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July 23, 2012

Stylish Top Performer Trophies for the New School Year

Filed under: Student Recognition Ideas — Tags: — PDWriter @ 1:07 pm

Star Accent AwardWith the new school year quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about ordering top performer trophies for your star students. PaperDirect has a large selection of trophies of all shapes and sizes, and they can be engraved with whatever message you need. Being recognized for a job well done is a very good feeling, and it’s so very important that children of all ages receive some sort of recognition when they do well or even just put forth their best effort but don’t necessarily “win” top honors. Getting a trophy not only inspires the recipient but affects those around the recipient as well.

Even when a student tries to appear too “cool” to receive a trophy or acts like he doesn’treally want it, it’s a natural human emotion to feel pride when you’re rewarded for doing a good job. It’s normal to feel proud

Shooting Star Award

of accomplishing something or being the best at something. Even the coolest kid will probably rush home to show off the trophy and display it in the living room or bedroom with a huge smile on his face. No one is too cool to get a trophy, no matter how hard they try to act like it’s no big deal.

Custom Engraved Top Performers’ Trophies (and Plaques)

With PaperDirect, after you choose the trophy or trophies you like, you can add an engraved logo and the text of your choice to our custom trophies and plaques. You can put the name of the recipient, the date, and the specific name of the award such as “Most Improved Student,” “Highest Math Grade,” “Best Attendance,” or “Most Helpful.” If you’re the mother (or father) of a senior in high school, you may be asked to help out on the graduation ceremony or what is called the Senior Superlatives Night. This is a fun ceremony in which senior are recognized for being the “Funniest,” “Most Likely to Succeed,” “Best Personality,” Prettiest Eyes,” “Best Couple,” “Most Athletic,” and “Best Friends.”

Star Acrylic AwardWith PaperDirect’s custom engraving, the top performers in your school will have something they can keep forever–something that will become more meaningful to them with each passing year.

Check out these stylish top performer trophies and note the variety of styles and designs PaperDirect offers. With custom engraving on all trophies and plaques and easy online ordering, PaperDirect is your one-stop online shopping source for student recognition and motivation ideas that really work.

If trophies are a bit out of your budget range, there are creative, inexpensive ways to reward students. Check out these PaperDirect blogs for some ideas:

 

 

 

 

 

July 20, 2012

Wedding Place Card Presentation Ideas

Filed under: DIY Wedding Accessories — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Wedding place cards may not seem like an important detail for a wedding reception, but Rich and Radiant Folded Place Cardsnot only are they important, they’re a fun detail because place cards are a great way to accentuate the theme of your wedding. Let’s take a look at some ways you can enhance your wedding theme with place card presentation.

Wedding place cards are as important as the wedding menu or wedding program. Careful seating will save time and eliminate stress by creating great conversation, introducing new people to each other and avoiding family conflicts. There are many ways to display your wedding place cards for easy access and to avoid mix-ups. Traditionally, place card presentation is simple. Guests mill about and find their names on the reception tables.

Place Card Presentation by Seasonal Theme

When it comes to place card presentation, following your seasonal themed wedding is a great way to go. For instance, winter weddings call for a classic white card with tones of ivory and powder blue. You can jazz up your place cards even more with crystals and little pearls to give off a chilly, snowy feel.

Summer weddings, especially those around July 4th, can have a patriotic flair with red, white and blue accents. Summer weddings call for bright, vivid colors that shout Summer is in the Air! Easter/spring weddings call for pastels and lovely flowers of all shapes, colors and sizes.

Fall weddings are a perfect time to get those creative juices flowing when it comes to place card presentation. Think of all the autumn symbols you can use to highlight your place cards and autumn theme: gourds, pumpkins, leaves, fall colors, etc. The more creative you, the more options you have. If you don’t feel very creative, you can always come to the PaperDirect blog for great suggestions.

Place card Presentation by Tropical/Locale ThemeSeashore Scene Folded Place Cards

For your Hawaiian luau themed wedding, carve your guests’ names into tropical fruits such as mangos and pineapples. For seaside weddings, you can present guests with seashell place card holders and arrange them in an eye-catching display.

Frequently Asked Questions About Place Cards

The PaperDirect blog offers a great deal of advice on a variety of topics, and DIY weddings is a topic that many people have a lot of questions about. Let’s look at some commonly asked questions about DIY wedding place cards:

Q. How do you handle place card presentation for single wedding guests with dates? Do you just put the word “guest” on the place card?

A. You must make the effort to learn the name of each of your single guests’ dates. Putting the word “guest” is not acceptable. If the guest did not fill in the name of his or her guest, you must phone or email your guest to find out the full name of the person who will be joining him/her for your wedding. Once your guest list is complete, create a place card for each individual guest rather than putting both names on one place card.

Q. Are place cards absolutely necessary for my wedding reception?

Golden Sunflowers Folded Place CardsA. Wedding place cards are not an absolute must have for every type of wedding, especially small, informal weddings with very few guests; however, for large wedding receptions, place cards make things much easier for you (and your guests). With assigned seats, stress is eliminated and things just seem to go more smoothly. With thoughtful, proper wedding place card presentation, you can decide which guests sit at which tables allowing you to ensure couples stay together and feuding family members keep a distance.

Please keep in mind that PaperDirect is your one-stop online shopping source for many of your do-it-yourself (DIY) wedding needs like invitations, reception cards, response cards, envelopes, save the date magnets, wedding program paper, personalized napkins and thank you notes.

Do you feel you need more information about wedding place cards? Please read these PaperDirect blogs:

 

 

 

 

July 18, 2012

Creative Student Recognition Ideas for the New School Year

Filed under: Student Recognition Ideas — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Achievement Border Specialty CertificatesComing up with creative student recognition ideas can be a challenge with each new school year. PaperDirect is here to help. If you’re a veteran teacher, or even if you’re a rookie, you may be struggling with student recognition ideas so you don’t give out the same old rewards that are given out each year and have come to be less meaningful to the recipients. The first step in the process of buying or making creative student recognition “prizes” for the new school year is to spend some time getting to know your students.

Show Interest by Asking Questions

Many teachers, on the very first day of Honor Roll Award Casual Certificatesschool, ask their students to fill out a questionnaire so they can find out what their students are “into” when they’re not in school. If you have not tried this, you will find yourself amazed at what some of your students do in their free time. Many have jobs, fascinating hobbies, interesting family lives and other things going on that you’d never suspect had you not shown interest through your questions. Of course, you must be careful to not ask personal questions concerning religion, ethnicity, political beliefs, etc.

If you’re a new teacher, have a veteran teacher review your questions just to make sure they’re “politically correct.” What you may consider an innocent question, such as “What does your father do for a living?” may be a sore subject with a student and cause him/her to shut down and refuse to answer any other questions. Be as neutral and benign in your questions as possible. To be safe, you can make the questionnaire optional or emphasize that the students answer only the questions they feel comfortable addressing.

Match the Reward to the Accomplishment and Student

PaperDirect has a large selection of award certificates, plaques and trophies that you can Academic Award Casual Certificatesengrave or design with special messages to your students. Whether it’s most improved, best attendance or highest grade, be sure the reward matches the accomplishment and the student’s personality. If you think a student will find a certificate or plaque corny, then that’s where the creativity must come in. Here are some creative student recognition ideas to get the new year started off right:

  • Buy the student breakfast
  • Award privileges to the student (leaving early, running errands to other classrooms, time in the library or media room)
  • A homework pass
  • Ice cream party at end of day
  • Pizza party
  • Gift cards to favorite hangouts and restaurants
  • Hand-written thank you card
  • Positive phone call home to the parents
  • Lunch with the principal
  • Lunch off campus
  • Lunch delivered to the student compliments of the school or teacher

Creative student recognition ideas need not be expensive. Some of the most meaningful rewards for well-deserving students don’t cost any money at all! Check out these PaperDirect blogs to get more ideas about student recognition for the new year:

 

 

July 11, 2012

Motivational Pins Are Cost Effective Student Rewards

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Together we make a Difference Pin by PaperDirectStudents of all ages (no matter how “cool” they are) appreciate being acknowledged for doing a good job or for improving upon something like behavior, perfect attendance or grades. While certificate awards are definitely morale boosters and plaques and trophies look great on the wall or shelf, there really isn’t any way a student can take his/her reward around where it can be seen (nothing wrong with showing off a bit, right?).

Motivational pins can be used as a reward for student achievement and as an incentive for other students striving to better themselves. While some students may act as though recognition is not a big deal, every parent and teacher knows that children of all ages like a pat on the back every now and then. Motivational pins are inexpensive, attractive and can be worn on any type of clothing.

Recognition awards like motivational pins not only shows the student his good work, attitude, behavior, or attendance is being acknowledged, but they show other students that good work does not go unnoticed. Whether it’s an award for achievement such as “Highest Math Grade” or an award for someone who is showing improvement like “Most Improved Classroom Behavior,” motivational pins can be worn every day and serve as a constant reminder of what the student did to earn that pin.

Perfect Attendance PinStudent recognition awards like motivational pins actually serve two purposes. They’re designed to show appreciation for deserving students, and they’re designed to help boost morale amongst in other students. Having a recognition program using certificate awards, lapel pins, plaques and trophies is an effective tool to reward and motivate students throughout the school year.

Seeing all the awesome recognition lapel pins available from PaperDirect will give you ideas about how to best utilize them for motivating and rewarding students.

July 4, 2012

Customizable Back to School Flyers for Your Events

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 2:04 pm

Flyers are, perhaps, one of the most under-utilized tools to get information out to a Backpack Border Paperslarge number of people in a short amount of time and at a fairly low cost. You will most often see flyers advertising new businesses, promoting upcoming concerts, touting certain religious beliefs, or spreading political messages.

Why You Need Back to School Flyers

The uses for flyers are practically endless. And with back to school time quickly approaching, let’s think about some ways you can use back to school flyers to get your message out. A lot goes on at the beginning of the school year: sports teams, cheerleaders and dance teams often hold tryouts at the beginning of the year. Clubs, such as the Student Council and Young Republicans, are often formed at the beginning of the year, and sometimes class elections for “Class President” are held early in the year. Here are some tips on how to design flyers for any occasion, especially those related to back to school events.

Back to School Flyer ContentDetermination Border Papers

One of the first and most important things that needs to be done is to plan your content. Gather all necessary information that must be included in the flyer and organize it so it’s easy to read and fun for the recipients. Too much content will be unappealing and your flyer will likely end up in the trash. Use short, succinct sentences and lots of vibrant language representative of whatever you are promoting. People are busy and attention spans are short. In order for your flyer to get noticed, it must stand out. If you don’t consider yourself a creative person, then enlist the help of others who are. Be sure the content is error free, and if contact information is necessary, make sure that it’s included: name, phone number, email address, physical address and even the website URL are all important information if some type of response is necessary.

Eye-Grabbing Graphics

Choosing attention-getting images related to your back to school event is the next step in designing your back to school flyer. Football team tryouts flyers could include helmets, footballs, goal posts and a scoreboard. Glee Club back to school flyers could include music notes and images from the popular TV show, “Glee” that has taken the nation by storm over the last three years. One important tip is to make sure your content does not get lost in the images. You do want to have enough appealing images to entice your recipients into becoming involved in whatever you’re announcing or advertising.

Enrichment Border PapersDo-it-yourself Back to School Flyers

If you want to design and print your own back to school flyers, there are some things to consider. First, your file layout may need to account for bleed and trim if you’re working with a commercial printing service. You can save yourself a lot of time and effort by ordering your flyers from PaperDirect, an online store with an extensive line of flyers for your back to school announcement.

Flyer Production Made Easy

PaperDirect will custom design and print your back to school flyers. Simply provide the information and in no time at all, you’ll have durable, professional, attractive flyers printed on high quality, durable paper.

Save time and money by using PaperDirect’s flyer templates; follow these easy steps and your back to school flyers will be done quickly and professionally:

  • Pick out the flyer design from the hundreds offered from PaperDirect.
  • Next, customize your flyer template by using personalization tools such as text boxes to fill in necessary information. Choose the font and text size, add images, borders, tabs, and continue to format your back to school flyer.
  • Continue to format the flyer to achieve your desired look. Click the big blue “help” button in the upper right hand corner at any time you need help.
  • Preview the flyer to ensure it is exactly what you want. When it’s perfect, click the “next” button to see what the flyer will look like.
  • Click the “checkout” button to pay for your purchase.
  • Finally, load blank stock paper (available from PaperDirect) into your printer and start printing. You can print one single flyer or hundreds at one time.

PaperDirect is your one-stop online shopping source for business supplies, event planning necessities and party supplies including invitations, place cards and table tents.

June 27, 2012

Motivational Gifts Perfect For Summer and Gift-giving Tips

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Be The One Water BottleWith summer upon us, it’s time for employers to start thinking about motivational gifts for employees, and if you’re the office manager who has been assigned this task, PaperDirect has some ideas that may make your job just a little bit easier this summer. For employees fortunate enough to have a boss that shows his/her appreciation with gifts, summer is a great time to give creative, yet practical, motivational gifts that can be used during the warm summer months.

  • Water bottles have become one of the most popular motivational gifts for employees in recent years. Many people Extra Mile Tote Bagtake a water bottle with them wherever they go, especially in the hot summer months, so a water bottle is a considerate and practical motivational gift for the summertime. Add that extra special touch by having the water bottle personalized for your deserving employee.
  • Tote bags (perfect for the beach, pool or any summertime excursion) are a great motivational gift for employees that can be used during summertime and year-round.

Tips for Employee Gift Giving

Be Fair – Try and keep your gifts fair where cost is concerned, especially if everyone is pretty equal in their job duties and salaries. Giving one person an expensive gift and another employee an inexpensive gift is a sure way to create resentment and hard feelings.

Be Gender Neutral – Stay away from gender specific gifts such as football or baseball tickets for the men and necklaces for the women. The office is not the place

for gender specific gifts.

Don’t Overspend – Company picnics are

Great Job Star Tote Bag

fun for everyone but consider your employee gifts as an expense and budget for that expense.

Do It Yourself – As a small business owner, don’t assign all the employee gift buying to one of your employees. Do it yourself or ask a friend, associate or relative to help you.

Cards or Thank You Notes – A nice card along with a personal hand-written note to go along with your gift is the perfect touch and will be appreciated.

 

June 22, 2012

Types of Wedding Invitations-How About a Layered Invitation?

Filed under: DIY Invitation Ideas — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Everlasting Layered InvitationsIf you’re planning a do-it-yourself (DIY) wedding, your wedding invitation type, design and wording is probably one of the biggest, most important decisions you will make. Thankfully, PaperDirect has an extensive line of wedding invitations from which to choose, but with so many different types available, you may feel overwhelmed and not know where to begin! Layered invitations are perfect for very elegant weddings, but if you’re looking for something a bit simpler, PaperDirect has those styles, too.

Layered Wedding Invitations

Layered invitations add a modern spin to classic elegance. The flat, rectangular shape is simple, yet exquisite, and the coordinating carrier card frames your invite with sophistication. Layered invitations are extremely beautiful when draped with a soft overlay of Vellum, sized perfectly to be placed on top of your layered invitation.Fancy Foliage Layered Invitations

Layered invitations come with carrier cards specifically designed to nestle your invitation and complement your design. Stylish and unique carrier cards add that special “something” to your layered wedding invitation. For harmony and depth, wrap your layered invitation with a matching band and seal, and you can also personalize the colors and add your own photo, monogram, motif or special message.

Variety of Wedding Invitations

Let’s take a look at some examples of the different types Promises Layered Invitationsof wedding invitations offered by PaperDirect–your DIY wedding one-stop online shopping source.

With so many to choose from, your only problem will be deciding which wedding invitation you love the most.

June 20, 2012

Wedding Program Paper Options

Filed under: DIY Wedding Accessories — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:10 am

Brides and grooms (or other family members) planning a do-it-yourself (DIY) wedding can add a special touch to the wedding with custom printed programs. PaperDirect has a large selection of wedding program paper to fit all tastes. Die-cut and embossed designs are simple and elegant. Once you’ve chosen your wedding program paper, you can even design your wedding programs online choosing font styles and ink colors to coordinate nicely with your wedding theme.

Wedding program paper options include:

  • Plain papers (there are numerous types of plain papers to choose from)
  • 2-Panel

For some great information about what should be included in a wedding program, please read, “Wedding Ceremony Program Ideas 101” from PaperDirect.

Adorable Hearts Programs

Jardin Programs

Perfectly Plain Programs

Imperial Foil Specialty Programs

June 15, 2012

Wedding Response Card Wording for DIY Weddings

Filed under: Wedding Wording & Etiquette — Tags: , , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Supreme Black Response SetIf you’re in the midst of planning a do-it-yourself (DIY) wedding, you may find yourself amazed at the number of items that must be tended to, decisions that must be made, and minute details that must be addressed. Have you thought about your wedding response card wording yet? Are you not even sure you know what a wedding response card is? It’s another name for the RSVP, which stands for the French phrase, “répondez, s’il vous plaît,” which means “please reply.” Now that you you know what a wedding response card is, let’s take a look at the important issues regarding them:

  1. When response cards are necessary
  2. Wedding response card etiquette
  3. Wedding response card wording

Formal vs. Casual Wedding

Most, if not all, formal weddings will have a response card inside the wedding invitation. The response card, in case you don’t know, is the little card that lets the bridge and groom whether or not you’ll be attending. Have you heard of “plus one”? Plus one is the phrase used when you are invited to a wedding and are allowed to bring along one guest–your “plus one.” Wedding response cards are extremely important to formal weddings because the bride and groom must know how many people will be attending (i.e. eating a dinner, having drinks, and for seating purposes at the reception). An accurate “head count” for a formal wedding and reception in a must.Felicity Response Set

Nowadays, invitations often carry a “regrets only” notation at the end, which means that the couple will count on your being there unless you tell them otherwise.

If your wedding is casual, a phone response may be all you need or even an email. If you’re not planning a sit-down dinner, are not providing free alcoholic beverages and have plenty of seating for everyone you invited, it’s not quite as crucial to have an exact head count for your DIY wedding.

Wedding Response Card Etiquette

The enclosures included in your wedding invitations do more than just help you keep track of how many guests will be attending your special day. That is why wedding response card etiquette to wedding reception card etiquette is so important. Enclosed within the invitation, the wedding response card is always sent with a stamp affixed to a self-addressed envelope. This helps to ensure that you get an accurate count of the number of guests expected to attend. Wedding response cards will also include the guests’ meal preferences so the precise amount of food and drinks is ordered.  wedding reception cards also are good if you are inviting more guests to the ceremony than the reception. In this case, these cards are inserted into the invitations of only certain people.

In addition to wedding reception cards, map and direction cards should also be printed and included if since some guests may not be familiar with the area where you’re holding your ceremony. Be sure to include these along with the wedding response cards; if money is an issue, you can cut corners by providing directions in some other way (via email perhaps).

For the guests, be sure to respond by the date indicated on the card. If you don’t respond, the couple will be forced to call you to verify your attendance, which just adds to their already huge “to do” list. The first thing you should do after receiving a wedding invitation is respond promptly because so much is riding on whether or not each guest is attending. Everything from seating arrangements to placing the liquor order, depends on how many people are attending. If an RSVP card is enclosed, feel free to add a more personal note of congratulations or explanation of regret. If a blank reply card is enclosed, you must write a response on the card in language that is similar to that of the invitation–formal or casual.

Wedding Response Card Wording

There really is no right or wrong wording for a response card, but there are traditional “guidelines” you may want to follow; the easiest way to explain how wedding response cards should be worded is to provide examples here. The same basic elements appear in most wedding response cards:

Request Lines

A “please respond by” line is typically included on every response card, though some brides may choose not to include a date on their card, as they feel it might insult guests who know very well when to reply. The request lines may be in either the first two lines of the reply card or in the lower left-hand corner. Most brides ask that their replies be rEnchanting Response Seteturned 2 weeks before the wedding date.

Guests’ Name

“M” followed by a line for the guest to write in their name(s), should be sufficient in most cases. If your parent(s) and or the bride and groom are doctors, you may wish to omit the “M” as many of your friends will likely also be doctors, as such the “M” will not apply, as they will be using their professional title.

Guests’ Response

The most common response line format is to have the word “will” separated by a line for their response followed by “attend”. You may also choose to split the Guest’s response line into two lines. “will attend” will be preceded by a line for their response, on the line beneath it “will not attend” will be preceded by its own response line. Either way is considered proper.

Here are some PaperDirect blogs that may help to address some of your other DIY wedding questions:

Also, remember to view PaperDirect’s extensive line of DIY wedding necessities. We are your one-stop online shopping source for DIY wedding supplies.

May 23, 2012

Ways to Tell Your Teachers How Much They Mean To You

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Appreciation Border Specialty CertificatesBeing a school teacher is one of the toughest, most admirable professions one can choose. It’s an often thankless job that requires hours and hours of work after the school day is over, evening meetings, event chaperoning, and sometimes even weekend work grading papers and preparing for the following week’s lessons.

If you are a teacher, were a teacher or know a teacher, you understand that teaching is not easy. You have lives in your hands each and every day, and everything you say and do somehow impacts the students in your classroom. If you’re not a teacher but appreciate the work they do, or if your child has told you how much a teacher has meant to them, there are many ways you can show your appreciation for their hard work and dedication. Let’s take a look at some teacher appreciation ideas that are thoughtful and affordable.

Feel free to come up with your own teacher appreciation ideas or use any of these. Teachers will be so thankful that their work has not gone unnoticed. Shop online at PaperDirect for teacher appreciation gifts today!

 

 

 

May 21, 2012

Patriotic Invitations for Memorial Day

Filed under: Seasonal & Special Events Ideas — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Salute Casual InvitationsWith Memorial Day quickly approaching, it’s time to break out the grill, hamburgers and hot dogs, and your most patriotic red, white and blue garb to honor those who have lost their lives in the United States Armed Forces. Memorial Day is considered the kick-off to summer and is a time for friends and family to gather, enjoy a long weekend or travel to a relaxing destination.

If you’re hosting a Memorial Day get together, you will need patriotic invitations to set the tone. PaperDirect has quite a selection of patriotic invitations from which to choose, and the great part is that with July 4th coming soon, you can stock up now and use the invitations again in July (that is, if you’re up to hosting another summer bash!). Here are just a few samples of our patriotic invitations for upcoming American holidays:Patriot Casual Invitations

 

PaperDirect is your online shopping source for party supplies including personalized napkins, place cards, banners, and table tents!

 

 

May 14, 2012

DIY Outdoor Marketing – Designing A Marketing Banner Yourself

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Pure Light Vinyl BannersYou can custom design your own banner (with a little help from PaperDirect)! Our vinyl banners make great advertising tools for grand openings, special sales, one-day only events, and the like. PaperDirect weather-resistant vinyl banners come in three sizes, and we can print and ship them to your door in just three days! DIY marketing saves money and allows you to create the banner you want.

With spring upon us and summer right around the corner, now is a great time to utilize DIY outdoor marketing techniques, and vibrant banners are a sure-fire way to grab people’s attention! Hang the banners over the entrance to your business or place them strategically around the neighborhood. Ask sister businesses if you can hang a banner on their storefront.Spring Grass Vinyl Banners

Using Banners for DIY Outdoor Marketing at Trade Shows

Your business can’t be a success if people don’t know about, and many people won’t seek out a new business–they’ll wait until they hear about it via word of mouth, some type of advertisement online or in a newspaper or drive by and see some type of eye-catching outdoor advertisement. Of course, the more people that see your advertisement, the more prospective customers you may get. There are numerous ways to promote your business. Participating in trade shows is one effective method of promoting your business, and one where banners from PaperDirect will work as a great advertising tool. When you use banners for advertising, sometimes banner stands are necessary.

Using a banner stand is a great way to keep your banner stationary if it’s a windy day or there’s a lot of foot traffic that may cause the banner to fall. Though banner stands are traditionally seen at mobile events and trade shows, they can be used for a variety of advertising campaigns.

Liberty Bell Vinyl BannerBanner stands are easy to move from event to event and can be taken down and put up in a short period of time. Now, with such strict rules for carry-on and checked luggage at airports,  having a portable banner stand will save you money. Make sure your banners are easy to transport in case you’re on a mobile advertising campaign that requires you to travel.

Looking for some creative DIY outdoor marketing techniques? Try vinyl banners from PaperDirect. You can design your own and PaperDirect will take care of the rest!

May 11, 2012

Invitation Wording for A Christian Wedding

Filed under: Wedding Wording & Etiquette — Tags: , , , , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am
Supreme Black Flat Invitations

Your invitation wording is very important because it must convey the thoughts and feelings that you and your future spouse hold true. Also, the wording on your wedding invitation is something that requires thought regarding your guests because the invitation is the first impression they will have of your wedding, and many people keep the wedding invitation as a souvenir.

If you are planning a Christian wedding, you will want to include wording in your invitations that may not be found in an invitation to a less religious or less traditional wedding. If you are concerned that your guests may be put off by Biblical verses or other Christian-like additions to your wedding invitation, you must remember that this is your day–you and your spouse should have the exact type of wedding ceremony and reception that you have always dreamed about.

Cascade Specialty Folded Invitations

If Christian wedding invitation wording is something that you need help with, you have come to the right place. PaperDirect has some suggestions based on what others Christian brides and grooms have included in their wedding invitations to help get you started.

Your wedding invitations let guests know what to expect at your wedding, including color scheme, theme, and ambiance. Letting prospective guests know that religion will play a  part in your ceremony will help them decide what attire is appropriate, or they may (unfortunately) even decide to not attend your wedding due to their own religious convictions. Your Christian wedding invitation wording should reflect your personalities and your religious beliefs as a couple. One popular way to incorporate your Christianity into your wedding invitation is to include Bible verses.

Dumont Specialty Folded Invitations

Here are some suggestions for do-it-yourself (DIY) Christian wedding invitation wording:

  • Design the front of your invitation by including a meaningful Biblical verse. The Internet provides hundreds of suggestions of Biblical verses that are appropriate for the wording on the front of a Christian wedding invitation or you may add a Bible verse that is a personal favorite.
  • When you write the actual wording include a reference to God such as the following: “Mr. and Mrs. John Doe request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Susan Kay, to Thomas Michael Jones, when they ask God’s blessing on their union and His presence in their new life together as a married couple.”
  • Conclude the invitation with the specific church name, address, date, and time. Close with a Bible verse, if you desire. For example, “A chord of three strands is not quickly torn apart,” Ecclesiastes 4:12 or “This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes,” Psalms 118:23.

If you are in the midst of a DIY wedding, PaperDirect can help– a one-stop online shopping source for several DIY necessities including wedding invitations, reception cards, response cards and thank you notes.

May 9, 2012

Appreciation Quotes: Tips for Expressing Gratitude

Filed under: How to Design Certificates — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am
Thanks NoteCards

If you’re a business owner or manager, it’s important to recognize your employees for a job well done. You can show your appreciation of your staff in a number of ways that don’t cost anything at all. For instance, appreciation quotes posted on their desk or in the break area are a unique inspirational and motivational tool that will let your employees know you value their work and provide incentive to keep doing a great job.

Let’s take a look at some appreciation quotes that can be used for various types of recognition. Some of these sayings can be spoken or written to your employee while others are just inspirational messages about gratitude and appreciation. Use them as you see fit in the workplace, classroom, or even at home.

Rockledge NoteCards

One way they can be used is on an award certificate. PaperDirect has an extensive selection of various certificates that you can order online, but we also have certificate templates that allow you to create your own. Whether you need just one certificate of appreciation or one hundred, PaperDirect has the tools you need to design and print certificates with appreciation quotes. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”– William James
  • “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
  • “Celebrate what you want to see more of.” – Tom Peters
  • “The aim of life is appreciation; there is no sense in not appreciating things; and there is no sense in having more of them if you have less appreciation of them.” – G.K. Chesterton
  • “Appreciate everything your associates do for the business. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free and worth a fortune.” – Sam Walton
  • “Next to excellence is the appreciation of it.” – William Makepeace Thackeray
  • “Encouraged people achieve the best; dominated people achieve second best; neglected people achieve the least.” – Anonymous
  • “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”- Leo Buscaglia
  •  “I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among men the greatest asset I possess. The way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement.” – Charles Schwab

  • “In every person who comes near you look for what is good and strong.” – John Ruskin

  •  “Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” – Margaret Cousins

If you have not told someone how much you appreciate him or her, why not start today? Shop PaperDirect, your one-stop online source for all types of recognition and motivation certificates and awards, and Thank You Cards

May 2, 2012

Direct Mail Ideas That Work

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — Tags: — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Aqua Splash PostCardsEven in an age where virtually every type of communication is done electronically, there are still direct mail ideas that work to promote your business and get customers to your door or your website. Postcards are an inexpensive, highly effective direct mail idea that has been used for decades. When designed and utilized properly, direct mail postcards can generate quite a bit of business for your company, large or small.

The key to direct mail postcards is to target the right audience–the demographic that you think needs your product or service. If you are new to postcard design and printing, these suggestions can help you make wise choices from the very start, and for you veteran postcard users, consider these tips to enhance your already-successful direct Best Ball Postcardsmail postcard marketing campaign.

  1. Use vibrant, eye-catching colors on your postcards. Dull, lifeless postcards will likely end up in the trash. If you don’t get the recipient’s attention right away, you’ve probably missed your chance at getting a new customer or client. Many advertising experts emphasize the importance of using glossy postcard paper as a matte finish does not allow the graphics to jump off the postcard and catch the viewer’s attention.
  2. Use a company that will not only design your postcard but will also print it. Why make extra work for yourself by having to deal with two firms? Find one that can do it all if you are not able to do it yourself.
  3. Use images on your direct mail postcards. People like to see the product you’re selling, and a postcard with text only is not going to get the attention that images would. Incorporate a reasonable number of images. As with any suggestions, don’t over do it. More is not always better; make sure the images are relevant and applicable to the text that accompanies the graphics.
  4. Include a coupon on the postcard. There is no greater incentive for a prospective customer to do business with you than a discounted price or a buy one get one free offer. The money you may lose in the beginning will pay off in dividends if those customers become regulars. The same philosophy is true with customer loyalty cards. For every ten purchases, offer an eleventh item of equal value free. So you know that it was the postcard that brought the customer in, be sure to indicate on the card that the customer must present the postcard at the time of purchase. Also, if a postcard recipient refers a new customer, reward the postcard holder with a discount, coupon or freebie.
  5. Include a limited-time-offer call to action on the postcard. This will get customers to your door or website quickly because who wants to miss out on a limited time discount of some sort? Be clear about what the offer is and when it ends.
  6. Include a couple of testimonials from actual customers on your direct mailings. Consumers can spot a fake testimonial, so be sure your testimonials are sincere and real.
  7. Offer a money back guarantee if the customer is not satisfied with the product or service you have provided. Trust between consumer and business owner is imperative to success.

Hot Dog PostcardsPaperDirect has postcards in many sizes and styles including over sized postcards and photo postcards. Read these PaperDirect blogs for more great direct mail ideas that work:

April 26, 2012

Save the Date Postcards vs. Save the Date Magnets

Filed under: DIY Invitation Ideas — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Verona Gold Save the Date MagnetsEverything you need to know about save the date events can be found right here on the PaperDirect blog. In addition to providing useful information about DIY (do-it-yourself) weddings and wedding etiquette, PaperDirect is also your one-stop online shopping source for DIY wedding necessities like wedding invitations, wedding reception cards, response cards, wedding thank you cards, and save the date magnets and save the date postcards.

Postcards vs. Magnets–You DecideHeart Serenade Postcards

You might know all the ins and outs of sending wedding invitations, but save-the-date etiquette is sometimes not so clear cut. Save-the-date postcards or magnets are typically sent to your wedding guests six to eight months before the date of your ceremony so that they can mark it on their calendars.

It’s okay to send your guests a wedding save-the-date by email, but don’t forget that this wedding card is really the first introduction your guests will have to your wedding, so a lot of couples thinking up unique ways to incorporate their wedding theme into their save the date reminder.

If you are looking for a more traditional reminder, PaperDirect has save the date postcards and save the date magnets; it’s really just a matter of personal preference which you choose. Look at our selection of both and see which one best fits your personality and style of wedding.

Seashore Scene Save the Date Oversized PostcardsYou don’t need to include as much information on your save-the-date wedding cards as you do on the actual wedding invitation, so be sure to read some tips for save-the-date wording tips before getting started on your wording. One thing to keep in mind about these wedding reminders is that they can be more casual than your formal invitations. Here are some more PaperDirect blogs about save the date wedding magnets and postcards:

 

April 19, 2012

9 Goofy Awards for Team Building

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Tags: , , — Kristine Richards @ 8:00 am
goofy office awards

If you like the sitcom “The Office,” you may remember “The Dundies” that Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) awarded to his Dunder Mifflin employees during a ceremony at the local Chili’s restaurant.

Remember Pam’s “Whitest Sneakers” award? While Carell’s character did not use the best judgment when it came time to present goofy awards to his employees, you can make a goofy award ceremony for employees an annual occurrence to boost morale and have a little fun during (or after) the workday.

Why Host an Event?

Hosting some type of fun event during the workday is a  great way to keep employees motivated, show them you appreciate their hard work, and maintain a light, enjoyable work environment.

You know the old saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy…” All work and no play in the workplace will create an atmosphere of drudgery, unhappiness, and lack of enthusiasm. One great way to motivate employees and create a light, fun atmosphere in the office is to give goofy awards in a company- or department-wide awards ceremony.

Recognition Certificates

PaperDirect has recognition certificates for all occasions and in all different types of styles, so there’s definitely something for all types of tastes. PaperDirect certificate templates assist you in designing and printing certificate layouts.

Our free desktop printable templates format your certificate automatically, with preset margins, borders, and tabs. Recognition certificates from PaperDirect make quick and easy goofy awards for team building efforts.

Goofy Award Ideas

Due to the sensitive nature of the workplace, you’ll want to avoid references to appearance or character traits that could potentially embarrass recipients. For office party settings, create funny awards that focus on humorous situations common to the workplace. Here are some examples of goofy awards that you can give to employees to motivate, inspire, and build a sense of camaraderie:

surfer award

The office is where many people spend almost a quarter of their time during a given week, and for some, it’s even more. Working in an office environment can be stressful and tedious at times. That’s where funny office awards come in handy!

These awards were created to provide office humor and entertainment by recognizing office workers for their entertaining gifts. These funny awards are perfect for company events and parties and are great for everyday office humor and jokes. Shop for the perfect certificates and other quick gifts, like Lapel Pins and Trophies, to showcase your goofy awards on PaperDirect today!

April 18, 2012

Employee Anniversary Recognition–Appropriate Gifts

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Double Star Business Card Letter Holder Recognition of employees is something that supervisors, owners, and CEO’s must make time and effort for.

Why?

Because studies have shown that when employees feel appreciated and valuable, they tend to be more productive and are more vested in their company’s success.

When it comes to employee anniversary recognition gifts, even those that are not expensive, are greatly appreciated. The smallest gesture can mean the world to hard-working employees, especially those who have worked for the company for several years.

If you’re struggling with ideas, here are some appropriate gift ideas to recognize a loyal employee’s years of service to your company.

Ideas:

Classic Appreciation

Certificates of appreciation, plaques, and trophies are very common anniversary recognition gifts.

These can all be personalized with the employee’s name, years of service and can be placed in the employee’s office for others to see.

PaperDirect has a large selection of employee certificates, plaques and trophies, and to jazz award certificates up a bit, we carry certificate holders and jackets, embossed certificate seals and frames to preserve their quality and make them last for many years.Premier Blue Standard Certificates

We offer award certificate templates to assist you in design and printing certificate layouts.

Our free desktop printable templates format your certificate automatically, with preset margins, borders and tabs.

We also offer a certificate template CD with certificate headings for professional results. Whether you need one or one hundred certificates, PaperDirect’s desktop printable templates make certificate creation extremely fast and easy.

Personalized Gifts

If you’re looking for something more creative, PaperDirect has many motivational employee gifts including clocks, paperweights, pins, banners, and personalized gifts including key rings, business card holders, and mugs.

Hobbies 

A great way to find out what gift to get your employees for their anniversaries is to learn a little bit about what they do in their free time.

For instance, if you know one of your employees is an amateur photographer, picture frames make a great gift. How about a gift card to their favorite restaurant or movie theatre passes for the movie buffs in the office?

Inexpensive Ideas

Employee anniversary recognition gifts that cost nothing, but that are greatly appreciated are “free” days off, long lunches, acknowledgement in the company newsletter, a small office pot luck luncheon, and public recognition at a staff meeting. Take your employee to lunch at his favorite restaurant or allow him to leave early on a Friday afternoon.

How about a work-from-home day, if his job allows it or a late arrival day? Employees loves little perks like this, and sometimes “privileges” are enjoyed more than a tangible gift such as a plaque or coffee mug.

Excellence II Deluxe Embossed Foil SealsWhatever employee anniversary recognition gift you choose, your employee will be appreciative, and the gift will show him that you recognize his contribution to the company.

There’s no need to spend a lot of money on employee anniversary recognition, but it is important that you make the time and put forth the effort to honor the loyal employees who have been with you for as little as one year or as long as twenty years.

There is no worse feeling than thinking you’re not appreciated at work, so find out when your employees’ anniversaries are coming up and make some plans to recognize their great work and continued loyalty to your company.

 

April 17, 2012

Use Flyers to Market Your Business

Filed under: Marketing & Sales Promotion Techniques — Tags: , — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

A well planned flyer can be a powerful marketing tool PaperDirect has a wide variety of flyer papers that can be used to promote your business.  Pass them out at events, place on doors, or partner with other local business.

Petals Border PapersBalloon Dreams Border PapersBuzz Border Papers

April 12, 2012

Baby Shower Ideas to Keep Guests Entertained

Filed under: Seasonal & Special Events Ideas — PDWriter @ 8:00 am

Teddy Bear Studio Photo CardBaby shower games are a traditional part of any baby shower, and while they are often silly and childish, they are fun, nonetheless. If you are hosting a baby shower, you may be struggling to come up with some baby shower game ideas that are not your run-of-the-mill, decades-old boring baby shower games.

Baby shower games at the shower can be one of the most memorable experiences for the mom-to-be. Part of making the experience a huge success is by thoughtful party planning and hosting fun baby shower games. Before starting the games, it’s good practice to go around the room as an ice breaker and have everyone introduce themselves and explain how they know the mother-to-be.

Now, let’s jump right into some popular baby shower ideas that will keep your guests entertained and involved!Purple Flowers Photo NoteCards

“Never Say ‘Baby'” 

Materials: Baby safety pins you can place on a string for each guest and string or yarn, enough for each guest to wear as a necklace.

Have each guest place the necklace with the baby safety pins around their neck when they arrive at the baby shower. The rules for this baby shower game are given out at the beginning of the baby shower. Whenever someone says the word “baby” during the shower, anyone who calls it out gets a pin from the other guest who said the word. At the end of the baby shower, the guest with the most safety pins wins!

Name the Most Baby Items

Materials: Pad of paper and pen for each guest.

Have everyone write down as many baby products as they can name (bottle, blanket, pacifier, etc) within 5 minutes. Sure it is easy at the beginning, but towards the last few minutes, the women will start racking their brains for more. A prize goes to the guest with the most baby items listed.

Guess How Many Safety Pins (or Diapers)

Materials: Safety pins, jar, diapers, large container to house diapers. Pass around a jar full of baby safety pins. The one who guesses the closest wins a baby shower prize. Do the same with a large container of small diapers and at the end of the game, the mommy-to-be gets the containers!

Little Feet Pink Casual InvitationsBaby Trivia Game

Check out this blog for some great ideas for this baby shower game–Play Baby Trivia!

PaperDirect has everything you need for your baby shower from invitations to thank you cards and announcements.   Shop PaperDirect’s online store today for all your baby shower planning needs.

The PaperDirect blog is your information headquarters for information about everything from planning your next party to branding your new business. Make reading the PaperDirect blog part of your regular schedule. We offer fresh ideas and suggestions on many topics that are realistic and relevant to your life.

 

 

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