Paper Source

Paper Source in Alexandria… what a treat! A wonderful variety of paper products from individual sheets of wrapping paper and printed cards, to blank envelopes/​cards where you can create your own. All sorts of bric-​à-​brac and seasonal items. I would love to have a place like this near me during the holidays because they had so much fun stuff to purchase. Everything you need for your gifts. We had a great time looking through here.

Very friendly staff. Huge selection of paper and craft items. Awesome finds every turn in this store.
I make invitations aside from my full time job so its definitely a go to place for supplies!
I was there admiring all the different color paper that they carry all year long. Great place. Parking is packed since it is in Old Town, but you get to enjoy the scenery if lights and ither stores while walking.
If you’re a crafter, I would totally recommend this place!

I stand at the entrance with my mouth open just staring at all the beautiful things in this store every time I come here. It never gets old. From the beautiful/​adorable window displays to the displays all around the store to the unique and interesting products to the friendly staff-​this place is pretty close to heaven for me. I also said I’d buy everything in this store if I had the money.
Huge variety of paper products-​wrapping paper, cards, envelops, etc. Stickers. Little knick knacks for your desk. Customizable stamps and seals. And so much more.
Really really pretty things from wall to wall.
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because I can’t afford most of the stuff in here =(But it’s a great place to splurg some extra $$ when you want to treat yourself to something pretty and special (or someone else).

This is my preferred Paper Source location. Staff is always friendly and knowledgeable. One of the few places that carry products like PVA and Methyl Cellulose for book making. I’m surprised to see some folks saying they were not assisted. Sometimes if a retail business is busy they just can’t possibly assist everyone the entire time, and they can’t just know who needs help — you have to ask!

Love, Love, Love this store! They have an awesome selection of paper, fun gifts, notebooks, pens, stamps, etc. The employees are very nice and welcoming.
If I could I’d buy everything in here lol. I’m definitely planing to come by here before the fall semester and get some fun new folders, there’s are 1000% better than the ones they sell at staples, OfficeMax, Target, or your campus book store.
They had a surprising amount of sell items tucked back in one corner of the store, and while it was expensive over all I felt like for what ot is the prices were really reasonable.

I know where I’m going to find that special gift for my wife the next time I want to do something small, but special for her. This place is packed with all of those little things that my wife likes: crafty, fun, colorful items that are not the things you will find at the big box stores. Think if it as the place you go when you want her to feel that you put time and effort into getting her something for her– not just that you popped into Walmart and got something from the card aisle.
They have knowledgeable folks who work there who will make suggestions to you, which is a help for guys like me, that «this would look great in this bag with this bow.» Bingo… I’m sold! From wrapping paper to off the wall stamps and crafts, to glassware and fun things to fill a stocking– I’ll be back here a few weeks before my next special occasion because I know it is the keeper of future brownie points.

Fun, helpful staff, a nice selection of gifts and other items, lots of sales on seasonal
Items, and my dog is welcome. Could I get some items cheaper elsewhere? Maybe. Could I walk to other such places or get the same level of customer service? No.
The only caveat is that my friend ordered her wedding invitations from here and had a bad experience. But I’ve never ordered stationery myself so I’m excluding that experience.

Not impressed… We went with hopes of doing a DIY project. The selection is very limited, way overpriced and the service is pretty bad — especially from one employee who pretty much wrote us off with her attitude the moment we asked for DIY help rather than order her overpriced invitations that take six weeks to come in. If you want a paper place with amazing service, outstanding quality and selection, as well as reasonable delivery time, take a trip to Hawthorne House in Occoquan.

This Paper Source was my very first, and for a craft fanatic it was like walking into Never Neverland. The selection is unique, and I was most impressed with the demonstration a staff made with the embossing heating tool. I had never seen such a thing and she wasted no time reading my curiosity and giving us examples on how to use the tool. I was thrilled! This was going to make my homemade Christmas cards that much better. I am a frugal and resourceful consumer, so I pulled out my phone to find a paper source coupon. No such thing existed at the time, so I researched quickly and discovered the same tool (without the Paper Source brand) available at Michael’s and it wad 40% off. Obviously, I didn’t mind holding off the purchase so that my money could be stretched. So I bought another stamp from PS and headed to Michael’s. The same employee rang me up at the register and asked why I decided not to get the heat tool. I explained that I was going to wait a while and purchase it elsewhere. Needless to say, she was visibly irritated that I wasn’t buying it from PS. I understand wanting to uphold your brand and your store, but don’t have bad form when a customer is purchasing something in front of you and had resourcefully located a better deal for a different product. It was altogether tacky and another woman in line even eyeballed me because of the obvious tension.
I love my stamps and my glitters, however! This store is a treasure trove for the craft lovers, and in many ways overly expensive. I hate to give it such a low star rating due to a single bad customer service experience, but customer service is the only defining factor between Amazon and actual stores. Those skills need to to be fine tuned and unwavering.

Paper Source is one of those cutesy type stores that chics dig. You know, the ones with overpriced greeting cards, stationary, craft supplies, knick knacks, stocking-​stuffer type gifts, and all kinds of other stuff that you absolutely don’t need but totally want. And I have to admit, I got sucked in a bit too. With birthdays and Mothers/​Fathers Day (s) coming up, we decided to stock up on greeting cards and get that out of the way. And we found some great «cute gift» stocking stuffers/​Christmas gifts. (We are always on the lookout for Christmas buys!)
A national chain, you’ll tend to find Paper Source in the areas where there’s a lot of foot traffic and disposable income. Case in point — their three locations in NoVa are RTC, Mosiac, and Old Town Alexandria. But if you’ve got dough to blow it’s a pretty cool place.

If you go ahead and read my review for the Paper Source in Mosaic, you’ll quickly understand my undying love for crafts and all craft-​related things… and thus, my love for Paper Source. I love their über cute décor items, their DIY kits, their selection of notebooks and pens and, of course, rubber stamps. I love it all!
The Alexandria location has the same great selection of stuff — possibly even a bit more! — than the Mosaic store, but unfortunately, that’s where the similarities ended for me on the day of my particular visit. While the staff at Mosaic has always been super welcoming and helpful, I felt largely ignored at the Old Town location. I think they may have been doing inventory or restocking the floor or something, but I still received no assistance in the entirety of my time browsing, and when I asked if they had planners, I felt like I got the brush off by the distracted staff when they told me they didn’t have any left in stock, and that was that.
The location is super convenient if you’re in Old Town and want to browse around, just don’t expect any celebrity treatment. Still can’t dampen my enthusiasm for the beauty and wonder that is Paper Source in general though!

Along with Papyrus, Paper Source is one of my favorite stationery stores. They’ve got it all — greeting cards, books, invitations, stamps, embossers, waxes, seals, writing instruments, office supplies, paint supplies, crafts, and knick knacks for all ages. The greeting cards are high-​quality and very cute. You also get a lot of options to browse through. You can get custom-​made invitations, thank you cards, programs, menus, announcements, labels, and tags made here too. One of my coworkers had her wedding save-​the-​dates made here. You can get place cards, table tents, custom coasters/​napkins, wedding stamps, address labels, and favor boxes made. They have a huge fine paper selection in the back. There’s vellum paper, decorative printer paper, and accented papers.
I love browsing through their knick knacks and I even made a splendid purchase of a floating rubber duck tea infuser. Yesterday I passed by and spotted a table filled with donut-​inspired trinkets, from magnets to an inflatable pool float. This changes and you’ll never know what you’ll find.
Another great thing about Paper Source is that they have online how to videos and workshop classes. Paper Source also hosts private parties and you can request a private party of family and friends to work on a fun project together in the store.
Staff are all friendly and seem knowledgeable. This place, like most of Old Town, is also dog-​friendly so you’ll spot some pooches in here.

Wonderful store! Staff is extremely knowledgeable, patient and friendly. I have been in this store so many times over the past few months getting everything ready for my wedding and each time I return I discover something new! Bottom line: Great selection and great staff!

Ladies, I offer a guy’s perspective to this store. I realize that when it comes to the men in your life you are perhaps tired of receiving gifts wrapped like a football in crumpled newspaper or, if you’re lucky, tossed in a cliché CVS gift bag like so many old groceries. If this is the case, I say take your man to The Paper Source, because this place can make the worst of my fellow cavemen look good. Sure the store has a fantastic selection all sorts of paper, cards, bric a brac, and even toys, but none of that will be as useful to your guy as The Paper Sources’ gift wrapping service… ok, ok, we might have some use for the pop rocks… This service cost just $ 10 + price of paper and ribbon and it is a life saver. I have used it extensively for weddings, birthdays, and my favorite, a white elephant party.
The white elephant party is a nerve-​racking experience, for your gift is judged on just as much as how it is wrapped as what it is. I knew that my gift of a matching set of Mad Elf glasses and beer would be an obvious hit with anyone, but the wrapping was another story. The girls at The Paper Source soon came to the rescue with several selections. And after a brief discussion as to whether penguins rule, the attendants directed me to a more sophisticated selection of Japanese wrapping paper adorned with snow-​covered cherry blossoms. The rest of my afternoon was then freed up to head to Bugsy’s across the street and watch the game. Later, that week, I was praised for my ingenious selection of paper and wrapping skills (please you are all too kind), and my gift was seen as a coveted prize by my brothers in gift wrapping arms. All in all, it was a great gift wrapping success, one which I owe all to The Paper Source. Unfortunately, I may now have to consider taking one of their gift wrapping workshops, as friends now ask me for help wrapping their presents. .Yeah, I think we will need a box for that Foreman Grill, buddy ;)

This is my mecca! I adore everything about this store– the merchandise, the people that work there, everything!

Hello, paper paradise! One step into Paper Source and the project ideas start flowing and don’t stop until… well, they still haven’t stopped and I visited the shop 3 days ago.
I’m considering DIY invites for our wedding, so I popped into Paper Source during my DC visit to check out the goods. There isn’t a location in RVA, sadly, so I wanted to see some of the options in person rather than trying to do it all online. I love crafting, so making my own invites is kinda a no-​brainer (unless it becomes über stressful, in which case I might change my tune…). But for DIY, you can’t get much more spoon-​fed than this shop. So many color options, so many paper sizes, with corresponding envelopes and a super helpful staff who’s ready and willing to provide ideas and answer questions. I especially love that the store is decorated with sample invites and other paper projects, which inspires shoppers and helps kick-​start those brainstorming wheels.
The shop is so visually appealing, and I can’t help but be happy when immersed in all the bright colors, papers, cards, and gifts. Just fantastic. And the staff seriously is top-​notch, so don’t be afraid to ask for some direction! I will definitely be making stops at Paper Source during my visit to NOVA.

This is a much bigger and much better Paper Source than the Reston location. I do appreciate that they are dog friendly. I once spent an hour in here picking out invitation materials while holding a very nervous dachshund. No one batted an eye.
They have a huge selection of greeting cards and under 25 $ gifts. They also have a nice collection of craft supplies like stamps, embossers, stickers, etc. Their bulk paper selection is decent, but not fantastic. On occasion, I’ve been very impressed with the helpfulness of their staff — particularly when doing DIY projects for my wedding a few years ago.
Be careful — they close very early in the evenings. In a neighborhood like OT/​King Street, it can be unexpected and disappointing.

So on my continued search to find a printer for my wedding invitations, I stopped by Paper Source in Alexandria. I met with a sales associate who was really helpful and willing to work with my custom artwork. We picked out paper, colors, envelopes, and sized everything and she said it shouldn’t be a problem and I should get a proof in a few days. One thing which I thought was strange was they required a payment IN FULL at the time of order before sending it to proof at the printer.
The invitations for about 150 people came out to be a little over $ 1,000. Yikes. But, they seemed to know what they were doing and I had been looking for a printer for a few months so I paid up and I turned my artwork in on a Tuesday, and heard back on Thursday that the printer had put a «stop order» on my invitations and they would not be printed unless I could fix: 1) The size 2) The resolution 3) The borders 4) The font. Basically… start over and do them again.
I was pretty frustrated at that point because the cards were already high res and they were a standard 5 X 7 size. The sales associate assured me when I met with her that the artwork looked good and wouldn’t be a problem to print. So, without time and resources to redo the work, I had to go to the store to get a refund for my $ 1,000+ dollars. My issue was that they charged me in full before even knowing if they could print the invitations or not. What kind of business plan is that? «I think I can give you this product, but I’m not sure, but pay me in full first anyways.» Umm… not cool. They first said they weren’t sure they could refund me, but eventually they did work with me to give me my money back. What a waste of a week of my time. My story has a happy ending though! I did find another place to print my wedding invitations, and for much cheaper. YAY!

I always look forward to coming to this store. For what this store is (some people seem to think it carries everything you’d ever want in a paper store but it just doesn’t), I think it’s fantastic. I stay longer than I ever plan to, I spend more money than I ever plan to… they have me hooked. I’ve been to many Paper Sources in different states and can say I enjoy this store wherever I am.
Parking can be a bit tricky but I’ve always found a spot on the street, no problem. There are garages around the corner though.
Customer service has always been friendly and non-​pushy. They are courteous and willing to help.
When I was purchasing thank you cards for my wedding, I was being super crazy about it and had to have the right color scheme and font. I did everything else myself or personalized, but when it came to thank you notes I said forget it and went to Paper Source. They didn’t have the amount of cards I needed, but the staff member called other stores and their catalog and put in an order for me to make sure I got the amount I needed. They were delivered to the store so I didn’t have to pay for shipping. It was a great relief for me and very much appreciated.
I purchased 4 boxes of Christmas cards and ended up returning them, only to find out those were the last 4 boxes and someone had been on a waiting list for them. Not only was my return simple, but I was happy to find out they do things like waiting lists for items that are no longer in stock for customers who would love to have them.
I’ve never used their personalization services, and have only bought off the shelf, but they have an amazing amount of products. They also have really beautiful gifts, unique cards (they can get a bit pricey when you end up buying 15 of them but they’re so much nicer than grocery store cards), and other fun little products.

Call me old school but I still like handwriting letters and cards. When I need to get my stationery fix on, I come to Paper Source.
I’ve been to most of the Paper Sources in the area (G-​town, Reston, Bethesda and my personal favorite, Old Town) and man do these people really lose their marbles over stationery and paper goods. What I can say about all the PS’s I’ve been to is that all the clerks I’ve ever interacted with were so super nice and ridiculously helpful. I like that they’re helpful but not pushy and they certainly aren’t out to make a quick sale on you (although everything is so awesome there, you probably won’t leave empty handed).
I come to PS for my holiday cards every year. While they might be a tad more expensive than Hallmark, trust that their selection is unique, kitschy and the card message is much more witty (and funny) than said Hallmark card. PS also has a huge (I mean, ginormous) selection of blank cards, boxed cards with designs (a Laura L. favorite), wedding invitation stuff and my all time favorite: knick knacks! There are toys, crafts, gadgets and kitchen stuff, all fairly whimsical and decently priced.