This week, I want to take you through the custom order process with me! I'll show you how I take a design and work with a customer to create a gorgeous piece that is perfect for them. I'll share the pattern I used for this easy crochet blanket and the changes I made to customize it for my order. Whether you're looking for tips for custom orders of your own or just want a look into my process, I hope this post helps you out!
Custom orders are a lot of fun to create, but they require more back-and-forth with the customer and clear communication to make sure everyone is happy. Before we even get into the easy crochet blanket pattern, I first talk to the customer about a couple of important things.
Tip #1 - Set Realistic Expectations
For this project, the most important thing to decide first was the timeline. If I wasn't going to be able to get it done by whenever the customer wanted it, there wouldn't be any point in going into the details yet.
This was the first custom order I took on after coming back from maternity leave. So right off, I knew this process would be a little different than it usually is because I needed more time to complete it. Luckily, the customer wasn't in any hurry and was okay waiting as long as I needed.
Once that was sorted, we started talking about the vision she had for this blanket. She shared with me the link to the pattern she liked, along with some other pictures for color and design inspiration.
Tip #2 - Share as many photos as you can
This part of the custom design process is always so much fun for me! It's where all the pieces really start coming together.
As I talk to customers about what they're looking for, I try to share as many photos as I can. And I ask for them to share any that they have as well. This really helps pinpoint what we like about a design and what works together. For this blanket, she shared some blankets with the colors she liked, and I came back a few times with pictures of the yarn I would use. We went back and forth a few times before we settled on the perfect palette.
The yarn
The original pattern called for Lion Brand's Feels like Butta yarn, which is gorgeous to work with, but it didn't have the colors we were looking for. So instead, we used Lion Brand's Wool Ease and Vanna's Choice.
Wool Ease is a wool and acrylic blend, while Vanna's Choice is acrylic, and they have a very similar feel and would work well together. These yarns can also be washed and dried in the machine easily, which is always really important to me - especially for a blanket!
Tip #3 - Take care of business first!
Now, everyone will do this differently - but this is my take. When we've talked through all the details, we talk about prices. I have a set of standard prices for custom orders, and I adjust them based on each individual custom order. However you come up with a price, once you agree on it, it's time to put everything into a listing.
A clear listing with all the details you discussed and the prices you agreed to is important for both parties to know what to expect. Personally, I like to have the customer actually purchase first, and then I buy the materials and get to work.
Watch this video on Youtube!
Luxe Bobbles Throw by Mama in a Stitch
For this easy crochet blanket pattern, I used a blanket pattern by Mama in a Stitch called the Luxe Bobbles Throw. This is a beautiful crochet blanket pattern and has so much texture. It's very beginner-friendly, so if you can double crochet, you can make this blanket pattern.
The main change I made for this custom order blanket was changing the size and the colors. My customer wanted a blanket that was 50x60 inches, and the pattern is originally 34.5 inches wide.
The pattern includes instructions to make it wider by creating a chain that's a multiple of 6, plus 2. So for mine, I made a starting chain of 152.
Pattern Notes:
- Pattern: Luxe Bobbles Throw by Mama in a Stitch
- Skill level: Beginner
- Sizing: 50x 60 inches
Color Scheme
As I mentioned earlier, I used Lion Brand's Wool-Ease yarn and Vanna's Choice. For the main body of the blanket, I used 11 skeins of Vanna's Choice in Linen. For the stripes, I used 2 skeins each in Blush Heather and Rose Heather from Wool-Ease, and Sage, Seaglass, and Honey from Vanna's Choice.
To lay out the color scheme, I copied the pattern into a new document and just highlighted the bobble in the same color as the yarn I had. That way, I could easily see how the colors would be distributed and make sure there wasn't too much of one or similar colors weren't too close together.
Here is what I ended up with (bobble rows only):
- Honey
- Blush Heather
- Sea Glass
- Rose Heather
- Sage
- Honey
- Blush Heather
- Rose Heather
- Sage
- Sea Glass
- Honey
- Sea Glass
- Blush Heather
- Rose Heather
I repeated this blanket pattern 2.5 times for the size of the blanket I wanted. I stopped at row 23 of the last repeat and used Honey for the last full bobble row so it matched the beginning of the blanket.
Finished Results!
Once the blanket was done, I added on some tassels to the corners, added my label and I was done. I love how this easy crochet blanket pattern turned out and my customer was really happy with it too. Check it out below!
Thank you so much for reading! Don't forget to check out the original pattern here.
See you soon 🙂
Wow! This blanket turned out so beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing!