Buying handmade decor from the UK: shipping, duties and what to expect
Quick answer
Buying handmade decor from a UK maker is straightforward if you check three things: whether the price includes shipping and import duties (DDP, 'delivered duty paid'), how long making and shipping take, and whether the product is compatible with US standards. Since August 29, 2025, the US no longer allows duty-free 'de minimis' entry for low-value parcels, so duties can apply to small orders too [1]. We ship to the US with duties paid, so there is nothing extra to pay on delivery.
American customers often ask us how buying from a small studio in England works. Here is an honest guide to shipping, duties, timing and compatibility, plus why it can be worth it.
Duties and tariffs: what changed
Until 2025, many parcels worth under $800 entered the US duty-free under the 'de minimis' rule. US Customs and Border Protection ended duty-free de minimis treatment for all countries from August 29, 2025, so low-value shipments now face applicable duties, taxes and fees [1]. When a seller ships 'DDU' (duties unpaid), the carrier may ask you to pay before delivery; when they ship 'DDP' (delivered duty paid), the seller has already paid.
| Term | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| DDP (delivered duty paid) | The seller pays duties and fees. Nothing to pay on delivery. |
| DDU / DAP | You may be asked to pay duties and a handling fee before delivery. |
| De minimis | The old duty-free threshold, suspended from August 29, 2025 [1]. |
Timing
Handmade pieces are often made to order. Allow for making time plus international shipping, and check the estimate on each listing. Large pieces such as big medallions are heavy and shipped carefully.
Compatibility
- Sizes: our listings give sizes in inches.
- Electrical: we ship battery versions of our plaster sconces to the US; mains (hardwired) versions are not shipped to the US.
- Switch surrounds: sized for UK plates; check dimensions against your US plate.
- Medallions: no compatibility issue; the fixture hangs from your existing box.
Why buy from a British maker?
Plastering has been an organised craft in Britain for centuries; the London plasterers received a royal charter in 1501 [2]. Traditional plaster has a depth, matte surface and paintability that modern substitutes struggle to match [3]. Buying directly from a maker also means you know exactly who made your piece.
Checklist before you buy from the UK
- Is shipping to the US included, or extra?
- Are duties paid (DDP)?
- What is the making and delivery time?
- Are sizes given in inches?
- Is it compatible with US electrics or plates?
- What is the returns policy?
The story of the plastering trade [4].
Video: Mr Ambitious and Weirdward Bound, “The History of Plasterers — The Trade Behind the Walls We Live Within”, via YouTube.
Good to know
Common questions
Will I pay customs fees buying from the UK?
Only if the seller ships duties unpaid. Flare ships duties paid, so there is nothing to pay on delivery.
Is there still a duty-free limit for US imports?
Duty-free de minimis treatment was suspended for all countries from August 29, 2025.
Do you ship plaster to the US?
Yes, with duties paid and delivery included in US prices.
Do UK wall lights work in the US?
Our battery versions do. Mains versions are not shipped to the US.
Sources
References and further reading
Harvard style. Web pages were checked on the access date shown.
- KPMG (2025) U.S. CBP implements executive order suspending duty-free de minimis treatment. Available at: kpmg.com/us/en/taxnewsflash/news/2025/08/us-cbp-implement... (Accessed: 14 November 2026).
- Worshipful Company of Plaisterers (n.d.) History. Available at: plaistererslivery.co.uk/about/history/ (Accessed: 14 November 2026).
- English Heritage (2011) Practical building conservation: mortars, renders and plasters. Farnham: Ashgate.
- Mr Ambitious and Weirdward Bound (n.d.) The history of plasterers: the trade behind the walls we live within [Video]. YouTube. Available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1I5fpSroeA (Accessed: 14 November 2026).
How to cite this article
van Locke, J. (2026) ‘Buying handmade decor from the UK: shipping, duties and what to expect’, The Flare Journal. Flare Studio UK. Available at: https://flarestudio.uk/blogs/journal/buying-handmade-decor-from-the-uk (Accessed: 15 November 2026).
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