(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
While on vacation in Colorado, I knew that we would pass through, but not stop in, Boulder and I begged my husband to take a quick detour and thankfully, he agreed! I had wanted to visit Two Hands Paperie, a stationery and art store in Boulder, last year but it didn’t work out but I was able to eke out a half hour visit!
I love Two Hands Paperie’s whimsical front window display!
Two Hands Paperie got its start in 1993 as a book binding shop that also sold decorative paper. It has since grown to include art supplies, cards, stationery, writing instruments of all kinds and more.
I avoided the front of the store when I walked in because that’s where I saw all the pens, lol. Instead, I made my way to the back room and found a treasure trove of art supplies, papers, and all kinds of books, and more!
Pencils, notebooks, and loose paper like wrapping paper, tissue paper, watercolor paper, etc.
The right side of the back room had a lot of paper and really cool collage sticker books like this one (that I forgot to take pictures of, oops.)
Handmade paper.
This is some of the “more” that you would find at Two Hands Paperie - projects like Bookmaking Kits, Friendship Bracelet Kits, paint by number, quilling, puzzles, games, and more!
Build your own correspondence kit - pick different sized papers and envelopes.
The ”Make My Notebook” station is really neat!
This was probably one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a while - “Make My Notebook” - where you pick out the paper size and type (grid or lined, etc.) from the left side, then pick a cover from the right side, then what color you want for the spiral binding and a Two Hands team member will assemble it for you! I was so tempted to get one of these but alas, the paper fort is overflowing, as are the suitcases. Might have to order one when I get home though!
Check out upcoming events on their chalkboard - better yet, sign up for their online newsletter or check out the website for more events. Just be sure to check out the various links because there isn’t a single page that lists them all.
Some of the notebook cabinets at the front of the store.
Two Hands Paperie is a Traveler’s Company Partner Shop, which meant they sometimes have exclusives that non-partner shops don’t carry and also their own Traveler’s Stamp!
Behind the front counter is a cute display of their fountain pen ink selection, as well as converters and other parts.
Glass displays make pen photography challenging, but you can still see their collection of budget-friendly pens from Pilot, Lamy, Traveler’s Company, and Caran d’Ache.
Look at all the pretty Kaweco fountain pens, pencils and ballpoints!
Higher-end pens from Sailor, Pelikan, Visconti, Pilot, and more.
I spent so much time picking out some notecards and chatting with one of the staff members that I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the front of the shop as well as the products in the hallway leading to the back room, oops again. There is a large variety of greeting cards as well as postcard packs, blank card sets, and even stationery sets. I wish I had more than 30 minutes to spend at this store so I could explore it all.
In the end, I picked up some note cards and a stationery set so I had something to send to the kid at camp. And of course, I couldn’t go to a Traveler’s Company Partner Shop without using their stamps! Can’t wait to put them in my Diner journal (which I had brought with me to the shop.)
Two Hands Paperie is located at 803 Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado, and is open Monday - Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Sunday from 11:00 AM to 5:00PM. They have a lot more products in-store than what is shown online, so if you have some time to spend in Boulder, I highly recommend this shop!
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