How Custom Colour Orders Work (and What the 20% Surcharge Covers)

The most frequent message we get is some version of: "Can you make it in this colour?" — usually with a photo of a fabric swatch, a favourite jumper, or a screenshot from a game.

The answer is almost always yes. Here is how it works in practice, and how to avoid the one thing that goes wrong.

What "custom" means here

For pipe cleaner dragons: a custom design carries a 20% surcharge over the tier it is based on. That covers sourcing the specific colours, the extra trial work in matching them, and the fact that a one-off colourway cannot be batched with other orders.

For knitted hats: colour combinations can be discussed. Send reference images and we will tell you what is achievable with the yarn we can get, and whether it changes the price.

How to send a reference that actually works

This is where custom orders go right or wrong. A colour name is almost useless — "teal" means different things to different people. A photograph is useful, but only if it is a good one.

Send:

• One or two photos of the colour in natural daylight, not under a warm indoor lamp.
• Something for scale and context — the colour as it appears on the object you want to match.
• A note on which part you care about most: the body, the accents, or the overall mood.

Avoid:

• Screenshots with heavy filters, and anything screenshot from a video with colour grading.
• Photos taken under yellow tungsten lighting — they shift everything warm.
• Sending six different references at once. Pick the one that matters.

If we think the match will not work — some very saturated neons and some two-tone iridescents do not exist in chenille — we will say so before you pay, not after.

Why exact matches are approximate

Chenille is a dyed fibre with a nap, and yarn is a dyed thread. Both reflect light differently to a flat screen or a piece of fabric. A match that is perfect under our workshop lighting can read slightly different in your home.

What we aim for is a match that is recognisably the same colour, not a spectrophotometer-level hit. If you need it exact — for a brand colour, a costume, a set — tell us and we will send photos of the actual materials before making starts.

What does not change on a custom order

• Lead time stays roughly the same: around 3 days for dragons, around 5 days for hats, plus shipping.
• You still get photos for confirmation before it ships.
• Overseas orders are still prioritised.
• As a made-to-order item, it is not eligible for return or exchange — which is exactly why the photo approval step matters more on a custom piece.

The three custom requests we get most

1. Match a pet. Send a photo of the animal in daylight, ideally showing the colour in shadow and in sun. Fur has more variation than people expect.
2. Match a brand or team colour. Send the hex code if you have one, plus a photo of the colour printed. Screens and prints disagree.
3. Two-tone bodies. Very achievable on dragons — the body and the accents can be different colours, which is how several of our standard colourways are built.

How to start

Email is the best channel for a custom request, because you can attach images and we can keep the thread. Include one or two reference images, your budget, and your timeline — we reply within one business day, Monday to Friday 10:00–18:00 (UTC+8).

For a quick "is this possible?" before you commit, WhatsApp is faster — usually answered within 30 minutes, and voice messages are welcome if that is easier than typing.