Christmas is right around the corner, and we love having an extra reason to get crafty around here! We made these festive Christmas Trees with our double-sided gift wrap for a little extra holiday cheer — they’re a fun DIY project and pretty enough to give as a gift — just be sure to make a few for yourself!

You will need: a cone/tree form (we preferred the cardboard cones, but styrofoam works, too!), paper, scissors, and a hot glue gun. Start by covering your tree form in the paper color of your choice. We used our Merry wrap for this tree. If you purchase a cardboard tree form, these typically have a point on top, but if you use a styrofoam form (like the one shown above), we recommend making a point with the wrap for a sleek look (see below).

After you’ve covered the tree form, you’ll need curls. LOTS of curls. We used our Merry wrap and our Mistletoe wrap for this part for some variety.  To make the curls, cut your paper into thin strips of varying lengths and widths — the variety will help the tree ‘fill in’ nicely. Then, begin curling the strips with scissors the way you would for curling ribbon. When you’ve compiled a decent amount of curls, begin adhering them to your tree with a hot glue gun.

Fill the entire tree form with the paper curls until you’re happy with the look. If you’d like, make a star to adhere to the top or leave it as is — and tada! A very merry (paper) Christmas tree.

If we were not already in the holiday spirit- these colorful and cheery Christmas cards would surely turn that right around!  This custom and lovable set was submitted to us by our good friend, Sara at Salutations in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  Check out the reindeer envelope liner that is actually made from our Smock gift wrap!  Looking at these cards we can’t help but feel good inside, as the holiday season is just around the corner!  What a perfect way to send warm wishes to your friends and family!

inks: grass + cherry | fonts: smock clermont | paper: 2-ply white bamboo | printing: letterpress | signature liner: C9G1-1 | card size: S6

You just might say we have a soft side for pastel ink colors letterpressed on our thick 2-ply bamboo paper-and you would be right.  Take a look at these elegant Engadine invitations submitted to us by our good friends at Salutations in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  Softer hues have a way of looking peaceful and calm, without being over the top.  The highlight is of course the gorgeous folio offset printed on the interior and exterior in the coolest colors to keep things modern.  There is a real warmth seen throughout this suite and we adore it!

ink: sea mist + wisteria | fonts: smock harrison + graham | paper: 2-ply ivory | printing: letterpress | corner rounding | folio exterior: virelles pattern in wisteria | folio interior: pippen pattern in moss | invite size: 5.125 x 7.75

How cute is this paper holiday dress!? Jessica Sanders from Salutations in Charlotte is the dress maker extraordinaire behind this beautiful Christmas cocktail dress – made with our double-sided, eco-friendly Mistletoe wrap, this dress has us so excited for the holiday season! Those presents and custom holiday cards are pretty as can be, too — be sure to stop by your local Smock retailer to take advantage of our custom letterpress holiday promotion and stock up on holiday essentials today!

Have you created a masterpiece with our eco-friendly gift wrap? Share it with us! Get in touch with details and photos today!

This cool Hekla custom letterpress + offset invitation suite was submitted by our friends at Hitched in Washington DC. The invitation is letterpress printed on our bamboo 2-ply paper in black with a blind deboss ink that makes it pop. The edge painting in spring and an offset back pattern in black add to the uniqueness of this piece. To top it all off, they decided to go with one of our new chesapeake die-cuts. It is accompanied by an outer envelope lined with our ashford pattern in spring. The piece that makes this suite amazing is the custom sleeve – offset with our seneca pattern in black.

inks: black + spring + blind deboss | fonts: percy + louise | paper: 2-ply white  | printing: letterpress + offset | liner: the ashford pattern in spring | back pattern: the van pattern in black | sleeve: the seneca pattern in black | invite size: S-8 (chesapeake die-cut)

Check out this cool letterpress invitation customization made to our Chasseral design submitted by our wonderful friends at Write for You in Washington DC.  We’re so in love with the gorgeous hues and the way the falling vines in turquoise ink cascade down the invitation.  Changing the orientation of this invitation to landscape adds to the simple elegance of this truly remarkable invitation.

ink: turquoise| fonts: graham + cameron| paper: 2-ply ivory  | printing: letterpress | invite size: S7

Save the dates should help generate excitement for your special day and these contemporary custom offset save the dates are spot on!  Submitted to us from our good friends at Papery & Cakery in Boca Raton, Florida these fun save the dates are perfectly personalized.  We’re absolutely smitten with the ultramodern and trendy feel of this set.  The dark pewter ink helps the spring ink stand out and this color pairing is absolutely enchanting!  We love seeing save the dates that express style and these certainly do the trick.

inks: pewter + spring | fonts: custom | paper: 2-ply white bamboo | printing: offset | liner: the seneca pattern in spring | invite size: S-5SQ

Trissa Garvis is one of our Smock Everyday Reps who sent us her first custom letterpress order. This was so amazing, and we hope she sends some more! Bar and Bat Mitzvah cards are known for their bright colors and elaborate designs, and this letterpress invitation set certainly delivers on that reputation. With the multiple fonts and custom artwork, these invitations look very busy, but in exactly the right way. Sometimes it’s hard to fit a lot of design in without overwhelming the invitation, but this set just looks exciting! Excellent work, Trissa!

inks: custom | fonts: lawrence + carrington stripes + billhead + century gothic + rockwell | paper: 1-ply white bamboo | printing: letterpress | | bat mitzvah invitation with custom inks and art |

If you’re looking for an autumnal feel in a wedding set and still want an elaborate design, then look no further!  Shelby at Seaside Papery delivered a one-of-a-kind invitation set that pieced together tangerine, espresso, and grass inks in a way that just speaks to us.

Based on the Helani design, this one had a little bit of everything and has been used as a great example of how to celebrate in the fall.

inks: tangerine + espresso + grass | fonts: bescal + carlton  | paper 2-ply white | invite size: 7 x 7 | printing: letterpress

This design won an honorable mention in our Smock design competition for the first half of 2011. This twice-a-year competition recognizes outstanding and inspired designs submitted by our beloved dealers.

The second honoree in our design contest was sent to us by Ilyssa at Brenda Himmel Stationery. Ilyssa worked with in-house graphic designer Lindsy Aragona to create the custom artwork, and we can’t get enough of these cheery letterpress social notes! The social notes were printed in 3-color letterpress, and combine our Verbena and Grass inks with a custom ink color that Ilyssa selected. The custom artwork printed beautifully, and pairs perfectly with a coordinating Payette liner, also printed in Verbena ink.

The font selection is a perfect complement to the design and looks incredible in letterpress.

Congrats to Brenda Himmel!

inks: espresso + grass + verbena | font: tally | paper: 2- ply white | liner: payette in verbena | edge painting: | printing: letterpress | social note size: S-6

This design won an honorable mention in our Smock design competition for the first half of 2011. This twice-a-year competition recognizes outstanding and inspired designs submitted by our beloved dealers.