Cotton Creations

Cotton Creations is a Chicago textile company that sells blank cotton goods at wholesale prices and prints them to order in-house, mainly with DTG. It is the home of Craft Basics, its own brand of flour sack towels, and its range runs from tea towels, napkins and aprons to tote bags, pouches, baby apparel, pet items and organic goods. The homepage pitches it to "makers, small shops, and big brands alike," and describes three services for sellers: wholesale bulk supply, full-service fulfillment with drop shipping, and overseas sourcing and manufacturing.

What the company makes

The company's roots are in kitchen textiles. The homepage calls it the "Home of Craft Basics TM & The Original Flour Sack Towels," says Craft Basics towels are sold "in retailers all over the country," and claims "the most comprehensive line of blank white-label flour sack towels in the U.S.A." It adds: "We directly handle the manufacturing of raw materials and do decorating in-house." The flour sack range is split into Value, American, Premium and Deluxe styles, and the shop can be filtered by weight (light, medium, heavy), by white or natural, and by imported or made in the USA.

Beyond the kitchen, the shop covers handkerchiefs, bandanas, bath and bedding, rally and beach towels, zippered pouches and tote bags, baby goods (onesies, bibs, burp cloths, blankets and infant and toddler apparel), pet items, and an Eco and Organic line with organic apparel, organic totes, organic baby items and natural goods. Named products on the pages include the 12oz Organic Cotton Heavy Canvas Tote Bag, the 12oz White or Natural 27L Jumbo Shopping Tote Bag, the 10oz Cotton Canvas Tote with Colored Handles by Liberty Bags, and the Craft Basics Deluxe Bright White and Natural Flour Sack Towels at 28 x 29 inches. A promotional section sells logo towels, totes and apparel by industry, from spas and museum gift shops to schools, law firms and veterinary practices.

Print methods

The homepage states the company's "in-house specialty is digital DTG printing (but we also produce with screen printing, DTF, heat transfers, and embroidery)." DTG allows full-color prints on kitchen towels, totes and baby onesies. The baby apparel page explains the method as a fabric printer, "much like an ink jet printer," that applies water-based ink directly to the fabric and leaves a soft finish. It argues that on 100% cotton the water-based ink absorbs into the fiber, unlike screen printing, "where ink can crack and crumble off over time." The same page describes the water-based ink used in-house as eco-friendly, and the homepage lists "Eco-Friendly Water-Based Inks" among its selling points.

Prices a seller can see

Product listings show prices, which is unusual in this niche. The baby apparel category gives "as low as" prices for its blanks: the Infant T-Shirt by Rabbit Skins from $5.00, the Toddler T-Shirt Short Sleeve by Rabbit Skins from $5.20, the Toddler T-Shirt Long Sleeve by Rabbit Skins from $6.00, the Baby Layette by Rabbit Skins from $7.20, the Organic Baby Onesie Short Sleeve by Colored Organics or by PM from $9.76, the Organic Baby Onesie Long Sleeve by Colored Organics from $9.97, the Toddler Organic Cotton T-Shirt by Colored Organics from $11.30, and the Kids Organic Cotton Pullover Long Sleeve Crew Neck Top from $14.50.

Pricing is tiered by quantity. The FAQ says "We are an open wholesale site where the more you buy, the more you save," that no special account or code is needed because the discounts apply in the cart automatically, and that custom printed orders of 50+ units should request a quote. The baby apparel page adds that the tiered discount applies to printing prices too. Shipping is free on orders of at least $200 within the continental U.S.

Minimums and ordering

The FAQ answer on minimums is specific: "We have no minimum order on almost all of our products. Single units can be ordered as samples to give them a try. Plus, no minimum quantity on DTG printing either!" The homepage banner shows the same claim with an asterisk, "No Minimum Order*," which that FAQ answer explains with its "almost all" wording.

Custom orders start in the Design Studio. A buyer selects a product, clicks "Start Designing" or "Customize," and either uploads a PNG or JPG file or builds a design with text, lines and shapes, or starts from a pre-made template or the design library. Layouts can be saved. The Design Studio account keeps uploaded designs and saved mockups, shows previous orders and their status, and handles quote requests. For help, the company answers design questions, product recommendations and quote requests by email, and its in-house graphic designer can take on photo editing or design work "for an additional editing fee," according to the baby apparel page.

Fulfillment for sellers

For sellers, the homepage offers "Full-Service Fullfillment" with "no inventory risk, unlimited designs, and drop shipping," and a Partner With Us route into it. The services menu lists Custom Printing, Packaging and Branding, and Fulfillment Options, and a separate Overseas Custom Wholesale service, run as CC India, covers "sourcing ready-made goods and large scale manufacturing overseas." The footer links a Faire.com partnership. The pages do not publish a store integration or an API, so a seller should expect to arrange drop shipping directly with the company.

Turnaround and shipping

The FAQ gives production times. Blank orders ship in 2-3 business days for in-stock items, and backorders may take longer. Custom printing depends on order size and season: sample and small orders take about 2-8 business days depending on product, and wholesale orders about 8-10 business days depending on quantity and season. Rush service is available on request, subject to the production schedule and product availability. Shipping time is extra: orders ship from Chicago, and the FAQ asks buyers to allow a few more days for delivery depending on location. Fall, from August to November, is the busiest season, and the company recommends ordering holiday goods as early as possible.

Organic range

The baby apparel page says the organic line uses cotton "that hasn't been treated with any harmful chemicals" and is dyed with natural substances, and it pitches these items to eco-conscious families and to babies with very sensitive skin or allergies. It names three organic options for baby and toddler wear: the long and short sleeve organic onesies and the toddler organic T-shirt. The standard onesies come prewashed in 100% cotton in eight colors.

Support and reviews

The site lists a Chicago phone number and an email address, and says the team answers "in a timely manner." Reviews on the homepage mention quick replies to inquiries, true-to-color printing on totes, and a tote heavy enough for embroidery. One bulk buyer notes that turnaround took about three weeks, so a seller on a deadline should give a date when ordering, as the FAQ itself asks.

Who it suits

Cotton Creations fits sellers of printed kitchen textiles, totes, baby wear and gift items who want to see blank prices up front and pay less as volumes grow. Its own Craft Basics towel line and in-house DTG make it a strong source for tea towel and flour sack sellers in particular, and single-unit samples let a new shop test a product before committing. Promotional buyers and event organizers will find the quote process and industry catalog useful.

It suits less a seller who wants orders routed automatically from an online store, since the pages show no store integration, or anyone shipping mainly outside the continental U.S., since the pages describe shipping only from Chicago.