Build Guides
Original Greek is committed to providing you with as much information and support as possible. This is why we've started to create guides for you if you decide to Do-It-Yourself.
We'll show you how to get started, what materials we recommend, and some of the techniques we use to build our unique products. It's currently under construction, but we hope to have it available to you as soon as possible.
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If you need help now, we're more than happy to help. You can contact us here.
Getting Started with Paddles
Are you here because you were told you needed to purchase a paddle and you have no idea what that entails? Great! We're here to help make the process as easy as possible.
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Original Greek is proud to have created over 1000 paddles for the collegiate Greek community. You can trust us to create a memorable gift your recipient will cherish as well as be admired and envied by onlookers. Below is a guide to help you get started.
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After submitting a custom order form and a sketch, one of our Project Managers will contact you with a quote. We'll break down everything so you can see where you might need to make adjustments to fit your budget. Once ready, we’ll send you a secure invoice for payment.
As soon as payment is made, one of our designers will pick up the project and start digitizing your sketch. After he/she has finished the digital design, they will contact you for your approval. If you aren’t satisfied with the design, you have one complimentary edit to refine to your liking. Note that some edits may be too complex and incur an additional design fee. We’ll make sure to let you know if that’s the case.
Once you approve the digital design, we will start the production process. We will provide updates during every stage of the design so you can be comfortable knowing exactly how your paddle is going to come out.
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Aside from our shop products, we also offer the following services. Make sure to contact us for a quote if you're interested in either of these!
Laser Engraving
Have something you want engraved? Come by our shop in Walnut to add the personalized touch its needed. We can engrave on all woods, cast acrylics, leather, and most uncoated metals.
Paddle Touch-ups and Fixes
Something just not right with your paddle? Did it not come out the way you wanted? We've fixed many paddles in the past.
Embroidery
Need to purchase a set of letters for formals?
Screen Printing/Heat Press
Need custom jerseys for your team or shirts for your rush event?
Large Format Printing
We can print banners, signs, and posters for your next event.
Stickers/Decals
coming soon
Business Cards/Flyers/Brochures
Deck your rush table out with the proper papers.
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Aside from our shop products, we also offer the following services. Make sure to contact us for a quote if you're interested in either of these!
Laser Engraving
Have something you want engraved? Come by our shop in Walnut to add the personalized touch its needed. We can engrave on all woods, cast acrylics, leather, and most uncoated metals.
Paddle Touch-ups and Fixes
Something just not right with your paddle? Did it not come out the way you wanted? We've fixed many paddles in the past.
Embroidery
Need to purchase a set of letters for formals?
Screen Printing/Heat Press
Need custom jerseys for your team or shirts for your rush event?
Large Format Printing
We can print banners, signs, and posters for your next event.
Stickers/Decals
coming soon
Business Cards/Flyers/Brochures
Deck your rush table out with the proper papers.
- 04
Paint, Finish, and Add Ons assembly included. Your paddle is ready to be gifted.
- 05
You don't need to be an artist to have a good sketch. Mainly, all we are looking for is the general shape and placements of what you want on your paddle. We've seen hundreds of sketches and will always offer guidance along the way.
- 06
After submitting a custom order form and a sketch, one of our Project Managers will contact you with a quote. We'll break down everything so you can see where you might need to make adjustments to fit your budget. Once ready, we’ll send you a secure invoice for payment.
As soon as payment is made, one of our designers will pick up the project and start digitizing your sketch. After he/she has finished the digital design, they will contact you for your approval. If you aren’t satisfied with the design, you have one complimentary edit to refine to your liking. Note that some edits may be too complex and incur an additional design fee. We’ll make sure to let you know if that’s the case.
Once you approve the digital design, we will start the production process. We will provide updates during every stage of the design so you can be comfortable knowing exactly how your paddle is going to come out.
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While the paddle might have a negative connotation outside of Greek life. Inside, it's a gift given to someone whose support you appreciate in your Greek journey. Whether it's part of your organization's tradition or not, the paddle is symbolic of the relationship you have with the person you are gifting it to.
It might be banned in some organizations, which is why we don't really care if they're called paddles. To us, they're art pieces with sentimental value and sometimes even function! (More on that later)
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After submitting a custom order form and a sketch, one of our Project Managers will contact you with a quote. We'll break down everything so you can see where you might need to make adjustments to fit your budget. Once ready, we’ll send you a secure invoice for payment.
As soon as payment is made, one of our designers will pick up the project and start digitizing your sketch. After he/she has finished the digital design, they will contact you for your approval. If you aren’t satisfied with the design, you have one complimentary edit to refine to your liking. Note that some edits may be too complex and incur an additional design fee. We’ll make sure to let you know if that’s the case.
Once you approve the digital design, we will start the production process. We will provide updates during every stage of the design so you can be comfortable knowing exactly how your paddle is going to come out.
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We’ll paint and finish the paddle for you! Add Ons will be provided unassembled.
- 10
Our designers will be creating your paddle from your sketch and reference pictures. Complexity determines the rate and starts at $25.
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You can send your sketch in any of the 3 ways listed below:
1.) You may upload your sketch on the order form (Question #10).
2.) After filling out the order form, you will receive a confirmation email. You may reply to this email with your sketch attached.
3.) Once a representative contacts you with a free quote, you may send it via your preferred method of contact.
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If you've been required to purchase a paddle, finding out if there are limitations will help narrow your project and choose what type from our options below:
Paddle Types
Traditional Paddle (View Gallery)
These are the epitome of paddles. With a traditional shape, no modifications link to modifications definition have been applied. If your organization is all about tradition, these are the ones you want. We offer these in Maple and Oak Wood (read about the differences in Wood type here).
Semi-Custom (View Gallery)
"What...? These are paddles? That's so extra!" -real person
Yes! These paddles have extra characteristics, but why not? Traditional paddles are displayed in greek houses, why not make them an art piece?
Semi-Custom paddles are that extra step above our traditional line. With ready-made templated shapes and features, this is the perfect option if you want something different without breaking the bank. You can personalize these with your own information such as greek letters and names.
OG Full Custom (View Gallery)
There is another step above Semi-Custom—and that's our Full Custom option. This is for anyone who wants a totally unique product created from scratch. You can design everything or even allow us total creative freedom. You can find the Full Custom Build guide here.
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Piece the paddle however you’d like! No paint/finish and Add Ons will be provided unassembled.
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Because our custom process can differ from project to project, we require a set-up fee of $35. This fee is standard throughout custom processes.
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Now that you have an idea of what kind of paddle you want to purchase, it's time to find a place. Unsurprisingly, paddles are not very popular outside of greek life barring its negative reputation. Paddle shops are few and far between and might not have what you're looking for. Luckily, places like Etsy provide a marketplace for niche markets. Here's ours!
Additionally, there's other Greek websites that specialize in apparel and also sell traditional paddles; however, you won't find a selection like ours. We take pride in our craft and creating admirable products is what we strive for.
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1.) We strongly suggest drawing your sketch either before or while filling out the order form.
2.) Have supplemental pictures ready. Let's say you want a plaque of a puppy on your paddle - it would be best to have a specific picture of a puppy that you want. You may send any supplemental pictures along with your sketch.
3.) Simplicity is key! If you want a puppy on your paddle, you can simply draw a circle with the word "puppy" next to it to show us that that's where you want it. An elaborate drawing may be nice, but a circle is just as good.
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We don’t like this fee at all. Your paddles are art pieces that will last a lifetime and we’d hate to rush it, but sometimes it is necessary to have a Project finished quickly. We offer unassembled options to meet deadlines under our 'current turnaround for custom work' time.
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There are a few ways to reduce the cost, but our recommendation is purchasing the paddle unassembled. You can save a good chunk of the paddle price by painting and sticking the letters on yourself. We have guides available to help!
You can also save money by getting your whole class to order with us! Ask your project manager for how much!
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Processing for our shop items typically take between 1-3 business days, depending on the product. Some products, such as semi-custom items, take 3-5 business days due to their complexity.
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For smaller items, we use USPS First Class which takes about 3-5 business days to arrive. For larger items, we use UPS.
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To avoid any rush fees, please make sure to pay sooner than our 'current turnaround' time. Any payments made after will incur a rush fee.
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We take Paypal, Debit/Credit Card, Cash, and Check.
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If you did not receive the package on the date indicated by USPS tracking, USPS recommends the following:
Looking for the package somewhere near your front door or asking your neighbors. Sometimes, postal workers leave packages near doorsteps and not near residential post office boxes. Also, a well-meaning neighbor might have taken your package inside their house for safekeeping or for protection against the rain or other bad weather.
Contacting USPS at 1-800-ASK-USPS or contacting your local Post Office directly and explaining that you have delivery confirmation, but no package was actually delivered, and ask them to start a tracking investigation to discover the whereabouts of your missing package.
Contacting the USPS Track and Confirm customer service office at 1-800-222-1811.
- 24
This timeframe is the current turnaround for our custom work. We produce several projects a week and can vary depending on our load.
Custom Paddles: Standard turnaround for custom paddles are typically 2 weeks; however, during the busy seasons, can be as long as 3 weeks.
Lawn Letters: Due to their larger size, these projects will take an extra week on top of current turnaround time.
Any projects requiring a sooner date will incur a rush fee. We appreciate your patience as we want your project to receive the care that we pride ourselves in.
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Processing for our shop items typically take between 1-3 business days, depending on the product. Some products, such as semi-custom items, take 3-5 business days due to their complexity. For custom products, see our Turnaround Time.
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After you approve your paddle quote, we will send you a secure invoice. You do not need to have an account–you can still pay with a debit/credit card.
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We are not accepting any payment plans at this time.
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For smaller items, we use USPS First Class which takes about 3-5 business days to arrive. For larger items, we use UPS.
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We ship anywhere in the continental US. Anywhere outside of that range may incur expensive shipping fees.
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USPS
If you did not receive the package on the date indicated by USPS tracking, USPS recommends the following:
Looking for the package somewhere near your front door or asking your neighbors. Sometimes, postal workers leave packages near doorsteps and not near residential post office boxes. Also, a well-meaning neighbor might have taken your package inside their house for safekeeping or for protection against the rain or other bad weather.
Contacting USPS at 1-800-ASK-USPS or contacting your local Post Office directly and explaining that you have delivery confirmation, but no package was actually delivered, and ask them to start a tracking investigation to discover the whereabouts of your missing package.
Contacting the USPS Track and Confirm customer service office at 1-800-222-1811.
UPS
If your driver completed the delivery, then the package's tracking status or a delivery notice (a UPS InfoNotice® ) should indicate where your driver left the package. Shipments that don't require a signature can be left in a safe place at the driver's discretion. This could include the front porch, side door, back porch, or garage area.
If the tracking status indicates that your driver completed delivery and obtained a signature, the package might have been signed for by a neighbor or another resident at your location. If the driver delivered your shipment to an alternate location, you should have received a UPS InfoNotice that indicates where the shipment was left (for example, a neighbor's house or leasing office).
Check with others at your address, or perhaps a neighbor, to see if someone else has picked up the package. You can also check around the entrances of your residence for the package, particularly on back porches, bushes, garages, grills, or other places that might protect your package from theft or weather. Note that drivers may also use plastic bags to protect your package from the weather.
If you still cannot locate the package, contact Original Greek so we may initiate a trace process with UPS. We'll then follow up with you on its progress.
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Shipping for Custom Projects are not determined until production has finished. We'll send you an additional invoice for shipping costs. Please note that large custom projects can be very expensive to ship.
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We deliver up to 50 miles within Walnut, CA. Rates are $3/mile.
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The Project Manager will let you know when the paddle is ready for pick up.
Letter Calculator
Use this letter calculator to help determine the quantity needed for your letters purchase. The characters w/o spaces is the number you want to pay attention to.
