It happens every year. You meant to order in good time. Then it was the second week of December, or the day before a birthday, and the thing you wanted to give is made to order and takes up to two weeks to arrive.
You have two choices. You can grab something off a shelf that will be there on the day and forgotten by the weekend. Or you can give the gift you wanted to give, a little late, and do it well. The second is nearly always better. Here is how.
First, check whether you have really missed it
Every Kiyo Arts piece is made after you order it. The timings are:
- Handling and production: 2 to 7 business days.
- US delivery: 3 to 7 business days.
- Total: 5 to 14 business days.
The published order-by dates use the longest time in each range, so that an order placed by then has every chance of arriving. For the 2026 holidays, the US date is December 3. See holiday order deadlines.
If you are a few days past that, the order may still arrive in time. Many do, because not every order takes the maximum. An order at typical speed takes around ten business days. But it is a chance, not a promise. Production queues and carriers are at their busiest in December, and once an order is placed nothing can speed it up.
So if you are past the date, order now, and plan as if it will be late. If it arrives in time, that is a bonus.
Choose what moves fastest
If time is short, format matters. Canvas tends to sit at the longer end of the production range, because each one is stretched over a frame after printing. Smaller items such as pins, keychains and desk mats usually move through more quickly. That is a tendency, not a guarantee, and the same overall range applies to everything.
Avoid ordering several different product types together if you are in a hurry. They are made by different production partners and ship separately, so part of the order may arrive well before the rest.
Give the promise on the day
A gift that is on its way is still a gift. What matters is that the person has something to open, and that they know what is coming.
Print a picture of it
Save the product image, print it, and put it in a card. Better, put it in a cheap frame or roll it and tie it with ribbon. They unwrap a preview of the real thing.
Write a proper note
Say what it is, why you chose it for them, and roughly when it will arrive. The reason you picked it is the part people remember. A late gift with a thoughtful note beats a punctual one with none.
Give a small thing now
Pair the promise with something small they can hold: a bar of chocolate, a book, a candle. Or a hook and a pencil with a note saying the rest is coming, if the gift is a picture.
Make the wait part of it
Share the tracking link when it ships. For a child or a teenager, a parcel to look forward to after the holiday, when everything else has been opened, is a treat of its own.
What to say
Keep it simple and unapologetic. Something like: I ordered you something that is being made for you. It should arrive around this date. Here is what it looks like.
Made to order is a good thing to tell someone. It means the piece is being printed and put together for them, and didn't come off a warehouse shelf. That is worth a short wait, and most people are pleased to hear it.
If it has to be there on the day
Sometimes it really does. A party, a leaving do, a trip. In that case:
- Give the printed picture and note at the event, and the gift when it comes.
- Have it sent to them directly, if you won't see them again soon. Use their address as the shipping address, and let them know a parcel is coming.
- Double-check the address. A package can't be redirected once it has shipped.
If the gift is going abroad
International delivery takes 10 to 30 business days after dispatch, and customs can add delay. For a holiday gift, the order-by date is the end of October. After that, tell the recipient early that something is coming and that it will be late. They may have duties or taxes to pay on arrival, so it is kind to warn them of that too.
While you are ordering late, get these right
- The size. Clothing is made in the size you select and can't be exchanged. Art in the wrong size can be returned within 30 days, but you pay the return shipping. Check before you pay.
- The address.
- The email address, so the tracking reaches you.
Rushing causes mistakes, and with made-to-order items a mistake can't be undone. If you spot one straight after ordering, contact us at once. Changes are possible only before production starts.
Next time
- Put the date in your calendar. For the winter holidays, early December for US orders. For a birthday, three weeks before.
- Order as soon as you have the idea. The thought is the hard part. Don't sit on it.
- Keep a note of things people mention. A gift idea in June is easy to act on in November if you wrote it down.
A late gift is not a failed gift
Nobody remembers which day a present arrived. They remember what it was and that you chose it. A picture that goes up on a wall in January and stays for ten years has done its job.
For ideas, see art gifts by budget and gifts for someone who has everything. For how long things take, see how long a made-to-order piece takes to arrive. Then browse the full collection.