On our last cruise, I got to break in my brand-new custom Disney Cruise Line tote bag that I had made, especially for me! So many guests stopped me on board to ask where I had gotten my bag from, and because it has my name on it, it was pretty obvious that I had had it made. It’s pretty easy to do, and really, all you have to do is order the materials and take them to a professional to have them all applied the way you want! Here’s a close-up of my bag (Disney Adventure is on the back!) & my new favorite travel cup to throw in my tote; the lid locks & it’s leak-proof!

I ordered the size large boat and tote from L.L. Bean with the long handles and the zipper top in the color navy, and then had them embroider my name on the front, which I paid a little extra fee for, but that’s obviously totally optional for you! You could even add your family’s last name or a monogram instead.

Then I ordered all of the cruise ship name patches from the same Etsy shop so that everything matched. I also purchased the Captain Mickey and Captain Minnie heads to customize the front the way that I wanted! You can search Etsy for other characters, and I’ve linked a few, including Donald, who happens to be on the back of my bag, along with a few other friends that you could choose from as well.

Because the totes from L.L. Bean are so thick and sturdy (excellent quality!), you will need to have a professional sew on all of your patches, as the material is very thick and will not work on a regular sewing machine. I actually ended up having to take my bag to a cobbler or a shoe repair shop because they have heavy-duty sewing machines and can sew on fabric like this. Another place you could potentially take your bag is somewhere that does sewing on marine canvases, like sailboats, covers, etc.

I laid all of my patches out on the tote bag and took photos of exactly the way I wanted it so that I could send them to the cobbler working on my bag! It came out perfectly & I absolutely love it! If you’re looking to add bag charms like my Captain Mickey or Captain Duffy, I actually purchased Duffy on eBay. Captain Mickey was a magnet I bought from Disney Cruise Line, and I sewed a key ring onto the top of him and made him into a bag charm. I’m linking a few bag charms, including several Captain Duffy listings, since he’s not sold on the U.S ships! Definitely snag him if you want him, as eBay or park resellers are the only way to get one!

SHOP the entire DIY project all in one place, right HERE!

Let me know if you customize your own bag! I’d love to see how it turns out!