The honest lead times
All of these are measured from the moment you approve the design, not from when you first send a message. Design conversations usually take a day or two on top.
| What you're ordering | Allow |
|---|---|
| A design from the shop, as-is | About 1 week |
| A shop design in different colours | About 1 week |
| A new custom pair | 1–2 weeks |
| A matching pair (two people) | 1–2 weeks |
| A group set of 4–6 | 2–3 weeks |
| A bridal party | 3–4 weeks |
| Anything at all in September or October | Add a week |
Then add shipping. Free US shipping is a few days on top, and it is the one part of this nobody controls.
The ordering calendar
The studio has a rhythm, and knowing it is worth more than any of the numbers above.
- January–March. The quietest stretch of the year and by far the best time to commission something ambitious. If you want a sculpted design with hours in it, ask now.
- April–May. Graduation and spring-break season. Fixed, immovable dates — order six weeks out, not two.
- June–July. Peak trip season and peak Florida heat. Good time to ask about jersey and cotton designs rather than sequins.
- August. Order your Halloween ears. Not October. August. This is the single most useful sentence on this page.
- September–October. The crush. The queue fills, and we would rather turn work away than rush it. Everything takes a week longer.
- Early November. The window for Christmas. Family sets want mid-October.
- December. Very difficult. Ready-made pairs only, realistically, and even then the post is against us.
If your trip is sooner than that
Ask anyway. The answer is genuinely sometimes yes — a colour swap on an existing pattern moves much faster than a design from scratch, and occasionally the queue has a gap.
What we won't do is take an order we can't finish properly and send you something we're not happy with three days before you fly. If we can't make the date, we'll say so immediately.
What "made to order" actually means for timing
There's no shelf of finished ears here. Every pair — including the ones you can see in the shop — is built after you order it. That's what keeps each one individual, and it's why the answer to "can you ship today" is always no.
It also means a design that's sold out isn't really gone. It just needs a week.
Questions we get asked
How far in advance should I order custom mouse ears?
About a week is the minimum for a single custom pair, measured from the moment you approve the design rather than from when you first message. Two to three weeks for a set of four or more. Add a week on top for anything landing between August and October.
How long do ready-made ears take to ship?
Everything is made to order, including shop designs, so allow about a week. There is no shelf of finished stock — that's what keeps each pair individual.
Can you make ears in time if my trip is next week?
Sometimes. Message before ordering rather than assuming either way. A simple design or a colour swap on an existing pattern can move quickly; a sculpted face with hand-set crystals cannot.
When should I order Halloween ears?
August. By late September the studio queue is usually full, and a rushed pair is never as good as an unhurried one. This is the single most common ordering mistake we see.
When should I order for Christmas?
Early November for a single pair, mid-October for a family set. December orders are genuinely difficult and the shipping network is against you as well.
Do you charge a rush fee?
No. If we can meet your date we'll do it at the normal price, and if we can't we'll tell you straight away rather than take the order and hope.
Keep reading
Have something in mind we haven't made yet?
That's our favourite kind of order. Tell us the idea — a character, a colour palette, a wedding, a birthday, a trip you've been planning for two years — and we'll design it from scratch.
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