Patch Madness: 10 Patch Designs by the CPH Team
Meet some of the crew behind your gear! We challenged CPH team members to design custom patches based on their dream vacation destinations.
Written By: Amy
March 17, 2026
When the team at Custom Patch Hats isn’t busy producing the best custom gear in the game, you can usually find them dreaming of their next big adventure. And we know the best inspiration often comes from the places we love or the places we’re itching to visit.
To celebrate the season of brackets and buzzer-beaters, we’re launching our very own version of the tournament at CPH: Patch Madness.
The Challenge: Vacation Destinations
With March Madness you are encouraged not to travel with the b-ball, but Patch Madness is just the opposite. We asked our CPH team members to create one striking fabric patch answering the question: what is your favorite vacation destination? Whether it’s a nostalgic spot they visit every year, a bucket-list destination they aspire to see, or an imaginary landscape found only in their dreams, the results are a total slam dunk.
Angel M.
Design + Sales Team
These days, it’s the simple spots of the past that I crave. I would love the chance to spend a day in my old tree house as a kid to just waste the day away with my brothers and cousins. Sometimes sitting in a memory is a mini vacation in itself.
Josh S.
Design + Sales Team
My favorite past time is to take photos of animals and nature, so to me the best place to take a vacation is an area that has abundant and vibrant wildlife. A dream destination that would have unique wildlife that I would want to capture is South Africa. Meerkats are also a personal favorite animal of mine to photograph as they are always photogenic while they are scouting for predators.
Cat S.
Design + Sales Team
One of my favorite places of all time and my most frequented vacation spots is the Outer Banks! I love the beach, and there are so many small towns in OBX that have such cozy quiet vibes.
Angela F.
Brand + Product Team
For my 40th birthday, my younger sister Julia (who was 39) hiked the last 100km of the Camino de Santiago trial in Spain. It was in a pretty tumultuous time in our lives and the peace of the hike and the joy of my sister’s company made joyful memories for a lifetime.
Hope M.
Design + Sales Team
This dream vacation spot is special to me because it is where my good friends Ilya and Shane hang out when they are not battling it out on the rink. Inspired by the newest hottest hockey show!
Flynn G.
Design + Sales Team
Italy was the first ever country I visited when traveling out of the US for the first time! I fell in love with the food, culture, and the uniqueness. I miss it so much and I hope to go back as soon as I can!
Nisha B.
Stitch Team
Arizona is my dream vacation spot because I haven’t seen the huge cactus in my life. It is special because I come from desert region from India. I am interested to explore more of the desert area.
Mike P.
Design + Sales Team
Playing Dungeons & Dragons regularly with my friends for well over five years is something I consistently look forward to. Adventuring with them in imaginary worlds is always a delight, dare I say, even a vacation from real life.
Kayla F.
Design + Sales Team
I have always admired Japan and Japanese culture – I would love to visit someday and see how beautiful the country is in person! My brother visited last year and based on his experience, it looks like an amazing place to see and experience. I am currently trying to learn Japanese and would love to travel to practice and learn more of the language as well.
Valentina V.
Stitch Team
Too many years ago I worked in Europe and now I always come across this view. It’s incredible how I dream about this.
How to Play Along
Over March 25-26, 2026, our team members will go head-to-head in a bracket-style showdown over on our Instagram stories. This is where we need your help! We’re asking our community to vote for their favorite designs in the first round.
We’ll travel from the backyard, all the way to Italy and Japan. This diverse selection shows off a wide range of destinations from the CPH crew. Get ready to help us crown a champion. It’s so fun to see what happens when the pros get personal with their patch designs. Plus the top 3 patch designs will come to life!
Follow us on @custompatchhats on Instagram to cast your vote!
Why We Do What We Do
While Patch Madness is a fun way to show off our team’s talents, it’s really a celebration of the people who make Custom Patch Hats what it is. We wanted to take a moment to appreciate the incredible crew behind the scenes.
Our team truly puts our clients first at every single stage of the journey. Whether it’s the meticulous work during the initial design process, the precision of patch proofing and stitching, or the eagle eyes in QC and shipping, we take immense pride in every box that leaves our Raleigh shop. Every hat, bag, and apparel is a reflection of the craftsmanship of this team.
Curious about our process? Read more about our commitment to quality and how we deliver the highest quality gear here.
Our New Team Gear
Speaking of pride, we recently had some fun showing off some brand-new CPH team gear! Each team member got to choose between two of our top-tier favorites: the ultra-soft Comfort Colors long sleeve pocket tee or the fan-favorite District zip-up hoodie.
Of course we added a custom CPH branded flat woven label to every piece to give it that custom finish. We had a blast breaking in the new threads. Check out some of our favorite shots from the photo booth below!
