Paper Punk

For those unfortunate enough to live in a climate that has snow for majority of the year, we salute you! Blizzards, being snowed in, brown and/or yellow snow, shovelling?! …

Most people will say the only good thing about winter is how pretty the snow is. 

We are a little inclined to agree, but we want to be sure so we decided to go on a snow adventure and try all of the typical winter activities and bring our Paper Punk pals with us.

Tobogganing

First up on our winter adventure is tobogganing. 

Tobogganing, for those who may not know, consists of either a plastic or wooden long, flat bottomed sled where you sit on and plunge yourself down a hill.

It’s great with a large group of people. Trust us, time flies when you’re having fun.

Skating

Ice skating has proven to be the nemesis of many people: 

via GIPHY

But, winter isn’t so bad when you’re out and about so we’ve decided to give it a chance and we loved it!

But after a long day out in the snow, we decided to warm up with some hot chocolate.

In conclusion, not only is snow pretty, but tobogganing wouldn’t exist without it and for that we’re eternally grateful. #MakeSomething but also go out and do something cause Paper Punk says so!

The Paper Possibilities blog is all about you and we love to show you some of our favorite highlights from December.

“These are fabulous for on the go creativity, so if you have travel plans this holiday season, these are a great project if you are trying to limit screen time, or keep your kids busy in the car while traveling.” - @NatalMe

“This is the sweetest little paper craft I’ve seen in a while and its perfect for boys! PAPER PUNK My littlest boy is going to be an engineer because he can put my Ikea drawers together in 10 min flat!!! and he made this little puppy from in about a half and hour.  PAPER PUNK is a great quiet time activity and looks darling on his shelf.” - @glitzypear

And last but not least, we love this video/film of our kit by Lucky Penny Shop. 

While this season may have been stressful, we hope that you had a chance to relax, spend some time with the people who matter most and had some fun!

We're not big into new years resolutions, but we did cave and decide to make a couple. This year we will:

1. Spend more time doing the things we love. 
2. Spend more time being creative. 
3. Swim against the current. 

We would love to feature you in our next artist/fan appreciation blog on January 31^st. Don’t be a punk and make sure to tag us in your work. Use #MakeSomething #PaperPunk said so for your chance to be included. 

While the holiday season is in full swing – festive music on the radio, houses lit up on every street, finding it nearly impossible to find a parking spot at the mall, etc. we couldn’t help but find ourselves overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with the task of finding the perfect new ornament for the tree this year with the hopes of hearing awe-inducing ahhhhs from the family.

This year we wanted to do something different and decided to take it up notch by “punking” our Christmas tree, gifts, and space.

Christmas Tree

We took some of the extra pieces we had laying around and created our own ornaments for our tree. You can use a kit that suits the color of your tree or you can light it up with something that attracts the eye. Either way, there is an ornament waiting to be hung.

Gifts

Traditional wrapping paper can be so yawn.  This year, we took some time to punk our gifts by adding the stickers from our classic kits and graffiti sticker sets. Choose the stickers that say (y)our message for an added personal touch “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa.

Décor

We’ve all been to houses that have overdone their decorations, but there is no such thing with Paper Punk. We love this table top tree for the center of a dining table, or this Paper Punk wreath to welcome friends into your home. 

We have a lot of fun creating with the classic kits, and even more fun giving them a little holiday twist. It’s no surprise that Paper Punking our decorations is a match made in heaven.

If you’re tired of your typical decorations, punk it! #MakeSomething

Thanksgiving is just two days away and it’s personally one of our favorite holidays. As many people know, the holiday was founded on the idea that we should take a day to give thanks for the blessing of the harvest and for the preceding year. In our family, we go around the table and each of us mentions a couple things we’re most grateful for. It’s really refreshing to hear about my kids’ feelings of gratitude rather than the usual bemoaning of chores. This year, one of the things I’m most grateful for is my fellow crafters and the creative community.

In case you haven’t noticed by now, I take making things pretty seriously. One of the reasons why crafting is so much fun for me is because of the camaraderie you feel when building something with someone else and the feeling of accomplishment whether you get when you complete a challenge yourself or with others. There’s really nothing like that feeling of triumph.

When we think about it, crafting and thanksgiving have a lot in common…

• You should take time to celebrate both. Whether it be that wonderful doodle you’ve posted on your fridge of stick people with a variety of rainbows, hearts, and clouds, or warming up with some cider after tackling that pile of leaves in the backyard, take the time to celebrate the little things.
• Both bring people together. Paper Punk isn’t age specific: young people can do it and older people love it. It can be nice to shut off the television, slow down and create together.
• Both can be a humbling experience. Getting back to making with our hands reminds us of our creative capacity as human beings.

Every craft is like a piece of thanksgiving. We’ll have some of our favorites out to entertain our family and friends while the turkey is in the oven and we hope you do too. We’re grateful to be a part of this community and it makes us happy knowing we’re a part of your thanksgiving too.