Have you only been only focused on shirts and prints while avoiding home decor items like duvet covers and throw pillows? Whether you want to prepare for a seasonal events or update your shop with a few new pieces, now is the perfect time to update your portfolio. We’ve complied a few helpful tips to make your designs more available across a wide range of products.

1. Plan Your Composition

Composition is the placement or arrangement of the artistic elements used in a design. For example, t-shirt designs tend to land in the center and upper two-thirds of the for a cohesive and planned look.  Many top-selling designers consider the scale of the composition for each individual product in their shop. Take time to check if each of your designs are appropriately placed on each product enabled in your shop. Lou Patrick Mackay‘s Vitality is a great example of well executed composition on a Duvet Cover.

2. Create Meticulous Patterns

For larger textile products such as throw pillows and duvet covers, you can’t go wrong with a beautifully designed pattern. There’s something visually calming and comforting in the repetition of patterns, and smaller-scale patterns are enjoying a surge in design popularity at the moment, making it a good time to try creating your own if you haven’t already. Also, it’s worth checking out our tutorial on how to make a repeat pattern duvet cover, which has step-by-step instructions on how to make your patterns pop.

Pineapple Party by brigittehuynh is a great example of a brilliant (and adorable) pattern.

3. Plan a Central Focus

Instead of fitting a design to a product, try designing for a specific product. Think about the size and scale of the item and consider what would make it work as a standalone product. This is especially fun to do with gear such as tote bags or throw pillows that naturally favor simple, bold designs. Totes look great with text or centered designs that draw the eye to the middle of the bag. You can check out these designs below, including I Think I Can by Renee de Valle and hello gorgeous by AnnaGo.

4. Experiment with Different Visual Textures

It is outrageously fun to play around with patterns, geometric designs, and shape structures for different products. Try branching out by using hard-lined-designs on soft textile products, or mix up your use of the formal elements for a fresh effect. Check out these geometric throw pillow wonders for some excellent inspiration: Candyland – Licorice dream by Elisabeth Fredriksson, Nordic Combination 31 by Mareike Böhmer, and Tulips by tracieandrews.

5. Mix and Match

It’s also worth trying to clash or mix media you’ve been using for new effects. Consider what a photograph would look like printed on a throw pillow, or a fineliner drawing on a tote bag. Unexpected textures or mediums can work brilliantly if juxtaposed against already textured totes and throws. Check out “Triangle” by Elia Mervi below for a great mixing of media and product that looks like you’d want to carry it around with you all day.

If you need more help, have a look at our Redbubble Help Center