In the words of the great Courtney Kerr, I’m more B-U-Y than D-I-Y, but I’ll be the first to tell you that I can be a bit particular when I want what I want.
I’ll often envision an exact item and scour the internet for hours (I know, shocking) trying to find the perfect one. More often than not, I’ll come up empty handed.
Fortunately, there are some brands out there who just get that we want what we want when we want it.
Here are a few customize it yourself options you may not have known existed.
Design your own…phone case
If you have a phone, chances are you’ve heard of Uncommon. After uselessly browsing the eleven options available at the Apple Store, head on home, new iPhone in hand and head on over to Uncommon.com. Choose your phone model, and the kind of case you want. Then upload your own personal photo or original artwork (make sure it’s yours; try using someone else’s copyrighted artwork and they’ll put the kibosh on it, real fast.) or choose from their templates. Size and edit it to your liking (do you want one giant Ryan Gosling photo, or a repeated pattern of mini-Goslings? Up to you.) then click send. In a few days, your totally one of a kind phone case will arive in the mail. Starting at $39.95
Design your own…sneakers
Looking for a cute pair of shoes to kick around in? Converse will let you design your own. Choose everything including the lace color, stitching, inside and tongue. You can even personalize it up to 12 characters. In a bind for a great kids’ birthday gift? They come in kid sizes too. Starting at $75 (less for kid sizes.)
Design your own…fragrance
Growing up in a house where perfume was prohibited, I’m particularly particular about fragrances of any kind. I love the subtlety of Jo Malone -in fact they’re the only ones I’ll wear. The scents by Jo Malone are designed to be combined to create a bespoke scent just for you. Mix spicy with sweet, or woodsy with musk. Need some help? The folks at Jo Malone created a combining menu to show you which scents play well with others and a fragrance wizard to walk you through creating your personal scent. Starting at $60
Design your own…charm necklace
We all went gaga over Cameron Diaz’ long necklace in The Other Woman. The simple ball chain and charm was, perhaps, more unforgettable than the movie. New York based LaSoula has created the option to design your own charm necklace, inspired by yours truly (they’re called the Possessionista, for the woman who likes to accumulate a lot of stuff.) Pick your choice of metal and chain style and then pile on the diamond, metal and gemstone charms. Starting at $30. Use code CHARMISTA for 45% off.
Design your own…handbag
This isn’t your mother’s handbag party. Wink & Winn has cornered the market on custom bags (if we’re not thinking about monogrammed Louis Vuitton Neverfulls, which we’re not. For the moment.) Luxe leathers and suedes in a variety of colors and styles that feel totally contemporary. Choose from different textures and patterns, and peruse the gallery for inspiration. Starts at $190
Design your own…chocolate bar
If you’re the kind of person who needs to end everything with a little something sweet, than Chocomize is for you. You get to choose the type of chocolate base, (light, dark or white) as well as the shape – regular or heart. Then choose from a bazillion different toppings – you can add up to five – including gourmet nuts for you purists, candy like Pop Rocks and gummy bears for those of you who are kids at heart. Or candied rose petals and lavender, if you’re one of those people who pretends their life is perfect on Facebook. Starting at $4.50
Do you know of another great custom design site? Let me know about it in the comments.