300 gsm recycled watercolour paper, which is rather sturdy and has a lovely texture. (GSM stands for ‘grams per square metre’ and 300 is a fairly hefty weight, which means it’s rather thick, strong card.) My paper art sculptures are individually screen printed with acrylic paints, and varnished with a UV protective lacquer. Metallic lustres are often added, which gives a lovely depth to the colours and some shimmery or iridescent qualities often associated with bird feathers.

Wire used for feet, wreaths and flower stems are (usually copper coated) steel, which is light but very strong. It is rather unwieldy for me to bend and holds the shape of the wall hangings very well.

Hanging sculptures are suspended with invisible fishing line, attached to a hand shaped (usually copper coated) steel hook, which will hang on a small nail or tack on your wall. They are not heavy and the largest sculptures can hang on one nail tack.

Small floral wreaths have no hanging hook, and can be hung directly from their wire wreath, so that you can hang them in whichever direction you fancy.

They’re pretty sturdy. Strength is one of my main concerns when working out each design. They are absolutely robust enough to withstand handling. The layers of paper needed to build them means you would have to apply rather a lot of pressure to cause any damage, though do note they are not meant as toys or playthings. They are hollow, but will happily take a little knock. While I certainly recommend handling with care, I am a rather clumsy person and can confirm they tolerate an accidental tumble well! They are painted with acrylic inks and varnished with a UV protective lacquer, which seals the edges of the design and gives them a slight satin sheen. I have a microfibre duster which I give them an occasional tickle with. Any duster or cloth will do.

They are not best suited to damp environments, so hanging them outside or in the bathroom is not recommended.

The colours should not fade, so they are perfectly happy perched in a window or in a sunny area of the house.

Add whatever you fancy from the shop to your basket and checkout. Payment is made via PayPal or Stripe. Obviously no payment details are shared with me, and PayPal/Stripe keeps your information safe and secure.

Orders are sent out whenever possible within 1 day of receiving your order.

If you would like your parcel to arrive on a specific date, please type your instructions in the box provided during checkout and I will do my very best to make that happen.

Orders to the UK are sent next day delivery via Royal Mail (First Class Signed For service).

Although kits for live workshops are sometimes sent second class signed for, if purchased much earlier than the workshop is due to take place.

Orders to other countries are sent via Parcel Force Worldwide,

Orders to US costs £25

Orders to Europe (zones 1 & 2) costs £25

Orders to the rest of the world costs a flat rate of £50. This covers extra packaging and delivery.

For orders outside of the UK, please note that Kaper is not VAT registered and I am not responsible for any taxes and charges you might have to pay in your country once your parcel has arrived.

If you are unhappy with your purchase for any reason, please get in touch via email as soon as possible. Please note that commissions and personalised items cannot be returned.

For regular shop items: You can fill out a contact form or email kaperkate@gmail.com You must get in touch before sending back any parcels, so that I know to expect it.

I am happy to refund the price of the item you purchased providing it arrives back in the same condition as it was sold (and within a reasonable timeframe of being purchased. Legally you have 28 days to return an item). You the customer will be responsible for any postage costs and fees that are incurred by returning the item.

If you live outside the UK, there will be extra documentation for you to fill in to return the package.

You will receive an email to let you know your order has been dispatched, and if you’re in the UK you can expect it to arrive within the next few days. I do my utmost to ensure parcels are packaged and protected well. If the worst happens, email kaperkate@gmail.com and I’ll get back to you ASAP. I will investigate lost parcels to the best of my ability, and if it doesn’t turn up, or damage has incurred in transit, I will do what I can to get a replacement out to you. Please bear in mind that all sculptures are unique, so an exact replica is not possible. They also take some time to build (roughly 3 weeks from scratch). If you have any concerns and would prefer to pay for Special Delivery (which is a Royal Mail next day signed for and insured service) do get in touch to sort out payment (roughly £8-22 depending on size of the parcel).

All sculptures are wrapped in tissue paper, gift wrapped in a box tied with a paper ribbon bow. If necessary, this box is wrapped with cardboard as an extra protective layer, before being wrapped in kraft paper and sealed with paper tape. All packaging is from recycled stock, and can go in your paper recycling bin (including all tape, postcards and stickers etc). I aim to strike a happy balance between delivering a pretty package and being environmentally friendly. If travelling overseas, I might use reused bubble wrap I have accrued from gallery work returned to me. This is not currently recyclable, but can be reused again and again.

Receipts are emailed and there will not be one inside the box, unless such information is required by customs.

Of course. All sculptures arrive in a gift box, tied with ribbon. If you’d like to include a hand written message to your loved one, do leave a note when ordering, or send an email with your message. No receipt will be in the parcel. And even the outer package is nicely wrapped. Currently I’m using a wedgewood blue kraft paper, and I usually doodle flowers around the address.

Absolutely. I will always do my best to send your item how and when you want it. Please keep in mind that post delays are out of my control. The Next Day signed for service I use in the UK should arrive before 1pm on whatever day you choose (with the exception of Sunday)

If you would prefer the extra security of special delivery, and are happy to pay for it, your parcel should arrive on a day of your choosing before 1pm. Get in touch for any particular requests.

I do indeed! You can find out how it works, and fill out a form to get started setting up your plan HERE

Yes. Please get in touch (kaperkate@gmail.com) if you would like to commission something and I can design something new for you.

I am always happy to make new designs, or tweak current pieces with different colours etc.

If you have found something on social media that is not currently in the shop, it might be that I haven’t listed it yet, or am in the process of making this design. All designs are available in any colour or arrangement you might fancy. Please bear in mind I cannot make a replica of something that has already been sold. The new piece could be similar, but each one is handmade and inevitably there will be differences. I rather like this about my sculptures. Every one of my customers owns a unique piece.

Orders usually take around 3 weeks to make for you.

I am currently working on a series of kits that will be expanding and developing over the coming months.

Bespoke workshops are available via zoom, and you can find more information about that, and various free activity videos on the Tutorials tab at the top of the page.

I currently has no plans to do any in-person workshops.

I aim to run as green a business as I can.

My sculptures are made from FSC paper from recycled sources. All cut offs from my main designs are collected and used in embellishments and very little goes in my paper bin.

I use acrylic paints and lustres so that my sculptures retain their colours, even when exposed to harsh UV rays. I’m very careful to use up all the paint from my palette, to make sure that none goes in down the drain or in landfill. I’m currently collecting my empty tubes. When they’re completely dry they can be taken to recycling plants to be reformed into something else.

I use paper packaging, including recycled paper boxes, paper tape and stickers, and recycled paper post cards. All packaging materials can go straight in your paper recycling.

All of the materials and tools I use in my business are vegan.

My sculptures cannot be recycled. They are sturdy and varnished (with a water based lacquer). If you have any reason to want to dispose of your sculpture, please get in touch.

Not really. Very occasionally I find some very old stock, which I may offer as surprise Boxes of Treasure on the website, but this happens vary rarely. I occasionally have a secret sale, and the only way to gain access to this is by signing up to my mailing list.

If you’re in love with the idea of having a larger piece, but find it is not within your budget, you might be interested in entering one of my charity raffles. I periodically make a special piece to raise money for good causes.

I can set up a payment plan if you’d like to pay in instalments for a larger piece. More information can be found HERE

My name is Kate Kelly, which is fairly common and very similar to a popular British actress, so it felt tricky to use it for my business. It combines my initial with paper, my primary material. A caper is a playful dance or adventure, which is exactly how I view my sculptures and business. Kaper is also an old Dutch word for pirate, which appeals to my playful nature. KaperKate is my social media handle, and Pirate Kate sounds like an adventurer, don’t you think? (Which is especially fitting considering I have a little rescue parrot who enjoys saying '“Alright Mate?” while perched on my shoulder.)

The Kaper Menagerie became my website name because it reflects the type of work I make. If you’ve followed my work for a long time, you’ll know I tried a few different names for the website. “Kaper, The Paper Sculpture Menagerie” is how I described my business, so the website name felt very fitting.