Custom figurine from photo: the complete guide

It all starts with a photo, and it doesn’t need to be a perfect one. A phone photo is enough, even if it’s blurry, crooked or taken from across the room. The only real limit is the face: it has to be in the picture, so someone seen from behind or wearing a mask won’t work. What matters far more than technique is the moment. The backyard barbecue snapshot, the old family photo from the drawer: pick the image that says who the person is, and your free preview will show you what comes of it.

Next, you say who’s in the picture, choose a style, and your preview appears. For one person, you get several poses to choose from, including the one in your photo. You don’t need an account for this first creation: from photo to preview, and even to checkout, everything works without signing up. A free account only comes in if you want more edits or more previews. Edits take one sentence, like “make the hoodie green” or “remove the glasses,” with up to 5 edits per creation. And if you don’t like the result, you try another photo without paying anything.

One detail saves a lot of disappointment: a figurine is made from a single photo. You can upload several and pick the one to work from, but they aren’t combined. For a family, you need a picture where everyone is together.

Once you’ve approved the preview, you choose the size and place your order. Only then does the workshop get to work.

You choose the style before the preview, and it shapes the character of the piece far more than its size does.

The Classic style

It keeps natural proportions: head, body and legs are to scale, just like in the photo. It’s the choice for gifts that move people: a couple celebrating their twentieth anniversary, a grandfather in his gardening clothes. Classic comes in 18, 20 and 23 cm (5.9, 7.9 and 9.1 inches).

The Big Head style

The head is deliberately bigger than the body, in the spirit of a bobblehead. The face takes center stage, and with it the expression: a fit of laughter, a wink, a pout. Big Head comes in 12, 15, 20 and 25 cm (4.7 to 9.8 inches), and from 15 cm you can choose a bobblehead on a spring. Everything about this style is in our custom bobblehead guide.

To decide, ask yourself one question: when they open the box, will they laugh first or tear up first? For a laugh at the office, say as a farewell gift for a coworker, or for a present between friends, Big Head hits the mark. For a keepsake that will sit on the mantelpiece for years, Classic often wins. Either way, the face, the clothes and the accessories come from your photo. And if you’re still wondering who to give a figurine to, our personalized gift ideas start from the person rather than the store.

The height we give is the total height, base included. To picture it: 12 cm fits in one hand, 15 cm sits nicely beside a photo frame, 20 cm finds room on a desk without crowding it, and 23 or 25 cm becomes a real showpiece on a shelf. Our size comparison shows every height side by side, next to a book.

One base holds up to 13 people and 4 pets (dog, cat or rabbit). A pet on its own exists too, from 8 to 15 cm (3.1 to 5.9 inches). We suggest the number of people based on your photo, and you can correct it before your preview appears. With pets, too, the moment matters more than image quality: the dog with the ball in its mouth, the cat on its favorite cushion. More on that in our guide to the custom pet figurine.

Three tips for groups:

• All that matters is that everyone is in the same photo, every face visible; crooked or a little blurry makes no difference.
• The more people there are, the more room a larger size leaves for each person’s details.
• If the photo shows more than 13 people or more than 4 pets, a custom request takes over: the workshop replies by email with a quote. For any other special question, write to us; the address is at the bottom of every page.

For two people in love or a couple getting married, there’s a dedicated guide with tips on the photo and the pose: the custom couple figurine.

A custom figurine from FIGU starts at €69.99. The price then depends on the style, the size, and the number of people and pets. It’s shown with every choice, before you order anything, and nothing is added on top: delivery is free everywhere, duties and taxes included. Each extra person means extra modeling work, and so an extra charge, which you also see in advance.

You can pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. If it’s a gift, the gift box comes free with orders of €120 or more: premium packaging, ready to give. And a second, identical FIGU is €20 off: one to give, one to keep.

Allow 10 to 14 days from order to delivery. Nothing is kept in stock: each figurine is crafted for you, then shipped with a tracking link sent by email. For a special occasion, order at least 21 days ahead, and for Christmas by 4 December. Every deadline of the year, from Valentine’s Day to Father’s Day, is in our overview of Mother’s Day 2027 and every gift date, and holiday ideas are gathered in our guide to the personalized Christmas gift.

Delivery takes the same time whether you live in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada or Australia, and there’s nothing to pay the courier. How your package reaches you is explained on our shipping and delivery page.

Your figurine is hand-sculpted and hand-painted by an artisan at our partner workshop in China. They shape the face, the hair and each piece of clothing over a metal frame, paint the piece, then fix it to its base. Before packing, the workshop checks the finished piece one last time.

Once finished, it’s rigid and sturdy; you can pick it up without worrying. To be honest, it’s a three-dimensional object, not a copy down to the millimeter. Some details are simplified so it stands up and holds together, but you recognize the person right away, and the preview has shown you the result we’re aiming for. Slight variations in shade or finish simply come with handwork.

Comparing with a color 3D print or another maker? Ask three questions before you pay: do I see the result first, is the price shown the final price, and what happens if it arrives damaged? Clear answers are worth more than a glossy ad.

At FIGU, the answer to the last question is simple: report the damage within 7 days with a video showing the broken spot up close, and we remake the piece at our expense. After that, a soft brush is all it takes to keep the dust off. Keep it out of direct sunlight so the colors stay fresh for years.

A custom figurine from a photo comes down to three decisions: the right photo, the right style, the right size. The rest follows: you see the preview for free, change what doesn’t feel right, and nothing is made until you approve it. Then the piece is sculpted and painted by hand and reaches you in 10 to 14 days, with nothing to pay at the door.

More than 1,381 FIGUs have already left the workshop, and each one started with an ordinary phone photo. The quickest way to find out whether yours works is to try it: create my FIGU.