It’s not easy to keep your staff happy and working to the best of their ability. As an employer you must not only manage your staff and be an excellent communicator, but you must also be able to keep your team driven and feeling valued. One of the best ways to keep your office motivated is to take part in seasonal celebrations. Let’s face it; it’s not easy going into work over the Christmas season and as Christmas day draws nearer and nearer, we all tend to want to be with our families and friends celebrating. However if you bring a little Christmas into the office, your staff we feel as though they are celebrating the moment too. Have you ever worked in an office where the decorations where adequate for such an occasion? More often than not, offices are decorated with very little in the way of holiday decorations; however we can help you make a tree which will be sure to impress even the most demanding of Christmas enthusiasts.

You Will Need

• Christmas tree – artificial is best
• Paper clips
• Various other office supplies
• CD’s
• Shredded Paper

Firstly you will need to put together your tree using the instructions provided. Remember, the best time to add lights on any Christmas tree is now. It is pretty much impossible to add lights in an effective way when you have already loaded the tree with decorations.

Next you will need to decide on an object to go on top of the tree which is symbolic to your office, some kind of mascot maybe. This would have been hopeless in the case of one of my previous jobs; our office mascot was my 2 year old daughter! Take a look around the office, maybe there’s a teddy that you all believe brings you luck, a stapler which has been lost and found a ridiculous amount of times and has become some kind of a joke, or maybe there’s a giant rubber band ball which everyone has been adding too. Whatever seems appropriate for your office, use it. You may need to use paper clips to help secure your object to the top of the tree.

Your next stage would be to decorate your tree with a tinsel substitute, remember, this is an office Christmas tree. You could link paper clips to make shiny silver chains or join CD’s using rubber bands to make a giant shiny length of tinsel. Alternatively, cut sticky strips from Post-it Notes to make paper chains (this works best with various different coloured Post-it Notes). Drape your tinsel substitutes around the tree making sure to evenly cover the tree.

Using paper clips or tape, hang various office products from your tree as bauble substitutes. Use items such as staple removers, pens, staple strips, rubber stamps, glue sticks, you get the idea. You could even go all out there and throw on some shredded paper or hole punch confetti as artificial snow.

Last but not least stick some pressies under the tree. Maybe you could organise some kind of secret Santa where everyone picks a name out of a hat and buys a present (up to a certain value) for that person. Your tree is now complete – enjoy!

For the past three Christmas’s I’ve been hopelessly searching for one of those very useful Christmas card holders which effectively display your Christmas cards without cluttering your surfaces! I have had no joy at all and so if like me you’re looking for a Christmas card solution, then read on!

These little treasures are a real Christmas essential and depending on the design they can even be adapted for birthday, anniversaries or any celebration. They allow you to display all of your beautiful cards putting an end to the sorry Christmas card pile often seen on kitchen counters and desks. Christmas card holders take no time at all to make and cost very little in the way of money too. Follow the proceeding guide lines for cheerful, bright holders which will double up as a decoration in themselves! At a glance you will be reminded of just how popular you are, reading the messages from your loved ones and treasured friends. You could even make these handy holders as gifts for your nearest and dearest’s.

You Will Need

• 4-inch thick Styrofoam
• Lolly sticks/Drinks stirrers
• Paper clips
• Styrofoam letters (to spell out a word marking your occasion like J, O and Y)
• Craft glue (PVA)
• 4-inch wide ribbon (colour depending on occasion)
• Acrylic paint
• Hot glue
• Glue gun
• Artificial holly leaves and berries (depending on occasion)
• Pins

1. Firstly, protect your surfaces with old newspaper or a sheet. Take a piece of Styrofoam, approximately 4 inches thick and cut it to your desired dimensions. We recommend a good size to be about 16 inches by 12 inches. Now decide whether this will be a Christmas card holder, a birthday card holder, or other and paint it in appropriate colours. Next paint approximately 23 stirrers or lolly sticks in colours appropriate to the occasion. Take your letters and paint them again in suitable colours. Bear in mind that the painting process will take time and you will need to wait for the first coats to dry before you can turn them over and paint the other side. Leave everything to dry for roughly an hour.
2. Take your ribbon and with the glue, stick it around the edge of your Styrofoam. If you think it needs a little extra adhesion while it dry’s; use pins in vital corners. Using your hot glue gun, glue a paper clip to the top end of each lolly stick/stirrer, making sure that it is not hanging over the stick. Break or cut in half three sticks/stirrers and apply glue to the broken ends. Push the sticks into your painted Styrofoam letters using half a stick for each of your letters. Please note; you may need more sticks depending on your chosen word.
3. Push the sticks with letters intact into the front of your Styrofoam and then pull them back out. Next, take your glue and drip some into the holes made by the sticks making sure to add some glue to the ends of the sticks too. Push the sticks back into the holes making sure that your order is correct and they spell out your chosen word. Repeat the process for the sticks with paper clips attached making sure that the paper clips are at the back so that they are concealed. Position these sticks at different levels, along the sides and bottom, alternating them so that some stick out further than others.
4. Depending on your occasion decorate your card holder with holly and berries. For each letter, take off two holly leaves and some berries. Put the two leaves together placing the berries in the middle and glue them in place. Spruce up your hanger with the remaining sprigs. Due to the nature of the Styrofoam, you should just be able to stick them in, however you may need to help them stay in place a little firmer with glue. Your hanger is now complete, all you need is cards!

I have just seen possibly the best desk organisational tool ever! It is such a great idea and kicks the old desk cup into touch! This ingenious, space saving and dividing tool will safely store all your desktop accessories close to hand, while keeping them within arm’s reach and organising them into their individual categories. But what makes it so fun is it’s unique Post-it note dispenser facility AND it’s Scotch Tape dispenser! I’m really liking this, I just need to come up with a way to re-organise my office so that I can have an under desk pedestal with drawers. Hmmm…

So with great excitement and pleasure I’d like to introduce you to the 3M C71 Post-it Drawer Tray featured below. Convenience reaches a new level with this clutter reducing organiser! Dispensing Post-it® Notes, Post-it® Flags and Scotch® tape, this tray will enable you to keep your office essentials within easy reach in a very funky way!

• Adjusts to fit most standard desk drawers
• Dispenses Post-it notes 655, Z-notes R330, Index (two colours) and Scotch Magic tape 19mm x 33m (all supplied)
• WxDxH: 253-405 x 297 x 40mm
• Black

It really is the ideal solution for drawer organisation and can hold a variety of office supplies, even expanding to fit most standard drawers. How accommodating! What’s more, the tray is made using 100% pre-consumer recycled content. Keep on top of your desk tidy drawer supplies with our product refill finder here;

• Post-it Notes Refills
• Post-it Z Notes Refills
• Post-it Index Notes Refills
• Scotch Magic Tape Refills

The Green Bit

3M, the makers of Post-it, is a company committed to sustainability. This isn’t a new initiative or a recently introduced strategy. For more than 30 years, it’s the way they’ve done business. All Post-it notes and easel pads are made with paper from well managed forests where trees are re-planted, plus recycled Post-it notes and easel pads are made from 100% recycled paper and contains 30% postconsumer content. Post-it promise to;

• Solve their own environmental pollution and conservation problems
• Prevent pollution at the source, whenever and wherever possible
• Develop products that will have a minimum effect on the environment
• Conserve natural resources through the use of reclamation and other useful methods
• Assure that their facilities and products meet and sustain the regulations of all federal, state and local environmental agencies
• Assist wherever possible, governmental agencies and other official organisations engaged in environmental activities

3M have conducted recycling trials on Post-it® Notes at recycled paper mills. The adhesive on the paper does not interfere with paper recycling because the adhesive is substantially removed in the paper deinking process. The dyes in the paper are removed in the deinking process. The 100% recycled content notes contains 70% preconsumer and 30% postconsumer fiber. Post-it® Easel Pads are also available with 30% postconsumer content paper.

We use many little items in our homes and offices every day which can be taken for granted, such as paperclips, staples, pins and so much more. There is one item however that is continuously used for a number of different purposes, which is never shoved to the back of a draw and which is counted upon by us all. This is of course, clear tape. However, when we’re hollering up the stairs or across the office for the tape, we’re not shouting; ‘who’s got the clear tape?’ we are in fact shouting ‘who’s got the Sellotape?’. The Sellotape brand has become so big that we now refer to ‘sticky tape’ as ‘Sellotape’, much like a vacuum cleaner is referred to often as a ‘Hoover’.

For over 70 years, Sellotape has remained the market leading brand of sticky tape and the most famous household and office name of tape. It is so well known across the globe that it even has an entry in the English dictionary! They are aware that they have many competitors in the running, which is why they understand the importance of continuing to develop their ideas and innovations whilst maintaining their immaculate reputation. As big Sellotape fans here at Office 365, we think that it’s only right to introduce our range of clear tape to you through our favourite sticky tape brand. Take a look at our 12 Pack of Sellotape Original featured to your right.

• The stickiest clear tape you can buy
• Can be torn by hand so no need for scissors
• Biodegradable – kinder to the environment
• Non-static for better control, will not tangle
• Large rolls
• Size: 25mmx66m
• Packed 12

This pack of 12 will keep your home or your office stocked up for a while and will no doubt stop the cries of ‘who’s got the Sellotape?’ With 12 in a pack you’ll be able to provide every desk with their own roll and at these prices; you can buy multiple packs to cater for even the larger offices. With 54% off, you can now save yourself an incredible £17.99, making this pack just £15.62!

The Green Bit

At Sellotape, tape is made using the Hot-Melt technique because they believe that this method produces less waste and is more environmentally friendly. Any solvent used to make the release coating is destroyed in a thermal oxidiser which ensures that no dangerous or harmful gases are released into the atmosphere. In the process of converting any harmful gases into clean air, heat is produced from the thermal oxidiser. This heat is used to power the drying oven. This ensures that the process is not only very environmentally friendly but efficient.

Glue sticks are a vital accessory for every home, office and school. They provide a fast and mess free solution for all your adhesive needs. We’ve chosen one for you today and to give you a better idea as to why you should go for UHU, we’ve done a little research.

For 70 years now, UHU Alleskleber have been the leading brand for adhesives in Europe. They have become the most used word for adhesives in Germany and Austria! For this period, UHU have created a wide range of adhesives which have grown up around the famous crystal-clear adhesive in the yellow tube that has made the company as famous as it is. For every adhesive need there is an UHU adhesive to solve it. The ever expanding UHU range meets all possible user requirements and actually covers all areas of use, from school, to office, from craft work to DIY, not to mention manual work to industry!

Our favourite glue, probably as it is the most frequently used, is the UHU Glue Stick featured to your right.

This original glue stick forms a strong, long lasting bond with just a single stroke and goes on smoothly with no clumps. It is washable, acid free & photo safe whilst also being ideal for paper, cardboard and photos. The patented threaded cap keeps air out which prevents the glue from drying outs. With it’s aim to be safe for use by all, it has been developed with a non-toxic formula making this safe for child’s use.

• Glues paper, card, labels and expanded styrofoam
• Clean, fast, strong and long-lasting
• Unique screw cap prevents drying out
• Non-toxic and solvent-free
• Glides smoothly
• Cold washable
• Ideal for school, home or office
• 21g
• Packed 12

For a greater choice of Glue Sticks, take a look at our full selection on line and if you have any enquiries at all, feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to help. Also keep an eye out for our fantastic offers, the above for example is available with 52% off!

Flexocare are a brand brought to us from Kendon Flexocare Ltd who have the most comprehensive assortment of retail, commercial and industrial packaging products in the UK! The company is based in Billingborough, Lincolnshire, which is about 15 miles east of Grantham.

Their well known market leading Flexocare branded products can be found in most well known retail outlets, mail-order catalogues and wholesalers. The Flexocare brand offer a popular range of packaging products, as well as innovative mailing and storage products exclusive to the Kendon Flexocare brand. The company also offers a wide range of industrial packaging products and materials for use in manufacturing and warehousing. They are the largest independent converters of bubble film and foam in the UK, designing and manufacturing bags, sheets and covers for a vast variety of customers with diverse requirements. The companies strength lies in their independence and flexibility. They pride themselves on offering an unparalleled product range, reliable deliveries and unrivalled customer service.

Their selection of postal tubes offer the ideal solution for storing and mailing delicate or important artwork, documents and paperwork. They are made from 1.5mm – 2mm thick spiral wound board and are supplied complete with plastic end caps.
These Postal Tubes offer a glossy look to a mailing campaign, or can aid in categorisation if being used for storing plans, maps, posters, artworks, photos, etc. So for your pick of these fantastic Flexocare Postal Tubes, take a look at the site where at the moment, you will find a fantastic 29% off!

Also from Flexocare is the very useful Printed Tape (to your left). These are Hazard Warning Tapes for industrial and warehouse use. Hazard Warning Tape is simple to apply for safety in the workplace and is supplied on rolls 50mm wide x 33m long and is available in either Yellow/Black or Red/White. If you’d like to take a look at our choice of Flexocare Printed Tape, take a look at the site and you will find generous reductions across the range at the moment, such as 24% off this black/yellow tape.

Being strong believers in the protection of our planet and with the ever increasing pressure on suppliers to produce environmentally friendly products, Kendon Flexocare are pleased to offer a range of products that are available from their Flexocare Green range. You will find products such as their packing, kraft and coloured paper; bubble wrap, storage boxes and postal tubes.

The world off Pritt Glue is an extensive one with many varieties to offer and a great deal of solutions for a long line of adhesive needs. At Office 365 we are pleased to offer you our vast selection of Pritt solvents and adhesives and are proud of the collection we have.

The first glue stick was invented in 1969 by Pritt who have grown to become one of the major global brands for consumer adhesives. Not only is Pritt a worldwide brand, but in March 2001, Pritt was literally launched as a “Universe-wide” brand! On March 17, 2001, a Soyuz rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodome in Kazakhstan carrying a cargo of Pritt products bound for the International Space Station (ISS). On board, Russian Cosmonaut Yury Usachev, Commander of the ISS, personally tested the Pritt products. Upon rigorous daily use under zero-gravity and other extreme conditions of space, Pritt was officially awarded the exclusive seal of “Space Proof Quality”!

However, at Office 365 you will not only find the ever famous Pritt Stick, you will also find a selection of PVA and Spray Mount adhesives, Rollers, Tacks, Fixers and Dots, but also a selection of correction media too! Office 365′s range of Pritt correction rollers can help in so many ways;

• Convenient solution for correcting handwritten or typed paper sheets
• Applies dry
• Instantly writes and types over
• Photocopies without shadows or marks
• Clean (no mess), quick (instant application) and accurate (even application of correction tape)
• Economic opportunity for heavy and / or price sensitive users
• For correcting dots, small areas and fine lines

The variety of adhesives benefit by being;

• Fast on paper: 15 sec. instead of 1-2 min.
• Highly precise and very convenient to apply
• Very clean: no mess, no smearing or running, a dry up is impossible
• Refillable – the economical solution for frequent users

Plus, fixing has never been so easy:

• Non-permanent gluing solution
• Convenient substitute for nails and pins
• No damage of sticked products when removed
• Easy to remove and re-usable
• For multiple, discrete fixing results
• Clean and easy to use
• Very strong: A pad holds up to 800g!
• Both sides of the pads bond strongly

With Pritt products there is no need to worry. The solvent-free Pritt Stick celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2004, being an environmental and economic success with more than one billion units sold. Henkel obviously places particularly high priority on its ecological compatibility and product safety, especially as it is often used by children. The Pritt Stick is solvent-free, PVC-free and certified to comply with stringent EU child safety legislation.

So, to take a look at our variety of Pritt products, take a look at the site and choose from a great range to suit all your different needs.

The Green Bit

Pritt are part of the Henkel brand who began to consider environmental and social issues and to take public expectations seriously at a very early stage. Throughout its 130-years history, the company has demonstrated its commitment to protect the environment as well as the health and safety of its consumers and employees. For example, the Company introduced regular ecological testing of detergents and household cleaners as long ago as 1959. In 1991, Henkel was one of the first companies to sign the Business Charter for Sustainable Development of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Environmental protection, safety, health, and quality aspects have been given a top priority at Henkel for decades. The continuous improvement in these areas is an integral part of their Vision & Values and Henkel has therefore drawn up binding standards and requirements which are implemented at every site all over the world. Their implementation is regularly checked by means of internal audits and external certifications and the outstanding quality of their products means more than convenience and high performance. It includes all-encompassing product safety and ecological compatibility. Customers and consumers alike can depend upon the fact that Henkel products and technologies have been tested thoroughly to ensure that, when used as intended, they are safe for health and the environment. Potential risks that may be associated with new products are systematically assessed as early as the research and development phases.

The principles of sustainability and corporate social responsibility are taken into consideration from the outset in their research projects and product development. The Pritt Stick shows how Henkel replaced mineral oil based raw materials by suitable renewable raw materials at an early stage. In 1991, Henkel started to develop alternatives to a variety of raw materials. The prospect of finding a substitute raw material that would reduce dependence on mineral oil based polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was also economically interesting, as the great demand for PVP was met by just a few suppliers. The quality of the glue stick produced with an alternative raw material had to be at least equal to that of the existing product. This is when starch was discovered as the potential alternative raw material, as it has good adhesive properties when it is appropriately chemically modified. After a development period and a test phase of two years, consumer tests were successfully concluded and the first generation of the starch-based Pritt Stick was produced. In 2000, PVP was finally completely replaced. Worldwide, Henkel is the only supplier of starch-based glue sticks.

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Sellotape still come out top on all consumer sticky tape surveys. Since the 1930′s and still now over 70 years on, Sellotape remain the market leading brand of sticky tape and the most famous household name of tape even to have an entry in the English dictionary! With so many competitors in the running, it’s important that Sellotape continue to develop their ideas and innovations whilst maintaining their immaculate reputation. They’ve had no problems so far, but is it any wonder with credentials like this?

Sellotape have ISO9000 standard manufacturing plants in the UK and New Zealand, and is sold in many countries. The Sellotape company is owned by Henkel Consumer Adhesives, which is part of the largest adhesive company in the world! As a brand leader in the UK, Sellotape won Superbrands’ Most Trustworthy Brand Award in 2003, beating the likes of Rolls Royce!

There are many different kinds of Sellotape available and we have a great selection for you at Office 365. With cable accessories, clear tape, display panel accessories, double sided tape, drafting tape, glue products, invisible tape, packing equipment,  packing tape, Sellotape tape dispensers and more, Office 365 can cater your every Sellotape need. So why not take a look at our Sellotape products for a complete choice.

The Green Bit

At Sellotape, tape is made using the Hot-Melt technique because they believe that this method produces less waste and is more environmentally friendly. Any solvent used to make the release coating is destroyed in a thermal oxidiser which ensures that no dangerous or harmful gases are released into the atmosphere. In the process of converting any harmful gases into clean air, heat is produced from the thermal oxidiser. This heat is used to power the drying oven. This ensures that the process is not only very environmentally friendly but efficient.

You work in an intense office, your full concentration and attention is required of the job in hand. Focus. Your ideas and vocabulary are flowing beautifully now, you’re on the right pattern of thought, maybe you will meet the deadline after all, the……RRRRRRRIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!……Your every so considerate colleague has decided to wrap that package that needs sending and the noise of the packing tape has put your right off your train of thought, it’s gone. Packing tape or any tape for that matter can be a very annoying noisy thing in an office and Vibac are aware of this. They put they minds together and came up with a solution to the problem, what a thoughtful company! Due to their care and innovation, Vibac’s self-adhesive tapes are well recognized, appreciated and used extensively all over the world and they deserve the credit in my opinion!

Featured to the right is our Vibac packing tape selection.

• Low noise polypropylene tape
• Especially suitable for low temperature applications giving an excellent adhesion
• Packed 6
• Size: 50mmx66m
• Available in Clear and Buff

The Vibac Group is one of the leader companies focused on the development and the production of a diversified line of self-adhesive tapes. The Company operates a Tape Division dedicated to the production of pressure sensitive tapes for carton sealing and other purposes. It always good to know when you’re purchasing from a company who focus solely on the product type you’re purchasing. That focus and dedication to a single product can only result in an extra special item!

The Green Bit

Vibac’s positive impact towards the environment is extremely important to them. Their tape is formulated with a backing where Polyvinyl Chloride is completely absent. Their Ecological New Generation can be printed easily, used safely, unwound in a simple and silent way and, finally, it establishes itself as an ecological winning choice compared with all the other Tapes with a Polyvinyl Chloride backing (PVC).

There is plenty of brown packing tape and clear packing tape to choose from at Office 365, so if this one isn’t right for you, don’t panic, there is generous choice! Just call our team if you need any help – 0870 766 1624

Let The Battle Commence!

Drum roll please….In the left corner, we have the trustworthy, the famous, you can even find him in the dictionary, the leader of tape brands, put your hands together for…Sellotape! *Applause* And in the right corner, he may be transparent, although some call him frosty and he may be 76 years old, but he’s certainly popular, ladies and gentlemen make some noise for…..Scotch! *Applause*

Round 1

To your left we have Sellotape. Sellotape are high quality, reliable, efficient, and solution oriented. Here we have a small mirror finish Sellotape dispenser. A stylish, modern desktop essential with a non-slip base that takes small rolls up to 19mm x 33m. Sellotape are the largest adhesive company in the world. They even have their own entry in the Oxford English Dictionary as a brand name. Sellotape have been synonymous with adhesive tape for generations and have even won Superbrands’ Most Trustworthy Brand Award in 2003, beating the likes of Rolls Royce!

Round 2

To your right our Scotch contender, we have a sleek wave design desk Scotch tape dispenser complete with 1 roll of Scotch Magic Tape. With it’s integral tape hub and heavy weighted base for easy one-handed dispensing, Scotch is putting up an equal fight! Scotch tape appears frosty on the roll, yet is invisible on paper. You can even write on the tape with a pen, pencil or marker. So who’s it going to be Scotch or Sellotape?

Scotch and Sellotape have been battling head to head for years now and like the general public, we can’t quite make up our minds who the winner is. So if like us, you can’t decide, why not take a look at all of our tape dispensers and compare qualities not just brands!