We'd love to help you create a Sticks
heirloom!
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.
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.
(custom baby plaque pictured left)
 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.
(custom Sticks door panel of
motor coach to right)
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.
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 price 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. |