Custom Orders, Creative Chaos, and Why I Love Saying Yes
- Rhiannon Upham
- Jan 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 25
Most of my favourite projects don’t start with a product listing. They start with a message that begins, “I don’t know if this is something you do…”
And nine times out of ten, I say yes, Because I love custom orders, creative chaos and saying yes!
Custom orders are chaotic in the best possible way. They arrive with ideas instead of instructions, deadlines instead of guarantees, and just enough uncertainty to make things interesting. They’re not neat. They’re not always predictable. But they are the projects that remind me why I love making things in the first place.
This personalised name bunting is a perfect example. My latest custom project. Each letter was individually cut, quilted, and stitched by hand, using a mix of fabrics chosen specifically to work together without overpowering the name itself. It’s bright, tactile, and designed to be used, hung up, touched, admired and not tucked away “for best.” Once it was finished, that was it. A one-off piece, made for one person, exactly as intended. I hope the owner loves it as much as I do.
Custom work has taken me in all sorts of directions and Im willing to give pretty much anything a go! Im creative, and yes, chaotic, but oh boy do I love a challenge.
Some projects lean heavily into detail and patience, like bespoke wedding stationery. Layered card, cut-out designs, personalised inserts, the kind of work where paper choice matters just as much as colour and layout. These are pieces that quietly set the tone for a big day before it even begins, and they need to feel special without tipping into overcomplicated. There’s a fine line there, and I enjoy walking it.
The reality of making this wasn’t quite as rosy as it might sound.
Each invite took around an hour to write, cut, fold, and glue, and there were fifty of them. This was one of my very first custom card projects, and in typical me style, I over-stretched myself spectacularly.
By the end, my hair was thinning, my hands were permanently mimicking the motions of folding and gluing, and
my Cricut and I were no longer on speaking terms. In all honesty, this project pushed me right to the edge of a breakdown. I can say, without exaggeration, that it took blood, sweat, and tears.
Was it worth it? Yes.
The moment the final invite was closed was overwhelming, equal parts relief and pride. I’d learned more from that one project than I could have from any tutorial, and it felt like a crash course in every mistake you make when using a Cricut for the first time… and how to fix them.
Other custom orders are far more practical, like vinyl labels for spice jars.
On the surface, it’s a simple idea. In reality, it’s about legibility, spacing, consistency, and making sure everything still looks good when someone’s mid-cooking chaos and grabbing cumin instead of cinnamon. This one was a genuinely fun project, very little pressure and a simple brief: reuse the old jars and make them look good again. Looking back, the biggest challenge wasn’t the design at all, but removing the stubborn residue from the original labels. If I’m honest, I still don’t have a completely fool proof system for label removal. Some come off cleanly, others cling on like they’ve got a personal vendetta. If you’ve cracked a method that works every time, I’m all ears, tips are very welcome.
Then there are the bold ones. Patchwork cushions inspired by pixel-style designs and pop culture references. Strong colours, structured layouts, and absolutely no attempt to be subtle. These projects require planning before the first stitch even happens, but they’re playful, graphic, and completely unapologetic, which is exactly why they work.
This style is wonderfully forgiving. Miss a point or two and it doesn’t matter — it just leans further into the rustic look. Or, as I prefer to say, More Shabby Than Chic.
Some of the biggest custom pieces I’ve taken on have been for events, like large-scale wedding seating plans. These are the projects that have to work hard. They need to look good, suit the setting, and still do their job properly. No one wants to hunt for their name while holding a drink and pretending they’re not lost. Rustic materials, clear layouts, and thoughtful details all come together to make something that’s both practical and memorable.
I’ve created pieces for a few weddings now, and it never stops amazing me to make something that’s used on one of the most important days of someone’s life. Being part of a couple’s special day feels just as much an honour as being invited as a guest.
Maybe that’s why these pieces are so well loved, they’re made with care, intention, and a whole lot of heart. I put my heart and soul into every project and keep working at it until it’s right. I haven’t given up on one yet… and I don’t intend to.
Custom work isn’t always easy. It takes longer, demands more problem-solving, and almost always comes with a full-scale “why did I agree to this?” moment, complete with tears and a short-lived identity crisis. But it also lets me design around people rather than trends, push my skills further, and create pieces that truly matter to the people they’re made for.
That’s why I keep saying yes.
I don’t take on unlimited custom orders, partly to protect my time, partly to make sure each project gets the attention it deserves. But if you’ve got an idea that doesn’t quite fit a standard product, or something you’ve never found the right version of, it’s always worth a conversation. Some of my favourite pieces started with uncertainty and ended up becoming the most rewarding makes of all.
Creative chaos and all.
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