Paper Source

Was there to just get some colorful envelopes for my fashion event, but by the time I got out from the store, I got more art and craft stuff than i was planning to. All the associates was super helpful-​especially Amy, she gave me a lot of good recommendations of what I need. And the price point was affordable. Got 10 envelopes for $ 3.50. A stamp for around $ 5, a blow heater for $ 23(Love this tool, watch the demo and you will know why).
I would go back in anytime.

Super friendly staff. You can tell they enjoy their job. The best cards, wrapping paper, and accessory store around.

Simply OUTSTANDING! I chose Paper Source to print my wedding invitations/​RSVP cards following a referral from a colleague, and quite honestly, they are great. Their team (special shout out to Maggie, Kim and Laura) worked closely with us, guiding both myself and my fiancé through the entire process, all while respecting a very tight turn around. They offered pertinent advice, asked all of the right questions (even the one’s that had never occurred to me), and took the time to outline every single option available to me without ever having the feeling they were pushing any sort of sale on me. They are cool and collected, which is very comforting while trying to wade through the stress of being a first-​time bride and groom. They are extremely prompt, professional and qualified… And will go out of their way to be of service should any challenges arise. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t hesitate a single second to place my order with Paper Source (River North). Thank you!!!

The nicest team of associates…
We were looking for our wedding invitations and walked in just to peruse, immediately felt welcomed and decided to schedule an appointment and place an order. Where some folks take up to 8 hours, in under 2 we decided and walked through the right wording for the perfect invite. Everyone was amazing. Invitations are EXPENSIVE. No fault of the store but «damn» industry… In won’t have the need for another wedding invitation but I like the store and people so much I may upgrade my Mother’s Day cards from now on.

Now that Rudy’s Round-​Up has done left the Windy City (Nooooooo!), this is my go-​to spot when I need to pick up a little whimsical gift for someone. Funny and/​or useful books, silly little oddities (plaques with funny sayings, clever coffee mugs, nice notebooks/​journals, silly keychains, etc.) and a great selection of cards, ranging from the thoughtful to the hilarious.
And being a lover of pen and paper, I also enjoy their wide variety of pens, pencils, markets, pencil cases, and more. I have three pencil cups on my desk at work, and all are jam-​packed with different-​colored pens I have picked up at Paper Source.
It’s a great spot as well if you are looking for special gift wrap or ribbon that is of above-​average quality.
Their stock is always changing, so I know I can see different items there from week to week. The staff is helpful in all the right ways, and always friendly. And beware the point-​of-​purchase displays, as they are always full of tempting little items.
In the back of the store, they do (I believe) custom invitations and stationary, and though I haven’t used these services yet, I have the utmost confidence in their ability to deliver quality products of this ilk.

This is a great place to get really neat wrapping paper or boxes for presents, ink stamps for decoration, ribbon, twine, washi tape, and other ornaments for preparing cards and gifts. There’s a cute selection of crafty toys if you’re trying to interest kids. There is a decent selection of cards (far better than a drugstore card aisle in terms of quality) although it’s clear the focus is on gift-​wrapping. If you’re looking for something really eclectic, bizarre, or vintage (a random postcard depicting the birds of Africa, for one example) perhaps visit Twosided instead. If your focus is on crafting, though, and you’re looking for the tools to create a really nice-​looking present or card, Paper Source ROCKS. I’m always happy with my purchases and the service (friendly but not pushy).

This place is fabulous! The most intriguing and playful things and beautiful papers. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. I look forward to my trips there.

This is for the corporate office… I spent four hours trying to create wedding invitations. They would not save to the basket. Thus I had to create two orders to get most everything ordered. I wrote asking that all parts of my wedding invites be combined into one order. I was told they would have to remain separate, and that only one order would be eligible for the 10% discount. I asked that I be allowed to communicate to a supervisor.
It seems misquided to separate the parts of a custom wedding invitation into multiple orders and it would seem in this day and age, that it could be done
PaperSource I love your stores, but your customer service and commitment to customers really leaves something to be desired.

This is my favorite Paper Source. I’ve been to three others, two in the city and one in the suburbs.
I like the people who work here as well as the atmosphere of this particular spot. It is easily accessible from the brown line and is great for a quick stop on the way to a destination if you need to grab a card or small gift.
I’m continuously surprised by the unique gifts in this store. I want everything in here! Some of the products remind me of Urban Outfitters gifts (and lots are available at both stores) but with less of an attitude – if that makes any sense.
For people who like crafty things or books, letters, stationary in general, you will love this place. I also know that the staff at each individual store is in charge of things like interior design and window displays. The staff at this location is top notch. It seems like everyone here both likes what they do and then has fun with it every day.
I will definitely make the trek back to this location whenever I feel like I need any special stationary, card, or cutesy gift.

I don’t know how many cards and paper products I’ve purchased from Paper Source over the years… Many. many. And they’ve all been awesome and/​or cute.
When you need a _​_​_​_​_​_​_​card and you just don’t feel like dealing with a Hallmark /​Walgreens /​CVS, and you want something a little more special, a little more unique, Paper Source is a sure bet.
In addition to cards (what I usually stop in for), papers, stationary accessories, etc., they have some really great gift ideas: books, candles, tchotchkes galore, kids items, candy, and lots of other fun stuff.

Paper Source is my weakness. I can never leave here empty handed and $ 50 poorer. Basically, if they sell it here, I want it. Cards for all occasions on lovely card stock. Wrapping paper with robots. Blank cards with doughnuts. File folders with cute ostriches. Nautical bags. Juice glasses with owls. Christmas dog stickers. Happy birthday garland.
I find the girls who work at this location to be particularly friendly and helpful. They help you out without being overly pushy, and are happy to talk about things like double-​sided tape dispensers with you.
Highly recommend checking out this location for your holiday card/​wrapping needs. And for the rest of the year too — they have really fun seasonal stuff that changes throughout the year.

This is where I bought all of the supplies to create my wedding invitations and signage. Great selection, fair prices and high quality materials. The staff gave us tutorials on how to make envelope liners and helped choose all the appropriate sizes. Very pleased. (Note shipping to Canada is $$$ so make an effort to find a paper source when in the US)

I’ve not visited a Paper Source yet that doesn’t have very helpful and cheery staff. I stopped by this location to return some craft supplies I had purchased a few weeks ago, but didn’t need anymore. But I can’t enter the store without looking around a bit at their fun knickknacks and funny cards, so I also picked up a birthday card for a friend. They were swift and efficient in the return and had a pleasant conversation about the card I had chosen.

This review is for their printing services, which quite frankly are sub bar.
Do not go here for anything even remotely custom if you are trying to get things printed. They are inflexible, bratty, and obnoxious.
We have a fabulously designed invitation suite and needed a quality printer to print them. The woman in the store refused to deal with us in an appropriate or respectful manner. Every time we asked for anything, she got a smug look and said, «We don’t do that.»
Double sided printing? We don’t do that. Fast orders? No, it takes THREE WEEKS and has to go through yet ANOTHER vendor. She couldn’t even tell us what type of printing they do at their print facility.
In short, inflexible and unhelpful. Get a grip and learn how to treat customers.

I am obsessed with Paper Source. They have a really great selection of DIY invitations and projects, if that is your thing. However, that is not my thing and I still manage to find unique and meaningful cards and gifts here.
They have the absolute best calendars. The artwork on them is just beautiful. It honestly looks as though you are hanging some real art on the walls. Another benefit is that once the month is done, the pages of the calendar have dual purposes. There was a template on the last two years that allowed me to reuse the pages for gift boxes and file folders… such a cute idea.
The staff is really helpful. They can point you in the right direction and help you with projects if needed. They also have really great classes for minimal fees to learn how to do stuff on your own.
My only gripe about this location is that it is two levels and the stairs are just not stroller friendly. Other than that, this is an absolute must for me for all stationary needs.

Great cards, great wrapping paper, helpful service…
I am giving 3 stars because they don’t shovel their sidewalks and should be fined by the city. If I had a dime for every time I have almost slipped due to 2 week old snow/​ice left over from the last storm, I’d be able to afford going to paper source a little more often. The worst was the February 2011 snowstorm… They didn’t even try to help with the 2 feet of snow piled up on the sidewalk.
Post long overdue. Do your part, Paper Source and shovel your sidewalk along Franklin.

When I’m here, I’m like a girl in a candy store! Actually, candy land!
I love, love, love this store. The store manager was also so sweet, friendly and made me feel like home. This place has the best selection of stationary I could ever dream of. Made my day!
They hold unique paper, boxes made out of those paper, cards, envelopes, decorative stuff, and anything you can think of that’s made out of paper and fabric.
Highly recommended for a stationary buff like me, and a true artist!

After an order I thought I placed apparently never went through (my internet connection’s fault — not theirs), I spoke with someone on the phone who was super nice and reassuring. I told her I’d re-​order the envelopes (for my wedding invitations) but that I really was hoping to have them by Thursday so I guessed I’d pay for 2 day shipping. The gal I spoke with said she’d keep an eye out. Well, she must’ve because the order was filled and out to UPS within 3 hours and my 2 day shipping ended up arriving the next day. Less than 24 hours after placing the order online, it was at my house. Now I know that Chicago to Southern Wisconsin isn’t terribly far, but it was still excellent customer service.

Oh Paper Source. You helped me out at the last minute… well, sort of the last minute.
I needed some cellophane gift bags and ribbon for party favors and already made like four trips to Michael’s in a couple of weeks. Plus, I had other things to get done for a bridal shower that I couldn’t take another trip. (By the by, I do love Michael’s and can handle crafts. But there’s only so much bridal items, bags, markers, and other crafty things I can take in a given time).
Enter Paper Source. I’ve only shopped online for things and hadn’t really had a chance to go to any of their locations. Weird, right? I’m glad I did though. They had so many cute things great for gifts or personal use: stationary, note pads, gift bags, ribbon (oh lots of it!), greeting cards, cute office supplies like magnets and paper clips (not your boring office ones), greeting cards, do-​it-​yourself invitations materials, and of course, paper.
I was helped by a young gentleman whose name I cannot remember. He pointed me in the right direction and then let me loose browsing for a good 45 minutes… longer than I expected I’d be. Second floor had the ribbon I needed. I suggest taking a look at the website so you know what you’re in for — sizes, color, and material. They also had a pretty decent sale selection upstairs too but nothing I needed at the time. I got what needed many, many cellophane bags and several colors of ribbon perfect to use for the bags. It was a nice long visit and would probably consider coming back should I need gifts, cards, etc.

I’m not really a crafty type of gal… scrapbooking is so not my thing. But every so often bridesmaid duty calls and I find myself putting together a scrapbook. A few weeks ago I drove to Windy City Scrapbooking ready to get my crafting on and discovered it was closed. Gasp! And in it’s place was Kookaburra Play Café, where my 9 month old has been a frequent visitor.
I had trouble finding a scrapbook store that had all the fun paper, stickers and other materials to make a scrapbook complete. The best I could find was this Paper Source, which I’ve passed a million times and never noticed.
They didn’t have a huge selection of scrapbooking materials, but did have some pretty sparkly paper. They also sell some great photo albums, wedding invitations/​stationary and fun gifts in this large 2 story store (including adorable backpacks that I may need to purchase when my baby is old enough to carry one). The staff wasn’t particularly helpful, but they did point me in the direction of the sparkly scrapbook paper.
Almost all of my friends are now married so I don’t see too many more scrapbooks in my future, but may visit this Paper Source again for gifts and other paper needs.