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The Best Stationery

Last updated on March 15, 2024
Best Stationary

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Keeping a set of stationery on hand is a good practice. Life gets busy, and birthdays and special events can creep up on you without warning. Instead of having to rush out to the nearest store to purchase a card, you can relax at home and simply grab one from your collection. As you shop for a stationery set that fits your personality, there are a few things you’ll want to watch for.

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Look at the inside of the cards. Are you interested in a stationery set that has specific greetings inside, such as birthday wishes or a motivational message, or do you prefer a blank card? Blank cards are an excellent choice, as you can write your own heartfelt message that can be tailored to any specific occasion, such as a birthday, baby shower or engagement congratulations. Blank cards are also gender-neutral, so they can be gifted to anyone.

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Decide whether you prefer the stationery to have a design on the front only, or an additional border along the inside of the card as well. For example, the Best Card Company Wildlife Painted Note Cards has attractive watercolor designs on the front and inside lining of each card. Of course, there is also the option of purchasing a set that is blank on the front. You may find a set with just a simple design along the top edge, like the Hallmark Blank Stationery Set.

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“Paper weight is an important factor,” says artist and art educator Amy Markham. “The weight number refers to the weight of 500 sheets of that paper in size 17x22in. Many store-bought stationery sets will have note paper in the 24-32lb range. Cardstock weighs more, usually 50-110lbs. The best way to decide between weights is to hold the stationery and see how it feels.”

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There are also companies on the market that follow environmentally-friendly practices when sourcing their paper. The Best Card Company Fun Puns Blank Note is one such company. They get their pulp from responsibly managed forests. They also only print on demand, eliminating any unwanted stationery sets from the market.

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Finally, check to see if the stationery set comes with matching envelopes and a reusable storage box. While matching envelopes are quite standard, not all sets have a sturdy box for storing the cards safely in your home office.

Our Picks For The Top Stationery Sets

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Product Overview
Our Take
 Best Overall

KiDEPOCH Ink Painting Design Stationary

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

KiDEPOCH

Ink Painting Design Stationary, 48-Count

This Japanese stationary set is truly exquisite. The set includes 48 sheets of paper and 24 envelopes, each of which is decorated on both sides with a beautiful floral pattern. Since the company created this set using recycled paper, you can also feel good about your purchase.

Overall Take

Designed to Stand OutThis stationary can be used with an inkjet or laser printer, as well as a fountain or gel pen.

 Best Value

American Greetings Pastel Sheet Stationery

American Greetings

Pastel Sheet Stationery, 80-Count

Each of the 120 pieces in this value stationary set comes in a bright pastel color. The set includes 80 sheets of writing paper and 40 envelopes, which are perfect for sending thank you notes, letters of encouragement and get well wishes. Both, the paper and the envelopes, have an attractive white border that adds to the overall appeal of the set.

Overall Take

Affordable Price TagYou'll find this stationary set is budget-friendly.

 Cute Wildlife Art

Best Card Company Wildlife Painted Note Cards 10 ct

Best Card Company

Note Cards, 10-Count

Whether you need to send a thank you note or birthday greetings, this stationary a top choice. This set features beautiful watercolor animal paintings on the front and a splash of watercolors down the edge of the right-hand inside of the card. Matching envelopes and a reusable storage box are provided.

Overall Take

First-Class StationeryBring a smile to your recipient's face when you send a note with this stationary, which feature wildlife paintings.

 For Pun Lovers

Best Card Company Fun Puns Blank Note, 10 ct

Best Card Company

Blank Note, 10-Count

Even though this stationary is one of the lower-priced stationery sets on the market, it still delivers when it comes to quality and customer appeal. The front of each card is a mini work of art, while the inside remains blank for writers to create their own personal sentiments. Shoppers will also appreciate that the company uses 30% recycled mater...

Overall Take

Environmentally-Friendly StationeryThe comic in your life will love this stationary set, which features cute drawings and funny puns.

Our Expert Consultant

Amy Markham  
Artist and art educator

Artist and educator Amy Markham is the creator of Starling, a podcast dedicated to helping artists develop depth in their creative practice. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Amy has been an art educator since 2001. Today, she teaches middle school art at a school outside of Memphis, Tennessee. Her personal artwork explores myth-making and symbolic understandings. Through her brand, Starling Creative Living, she leads others to explore art production as a method for enriching their life experience.

What to Look For

  • Check if the company is a member of the Greeting Card Association. This membership shows that the company is dedicated to making only top-quality stationery.
  • “Think about the kind of pen you want to use on your stationery,” says Markham. “Some pens will show through lower paper weights and others will smudge easily on certain finishes.”
  • Keep your stationery organized with an old shoebox or photo box. Add dividers for each special occasion, so that you can quickly pull out the type of card you need when the occasion arises. If you don’t have any dividers, you can easily make them out of cardstock.
  • Always recycle stationery you no longer need. You can donate unused sets to a friend or local thrift shop. Used stationery can be sent to a special foundation. For example, St. Jude’s Ranch for Children has a Recycle Card Program that accepts your old cards.
  • If the front of the greeting card appeals to you or has a special meaning because it was sent by someone you adore, you can frame it and hang it up.
  • Stationery can be stored digitally as well. Collect your favorite cards and scan them into your computer. Create a file where you can keep these memories safe without having to find a place to store the physical cards. You may even wish to have a separate folder for each year, so you can quickly reference certain Christmases and birthdays.
  • There are a ton of craft projects that use old stationery. You can make ornaments out of cards, garland for hanging from your fireplace, gift tags, photo mats and even a display piece for your dining room table by inserting a piece of stationery with a beautiful scene on the front inside a mason jar.
  • As you examine the price for the stationery you like best, you’ll need to take into consideration how many cards come in each set, and how simple or sophisticated the design is. The Best Card Company Wildlife Painted Note Cards and the Best Card Company Fun Puns Blank Note are comparable in price because they contain a similar number of features. Sets that have fewer cards typically won’t cost as much as larger sets.

More to Explore

You may be interested to find out that the definition of stationery includes all of the items needed for writing, not just a card or fancy piece of paper. Here are a few additional fun facts about these handy home and office supplies:

  • Pencils reign supreme over other writing instruments for several reasons. They can be used by astronauts in space because gravity does not affect their ability to write. Scuba divers could use them if they wanted to, as pencils can even write underwater. Also, just one pencil can draw a straight line that spans a space of 35 miles.
  • The Post-It note was created by accident back in 1968 by Spencer Silver. While trying to make one type of adhesive, he actually created a soft adhesive that could be removed without leaving any sticky residue behind. Speaking of Post-It notes, did you know it would take 507,000,000 Post-It notes to make it all the way around the earth?
  • Manufacturers can produce 80,000 pieces of paper from just one pine tree. That sounds like a lot; however, since individuals who work in an office handle approximately 10,000 pieces of paper per year, that’s only enough paper to keep eight office workers busy.

More to explore