The Custom Corner

By Smathers & Branson

  • Person wearing a dark khaki needlepoint belt with a colorful design, blue shirt, and green pants against a blurred natural background.

    Life Belts

    Design a one of a kind belt using our interactive Life Belt Builder with over 1,000 motifs to choose from!

    Build Your Belt Now
  • Custom Needlepoint

    From weddings and golf trips to corporate gifts and team swag—we’re here to bring your custom vision to life.

    Get Started

For any custom design related questions, please email custom@smathersandbranson.com

If you're interested in ordering 16+ pieces, please email corporate@smathersandbranson.com

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions for Custom Needlepoint Design

Timing
How long does it take?

Custom products typically take 12-18 weeks to hand-stitch. After you create your design, one of our artisans in Vietnam will hand stitch your custom item just for you! Because they’re handmade, delivery times can vary, but we suggest you allow the full timeline. 

Can I expedite my order?

We do not expedite orders. Each of our items is carefully hand-stitched, and we always do our best to have custom items made as quickly as possible. In order to meet our strict quality standards, we ask that you please allow the full quoted time for your product to be stitched. 

But I need a gift soon!

You will receive a PDF mockup of your design within 1-2 weeks of payment. We recommend printing this PDF image out to present as a gift to the recipient so they can get excited about what’s on the way!

Pricing
How much do custom items cost?

Pricing for custom items is dependent on the order quantity. Please check out our custom pricing here.

If you're interested in ordering 16+ pieces, please email our Corporate Sales team at corporate@smathersandbranson.com

Custom Life Belt Design
Custom Belt Design

Give us your belt idea and we can bring it to life. We can make a variation of one of our existing designs, create something completely unique and personal to you. The options are endless!

We have a Life Belt Builder on our website with a library of 1000+ motifs. With this tool, you are the designer and are able to choose motifs that tell your life story! All builder belts are finished on either our Classic Navy or Dark Khaki background and can be customized with personalized motifs like monograms and important dates.

This tool is a great starting point for coming up with a design. If you don't see all the motifs you would like to feature on the Builder and/or you would like to change the background color, then you can work with us to create a custom belt.

Do you have any design tips?

For custom Life Belts, we typically suggest 7-12 icons (the number varies depending on the size of the belt). We would typically encourage you to err on the side of more images than less - just helps tell a better story! Popular themes include family, pets, hobbies, alma maters, a wedding date, a favorite travel spot, a favorite food/drink, the list goes on and on!

You’re the designer and you’ve got a blank canvas! We suggest spacing out motifs that are similar colors. We also recommend separating motifs that are similar in size and shape.

If you choose to place the recipient's initials on the belt, we recommend placing them as the last motif on the right end. This will place the initials on the right hip of the recipient when the belt is worn.

What if I want something that isn’t available on your Life Belt Builder?

If you’re looking to create something more customized than what we offer on our Life Belt Builder, please reach out to our custom design team for an even more personalized experience. Please note that anything not available on the Life Belt Builder will increase the price (typically by $50) and licensing restrictions may apply.

If you have already had a chance to work on your Life Belt design, click the SAVE/SHARE button in the top right corner of the application and click COPY LINK. Paste this link into your email to custom@smathersandbranson.com so we can see right where you left off!

Alternatively, you can create the base of your design using this tool and click SAVE FOR LATER (instead of ADD TO CART). You will then be emailed a copy of your draft design and you can reply to the draft submission email to let our custom design team know what you are looking to customize.
In your email, please list the changes/additions you would like to make and let us know what each image represents. We can work from any JPEG or PDF, if you have files to attach.

What side of the design will be closest to the buckle and what side will be closest to the holes?

The leather tab with the buckle will be on the left side of the belt. design The leather tab with the holes will be on the right side of the belt design.

Custom Product Design
What products are you able to customize?

We are able to customize most of the products that we offer on our website.

Please note that our minimum order quantity for shoes is 36 pieces and our minimum order quantity for tumblers is 18 pieces. All other items have a minimum order quantity of 1 piece.

Also, we are unable to customize licensed designs.

What are the most popular background color options?
  • Classic Navy
  • Light Khaki
  • Antique Blue
  • Light Blue
  • Dark Khaki
  • Dark Navy
  • Hunter
  • Grey
  • Black

We have a variety of thread color options and are able to replicate most colors, so please reach out if you have a particular color in mind!

What are my options for custom hats?

We offer hats in two different materials: cotton and performance.

You can find the colors and sizes we offer for cotton hats here.
You can find the colors and sizes we offer for performance hats here.

Please note that we are able to add side and back motifs to cotton hats only.

Please note that our hats come in three sizes: small, regular, and XL fit.

Popular design categories:
  • Gifts for graduations, anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, Father’s Day and more.
  • Commemorative memorabilia for trips, events, and group outings.
  • Wedding favors for bridal parties, guests or anyone that is part of your big day.
  • Hostess accessories for your home, vacation home, or any special place.

Keepsakes that include meaningful parts of your life: your dog, your car, your company, your boat- the possibilities are endless!

Contact
How can we contact you?

Please fill out our custom request form available on our Custom Corner page to inquire about creating a custom product.

If you have any specific custom design related questions, please email us at custom@smathersandbranson.com.

If you are interested in ordering 16+ pieces, please email us at corporate@smathersandbranson.com.