The Sweet Life of a Designer is all about creativity, collaboration, and exciting projects! Before the Design Business Conference at Ashton Gardens in Lehi, Utah (March 6-8, 2025), my amazing coaches gathered at my house to kick things off. We dove into a fun Direct to Film (DTF) project where we created custom tote bags for conference attendees. Alongside the bags, we crafted unique pins to celebrate the event and our incredible community.
Custom Tote Bags with DTF
One of the most exciting parts of preparing for the Design Business Conference was designing and producing these custom tote bags. Using Direct to Film printing, we transformed plain bags into stylish, one-of-a-kind keepsakes for our attendees. This project perfectly reflects the Sweet Life of a Designer—bringing creative visions to life while sharing meaningful, handmade designs.
Building the Perfect Swag Bags
What’s a design conference without epic swag bags? We put together some fantastic goodies for attendees, thanks to our incredible sponsors:
- Silhouette America – [Check out their amazing tools and machines here!] https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/
- 12 x 12 Cardstock Shop – [Explore their vibrant cardstock collection!] https://www.12x12cardstock.shop/
- Siser & Expressions Vinyl – [Find the best heat transfer vinyl here!]https://expressionsvinyl.com/
We couldn’t be more grateful to these companies for helping us create an unforgettable experience. The swag bags were packed with creative tools and fun surprises to inspire and delight every attendee.
Behind the Scenes Fun
In true Sweet Life of a Designer fashion, we had a blast preparing everything. From crafting pins to fine-tuning our DTF tote bag designs, every step of the process was filled with excitement. Working alongside my coaches made it even more special—it’s a reminder that creativity is even better when shared with others.
Want to see the full process? Watch the Sweet Life of a Designer DTF project on YouTube and get a behind-the-scenes look at how we brought these swag bags to life!
👉 [Watch the video here!]
Stay tuned for more exciting projects and insider peeks into the Sweet Life of a Designer. We’ve got so much more to share!
Want your own DTF’s or some of mine? You can now order them from my website: https://carinagardnershop.myshopify.com/collections/direct-to-film
