diff --git a/tests/test_items.py b/tests/test_items.py
index 45aea25..485e47f 100644
--- a/tests/test_items.py
+++ b/tests/test_items.py
@@ -946,3 +946,21 @@ def test_copy_copy():
 )
 def test_escape_key(key_str, escaped):
     assert api.key(key_str).as_string() == escaped
+
+
+def test_custom_encoders():
+    import decimal
+
+    @api.register_encoder
+    def encode_decimal(obj):
+        if isinstance(obj, decimal.Decimal):
+            return api.float_(str(obj))
+        raise TypeError
+
+    assert api.item(decimal.Decimal("1.23")).as_string() == "1.23"
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        api.item(object())
+
+    assert api.dumps({"foo": decimal.Decimal("1.23")}) == "foo = 1.23\n"
+    api.unregister_encoder(encode_decimal)
diff --git a/tomlkit/__init__.py b/tomlkit/__init__.py
index acc7046..c2dd53f 100644
--- a/tomlkit/__init__.py
+++ b/tomlkit/__init__.py
@@ -18,9 +18,11 @@
 from tomlkit.api import loads
 from tomlkit.api import nl
 from tomlkit.api import parse
+from tomlkit.api import register_encoder
 from tomlkit.api import string
 from tomlkit.api import table
 from tomlkit.api import time
+from tomlkit.api import unregister_encoder
 from tomlkit.api import value
 from tomlkit.api import ws
 
@@ -52,4 +54,6 @@
     "TOMLDocument",
     "value",
     "ws",
+    "register_encoder",
+    "unregister_encoder",
 ]
diff --git a/tomlkit/api.py b/tomlkit/api.py
index 8ec5653..686fd1c 100644
--- a/tomlkit/api.py
+++ b/tomlkit/api.py
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import contextlib
 import datetime as _datetime
 
 from collections.abc import Mapping
 from typing import IO
 from typing import Iterable
+from typing import TypeVar
 
 from tomlkit._utils import parse_rfc3339
 from tomlkit.container import Container
 from tomlkit.exceptions import UnexpectedCharError
+from tomlkit.items import CUSTOM_ENCODERS
 from tomlkit.items import AoT
 from tomlkit.items import Array
 from tomlkit.items import Bool
@@ -16,6 +19,7 @@
 from tomlkit.items import Date
 from tomlkit.items import DateTime
 from tomlkit.items import DottedKey
+from tomlkit.items import Encoder
 from tomlkit.items import Float
 from tomlkit.items import InlineTable
 from tomlkit.items import Integer
@@ -284,3 +288,21 @@ def nl() -> Whitespace:
 def comment(string: str) -> Comment:
     """Create a comment item."""
     return Comment(Trivia(comment_ws="  ", comment="# " + string))
+
+
+E = TypeVar("E", bound=Encoder)
+
+
+def register_encoder(encoder: E) -> E:
+    """Add a custom encoder, which should be a function that will be called
+    if the value can't otherwise be converted. It should takes a single value
+    and return a TOMLKit item or raise a ``TypeError``.
+    """
+    CUSTOM_ENCODERS.append(encoder)
+    return encoder
+
+
+def unregister_encoder(encoder: Encoder) -> None:
+    """Unregister a custom encoder."""
+    with contextlib.suppress(ValueError):
+        CUSTOM_ENCODERS.remove(encoder)
diff --git a/tomlkit/items.py b/tomlkit/items.py
index 683c189..41dccc3 100644
--- a/tomlkit/items.py
+++ b/tomlkit/items.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from enum import Enum
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 from typing import Any
+from typing import Callable
 from typing import Collection
 from typing import Iterable
 from typing import Iterator
@@ -57,6 +58,15 @@ class _CustomDict(MutableMapping, dict):
 
 
 ItemT = TypeVar("ItemT", bound="Item")
+Encoder = Callable[[Any], "Item"]
+CUSTOM_ENCODERS: list[Encoder] = []
+
+
+class _ConvertError(TypeError, ValueError):
+    """An internal error raised when item() fails to convert a value.
+    It should be a TypeError, but due to historical reasons
+    it needs to subclass ValueError as well.
+    """
 
 
 @overload
@@ -218,8 +228,20 @@ def item(value: Any, _parent: Item | None = None, _sort_keys: bool = False) -> I
             Trivia(),
             value.isoformat(),
         )
+    else:
+        for encoder in CUSTOM_ENCODERS:
+            try:
+                rv = encoder(value)
+            except TypeError:
+                pass
+            else:
+                if not isinstance(rv, Item):
+                    raise _ConvertError(
+                        f"Custom encoder returned {type(rv)}, not a subclass of Item"
+                    )
+                return rv
 
-    raise ValueError(f"Invalid type {type(value)}")
+    raise _ConvertError(f"Invalid type {type(value)}")
 
 
 class StringType(Enum):