There are certain products that quietly come and go, and then there are products that somehow live rent-free in my brain long after they’ve left the building.
Custom creations have become that for me.
Maybe it’s because every design starts with a tiny clue. Sometimes it’s a birthday theme. Sometimes it’s a favourite colour. Sometimes it’s “they love SpongeBob and Minecraft,” and somehow I have to unpack that journey and make it make sense.
And honestly? That’s kind of my favourite part.
Before I know it, I’m collecting inspiration, pulling colours, hunting for tiny details that fit the theme, and getting way more invested than a person probably should over a candy bag design. Because somewhere along the way, they stop feeling like packaging. They start feeling like tiny personality snapshots.
Unicorn Main Character Energy
Rylee’s birthday design immediately made me smile while I was building it. It had everything a six-year-old dream world should have: soft pinks, balloons, fireworks, rainbows, and unicorns absolutely thriving.
The whole thing felt like a birthday party and a fairytale had a very sparkly collision. Honestly, if six-year-old me opened this at a party, there’s a very real chance I would’ve carried it around for the rest of the day, showing every single person in the room. It was the equivalent of yes, this dress is cute, but did you know it has pockets?
Golf, But Make It Dramatic
This one is recent! I’ve done sports themes before, but this one really needed some movement. The golf ball smashing through the centre of the design immediately changed the whole feel of it. Suddenly, it felt less like “golf birthday” and more like an action movie poster with golf clubs involved.
I'm not an 8-year-old boy, but if I were, I think I would think this was pretty cool, or 6-7 or some other word I'm too old to know.
The LEGO Bin Experience
Noah’s LEGO design hits close to home. I am in my LEGO era again now that I have a 5-year-old. This one is really indicative of dumping out an entire LEGO bin and suddenly having pieces fly everywhere. There’s excitement, chaos, and me stepping on something painful within thirty seconds.
Bright colours, tiny details, little characters hidden throughout. Every time I looked back at it, I noticed something new.
The Creature Feature
Maddux’s reptile-and-jungle design was super fun. I got a chance to use some realistic images this time, and I had a blast choosing a great grouping of species and colours.
The design felt immersive. Like a tiny jungle world with creatures hidden around every corner, weaving in and out of letters. It became one of those pieces where your eyes kept bouncing around, finding new details.
Full Main Stage Energy
FINALLY! Nieve’s birthday called for K-pop Demon Hunters, and I was floored. That movie was a staple in our house for quite some time, and I was dying to create a themed design. This one honestly felt less like birthday artwork and more like a concert poster that accidentally wandered into a birthday celebration. Checkers, gradients, smoke, glitter. All the best things!
Maximum Kid Energy
Then there was Emmett’s paint splatter design. This one felt like something I'd create for my own kiddo. Bright colours everywhere, smiley faces as targets, paint splatters, movement in every direction, and complete joyful chaos.
It just screams fun!
Why These Stick With Me
The funniest thing about custom projects is that almost every conversation starts the same way. It's a prompt listed upon ordering, or, if there is nothing, I'll reach out to see what sort of info I can collect.
I'm looking for favourite colours, hobbies, random personality traits, and current obsessions. Somewhere in the middle of all that, the design starts to become a person. That’s probably why these stay with me. Because yes, they’re custom-labelled candy bags. But they also end up becoming tiny keepsakes, little personality pieces, and snapshots of someone's favourite things all wrapped into one.
And apparently, I get weirdly attached to them. Even though this is a tiny part of my job. No regrets. I'd make these all day if I could!
