Episode 69: Craft Shows, Photography, Trademarks, and More with Stephen Brooks

Stephen Brooks talks about the many facets of running a paper flower business: how to take great photos, which craft shows to enter, how to trademark your name, and more.

If you’ve been lucky enough to see pictures of Stephen Brooks’ amazing paper roses, you’ll know why we were so excited to have him on the podcast as a guest. We love the aesthetic of his paper flower business, which was strong enough to carry over through a business name change. We’ve been following his work for years now, and he is an admin of our Paper Talk Facebook group. 

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted with Stephen about his recent business name change and the steps he took to trademark that name to avoid legal trouble in the future. This is a topic that we ourselves have wondered about, and hearing how someone else has navigated it was enlightening and encouraging. 

Our conversation also covered many aspects of running a paper flower business, including pricing and craft shows. Stephen has lots of experience in this area, and we loved seeing the flower cart he had made to sell his paper flowers at shows. 

And since Stephen is such an incredible photographer, he also gave us some tips for taking great pics of your work. Here’s a little taste of what he shared:

“If there’s one tip I could tell anyone who makes paper flowers, it’s to really spend the extra time taking great pictures. I think scrolling through Instagram and looking at different paper flowers and different paper florists, taking that extra time to take the perfect picture is so worth it.”

Here’s what you’ll learn when you listen to our conversation on the podcast: 

• How to trademark your business.

• Why you should participate in craft shows and how to choose the right one.

• How to prepare for a craft show and set up your booth.

• What to ask friends and family to find the right price point.

• How Stephen takes his beautiful photos of his paper flowers. 

Remember to join our Facebook group where Stephen is an admin, and listen now to learn from Stephen’s experience building up a successfully branded paper flower business.

Stephen began creating paper flowers in early 2017. After desperately trying to find real and artificial Juliet Roses for the celebration of the birth of his second daughter, he stumbled upon a paper flower version of the rose. After making a small bouquet of roses, he began to discover the joy that came from making these intricate flowers.

In May of 2017, Indiana Paper Company (formerly The Paper Peony) was started. Offering a variety of custom orders, Indiana Paper Company is steadily growing to provide people in the Indianapolis area and around the country with handmade paper flowers.

In addition to crafting paper flowers, Stephen is a stay-at-home dad of three, teaches piano lessons, shoots photography on the side, and co-owns a local theatre company.

Follow Stephen on Instagram @indianapapercompany, Facebook, and his website, or contact Stephen.