Why Custom Printed Props Might Be Your Next Big Add-On
Picture some custom-printed props that show up at your door ready to go... no inflating, no midnight pickup and no hauling it back to your storage room. That’s exactly what Chelsa of Custom Sign Sisters walked me through on the podcast, and it completely changed how I think about custom work.
Chelsa is based in Indianapolis and calls herself a graphic designer who specializes in event signage. About 85% of her business is custom printed signs and props, with balloons and decor rounding out the rest.
Why this matters
Clients keep asking for custom pieces: a logo, a giant prop, a themed entry. Most of us don’t have an easy way to get them made. I once got a $700 quote for a printed vintage car prop... after I had already charged my client $100. Ouch. Regular print shops often don’t understand that our pieces only need to survive a few hours, not months on display.
Signage saves time (and makes money)
Like marquees, printed signage skips the prep. Nothing to inflate and nothing to restock. Chelsa sells her custom signs to her clients outright, too; so she sets them up and never goes back for them.
Let the client keep it
This was a mindset shift for me. Chelsa’s pieces are so custom that she couldn’t reuse them anyway; so the client buys them. She tells clients up front and teaches them how to take everything down and store it for reuse. This way, she's not hanging onto 16 foot Grinch tunnels that may never get used again.
Her clients love it, too! When it’s theirs to keep, the price feels worth it.
Start with an arch backdrop
Chelsa’s top recommendation for balloon pros looking to get into custom props is a printed arch backdrop. Here’s her setup:
- Printed on corrugated plastic, usually about 7.5 feet by 4 feet and double sided
- Ships in a long box, scored on the back so it folds without creasing the front
- Zip tied to a balloon stand base with a conduit pole
- Weighed down with sandbags when it’s outside
- Balloon clusters zip tied through holes in the backdrop so it all moves as one piece
This setup is perfect for clients who want to move a photo op inside and out over several days. No logistics for you; they just keep it.
How to order
Chelsa offers a Print and Ship option on her website. You fill a shared Canva template sheet with whatever you want printed, upload it and pay. It arrives cut and ready. Her turnaround right now is five business days with rush options available.
Pro tip: fill every inch of the sheet. Extra stars, logos or even oversized business cards cost pennies when you’re already printing.
Listen to the full conversation with Chelsa here!
