Alright folks, lemme tell ya ’bout this thing I messed around with today – custom medla, no minimum order. Pretty cool, right? I’ve been wanting to do this for ages, just never got around to it.
First off, the hunt. I started by googling around for places that do custom medals. Tons of options popped up, but most of ’em wanted you to order like, a hundred at least. Forget that. I needed like, one, maybe two. The whole point was to make something super personal.
Then I stumbled upon this smaller shop. They advertised custom medals, and buried deep in their FAQ was the magic phrase: “No minimum order quantity.” Bingo! I immediately bookmarked that page.
Next up, the design. This was the fun part. I had this ridiculous idea in my head for a medal commemorating… well, let’s just say it was for “Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Procrastination.” Yeah, I know, lame, but it’s for me, so who cares? I sketched out a super rough design on a piece of paper. It involved a sloth, a half-eaten pizza, and a bunch of motivational quotes crossed out. Real classy stuff.
Okay, time to upload. The website was pretty straightforward. They had a design tool, but it was kinda clunky. So, I decided to just upload my own image. I cleaned up my sketch a bit in Photoshop (mostly just making it less chicken-scratchy) and saved it as a high-res JPEG.
Now, the material and finish options. They had all sorts of stuff: gold, silver, bronze, antique finishes, shiny finishes, you name it. I went with a brushed bronze finish because it looked kinda vintage and ironic, given the whole “procrastination” theme. I also chose a simple blue ribbon.
The moment of truth. I clicked “Add to Cart,” took a deep breath, and hit “Checkout.” The price was surprisingly reasonable for just one medal. I’m talkin’ less than a fancy pizza. Shipping was extra, of course, but still not bad.
Waiting, waiting, waiting… It took about two weeks for the medal to arrive. Torture, I tell ya. But finally, it showed up in a little padded envelope.
Unboxing! Okay, so the medal itself… it was even better than I imagined! The brushed bronze finish looked perfect. The sloth and pizza were surprisingly detailed, considering my terrible drawing skills. The blue ribbon was a nice touch. It was heavy and felt… official, in a weird, self-deprecating way.
Display time. I immediately hung it up in my office, right next to my diplomas. Now, whenever I’m feeling particularly unproductive, I can just glance over at it and feel… something. Probably shame. But also, a little bit of pride in my ability to put things off. Hey, gotta celebrate the small victories, right?
Lessons Learned:
- Don’t be afraid to hunt around for smaller shops. They’re often more flexible and offer better prices on small orders.
- Keep your design simple, especially if you’re uploading your own artwork.
- Brushed bronze is always a good choice.
- And most importantly, it’s okay to celebrate your flaws… with a custom-made medal.
So, yeah, that’s my custom medal story. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Maybe next time, I’ll get one for “Master of Binge-Watching.” Gotta have goals, people!
