OOPS! Personalized Name Change

What do you do when you find the cutest gift in a store for a fabulous price but it's personalized with the wrong name?  No need to pass up the good deal.  I'll tell you what I do - I buy it and get creative with my name changing skills. Here's a few tips to purchasing "wrong name items." 

• Look for the shortest name.
• Look for a name that has the most correct letters and in the same order as the name desired.
• Think of the shape of letters and what they can turn into as an example, an "I" can easily turn into a "D, J, or K."  

Here are a few examples of personalized items and how I've changed them into another name: 

• Pottery Barn Anywhere Chair Cover -   Regular retail: $99.  My chair cover was $1.00.  My daughter found the chair for $30 on Craigslist, embroidered letter 50 cents...our total cost for this chair = $31.50.

Before with the partially unpicked "O" & the airplane.

• Star Wars Roller Suitcase - since this is a gift which hasn't been given, I wouldn't share   the cost...but I will tell you, it was a great deal! The name on this suitcase was "Ian" but I need it to read "James".  
  
   I made the "I" into a "J" and then with a running stitch, 
  outlining the "N" into an "M" and added an "E, J" and "S" per the photo below. 

Using the same embroidery floss, I filled in the letters.

• Pottery Barn Lunch Bag - on sale $15 -$24.50.  My price = $2.50  Remember when I turned this into storage for doll clothes?

If you're wondering where I find these bargains, you can check out Down East Home and Clothing and no, they did not pay me to tell you that (sure wish they did though).

Happy bargain hunting & name changing!

xoxo Grandma