If you prefer greeting cards that are astonishingly perfect for the recipient and the occasion, this is the place for you. Worth it.

Paper Source is my go to for stationary, cards, crafts and gifts. When I can't seem to find anything in store their staff is helpful in finding what I need and going online to get it. Their prices are expensive but the tradeoff is paying for quality and appeal. If you're newly engaged, I would recommend taking a look at their wedding stationary. They have a gorgeous selection of invites. Parking is found along Central Avenue. If parking on Central is difficult there's a metered lot across the street which accepts coins and card. read more

See all

This used to be a nice store, but ever since Barnes & Noble took it over, it has gone downhill. For starters, the selection isn't as fun or varied. All the birthday cards are age jokes, nothing actually funny or pleasant. There is no more buy three cards, get one free. The rewards program has disappeared. And I went in last week, to be told by a sales person in sweatpants that they are now charging 10 cents a bag if you want one. I know about the Evanston bag tax but it is only to be collected if the store is 10,000 square feet or more. This Paper Source isn't, so why are they charging the tax? What are they doing with the money they collect?? I tried telling their customer service, but they told me it was my problem to contact the store manager. So, they lost my business. Again. read more

Great shop for gifts and cards. They have a wall of beautiful wrapping paper that's great for any special occasion. I always come here for gift buying because there is so much variety. read more

OK, the thing that prompted this review was a really snotty answer to a question on the website. I hope no one falls for the 25% off calendars that are 17-month calendars -- because 25% of the months are already behind us. It's no kind of deal at all. When I brought that up to customer service online, both replies I got were snotty in their tone. There were 2 replies, because the first one just skirted the issue. Full disclosure, I worked at this PS before the pandemic, and scheduling was very disorganized and irregular. There were 2 people who knew what they were doing, and one of them wasn't the manager. Owners micromanage everyone and seem panicked. To be selling like they are with SO many stores, they can afford to be better at management and customer service. Or should be. [I hope Emma is in charge now. Or that she's gone on to a place where she's fully appreciated. She is the bee's knees.] It's a shame, because I love many of their products and they have great cards. They should stick to PAPER. That's their long suit. read more

I love Paper Source. This store is so fun to peruse. They always have the best merchandise . Some of the stuff yes you can find in other stores but this place does a good job of curating the best stuff. I usually buy from Paper Source when there's a sale going on. Sometimes you can find some fun knick knacks and stationery for cheap! I've bought a lot of gifts at Paper Source, including but not limited to calendars and planners. Think Kate Spade but it's like half the store. read more

Beautiful selection of gift wrapping, and hand crafted greeting cards as well as notebooks and 2019 calendars on which there is currently a sale buy one get one 50%. There is nothing like being organized in style! Also kudos to the sales associates for checking me out quickly and letting me dash to the car. It's street metered parking and it can get busy on the weekends. read more

Paper Source is a great place to have in your back pocket when you need...you know, all the stuff that they have here. Mostly gift-giving materials such as cards, gift bags, and fancy wrapping paper. I recently came in for gift bags and found a great selection: on the one hand, owls (eye roll), moustaches (double eye roll), and goldfish (don't get it); on the other, guitars, zoo animals (cute for kids), hippie-style bicycles, a wood-grain pattern, a fair range of stripes and chevrons and polka-dots, and best of all, a really cool nautical motif with sailboats, anchors, whales, fish, seahorses, octopi and such. They are good at what they do. A long time ago I bought a rubber stamp with my last initial R in Garamond font. A few years back they sold me a book-making kit and offered a lot of helpful tips when I was putting together an anniversary scrapbook-type gift for my wife. You can count on finding some kind of whimsical gift like vintage cat and dog stickers or novelty cookbooks. They are random sort of purchases and I'm not a regular customer, but it's nice to know that they are there when I need this type of thing. The staff has never been anything less than cheerful and informative. read more

I've come here twice, once just to look around and yesterday when I was on a specific mission for some Cavellini wrapping paper (it makes a great art print for my wall.) Usually in smaller shops like this I feel like the salespeople are always hovering, but here they're friendly but let you look around without pressuring you. There are tons of really cute stationery items, but most are more than what I would pay, simply because I don't ever write letters or journals. It totally looks like a place lifestyle bloggers would eat up. They have an impressive stock of craft supplies, and it makes me want to learn to make prints and stamp and all that good stuff. Unfortunately I have zero skill and anything I would make would look like a kindergarten student made it, so I'll pass over those items for the wrapping paper. read more

This place is an A++ when it comes to customer service. I happened to find some cute paper flowers on display at the Paper Source lab store on Clark that were no longer in stock. Finding them on a Thursday and needing them as table decorations for my Saturday wedding might not have been my smartest idea, but when the lab store said they were in stock at Evanston and they could have them put on hold as long as I prepaid for them, I figured let's do it. So...I sent the hubs to drive all the way from Rosemont to Evanston to pick them up, and they weren't there. The girl working even called the manager to help her figure out what happened. Turns out the rocket scientist at the lab store called and put them on hold at the River North store, and not Evanston, so there were no flowers, which sucked for the tables at my wedding. Still, this store was awesome for trying to figure out what happened and for not just blowing us off. read more

I was running late on the way to a bridal shower, and bought some stuff from the Spice House down the street. My goal was to buy some nice paper, wrap the gift, and make a bee-line for the suburbs. Even though I know the Lincoln Park Paper Source has wrapped gifts for me in the past, this Paper Source refused to wrap. Not only that, they would not lend me tape to wrap the gift myself in the store. I couldn't even use their counter space to wrap stuff! I had to buy tape, take the paper out to my car, and wrap the gift in there. (Of course, I bought glitter paper, so my passenger seat is still coated in pink glitter.) It doesn't really make sense to enforce an anti-gift wrapping store policy at a paper store. What a bummer. read more

Bummed to write this but it's important to know this. Went to store on 10-28-2018 and signs displayed throughout the store state: $10 off of $50 in large print without any limitation (and some other larger discount when you spend $100). We spent $53 and, instead of $10 off, were told that we could come back from 11/05 to 11/10/18 to receive $10 off if we spend $35. When I asked the clerk about the signs, she said the sign says see associate for details. Yes, it says that in very small print, but the sign is unmistakable and the point is that this is false advertising. Even if we had asked the associate, the sign and the true discount are completely different. The associate (who was kind) could only say that these were the signs the store was given to display. You pay a premium to shop here which I was okay with because I adore the merchandise but I can't patron a store that engages in deliberate false advertising. read more

I have not yet been inside this location, but the service I recieved for a simple phone order really should be applauded. I had been waiting forever for a japanese paper to come back in stock on their website. Finally I could wait no more and decided to see if maybe any of the shops had stock. I called this location first. Myra, who answered the phone, said they did not have any but she would be glad to check the other locations to see. Which was great because now I didnt have to spend half my afternoon calling all around and repeating myself 100 times. When she called back she said she found half my order in Georgia and the other half in Massachussetts. I did have to pay a little more for shipping from 2 places, but she took all my information and the paper arrived in less than 3 days. Outstanding service in my opinion. I miss the days when more shops were like this - just call, say what you want, and it is all done for you with no muss, no fuss. It was so great, I will definitely think of Paper Source first in the future! read more

I love this place! Central Street is full of cute shops, and the Paper Source (although it's a chain) is no exception. I took a printing class there once (so if you get cards with little fishies kissing, know that it was made with a Japanese Gocco printing device by my loving hands), and it was pricey but fun. And I have bought many cards from Paper Source that I've actually kept for the past five years because they're so cute! I remember after I stopped dating this guy, I bought myself a card that said something about how every time he got naked, a silent laugh track played in my head. Not true, but made me feel better. There's also cute, kitschy gifts there (e.g. "caution tape" tape) and papers for you to wrap presents with, scrapbook with, etc. But the cards -- they're the stars of the show, in my opinion. read more

I walk by this store at least once a week, and the cute fall window display finally pulled me in. They have a great selection of decorative paper for cards/invitations and wrapping gifts. I was left wanting more, however, when it came to their ready-made card selection. They have lots of books, journals, etc. that are suitable for gifts as well. I didn't personally interact with the staff much, but they seemed very friendly and helpful with a customer at the check out desk as well as another back at a design table. I love stores like these, and the idea of being crafty, but it seems (especially here!) that it is prohibitively expensive, at least for a college student like me. read more

Here comes the bride, all dressed in white!! I had such a great experience getting invitations for my sister's wedding a couple of years ago that I came back to get invitations for my own wedding. We did a demo the other weekend and learned how to do some pretty cool things. I fell in love with this one invitation right away and didn't even want to look at the other samples. I'm going to do them on my own and save myself a lot of money but they will look just as good. They are so helpful there and show you how to do everything. I really could spend hours in that store. It brings out my artsy side!! Love Paper Source. read more

Wow, very impressed with the selection here - I came to buy stationary to make wedding programs, placecards etc and found all the things I wanted. They have papers in all different colors and hues. You can also order expensive wedding invitations and custom stationary. Lots of gorgeous wrapping papers, stamps, stencils, inkpads in rainbows of colors - service was friendly and helpful. A great find! read more

First of all, I've had a variety of experiences at this Paper Source. This review is directed at the specific manager of this store. My first time in the store, I was looking for favor cards, menu cards, escort cards AND program paper for 300 guests for my upcoming wedding. The employee who initially helped my mother and I happened to be the manager) proceeded to run us around the store showing us all of the embossing and stamping equipment I could use to decorate my wedding invitations. Her taste was extremely tacky. I had to tell her several times that I wanted these to be simple and elegant. It was clear that she was attempting to push certain products. When I was confused out of my mind and sitting at the back of the store trying to make decisions, I watched her drag other customers around the store, not spending any time understanding their need, time available or project. Thankfully, the second time I went in there, another associate helped me. I will edit this review with her name when I can get it. She took a sincere interest in what I was trying to do, and spent the time to understand all aspects of my project. Thanks to this employee, it all came together, and I was extremely pleased with the result. I have had additional experiences with the manager of this store and have been patronized and been provided irritating and offensive service on several occasions. It didn't matter that I had spent hundreds of dollars...they had my money. It's a shame because I live in Evanston and it is such a beautiful store. I would rather drive to Chicago than come back here. read more

I've been here tons of times, but usually with an idea in mind about what I'm looking for. This trip started out that way initially...I just wanted some nice table place cards. But the crafts-maven there showed me a very cool embossing technique using a stamp pad, hot air gun and embossing powder, then showed me a white pen that would look so good on the navy place cards, then some other embellishments...and I walked out of there with ideas for five new projects. Sure it all takes time, and is way more expensive than I had planned -- but the effect is so gorgeous and so much fun that I can't wait to use all my stuff again. This is a great store for browsing, for gift buying, and for playing at adult-style arts-and-crafts. I'm glad I stopped this time to learn some new techniques as well. read more

I've been going to The Paper Source for years. It has been and still is a good place for unique gifts and stationary items. Sadly, over the years the service has declined to the point of non-existent. I expect a small shop to acknowledge me at some point, and to be available when needed. Not here! Workers standing at the register gossiping with each other and not even making eye contact with shoppers. When I went to check out with my $100.00 worth of merchandise, the cashier continued his conversation throughout the transaction, handed me my bag, (still no eye contact) and did not say thank you or any gracious words at all. I find this in acceptable and will never go back there. Maybe I am spoiled but when I'm spending money in a shop I want to be acknowledged and treated as if I am valued. read more

I did all my wedding stationery with papersource materials. The staff is pretty helpful, but they all seemed to encourage me to complicate things more than I wanted. I wanted to keep the invitations as simple and easy as possible. I'm not much of a craft person, so I don't drool over their cutesy flourishes and scrap booking materials and things. But it's still a solid place to get the basics. It's best to have an idea of what you want before you go in, or you could get sucked into buying too much!! read more

Just a quick thanks to Paper Source Evanston and the ever-special Jennifer! Patient and kind, creative and knowledgeable, Jen helped me put together the most fabulous papers for my daughter's wedding. From the save the dates to the wedding invite suite, she couldn't have been more delightfully interested and helpful in the project! Her joy was infectious, even when I felt way in over my head; I feel like Jen and Paper Source were the behind the scenes design assistants! If you need full design help, or assistance in selecting the right papers and trims for your project, Jennifer and Paper Source on Central in Evanston is the spot to shop! See you soon Paper Source and Jennifer! xoxo read more

Paper Source - Papers and trim from Paper Source Evanston. Jennifer helped select only the prettiest for my daughter's wedding! - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

All I wanted this year was a dachshund ornament for my tree. Paper Source not only delivered on this wish but they put him in a sweater! So freakishly awesome!! So I guess Paper Source was totally like Santa this year for me. I also loved the glass bug and butterfly ornaments. This is where I come to splurge on fancy paper for wrapping and cards. I've also noticed that almost all the frames I bought in the last two years came from here. They sell frames that make a black and white wedding picture look timeless. The staff here are always friendly. They have strange things I can buy for my nephews and Paddywax candles I can smell. I've found really cute Snow and Graham things for my office in here too. I am total nerd for places like this. read more

The first time I was in here was about a year ago and it was neat I must say, I was all giggly and looking around and gagging at how I thought everything was a bit overpriced. But I liked that it seemed to be one of those baby shops you don't normally see and can come back to in order to pick up little gifts (or you know, just things) you won't normally think to search online for or find at a more mainstream chain store. The second time I was here was just recently after Christmas. I had just been obsessed with the whole "Listography" collection but hadn't actually seen the inside of any of them. Paper Source had a TON of them all scattered around in different sections. They had a bunch of different random crap per usual and their strange little stuffed animals that are MEGAAA overpriced but if they were like 5 bucks I'd be like "aww how cute and strange" and pick one up. Anyways, back to my freakish obsession with lists. I was super bummed to find out I was not impressed with the Listography books. However I did see a couple other journal/calandar type books that were along those kinds of lines for people who enjoy the whole "wreck this journal" etc. kinds of things and I kept looking through them all until I found "the one" the soul mate journal FOR ME at that very moment in time which I never would have found had it not been me at that moment in that place at that time and I went bananas and my boyfriend (being the wonderful man he is) ended up snatching it from my hand and buying it for me (hehe!) We also walked out of the store with a package of scented pens and a little pocket pouch that looks like bread which you then realize looks like 2 pieces of bread which you then realize looks like a sandwich when you open it which then is attached on one side and magnetically opens and closes on the other AND on one side it looks like PB and on the other like Jelly! ITS SO SUPER EFFING CUTE! I mean it's so realistically bread looking that at one point I was all disoriented and tired and I moved it so as not to get crumbs on my nook... There were SO many more amazing things in the store this past trip than there were the first one, and apparently for my taste enough to spend money on! So go and see if there are things that are YOUR taste! Like I said, the only down side is that things are a bit pricey. read more

Great staff, inflexible management. I have a long history of shopping at Paper Source on Central Street in Evanston, particularly at Christmas time. This year they would not give me a discount on gift wrapping (27 boxes some small some large) like they have for the past three years. Rationale: the labor is the same regardless of the size of the box or number of boxes. In actuality it is not. Nonetheless this decision signals to me that Paper Source does not value customers particularly those that are frequent and long standing. I found this inflexibility very off putting and I will not shop there again. read more

This place is an explosion of color, paper, and craft ideas. It is a large space, almost completely filled with any kind of paper you might need. They offer lots of DIY kinds of supplies, as well as ideas and help creating something if you know what you want to do but haven't done it yet. Their online site really helps you prepare to enter the store and start shopping, since you're sure to be tantalized into creating your own party invitations, letterhead, photobook, wedding programs, personalized matchbooks, birthday decorations, etc. The staff is low pressure, but ready to help if you have questions or ideas you need assistance to bring to fruition. They are a bit pricier than buying any old paper at an office supply store, but it is well worth it to get the confidence and selection of their goods. read more

When I was growing up my cousin from California and I were pen pals. I enjoyed receiving her letters and hearing about her single life with her beau (she was College age). I too enjoyed writing to her and telling her about life around my home. I use to pen about my dog and her new tricks, my sister and her teenage tricks, and life from from a 10 year olds eyes. These early life lessons handwriting letters to those dear and close has stood the test of time and technology. With the ease of email and computers, handwriting has almost become a thing of the past. I do not get to write as many letters to my cousin and with FB we keep in touch. She married and has children and I too started my own family. Our lives keep us moving. Our communication continues via email, but I continue to write to her every year, around May and Mother's Day. I have continually written out a Mother's Day note to my cousin and find myself at the door step of this place to find stationary suitable for this yearly greeting. Included on my list are my close family and friends who too are also mothers. I find that writing these letters allows for a special commmunication that may not always happen in person but withstands the digital age and gives special meaning. The paper goods and materials bought from here range from already made cards to card stock and make-your-own kits. I tend to stock up on the blank cards and envelopes printed on unique paper and find myself set up to start writing in April. The goods here are an artists heaven and allows for creativity to thrive. The store also allows for people like me who need help with the artistry and ideas and have scheduled work shops and staff knowledeable in the craft. On a side note, I came here for all the supplies needed for my wedding invites, quite a few (or ten) years ago. The price range for products varies depending what you are looking for and a catalog comes out (seasonal) throughout the year. The store lines busy Central avenue and perusing the windows up and down the street is encouraged. read more

I could not believe the service (thanks to Ursula). I had expected them to push all the expensive items when I went in to pick out my graduation announcements, but instead, they were set on showing me a variety of papers and decorations to give me exactly what I wanted and also gave me some ideas that I would never have thought of on my own. In the end, the total of my supplies ended up being a cool $2 per an announcement - how inexpensive is that!? I also found the cutest card for a friend's birthday as I was browsing. I will definitely be back to feed my paper addiction and any other special craft projects I may need. read more

I came in looking for do-it yourself wedding invitations and was not disappointed. While one of the sales staff fit the review that said they were snobby, the woman I worked with could not have been nicer. She guided me through the entire process and gave me wonderful ideas. read more

I'm not a scrapbooker so that whole element of this store (and it's a big one) I miss out on and have no experience with. That said, the people are super friendly and greet me when I come in. I love all the gifty things this store has. The unique calendars, the datebooks, the office accessories, books, seasonal decor, etc., are great. This store really inspires my creative side. read more

I could browse in the store for hours. Unique gifts. Things I don't see in lots of other stores. And a solid selection of paper crafting items. Love. read more

Very friendly and helpful staff and some of the most unique and beautiful paper I have ever seen. Pricey, but worth it. Great selection and breadth of assortment. read more

I did my wedding invitations here and various other wedding things: placecards, favor boxes, etc. I had a great experience; I did custom invites with Mayra and she was really fabulous. She was planning her own wedding at the time and really gets what goes into it and why timeliness and personalization is so important. She found a solution for me as I looked for some unusual colors. They have custom as well as the big invitation books, and they are very true to what they say about what they get in and how they turn out. Mayra was also able to provide me with a few extras at the last minute... Brides out there, always order more extras than you think you need. We got a LOT of compliments on our invitations! Paper Source carries a lot of really good stuff, both in ribbon and paper and everything. Their customer service is impeccable; I have been to several shops and everyone there was nice. Also, the stores are well-organized and everything is easy to find. Great place, although a bit pricey. read more

This is the only location I have been to, so I won't speak to Paper Source as a whole. They seemed like they had some nice, well made items for sale. Unfortunately the women at this store were incredibly snobby for what was essentially Hipster OfficeMax. I didn't realize standing around watching people buy envelopes could fill retail clerks with such a grand sense of purpose. read more

Not really sure why Tom, the manager, is such a pompous jerk. Will not be back as I don't have time for the unwarranted attitude.

This is a great store, but it's great because of the very helpful staff. We got our wedding invitations here, and we were walked through the process by the store manager. I must say that we wandered into a Papersource in the city, and we did NOT get the same service. This store is worth driving to... read more

nice space, clean, bright. the staff is kind of dismissive unless you want their personalized help choosing papers or working on some sort of ($$) project. i do buy journals here, and their cards are cute. as far as invitations go, they claim to do more than they helped me with. i guess i expected more pre-made selection, but they weren't very knowledgable about that end of it. i ended up going two stores east to perrenials where they helped me find exactly what i wanted and walked me through the whole process. i'd recommend paper source for paper.. cards, books, etc. not invitations. read more

I purchased my wedding invitations from this Paper Source. The sales staff was very helpful and professional. Anna helped my mom and I navigate all the books to find exactly what I had envisioned. She took the time to get everything just right for me. The whole process was easy and seamless. I received my proofs and invitations quickly and the final product was exactly what I anticipated. I will definitely shop here again to buy any future invitations I may need. read more

I came here to get envelopes for my wedding invitations, and all the women working there were soooo nice and helpful! They seriously all voted on what color pen I should use and what washi tape (the shop wasn't busy) I should use to seal the envelopes. read more