Can you DIY Custom Goods?
I have two recommendations for anyone who thinks they can save money by DIY-ing custom goods.
My first recommendation is, before you start any DIY project, assess your skill level. Ask yourself, “do I possess the skills I need to do this project well?” Here’s why: if you don’y have the skills you need to do the project well, then you may not be happy with the outcome, which in turn, means you may end up with an item that won’t look good and that you won’t want to use.
While DIY might be less expensive than paying someone to create custom goods for you, such as pillows, drapes, or other soft goods, it’s still not cheap. Fabric and trims are not inexpensive! If you don’t quite have the skills or proper equipment, for that matter, you may end up wasting more fabric and trim, and therefore, more money by doing a DIY project!
This is especially true if the outcome is in the realm of a #PinterestFail and you choose not to use the item(s) because it does not look good when you finish.
Tip #1: Ask yourself, “Do I possess the skills I need to do this project well?”
My second recommendation: If it’s not in your wheelhouse, don’t do it! Do you enjoy doing DIY projects? If you answer is “no” then, why would you want to spend your time doing something you don’t enjoy?
Personally, I enjoy sewing some things, but not others. I thoroughly enjoyed creating the custom bin covers I made for the One Room Challenge and I didn’t really care if they weren’t perfect. I was also confident enough in my skill level and the fabric I was using to make the covers was leftover fabric from the window treatments and slip cover.
I do enjoy making some window treatments, but only simple valences or drapery panels and only if the fabric isn’t super expensive. For example, I have made valences and pillows out of an extra sheet for my daughters’ rooms when they were younger.
However, for this project, the fabric was far too expensive and needed an expert eye to do the needed pattern match for the wide windows. Attempting to create these for myself would have induced far more anxiety than parting with the money it cost to have a professional make them for me.
Here’s the thing, if you aren’t particularly good at DIY and you don’t particularly like doing it, you may end up spending more time and money in the end. I wholeheartedly recommend evaluating your interior design priorities and deciding if custom goods are worth the investment for you.
Here are my top reasons for investing in custom goods:
Top 3 Reasons to Invest in Custom Goods
- Custom goods are higher quality. Remember, I wrote a post last year about why custom goods cost more than ready-made? That is because they are by and large much higher quality than ready-made goods. If you want your window treatments and pillows to last longer AND look good longer, custom is the way to go.
- You’re supporting a local business. If you want to have custom window treatments and pillows made for your home, you will need to find a local workroom. These workrooms are usually small, locally owned businesses and, while they may still be relatively expensive compared to ready-made, they are still comparable or less than places commercial window treatments vendors.
- It’s the only way to get that luxe designer look. This is probably the biggest reason why you want to go the custom route. If you want a cohesive look, and you want everything to look like it goes together, and you want really special custom details, like trims, tassels, or fringe, custom is the only way to get the look! And in my humble opinion, it is so worth it!
I’ll be taking a little break from the blog and from video until the new year, but I will see you in January! Happy Holidays!
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