12 Leather Items to Personalize with Heat Foiled Calligraphy
- Alex, Signs of Our Lives
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
If you're looking for a way to elevate your event, and provide your attendees with a one-of-a-kind experience, you've come to the right place.
Heat foiling, primarily done on leather items, is one of the most popular services that I offer, next to engraving. (The terminology can be confusing if you're not an artist -- people might accidentally call it engraving, embossing, debossing, or stamping -- all of which are methods of personalization, but not the type I'm talking about here.)
Leather calligraphy personalization via heat foiling lends itself perfectly to personalization experiences at conferences, corporate events, PR and influencer gifting, and VIP client experiences. It can be done on various types of leather and most textures, including PU leather; however, it cannot be done on plastic faux leather (and we'll get to why that is later.)
The foiling can be gold or silver, and even other custom colors if desired too.
Below are some of my top favorites from previous events, and the personalization ideas definitely don't stop here. If you have a leather item in mind that you're wondering if it will work, send me a message and let's find out!
Leather Keychains - Versatile, can be hung on purses, luggage, backpacks, or any other items that might need an elevated label or name tag
Leather Bag Tags / Mini Pouches - Put your initials, pet's name, or gift it to your Dad. These custom leather pouches that I gold foiled for Versace are perfect for holding coins, treats, candy, petty cash, or other tiny trinkets.
Branded on one side, and personalized with gold foil on the other, these are both the perfect accessory to gift your guests that are always on the go.
Leather Travel Pouches / Toiletry Bags - These are perfect for holding makeup, toiletries, electronics, snacks, and more. If you're looking to provide an elevated gift for your event attendees, this should definitely be a top contender on your list. (Profanity optional of course.)
They can be personalized on various parts of the bag - the center, or the top, depending on the guest preference, or amount of text.
Check out the video below for a fun foil-reveal:
4. Leather Valet Trays - These trays are great for throwing your keys in, or even for rolling dice (in a fancy way of course). These in particular were reversible, with one side a brown faux suede, and the other side a faux black leather. I personalized them with silver foil to match the silver hardware.
Leather Glasses Cases - These can be used for eyeglasses or sunglasses, and were an exciting gift for folks traveling into San Diego from colder weather and darker skies. Perfect for a coastal theme, and can also be done on branded glasses cases.
Leather Notebooks / Journals - The way that I need these to be at every corporate event or conference! We're taking notes on our computers and our phones, but science tells us that we're more attentive and more likely to remember information when we write it down. If you want engaged guests, give them a personalized notebook with their names when they arrive.
Hosting a retreat? Encouraging mindfulness? These leather journals can be customized with mantras, or special phrases too.
Leather Bookmarks - A perfect gift for your book launch, book club, or your avid textbook and novel readers.
Coming from someone who reads multiple books at the same time, to keep a good rotation of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry in the mix, there are truly never enough bookmarks to go around.
Leather Luggage Tags & Passport Holders - These are by far the most popular leather items at events! Perfect for when people are traveling in from afar, and might not be able to fit something larger or breakable in their suitcase. Leather luggage tags and passport holders come in so many colors, styles, and textures, so you can give guests various options to choose from when picking out which item they'd like personalized with their initials or name.
Airtag Holders - Speaking of things that travel, gifting airtags to your guests will leave them both impressed and always able to find their way (or their things). These tiny items are for initials only, and I would recommend also providing the airtags to accompany them.
Leather Wallets & Card Holders - Perfect for Father's Day, or events with finance folks or money-minded attendees, these leather wallets and card holders are quite the aligned gift idea if you ask me.
I personalized these forest green card holders for new VIP card holders of a San Diego-based members-only sports club, and guests were obsessed with the added touch --
11. Leather Headphone Cases - I personalized my own Bose headphone case, as well as Leather AirPod Cases (which I didn't grab a photo of). I used silver foil to match with the gray color of my headphones:
Important Note: Only genuine and PU leather works for this type of personalization! Applying heat to plastic will NOT work, which is why I always come ready with paint markers - just in case - like on these not leather jewelry boxes. Pro tip: make sure to check those product descriptions before you order, and send me a sample to double check before our event!
Bonus Item: Leather Purse - Every once in a while, I get a guest who brings their leather item to me in hopes that I can personalize it along with their gift. After we come to a quick agreement, and if there is extra time to spare, I'll usually give it a go. And end up with a beautiful result like the handle this luxury black bag:
So many more leather items in the world to add to this list! Please reach out if you think heat foiled calligraphy might be a good fit for your event activation or gifting needs.
Looking for a professional calligraphy artist for your event in San Diego, Los Angeles, or beyond? This is kinda my specialty, so let’s connect!
I offer calligraphy customization and engraving for:
Brand activations and experiences
Corporate events
VIP dinners and pop ups
PR and influencer gifting
Customer facing product personalization
And more!
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