The Christmas merch timeline: when to order so it arrives in time

Every December we get the same message, usually around the 5th: "Can we still get 80 hoodies before the team dinner?" Sometimes the answer is yes. More often it is "yes, but not the hoodie you want". Custom merch goes through design, sampling, production and delivery, and each of those steps takes real time. The good news is that the timeline is predictable, so you can plan it once and stop worrying.

Start from the date it has to be in hands

Not the date of the party, the date the boxes need to be at the office. If you are packing gifts per person or sending them on to other cities, that day comes several days before the event. Write it down first; everything else is counted back from there.

For Christmas 2026 we work to one clear target: delivered by 15 December, anywhere in Europe. Working back from it:

• 31 October: early-bird deadline. Brief us by then and your order arrives around the end of November, with time to spare. It is also when our Christmas discount applies.
• 13 November: last brief date. The brief, or a project configured in our online studio, is with us.
• 20 November: artwork and sample approved. This is the date that matters most. Production starts the moment you sign off.
• 15 December: delivered. Folded, packed and at your door.

What actually takes the time

Direction: about a week

Choosing products, colours and placement, and adapting your artwork to each piece. This goes fast when you arrive with a clear idea of who the gift is for and a rough budget per person. It goes slowly when five people need to agree on a logo size.

Sample: about a week

For a new spec we make a physical sample, so you approve fit, colour and print on the real thing. Most delays happen here, and almost never in the workshop: they happen in inboxes. Name one person who can say yes.

Production: one and a half to two weeks

Cutting, sewing, printing or embroidery, then checks and finishing in our Istanbul ateliers. Embroidery on hundreds of pieces and multi-colour prints sit at the longer end.

Delivery: about a week

Packing per person, labelling, and shipping across borders. Splitting one order across several offices adds a day or two of coordination, not more.

Four ways to save a week

1. Reorder an approved spec. If we made something for you before, the spec is on file and the sample step can often be skipped.
2. Keep the artwork simple. One or two colours, one placement. It prints faster and usually looks better.
3. Collect sizes early. Send a short form to the team while the design is still in progress, not after.
4. Configure online. In our product studio you pick the product and colour, place your artwork and see an estimated price straight away, so the first conversation starts from a draft, not a blank page.

Missed the date?

Talk to us anyway. Reorders of an approved spec, single-colour prints and smaller quantities can sometimes still fit. If they can't, a gift card that promises "your hoodie arrives in January" is better than a rushed product nobody wears.