Holiday shipping deadlines for handmade items

Below are the US Postal Service official holiday shipping deadlines, but when shopping for handmade items please remember that there are additional considerations. Many handmade items you buy online are Made To Order or Customized and the artisan will not even begin to make your item until after the order is placed. Many are swamped with orders this time of year and will make each and every one with their own hands. If you wish to have a fully Custom item made, the artisan will have to work closely with you and may have to purchase special materials and take extra time to work out the details of how to make something they do not normally make. Because this takes so much extra time, many artisans have already stopped taking custom requests for the holidays, but you can find a few who still will.

Contrary to popular belief, the US Postal Service does not guarantee their shipping times. They only provide an estimate of the most likely delivery window. Therefore, most online merchants can only guarantee how long it will take them to get your item in the mail, but cannot guarantee how long the postal service will take to get it to you. As happens every year, expect the USPS to be running late due to weather and other considerations. Ordering early is your best guarantee to insure delivery and avoid paying for expensive shipping upgrades.

Domestic

	First Class Package Service: Dec 20
	Priority Mail: Dec 21
	Priority Mail Express: Dec 23

International

	First Class International Package Service: Dec 1
	Priority Mail International: Dec 1
	Priority Mail Express International: Dec 8