What’s one of the biggest shopping events of the summer? Back-to-school season.
If you’re looking to sell personalized school supplies, now’s the perfect time to prepare. We’ve rounded up 20 personalized picks across every category to help your store stand out and make the most of the back-to-school shopping rush.
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Back-to-school shopping is still going strong
Back-to-school season is one of the biggest shopping events of the year. For the third year in a row, September is the most popular month to shop, with 29% of shoppers planning their purchases then. August, July, and June aren’t far behind, showing strong demand throughout the summer.
Shoppers are also willing to spend. In 2026, more than a third expect to spend over $1,000 on back-to-school purchases. At the same time, they’re becoming more selective about what they buy. Quality, convenience, and finding the right products matter more than price alone.
What are the essential back-to-school purchases?
School supplies are the most popular category, accounting for 22% of planned purchases. Electronics and clothing follow at 19% each. For sellers, this creates a strong opportunity to offer personalized school supplies and other school accessories that students and parents already plan to buy.
The top 20 custom school supplies for 2026
From customized school stationery to personalized school apparel, these picks can help students start the year in style. Once your designs are ready, use back-to-school marketing strategies to attract more shoppers and increase sales.
1. T-shirts
Quality t-shirts are an essential part of every child’s wardrobe and a popular back-to-school purchase.
Tap into the back-to-school rush with personalized school apparel and school-themed designs in your shop. Think math jokes, retro Y2K and 90s motifs, school stationery-inspired graphics, or chalkboard typography.
Because t-shirts print and ship quickly, they’re perfect for last-minute shoppers and flash promotions, helping you capture more impulse purchases during the busy back-to-school season. If you’re creating your own designs, check out our t-shirt design size guide to make sure your artwork looks its best when printed.
2. Hoodies
When cooler weather arrives, hoodies become a back-to-school staple. They’re soft, comfortable, and practical, and give students another way to show off their personality through custom designs.
They also make great personalized gifts, and pair naturally with quality t-shirts or bottoms if you want to bump up your cart value. Stick to popular colors like black, heather gray, and forest green, then add school-themed graphics, names, mascots, or personalization options to make them more appealing.
Want to give hoodies a try? Learn how to make a hoodie with Printify and turn your ideas into ready-to-sell designs.
3. Sweatshirts
Crewneck sweatshirts are a versatile option for students who want something simple, soft, and easy to wear. Their clean, hood-free design makes them a popular choice for school, sports, clubs, and other activities year-round.
Offer them in popular colors and customize them with school logos, mascots, graduation years, or personalized designs. They’re also a great fit for matching class, team, or club apparel – or as a family set for siblings starting the year together.
Check out our guide on hoodies vs sweatshirts to see which option makes the most sense for your store.
4. Backpacks
No back-to-school shopping list is complete without a backpack – students need somewhere to carry all those school items. Backpacks also make great personalized gifts for a family gearing up for a new school year.
A quality custom backpack combines style and practicality, making it one of the most valuable personalized school supplies you can sell. Add names, initials, school mascots, or relevant custom artwork to make each backpack feel unique.
For an extra personal touch, let customers upload photos, artwork, or other images to create one-of-a-kind backpacks they’ll carry all year. Best practice: price personalization as a small add-on fee rather than folding it into the base price – shoppers expect to pay a little extra for a name or photo, and it’s an easy way to boost your margin.
5. Socks
Custom socks may not be the first thing that comes to mind during back-to-school shopping, but they’re one of those essentials that students always need.
Socks are an easy way to add a little fun to everyday outfits, made from soft, quality materials that hold up to daily wear. They’re also affordable to buy, easy to bundle with other products, and make great personalized gifts for classmates, friends, or team members – or a matching family pack for game day.
6. Sneakers
Few school items get as much daily use as a good pair of sneakers. They’re a practical choice for the classroom, sports, and everything in between, so they’re always in demand during back-to-school season.
For an easy upsell, pair custom sneakers with matching socks for a complete look and a higher cart value. You can also release limited-edition art designs tied to the start of the school year, special events, or team seasons to create urgency and encourage faster purchases.
7. Laptop sleeves
Customized laptop sleeves are among the school accessories students use long after the back-to-school season ends. As laptops and tablets are now classroom essentials, they’re a practical addition to any student’s everyday life.
Laptop sleeves offer plenty of room for creativity, from original art and modern graphics to location-inspired designs. Lightweight and easy to carry, they can accompany students from their first day of class to internships and future careers.
8. Water bottles
Customizable water bottles are one of the top categories during back-to-school season. They’re practical, affordable, and available in a variety of materials and sizes. A personalized bottle also feels more special than a standard one, turning an everyday item into a meaningful gift.
Explore our eco-friendly product collection for more sustainable product ideas. And if water bottles are your thing, take a look at our guide on starting a water bottle business with Print on Demand.
9. Stickers
Custom stickers are small, affordable, and easy to sell. If you don’t have your own store yet, Etsy lets you offer single stickers or full sticker sheets without building a large product catalog.
Help shoppers picture your products in real life with mockups featuring notebooks, planners, and other school stationery. A lifestyle image often sells the idea better than the sticker alone, and a well-lit photo is worth the extra five minutes it takes to shoot one.
Pro tip
Stick to original art. Unique designs make your personalized items stand out and reduce the risk of copyright infringement. See our print-on-demand copyright guide to better understand what you can and can’t use in your designs.
10. Pin buttons
Pin buttons are a fun and affordable way for students to personalize backpacks, tote bags, and denim jackets. They’re perfect for showing off hobbies, interests, school pride, or celebrating a special occasion – a birthday, a big game, a first day at a new school.
For an even more personal touch, Etsy sellers using Printify can enable automated personalization. This feature allows buyers to create pin buttons with their own designs, photos of their favorite memories, friends, school events, or special occasions.
11. Desk mats
A quality desk mat helps students create a more organized and comfortable study space at home, and gives them another spot to make their own with a favorite photo or design. They’re especially useful for laptop users, giving them a dedicated surface for studying, note-taking, and creative projects.
They’re also worth considering for schools looking to refresh computer labs, libraries, or classroom workstations. Offer designs featuring school branding, educational themes, or custom artwork to appeal to both individual students and larger group orders.
Big order coming in?
Save up to 50% when you order 20 or more similar items from the same Print Provider through Printify.
12. Lunch bags
Lunch bags offer plenty of room for customization and pair well with backpacks, water bottles, and other school accessories.
Bundle matching products into themed sets to increase order value – combining a lunch bag, water bottle, and backpack in the same design is an easy way to turn one sale into three. For families with multiple children, customized lunch bags also make mornings a little easier by helping everyone keep track of their belongings. Choose sturdy materials for products that can handle daily trips to school.
13. AirPods cases and wireless earbuds
Wireless earbuds are as common in backpacks as notebooks and pens. Pair them with a custom AirPods case, and you’ve got a practical accessory students can use every day. It’s also an easy sell to parents: a name or photo on the case makes it a lot easier to tell whose earbuds are whose when three backpacks look the same.
A personalized AirPods case is an easy add-on product that pairs well with other tech accessories. It can also turn a standard set of earbuds into one of those meaningful gifts students will use long after the first day of school.
14. Wireless chargers
Wireless chargers help students keep their devices powered without dealing with tangled cables. They’re a practical fit for study spaces, dorm rooms, and bedside tables.
They also pair naturally with phones, earbuds, and other tech accessories, making them an easy product to bundle. A name or photo on the charger turns a generic gadget into a small, personal touch.
15. Notebooks
Notebooks are a classic school supply that never goes out of style, and honestly, kids will fill them a lot more often if their name’s on the cover. Offer customizable covers with names, quotes, original artwork, or photos that buyers can upload.
They’re easy to feature alongside pencils, water bottles, and other school stationery as part of a themed collection. A personalized notebook can also double as a personalized back-to-school gift.
Choose from lined, blank, softcover, and hardcover formats to suit different needs and preferences.
Pro tip
Notebooks are a great starter product for young entrepreneurs. Explore our business ideas for teens for more inspiration.
16. Pencil cases
A quality pencil case is the unsung hero of the school year. It keeps pens, pencils, erasers, and other supplies from disappearing into the backpack abyss.
For sellers, pencil cases fit naturally into a custom stationery collection. They’re easy to personalize, inexpensive to buy, and popular with students of all ages. Offer them as standalone products or as part of a larger school supply set.
17. Mugs
Coffee for teachers, hot chocolate for students, and tea for late-night study sessions. Mugs have a place in just about every school routine, which is why they remain a top category for personalized gifts.
The best part is the creative freedom. Funny quotes, class-year references, inside jokes, and original artwork are just a few examples of designs that can bring a little joy to someone’s daily routine. A well-designed mug can easily become the one they reach for first, and the recipient will think of you every time they do.
If mugs aren’t your cup of tea, explore other drinkware options like tumblers and water bottles. They work well for school events, graduation parties, and gift collections, giving shoppers even more reasons to be thrilled with their purchase.
Interested in this niche? Read our guide on how to sell mugs on Etsy.
18. Posters and tapestries
Posters and tapestries are a popular way for students to decorate dorm rooms, bedrooms, and study areas with favorite quotes, bold graphics, maps, or calming designs.
From matte prints to soft fabric backdrops, these customizable products add a personal touch without taking up valuable space. They also double as personalized gifts for students moving into a new dorm or starting a new school year, ranging from a simple photo print to a full custom map of a hometown. That’s the kind of quality gift a recipient actually hangs up instead of tucking in a drawer.
19. Bookmarks
For students who still prefer turning pages over swiping screens, bookmarks are a simple accessory that feels special. They’re especially popular among avid readers, book clubs, and literature lovers.
Bookmarks are inexpensive to produce and easy to gift. Whether laminated, magnetic, or folded into a greeting card, they offer plenty of room for creative designs without taking up much space. Better yet, they’re the kind of product customers often buy more than one of – a small, affordable gift that still feels personal. Sell them in themed sets of three or four, and you’ve turned a one-dollar item into a real add-on sale.
20. Phone cases
A phone case is one of the few products students see and use dozens of times a day. That constant visibility makes it a great canvas for personalization and self-expression.
Whether it’s a favorite photo, a personal design, or a tribute to friends and family, phone cases give buyers plenty of ways to make a product their own. Offering free personalization turns a practical accessory into one of the most personal gifts on this list.
Why sell personalized school supplies with Printify?
No upfront costs
Launch your personalized school supplies business with minimal investment. Products are printed only after a customer places an order, so there’s no need to buy inventory in bulk or pay for storage.
Best products and prices
Choose from over 1,300 high-quality products backed by trusted print craftsmanship in the Printify Catalog, all competitively priced to help you maximize profits. Whether you’re selling custom stationery, backpacks, phone cases, or personalized gifts, you’ll find plenty of options for your collection.
Popular eCommerce integrations
Connect your store to popular eCommerce platforms and marketplaces like Shopify, Squarespace, and Amazon in just a few clicks. Our seamless integrations simplify order management, customization, and fulfillment from one place.
Global printing and shipping
With more than 140 print facilities around the world, Printify helps you reach customers wherever they are. Our global fulfillment network supports reliable service, competitive shipping options, and efficient delivery, helping products reach recipients quickly during peak shopping periods.
Personalize back-to-school products with Printify
Sign up and connect your store
Sign up for a free Printify account to access our custom products and editing tools. All you need is an active email address.
Choose a product
From personalized backpacks and pins to water bottles, notebooks, and sweatshirts, we’ve got high-quality custom school supplies for everyone. Simply select a product you want to sell and click Start designing.
Add your design
Our free Product Creator makes customization easy. Add graphics, text, photos, or a mix of all three to create personalized school supplies for any age group or style.
Enable product personalization
Enable personalization so your customers can add names, dates, or photos to your designs. Simply review each order before submitting, and then it’s off to the printing press.
Make money risk-free
Once your customer places an order, the selected Print Provider handles printing and shipping, so you can focus on growing your business.
Frequently asked questions
Get your store ready for the school year
Personalized school supplies never go out of style – they’re a fixture of school life, not a passing trend. The best products combine everyday usefulness with a personal touch that makes them feel special.
The good news? You don’t need a warehouse, a design degree, or months of planning to get started. With Printify, you can create, publish, and sell custom products in minutes. Choose from over 1,300 products, design them for free, and let us handle printing and fulfillment after each sale.
