At Paper Starlights, we're not only dedicated to producing environmentally sustainable products but also committed to a broader sustainability perspective. Our entire business operates as a close-knit community, from sourcing materials and design to production, shipping, and customer satisfaction. This mutual dependence ensures we uphold our sustainability values.

Our handmade paper stars are adored for their beauty, bringing happiness and embodying the spirit of our times. Made from natural materials, they resonate with today's sensibility and zeitgeist.

Now, we want to connect even further with our wider communities through Love and Light.

Since 1996, we've been experts in crafting high impact displays that are not only visually stunning but also eco-friendly. With a strong background in UK Festivals, Events, Community Arts, and Christmas Markets, we truly understand how a captivating visual show can create unforgettable experiences and foster environments where great things happen.

In 2019, we joined forces with Princes Mead shopping center in Farnborough, Hampshire, as part of our commitment to sustainability and community engagement. The center's management shared our vision, and together, we set two key objectives: first, to design an environmentally sustainable decorative display for Christmas 2019, and second, to enhance the center's role within the broader community through parallel activities.

This project was a groundbreaking experiment in making retail spaces more accessible to the community. We wanted to ensure that both partners' brand values were reflected in their engagement with the local community. The initiative aimed to spread Love and Light throughout the community, and it garnered recognition by being shortlisted for the 2020 Good Retail Community Award.

Our centerpiece display at the shopping center showcased the full range of our products. An awe-inspiring, multi-dimensional hanging display of stars within the center's iconic glass tower caught the eye from a distance of 300 yards, creating a shared experience that extended beyond the building's footprint. To install this unique display, we designed a bespoke unit on-site to ensure a seamless fit within the glass-sided structure with no need for rigging points. The result was a striking and iconic Christmas landmark that warmly welcomed visitors throughout the holiday season.

A social hub was also established in an empty unit at the center, available free of charge for community groups and charities to gather, celebrate, and work towards their community goals. The use of light, color, and geometry transformed the vacant unit into a captivating space, fostering a vibrant atmosphere to unite people.Creative of our local students as they took part in a college initiative, designing and prototyping their very own star lanterns! This exciting project aims to foster connections with local businesses and showcase the incredible talent within our community.The stars also crafted a captivating theme for the center that will be utilized throughout the entire season, making it perfect for advertising and social media.

Paperstarlights at the Princes Mead Centre from Paperstarlights on Vimeo.

Liz Marsden, Princes Mead Marketing and Promotions Manager, said:

"Working with Paper Starlights to create our community hub has meant that we have been able to not only develop existing relationships within our local community and community groups, but also to help engage with new organisations.  We have been able to work with colleges, charities in particular and open up more personal conversations with our individual customers.

This partnership has allowed us to create a sustainable model which has not only shared the entrepreneurial risks and costs but more importantly the benefits.  For us these types of projects are sustainability in its broadest and truest sense."

The project showed a clear impact on the center's foot traffic, with visitor numbers increasing by 19.8% compared to the same period in 2018.

As we move forward, we are actively exploring how our products and projects can contribute to greater sustainability, both financially and in alignment with the broader goals highlighted by Liz Marsden.