sticks custom design process

One of the best things about working with Sticks is that they love to do custom orders. The Craft Company No.6 staff loves to work with customers to help them create that very special personalized Sticks custom design that will be cherished for a lifetime and passed on to future generations.

Creating a custom order is EASY and FUN! You don't need to be an artist or have a great sense of design to create a spectacular Sticks work of art. The artists at Sticks will take care of the creative aspects and we'll help you every step of the way. Craft Company No.6 is a 2008 Sticks Top 10 Retailer with lots of experience doing custom orders and we have many satisfied customers. Check out our Sticks custom motor coach conversion and you'll understand why Craft Company No.6 has the BEST experience to handle your custom order. (custom baby plaque pictured left)(custom Sticks door panel of motor coach to right)

We can order anything that you see on our site or on the Sticks site. Don't feel limited to the pieces in the structure guide, for an extra charge, Sticks will be happy to make something in a custom size. Your wildest idea is the sort of challenge Sticks loves!  Our motor coach conversion will show you many examples of custom structure pieces.

We understand that price will be a factor in your decision and that it is important to know the price ranges before you even begin to think about a special order. The prices we list on our site are the prices you will pay for a custom order and shipping is FREE. So, if you have not already done so, go to our Sticks catalog page to register and login to view prices. We require payment in full prior to starting a custom order.

Here are the steps involved in creating a custom order:

1. Decide on the piece you want: Are you looking for something for your home or for a gift? We can help you design something as small as a plaque all the way up to a dining room or bedroom set. Or maybe even a customized motor coach! Many of the custom orders we take are for gifts to commemorate a birth, wedding, anniversary, graduation, etc. Gifts and things for your home take on an extra special meaning when they include some personal details such as dates, names, images of family, friends and pets.

2. Research Ideas for Color and Feel: We always advise our customers to look at lots of images for ideas for COLOR and FEEL. Check out the pieces in our online catalog and on the Sticks site for ideas. If you are interested in a perpetual calendar, don't just look at the calendar pages. The colors, images, and overall feel used in a dresser can be used in a calendar, lazy Susan, table, etc. If you see something that appeals to you, right click on the image and save it to an idea file you create in your computer. You can later email us the images of your final choices or the picture number or description of the piece you like. You can also give us images that you cut from magazines or other sources. You can also check out the Sticks COLOR PALETTES, but we have found customers prefer to chose colors from an image of a finished piece. We have also had customers bring in fabric, wallpaper and paint color samples. Be sure you also let us know about what colors you want excluded from your piece.

You should also check out our ABOUT STICKS page to learn about the processes and other design elements that can be added to your piece. Recently we have had lots of interest in pieces that are natural with little color, (pictured right). The addition of copper (pictured left) and leather can add a great deal to the design of a furniture piece.

3. Add your personal touches: This is the real fun part. Do you want words on your piece? You can look over the Sticks WORD LIST for ideas. Most custom orders include a combination of sayings from the Sticks Word List and personal sayings such as names, dates, poems and song verse. The number of words you can have on a piece depends on the size and design. Create a list with your favorites at the top and let the Sticks artists fit in what they think appropriate. If you just want a few words that is fine, spaces can be filled in with squiggles, curls, vines, etc.

Then decide if you want a special THEME. Among the most popular themes are Four Seasons, Family, Friends & Pets, Food & Wine. Sticks does not do portraiture, but will create a likeness of family members or pets. You may request a blond girl, African-American boy, black cat or Basset Hound, etc. You may submit pictures of children and pets. Due to licensing and copyright infringement Sticks cannot use the logo of your favorite sports team, etc.  

WARNING: The worst thing you can do is restrict the Sticks' artists. Yes, your input is critical to the design, but over designing is a mistake. Part of the fun of this process is the surprise and joy of seeing the finished piece. It is extremely rare that we have a disappointed client and when it has happened it was because the artists were not given enough freedom. The greatest part of what you are paying for is the creativity of the Sticks artists. Sketches are not part of the design process. Sticks will do a sketch for you for an extra charge if you feel it absolutely necessary, but we discourage this.

4. The hard part: The hardest part of creating a Sticks custom piece is waiting for it to arrive after you complete the design process. Custom orders take 2 to 4 months depending on the time of year and complexity of the piece. We think custom pieces are well worth the wait considering you are getting a one-of-a-kind custom design to your specifications.

5. Receiving your order: Your custom order will be shipped to you directly from the Sticks Studio in Des Moines, Iowa. In addition to being great artists the folks at Sticks are great packers. Rarely do we receive a damaged piece and should that ever occur Sticks takes speedy care to fix or replace the piece. If you piece is too big to go UPS or FedEX it will be shipped by the a reasonable and reliable common carrier.  Some items will require simple assembly such as screwing tops on tables. Sticks includes the screws and clearly labels "what goes where." Remember that shipping is FREE (included in the price) so you will have no extra charges when your piece arrives.

After you receive your piece it's time to enjoy it. We'd love to get some pictures of your piece to add to our website and we'd REALLY appreciate an email that we can add to our satisfied customer page.

Another great thing about Sticks it that you can take pride in the fact that it is totally HANDMADE IN THE USA. Your purchase helps to support American artists and craft galleries and our US economy.

If you have any unanswered questions or concerns, please email us.