Out of the box, Framer offers limited customization for the search bar element - you can only really change the icon. To bypass this, we'll be creating a new frame, shaping it to our desired search bar dimensions. For this example, I've set the frame size to be 270 pixels wide and 50 pixels high. We'll convert this frame into a component and name it 'Search Bar'.

Next, we're going to stylize our search bar. Adding a radius of 99 to the frame gives it a round appearance. Then we apply a gray color and drag in a search icon, which we also recolor to gray to match our theme. We insert some text saying 'search...' to the frame as well.

To position the text and icon correctly, we'll select the primary frame, click on layouts, and set the distribution to 'Space Between'. This will align the icon and text to opposite ends of the search bar. We can then add some padding on the left and right (say 20 pixels each) to create a small border around these elements. The text font can also be changed for better aesthetics, for example, to 'Poppins', and its color can be set to light gray.

At this stage, we've created an attractive search bar. However, it's not functional yet. To make it interactive, we return to the insert menu, find the search bar and drag it into our frame. Here's where we get creative: We set the size of the search icon within this new search bar to zero, making it invisible. The width and height of this component are then set to 100%. We'll then switch from relative to absolute positioning, ensuring it covers the entire frame. We can verify this by aligning it on our canvas or clicking the top and bottom up here.

To make our custom search bar active, we need to increase its Z-index. We can go to our styles and set the Z-index to be higher than any other element in this component, ensuring it's on top of everything else. Now, our search bar is functional.

One of the powerful benefits of creating the search bar this way is the ability to add variants and different hover states directly on these components. As an example, we can add a hover state where the background color changes to a slightly lighter gray and the text and icon turn white when we hover over them.

In summary, that's how you create a custom search bar in Framer. Remember, the key is to ensure that the search bar element has a Z-index higher than all other elements and that it covers the entire frame. This creates an invisible layer over your other elements, making the component interactive.