especially a 12 year old one sounded like a ton of work.

But I agreed to a phone call with her because I was interested to learn more about if it would be a right fit for both of us. The day before our scheduled call, I received an email from Kate (the 6th grader in the email) to confirm our call the next day. I mean, what kind of 12 year old does this?

Our phone call went wonderful and I asked Kate to put together an email as well as send me a reference before I would decide if the next step would be an in person meeting.

Fast forward to our in-person interview, Kate walked in and shook my hand with the confidence that I wish most adults (even myself) would have. I was immediately blown away by how well she carried herself and how professional she was. Kate proceeded to inform me during our conversation that she had first dabbled in small business ownership in the fourth grade at her school’s children’s fair.

Needless to say, I decided that taking Kate on would be a great decision for both myself and The Paper + Craft Pantry! Kate spent over a month with us assisting with workshops, helping with marketing efforts, and really anything else we needed support on. And before it was time for her to graduate 6th grade, I sat down with Kate to ask her some questions about her experience working at The Paper + Craft Pantry.

Who are you AND what do you do? My name is Kate Metteauer, and I am a 6th grader at Acton Academy West.

Tell me about your school! My school is centered around the Hero’s Journey and learning at your own pace. I know it sounds crazy, it’s the most amazing school ever. We learn about entrepreneurship and learn the basics of running a business. I don’t have any homework, but what I don’t finish at school I do at home. Everything is done on the computer and we are on a year round schedule.  It’s small, only around 45 total students, in the ENTIRE school, and only 12 in Middle School. There are a lot of Acton Academies, in the U.S, but also in the world.

Tell me a bit about how you started your business! When I was nine (which really wasn’t that long ago), I was surprised to get a sewing machine for my birthday. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but I now appreciate it  and have realized it was the best gift I have ever gotten. Soon after I learned to sew, I started my first business. I sold mostly bags and scarves that I had sewn. I had very little inventory, and a booth at The Acton Children’s Business Fair, but I loved it. After about two years of sewing, I realized that my products weren’t selling because I was trying to sell $40 bags to seven year olds and my materials were too expensive to sell things for any less. If I wanted to sell bags and scarves it would need to be for a different audience, so I completely switched gears and started making soap.

How has it evolved? I've gained a lot of knowledge about talking to customers, how to lay out my products at fairs, and how to better make products. I even started funding it myself, instead of asking for money from other people (aka my parents).

What has been your biggest lesson in running a business? I have learned that it’s okay to try something different while also becoming better at managing my time so that I can make more inventory to sell more at each fair. I like trying new things and want to experiment more with different soap recipes, packaging, and so much more! 

While apprenticing at The Paper + Craft Pantry, what was your biggest learning or takeaway?      I have learned so much while apprenticing at The Paper + Craft Pantry, but my biggest takeaway has been that it takes time to start a business, and you have to be very flexible with everything going on around you, and you have to take it slow in the beginning to build up from there.

What were your tasks and responsibilities while apprenticing? Did you get to lead any projects?  I got to restock the cards in the shop, help prep for activities, and clean up after workshops. Although my favorite thing I got to do was probably help people paint pots and make bath salts at some of the events. I loved talking to everyone and guiding them through the process of making something.

What has been something you learned that you really enjoyed? I really enjoyed just being in the studio and seeing what people will create during the classes and at events.

What was something you learned that you didn’t expect? I didn’t expect anything honestly, and with that there were so many amazing surprises around every corner. The biggest was how many classes Pei organizes and hosts every week, and the amount of people that come to those events. Everything has been a learning experience for me, which has been amazing.

What is one thing you’ve learned at the Paper + Craft Pantry that you think has made the biggest impact on your journey as a small business owner? At my school we believe that every student is on their own Hero’s Journey. A Hero’s Journey is the basis for almost every book and movie. Everyone is on there own one and will have many of them throughout their lifetime. This apprenticeship has taught me SO many things, starting from restocking shelves to collaborating with other business owners! Through the lessons that I have learned and the welcoming nature of the Paper + Craft Pantry, this experience has greatly impacted me on MY OWN Hero’s Journey providing me with lessons I will use and cherish throughout my life.

What advice would you give other entrepreneurs - Ones who are afraid to get started. What about ones who can’t decide what to do? Take the time to figure out what really makes you happy, and go for it. It’s okay to start small and work your way up from there. Anyone can start a business, you just have to believe in yourself, your work, and your ideas. At my second business fair a tried to sell way way too many things at one time and it ended badly. Instead of giving up I tried something different and used the lessons I learned to make it better than it was before. Don’t be afraid to at least try, even if you fail you can always try again, and this time with more knowledge and experience to do better.


 

FEELING INSPIRED, AND READY TO WORK?! JUST START WHERE YOU WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, AND GO FOR IT! HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? LEAVE THEM IN THE COMMENTS DOWN BELOW.

About the co-author:

Kate is currently a 6th grader at the Acton Academy in Austin. Kate completed a 2 month apprenticeship as a part of her school credit where she learned the ins and outs of small business ownership with The Paper + Craft Pantry. She also is the co-author and editor of this blog post. Kate is a fellow small business owner who owns a soap company called Ridiculously Clean