Owner of Paper Heart Design seated in a bright living space wearing a gold jersey with flowers in the background, Wellington NZ

About Us

Hi, I'm Rachel

I'm a qualified signwriter who has worked in the print industry since leaving school at 17. I have spent years in graphic design, vehicle and building signage, print management, and operating wide format printers and digital press.

When the opportunity to take over Paper Heart Design came along, it felt like the right moment at exactly the right time.

My oldest had just started school. I wanted to be present for that transition, for my first day nerves, the assemblies, cross country and the little moments that only happen once. I was also craving work that felt meaningful and flexible enough to fit around our family rather than compete with it.

Paper Heart Design gave me both.

What we make and why

Every product in our range is designed to help families capture the moments that pass too quickly.

Baby milestone books. School record books. Pregnancy journals. Personalised prints. Family tree keepsakes. Wedding books. Letters to Mum and Dad. Each one designed to be picked up when you can, filled in over time, and treasured for years and generations to come.

I know firsthand how quickly the details fade. The things you swore you would remember. The words they said, the phases they went through, the version of them that existed right then.

These products exist so you do not have to rely on memory alone.

Made in New Zealand, with care

Every keepsake book and print that leaves Paper Heart Design is designed and printed locally in Wellington, New Zealand.

I print with a small local team, bind by hand in my own home using supplies from another small home-based New Zealand business, and send orders out with a courier who lives across the street. Our paper is FSC certified, our courier bags are made from recycled plastics, and everything is made in short runs to minimise waste.

When you buy from Paper Heart Design, you are supporting a small network of New Zealand people who are all just trying to build something good.

A little bit about me

I'm a mum of two incredible kids. I live in Upper Hutt and I run this business from home, designing late at night after the kids are in bed and packing orders on Sundays and Wednesdays.

It is not always easy. But it is exactly what I wanted to build.

I hope you love our products as much as I love making them.

Rachel x

Shop our full range here