Paper Doll

Friendly neighborhood card and gift place that carries several local card brands as well as quirky gifts, especially a lot of children’s books. It’s honestly not terribly different in terms of gift selection from Paper Source or other local gift-​y shops or Francesa’s (they have Chicago glasses and kitchen towels, and quirky salt and pepper shakers and chopsticks and thermoses), but it’s all cute and I feel better about shopping local. Also, service is good — Paper Source tends to borderline harass you, but the gal here is friendly enough without being overbearing. It’s also nice that the credit card minimum is $ 10 or two cards, because sometimes I go with the best intentions and discover I’m short on cash.

This is the cutest cutest CUTEST place. Wide selection of cards to fit any of your holiday or random occasion needs, in addition to gifts for just about anyone (including yourself). Favorite purchases of mine:
-«greatest stepdad ever» father’s day card
–hand towel featuring sketch of Chicago’s buildings and their heights
–knee socks with «taco-​sauruses» on them
-«groceries & shit» canvas bag
–pop up cards with high fiving animals
Though I always end up spending too much here (paper product stores are my kryptonite), Paper Doll never fails to satisfy my whimsical compulsions. The owners are extremely friendly, and their cutie pup Rhoda is always amusing.

This store has any type of card you could possibly want. They’re a tad pricey but most of them are made locally or from recycled material. It’s a great local business.

What a cute store! They had a huge selections of new baby cards which is what I went in there for. Also having such a cute black pug greeting your customers doesn’t hurt!

Great selection of cards. For an ill friend, I picked up the «I feel crumby» card with a glass of milk acting as a doctor listening to a cookie with his stethoscope (the visual is more interesting than this description). The cards are the same price as Paper Source (e.g. $ 5 per card), but at least you can purchase locally. The sales staff were involved in their own conversation but let me know that they were available to help. I like that they let me have time for uninterrupted browsing. Warning: parking a little challenging here on the weekdays. Try to go to the side streets before 6pm when the permit rules do not kick in

Big selection of cards. Really nice cashier girl working there. Helpful and not too talkative. I like that they leave you alone when you’re looking around. Expensive but a lot of the work is unique and done by locals.

I visit this adorable shop at least once a month. I go for all greeting card, wrapping paper and small gift needs.
There is always something new there, and I always leave having purchased so much more than I went in for, but with things that will go to good use! The items, cards, paper, jewelry and trinkets are SO unique and hip. I always get awesome feedback about the wrapping or adorable gifts I get from there.
Inventory is constantly updated and each time I go there’s something more adorable than the last time.
The owner is friendly and we always engage in some nice conversation. I really like her dog too, she’s sweet and chill.
I will always shop here and am so happy we have a nice place like this in the neighborhood. It’s so important to support small business and local creatives — this is one of my favorite places to do so. Death to Hallmark!
Thanks Paper Doll, see ya soon :)

I don’t know if it’s part of the training process, but everyone who works here seems like they have eight or nine greeting cards crammed up their butt. I’m pretty sure working here is how you become one of those old ladies with their lips permanently pursed in disappointment.
It’s too bad, too, because it’s a great place to overspend on a card for someone you really love– like your mom!

Best in class.

This store was cute for a paper boutique but unfortunately I felt like just another customer. Usually I like boutique shopping because you get a feeling for the stores story behind the personnel. They only had 1 person working and she was helping people with invitations.
I would have loved to talk with someone about certain stationery, why they chose certain brands, etc.
Cute selection but they could do a better job with merchandising, things end up looking a bit cluttered piled on top of each other and it’s hard for the eye to distinguish so many colors/​designs on different levels of table.
I did end up buying rife paper company stationery (because I’m obsessed with their brand), a market list pad, and some individual postcards. Happy with my purchase, just lacked the personal touch.

Such a charming little place! I’m old school so I still like to mail my friends and family greeting cards– this is the perfect store to find something unique for everyone. The owners are very sweet (as is the lil’ pug that roams about the shop). Other than cards, they also have a ton of cute, hipster-​y, creative little gifts and trinkets. The trick is trying to escape that store without buying something for myself! Bottom line is that I love Paper Doll and will continue to go there for all my stationery/​small gift needs.

Just another review from an adoring fan.
Is it cute? Paper Doll has it. Cards, pens, trinkets, candles, buttons, baby toys, wrapping paper, journals, the list goes on! Oh and yes– PUGS. I used to go to Paper Doll when I was having a bad day just in the hopes I might see Maude. I try to introduce all my out-​of-​towners and Chicagoans to Rhoda and the glory of the stationary shop that is Paper Doll.
Not only is it adorable, but they really have a unique selection! Scented pens and squirrel things are among my favorites. I was so giddy the day I discovered a tiny box of asian stationary pads and stickers. Paper Doll is also my go-​to for my long matches in various adorable matchboxes. Okay, so I’m a big fan of cute and a forever fan of Paper Doll.

Such a wonderful place. I came in here to get help wrapping a present and the owner was incredibly helpful and kind. There’s a great selection of cool and fun gifts, cards, stationery, etc here. It’s always good to see a local store that just gets it in terms of merchandise and great customer service.
I highly recommend this store!

I am a sucker for stationery. I love cards, stickers, pens, journals, you name it. I also love stores dedicated to it. This store was definitely a surprise find — I wanted to go walking around the Ukrainian Village the last time I was in Chicago, and so I did. And I found this gem!
It is the cutest little shop with a huge variety of blank cards, greeting cards made by independent publishers/​presses, tons of cute little gifts, stickers, an assortment of bulk envelopes and the like. There is a spot in the back for you to pick out stationery for a party you’ll be hosting or a wedding. There’s something for everyone in here.
And of course, last but certainly not least, I cannot forget to add something about Rhoda, the cutest pug that comes to work with her mama. I came in from a pet store down the street and luckily I had bought quite a few treats for my dogs back home and was able to give her one. I definitely made a friend, and I even got a «Friend of Rhoda» button.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend. Stop here, you’ll find plenty of things to love, even if it’s just the feel of the store and Rhoda’s kisses.

So, I’ve recently decided to act more like a grownup (don’t worry, only sometimes). One of my resolutions in this direction was to write Thank You cards when people do nice things for me. Had I not also happened to pass Paper Doll within a few hours after making this important decision to not be a thankless jerk, I’m not entirely sure that I’d have followed through. However, just a glimpse through their window at all of those brightly-​colored letterpress jewels inside had me feeling like a kid in a candy shop.
Suddenly, Thank You cards sounded like the tip of the iceberg. Maybe I should start writing letters, sending postcards, keeping notes in fancy little journals! My life could definitely be enhanced by 10 feet of monster-​shaped stickers! Maybe I could stand to buy a bunch of artsy wrapping paper! And could it hurt to buy a handful of cute little buttons to stick all over my purse?
In the end, I found the perfect Thank You card for some friends who’ve recently done something sweet for me, plus a pack of adorable Paris-​inspired illustrated cards, a bunch of buttons, and this awesome little kinetic pirate ship sculpture by Make Waves. The icing on the cake? Meeting Rhoda, the adorable shop pug. Wish I lived here, so I could stop in and give her chin scratches more often!

This is a super overdue review. I’ve been shopping here gee, like ten years or so. Since she was located on division and wood and Maude was still around. They just have the best stationary around. So many unique and adorable cards and stationary sets. I always drop too much money in here because I always find more than I came in for. As always I also prefer to support my local independent business owner as well. Such a hidden gem, if you’re looking for a special card for a special person this is definitely the spot!

Damn you Paper Doll quit taking my hard earned dollars from me!
And give Rhoda a kiss for me.

Paper Doll is right around the corner from me, and it took me almost a year of living right by it to stop in. Now it’s my go to place to find unique greeting cards and gifts. Greeting cards are one of my favorite things. I love sending and receiving them for all sorts of different occasions. Paper Doll has a great selection of cards, and they’re not your typical run of the mile cards.

Love this card store, they have a lovely selection of letter-​pressed cards. And now i’m officially a FRIEND of RHODA’s too: D
Credit cards only accepted for purchases $ 10 or more.

Fantastic store.
I am a huge believer in giving cards (and I also adore receiving them!). It requires much more effort to give a lovely, heartfelt card instead of writing an impersonal email. I wish more people took the time to send cards. I really think the world would be a better place.
Paper Doll has a great selection of cards for all occasions, and these are not mass-​produced Hallmark cards, but instead a well-​curated assortment by independent artists, guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
In addition to cards, Paper Doll sells t-​shirts, candles, wrapping paper, kids’ books, tons of stationery and other gift items. The selection runs the gamut from vintage to contemporary.
And perhaps the best feature of Paper Doll: Rhoda. Rhoda is a small, black pug who commandeers a small couch in the back of the shop. She replaces Maude, the owner’s previous pug who passed away last year. Side note – are the dogs intentionally named after pioneering 70s female sitcom characters? If so, I am even more impressed.
Another thing that would make the world a better place? If every business had a dog or cat hanging out all day.
I’m sure someone in your life needs a card, so step away from the computer; instead make their day and pay a visit to this adorable neighborhood shop and make it happen.
Oh, and be sure and say hi to Rhoda.