Tiny Turns Paperie opened in 2019 as, appropriately enough, a tiny space on the upper floor of Somerville’s Bow Market. I remember taking a quick browse through the whole 163 square feet. Eventually it doubled in size and, in 2023, moved to the much larger space it occupies now, with a main entrance on Somerville Avenue. Owner Jen Palacio loved making art as a child, which she continued to do as an adult working in the corporate world; happily for the area, she left and opened Tiny Turns. Opening the year before the pandemic made for a difficult beginning, but she hung on. Today it’s a beautiful little shop.
Stationery was the focus of the store as it opened, and it remains serious about writing. There are shelves filled with blank books, notepads, guided journals, paper and a “tester pen bar” where you can try any pen before purchase. I’m a big fan of pen and paper, so this all makes me inordinately happy.
There was room to add gifts and small items as Tiny Turns grew. There’s a nice selection of them now, including some of Jen’s own creations, and cards to browse through on racks and in boxes. Posters and artwork line the walls, framed and not. Notable are protest posters from Colorado’s Ladyfinger Letterpress, “Respect my Existence or Expect My Resistance” and “The Best Activism is Equal Parts Anger and Love” among them.
There are coloring books, jigsaw puzzles and lots of the boxed quiz games that are so popular, testing general knowledge, beer trivia, travel and lots more. Another item that appealed to me – a box of cards offering “Random Things to Do That Are Way More Fun Than the Things You Actually Have To Do.” Coffee mugs, magnets, stickers, keychains, quality hourglasses, duck umbrellas, fidget toys, and I spied one “Hoptimist,” the cheerful smiling bouncing toy from Denmark. (They’re expecting more of those.) Of course a shop in Union Square is almost obligated to have some Fluff-related items, and Tiny Turns has canvas bags and baseball caps.
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Cards at Tiny Turns Paperie. (Photo: Carson Paradis) -
The pens for sale at Tiny Turns Paperie … (Photo: Carson Paradis) -
… can be tried before purchase. (Photo: Carson Paradis) -
More cards are displayed along the walls. (Photo: Carson Paradis)
Tiny Turns rewards a serious browse. I haven’t managed to list everything it sells! And bonus – you’ll be in Bow Market, where you can visit other small shops: ceramics at The Bright Spot, home goods at Green Tiger & Co. or more than a dozen other retailers (whom we hope to give their own write-up). Another bonus is being able to choose from many lunch or snack options, from tacos to banh mi to pizza and more. If you’re feeling festive, add a glass of wine or beer at Rebel Rebel and Remnant Brewing or a cocktail from Nook.
Tiny Turns Paperie, 339 Somerville Ave., Union Square, Somerville. Open seven days a week.
