Making It My Own: Personalizing Garments with Embroidery

One question we hear a lot in the shop is, “I know I want to personalize this, but what should I put on it?” The answer does not have to be complicated. Sometimes a name, a date, a small symbol or one good piece of artwork is enough to make an ordinary item feel like yours.

At our Sherman Oaks shop, we see everything from subtle initials on a cuff to large custom designs on jackets. If you are trying to come up with an idea of your own, here are a few good places to start.

Start With a Name, Initial or Meaningful Date

Names are probably one of the easiest places to start. It could be your first name, a nickname, family name, initials, a pet’s name or even a date that means something to you.

Where you place it changes the whole feel. A name across the chest or back is meant to be seen. A small initial on a cuff, sleeve or lower edge is much more subtle. Neither is better—it just depends on how personal you want the detail to feel.

If a regular name is not quite what you want, try something a little more personal:

• Social Media Username

• Family Name

• Team or group name

• Monogram or initials

• Pet names

• Funny Phrases

• Meaningful date

One tip: keep small lettering simple enough to read once it is stitched. A decorative font may look great on a large jacket design but become difficult to read when it is reduced to a small chest or cuff placement.

If lettering is the main part of your idea, take a look at our embroidery fonts.

Use a Symbol or Design That Means Something to You

You do not have to use words at all. A drawing, graphic or simple symbol can make an item just as personal. We have stitched everything from dolphins and aliens to skulls on fire here at the shop, so there really is no single style you have to follow.

The design can represent a hobby, relationship, memory, job or something that only makes sense to you. A heart, crown, dog bone, pair of scissors or completely original drawing can all work. It does not have to mean the same thing to anyone else.

The main thing we look at is whether the artwork will still read clearly once it is stitched at the size you want. Very thin lines, tiny lettering and lots of miniature detail may need to be simplified.

Think About Placement Before You Finalize the Design

The same artwork can look completely different depending on where you put it. A large design on the back of a jacket becomes the main feature. The exact same idea on a small chest, sleeve or cuff feels much quieter.

Before deciding, look at the actual garment. Seams, pockets, zippers and the shape of the item can affect where we can stitch. If you bring the piece into our Sherman Oaks shop, we can look at the placement with you before anything gets embroidered.

Let the Font and Thread Color Match the Item

If you are embroidering a name or phrase, choose the font with the finished size in mind. A fancy script can look great when it has enough room, while smaller lettering is usually easier to read in a simpler style.

Color changes the mood too. High-contrast thread makes the embroidery stand out right away. A thread color closer to the garment can give you something much more subtle.

You can also browse our embroidery thread colors.

When a Photo Makes More Sense Than Embroidery

Sometimes the thing you want to personalize is a photograph rather than a logo or simple drawing. If keeping the faces, shading and small details of the original photo matters, a heat transfer can make more sense than trying to recreate everything with thread.

Family photos, pets, funny pictures and special-event images can all become part of a personalized shirt, and wording can be added when it fits the design.

See more examples on our heat transfer photo page.

Personalizing Something for—or About—Your Pet

Pet projects come into the shop in all kinds of forms. Sometimes it is simply the pet’s name. Sometimes it is a paw print, bone, outline or piece of artwork based on the animal. Those ideas can work on shirts, sweaters, blankets and other suitable items.

If you want the finished piece to look exactly like a detailed photograph of your pet, that may be a better fit for a photo transfer. If you want a stitched interpretation, we can look at the image and see what will translate well into embroidery.

Not Sure What to Bring Us?

You do not need to have every technical detail figured out before coming in. A few basics are enough for us to start:

• The item you want to personalize

• Your name, phrase, artwork or photo

• Where do you think you want it placed

• An idea of how large you want it

• Any colors you have in mind

If you are not sure whether embroidery, DTF or a heat transfer is the right choice, that is okay too. Show us what you are trying to make, and we can talk through the options.

Make It Yours

You do not need a huge design to make something personal. Start with one detail that matters to you—a name, date, phrase, symbol, drawing or photo—and build from there.

If you are in Los Angeles and want help figuring out a personalized embroidery idea, bring the item into our Sherman Oaks shop or send us your artwork and project details. We can take a look before you commit to the final design.