Look-Alike Dragon Plush, a Gift for a Fisherman

Description

In 2011 we posted this toy under a proud headline: the first dragon in the world with a portrait likeness. We still like that headline.

The order came from a lovely woman. Her husband was a big fishing fan, and she wanted a dragon for him. Not any dragon. One that looked like him. You can't buy that in a shop, so this look-alike dragon plush was made to order, for one man and nobody else.

Sketch first, then the toy

We started on paper. Our artist drew the dragon sitting up with a wide grin, glasses on his nose and a fishing rod in his paws, the line running down to a hook. The sketch is the last picture on this page. Only after it did we cut any fabric.

On paper he came out green. The finished dragon is a deep, bright blue with black wings, horns and spikes, and a tail that ends in a black spade.

What makes a dragon look like someone

A portrait plush doesn't have to be a doll. Here it is a dragon, and the likeness sits in the details: thin wire glasses with a coiled bridge, a curled black moustache, a big toothy smile, two tufts under the chin. And the thing that says fisherman at a glance: a fishing rod with a red-and-white float and a tiny hook hanging off the line.

That's the trick with a gift like this. Nobody looks at it and thinks "nice dragon". They look at it and say his name.

Your person, as any creature

Maybe your husband, boyfriend or dad has his own tell: the beard, the cap, the camera round his neck, the guitar, the rod in the trunk of the car. Send us a few photos and tell us what he loves. We'll draw him as a dragon, a bear, a cat, whatever fits, and sew it once you like the sketch.

His glasses, beard, hairstyle or favourite shirt
His hobby in the paws: a fishing rod, a mug, a ball, a book
Your size, from a shelf dragon to one you hug with both arms

A dragon like this one starts from $330. Size and details change the price, and the quote is free. More ideas are in custom plush gifts for your boyfriend or husband and in our custom dragon plush collection. If you'd rather have the two of you as people, see our bride and groom look-alike dolls.

Materials used

The Fisherman Dragon is sewn from soft short-pile plush in a deep, bright blue. The inner ears, the wing edges, the horn, the row of spikes down his back and the spade on his tail are black faux fur, so his outline reads clearly from any side. His feet have black claws on the soles.

The face is where the likeness lives. The wide grin has soft white teeth with stitched lines, the moustache, eyebrows and chin tufts are black fleece, and the eyes are green on white. Inside he's filled with soft stuffing, so he sits up on his own.

Thin wire glasses with a coiled bridge
A slim fishing rod with a line, a red-and-white float and a tiny hook

Everything we use is safe and eco-friendly.

Lead time

A plush like this usually takes 2–4 weeks. Some toys are quicker. The range leaves room for the small surprises every handmade toy brings.

A look-alike starts with a sketch. We study your photos, pick the details that make him him, and draw the creature. You approve the design before any fabric is cut. Then the pattern, the sewing, the small props like glasses or a rod, and the face last, because the face is what people look at first.

You get photos of the finished toy before it is packed. Got a birthday or an anniversary in mind? Tell us at the start.

Delivery

We ship worldwide. Once the toy leaves us, delivery usually takes 7 to 20 business days, depending on your country and your customs office.

Around Christmas and other holidays the post slows down everywhere, so add time if the plush has to arrive by a certain day. A birthday, an anniversary or the first weekend of the fishing season all make a good moment for a gift like this. Pick the date first, then count back, and leave the parcel a comfortable margin.

Tell us your date when you ask for a quote, and we'll say straight away whether it fits.

Guarantee

We have been sewing toys to order since 2009. With a look-alike gift nothing is left to guesswork: you approve the sketch before sewing starts, and you see photos of the finished toy before it ships.

If it arrives and you don't love it, you get a full refund within 14 days, for any reason at all. No argument, no restocking fee.

What he says when he meets himself as a dragon is up to him. We only sew the dragon.