The Art of Customization

This is a Yeti you probably know it by it’s more generic name, a waterbottle (hydroflask). Essentially a really cool water bottle. Literally. It can keep your liquids cold or hot for over a day.

It comes in many sizes, and colors.

People love them! I love them!

Statistics show that every second 20,000  plastic bottles  are being bought and consumed around the world.

Imagine a world in which every one has their own plastic bottles. A world that opts into global awareness, and decides to reduce their plastic waste. That’s a world I’d want to live in .

Not only is it cheaper, and more efficient in the longer,  you can also make it your own!

The customization of personal water bottles or hydroflasks, like the Yeti has in the recent months garnered quite a following. In Youtube alone we have seen a huge spike of hydroflask customization videos with videos reaching the 10 million views mark in just a couple of months. However the tunnel extends even further, within this hydroflask customization community there exists also subsets. 3 of them (so far in what I’ve found):

1- Custom hand painted hydroflasks

2- Custom Stickers hydroflasks

3- Vinyl Decals hydroflasks

Hand Painted Customization

This method of course is one of the longest and most difficult. If you’re just starting out with a hydroflask, I  would not recommend it. It takes skill to create beautiful pieces of art, and whilst the general Yeti (the one I use and know) is relatively inexpensive compared to plastic bottles in the long-run, it is not necessarily an item I would consider buy several times cause I painted something ugly on it.

However, if you feel you have the skill and the idea to create something beautiful on your hydroflask. Go for it! Lord knows people can paint some beautiful things and you might be one of them.

Quick Tip: Use Acrylics and coat that with a clear gloss for some extra protection from the elements.

 

Custom Stickers

I have been working with custom stickers a while now creating over 30+ desings in the past year, and collaborating with great artists like Nahir Alejandra (@alero.lai), Laurie Modesto (@fesmt_) and Sara Rae Hoagland (@spirit_inspo).

 

I’ve found that there is a very big market online and offline for selling and making stickers, especially for hydroflask users. As an artist the success I have garnered from this type of work has been tremendous, and the low cost of investment is for sure a great way for any artist at any level to start monetizing their art.

 

The profits stack up! I wish I had started making and selling stickers 10 years ago.

If you’d like to get up and running with creating stickers today, just pick your favorite designs. Cut it the way you’d like it to look, save it to a .png and send it over to Sticker Mule, they’ll give you exactly what you need at quite an affordable price.

If you’re undetermined about sizes, here’s my rule of Thumb:

Characters should be 3″ or larger.

Texts, logos and business circle designs can be 2″ or larger.

Use this and you’ll be starting your sticker business right now. Not only are they great for hydroflasks, but people love them for notebooks, skateboards, tables, diaries, walls and many other personal items.

If you’re interested in moving your business online after you buy your designs. Write it in the comments section and I’ll write a blogpost about it.

Vinyl Decal Customization

This technique of customization is one of the most widely known as well as the one with the most practical use ever.

For example, not only can you customize your hydroflask with beautiful designs using vinyl, but this method also offers waterproofing and the glossiest and best quality material around. If you’re looking for long lasting. This is the technique for you.

There are two major ways of doing this.

1- Get it done by a professional.

2- Do it yourself.

If you’re gonna get it done by a professional, get it done by BenAmor Creations I use their services often and with their 2$ per inch service on vinyls, you are getting the best bang for your buck. 

They have a ton of experience with hydroflask customization already, so consult someone that knows.

If you want to customize more than just your water bottle, try customizing your car. They do that too.

The second method is hard and messy, but if you want to try your hand it. Check out this video. 

Something a professional can provide that doing it yourself won’t are these very satisfactory and meme worthy cutting timelapses.

You’ve officially learned how you as an artist can start monetizing your art for honestly pennies on the dollar. Start today and let me now, what questions you have in the comments section below. I would love to help you on your journey with my blog posts.