You can have just about anything fully customized or made-to-order in China. Clothing, shoes, handbags, bikes, art, perfume, furniture - the possibilities are endless. Here we've rounded up some of our top places to go to get things made, or pimped out. Check them out below.

Fitting Furniture: One-off interior pieces
IKEA furniture is simple and easy, but don’t you sometimes wish your home was a little more special? The good news is that there are plenty of furniture studios in Shanghai offering custom-made pieces. Those charmed by ’50s European elegance should head to retro furniture store Barrn and have the designer make your office look like Don Draper’s. If the simplicity and functionality of Scandinavian furniture design is more your thing, have a cuppa with Andrew Sigfrids, the owner of ASIG Design, and dream your slick design dreams together.
Find it: Barrn and ASIG Design

Chinese Idol: Wax on, wax off
Nothing else in the world screams "one-of-a-kind" more than a life-size wax figure of yourself. Weimei Wax Figure, a Shanghai-based wax figure company, can make your dream of having an identical twin come true starting from RMB30,000. They also offer silicone figures (from RMB50,000), which are even more realistic. Although your wax figure might not make it into Madame Tussauds, it is oh-so-useful in many ways: scare away thieves by placing it by your door, fool your boss by sitting it in your cubicle, or have it wait in line for you at the train ticket booth. It’ll even bring you light and hope during power outages.
Find it: Unit 9, Lane 791 Gaochang Lu 高潮路781弄9号, Tel: 135-6401-9199

Kick It: Shoes to fit every foot
Ladies, there's no shame in size 40 feet, except when a shop keeper tells you, "meiyou xiezi, ni de jiao tai da le," before you even have a chance to step one of your enormous appendages into the store. For flats or stilettos that fit your toes to a tee, head to Solo Per Te. They’ve got tons of styles and materials in stock, or you can bring your own photo to copy the newest Manolos or Jimmy Choos. They’ll make a mold tailored to your foot and assemble it all in house. Within a month, your feet will be rocking super comfortable pumps. Prices range from RMB400-1,200.
Find it: Solo Per Te

Write On Shanghai: Super stationery
Graphic artist Amanda Pickens loves this city, and her line of stationery proves it. She’s already got an full set of Shanghai-themed postcards, prints and posters in her collection, and is always up to create personalized items, including new products like business cards or logo designs. Check online to see her latest print, a delightfully drawn swirl of some of her favorite things in town: Forever bikes, antique clocks, Feiyue sneakers, fresh flowers from the market and dumplings.
Find it: artwoodlane.blogspot.com, amandapickens7@gmail.com

Batter Up: Delightfully designed gourmet cakes
This visionary cakery is making birthday wishes and wedding dreams come true with made-to-order cakes. Cake artist Jill Barker starts by consulting with you on a theme for design inspiration, then lets her imagination run wild, creating hand-painted figurines and off-the-wall patterns and even topping off these delectable works of art with edible glitter. On the inside, these cakes are as indulgent as they are creative, made exclusively with Felchin, a Swiss couverture chocolate. According to Barker, “These are cakes you’ll want to show, not share.” Prices range from RMB1,200-1,800 based on your design specficiations, size and number of servings.
Find it: Stir Cakery

Bag Ladies: Custom-made bags
Bring a picture of that gorgeous vintage bag you long for or just a sketch of your own design to leather studio Tree and choose your own leather and hardware: the shifu and his team of designers will create your dream bag within 10 days. Prices vary depending on the style and leather but a handmade, custom-built laptop size messenger bag costs around RMB1,000.
Find it: 90 Shaoxing Lu 绍兴路 90号, Tel: 6433-2795

Scooter Tricks: Soup up your ride
With more and more “Vespas” hitting the streets, it’s a matter of Shanghai street pride to have your ride stick out from the masses. If you’re looking to make a few modifications to your scooter, head over to Ma Gang's shop on Kangding Lu for body work and additions that won’t break the bank. RMB180 gets you speakers with LED lights that blink to the beat, new mirrors are RMB50, and if you make a few trips, they'll toss in a cupholder for free. Bored with the color of your scooter? Hit up the paint shop at Taiyuan Lu for a RMB250 paint job—just be warned, these guys don’t speak English.
Find it: 41 Kangding Lu 康定路41号; 283 Taiyuan Lu 太原路283号

Wheelie Fun: A bike you’ll really like
For many, fixed-gear bikes are as much fun to pimp out as they are to ride. Peeping Bom’s our go-to spot for their colorful Airwalk bikes (from RMB2,500) and huge assortment of customizable parts, while the Flying Pigeon refurbishers at Factory 5 are relaunching this October as well (bikes from RMB3,000).
Find it: Peeping Bom and Factory Five

Black Out: Become a rap superstar
Looking to hit the big time like Rebecca Black did with “Friday”? Give the boys at Lao Sun Photo a call. For just RMB3,500, they’ll make you the star of your own music video. Makeup, studio time and post-production work is all included―just bring your own tunes. Back-up vocalists and dancers are optional but highly recommended.
Find it: www.laosunphoto.com

Scented: Personalized perfume
Running into someone with the same outfit might ruin your day, but a perfume clash is just as awful. That’s why you need your own customized fragrance. It costs a fortune to customize your own scent at Parisian haute couture houses, but thanks to Taobao store Qian Xiaomeng Scent House (芊小萌气味馆), you can get a 10mL test tube-sized perfume customized for you for just RMB90. It’s all made by the store’s experienced perfumer and you can choose to keep the recipe to make more or have the store destroy it.
Find it: www.taobao.com

It Denim: Jeans that fit right
A good pair of jeans is like a less awkward, non-surgical buttlift, and this is one of the only places in town that specializes in denim. They have everything from retro acid-washed to smart dark denims that the friendly, English-speaking shop owner can make into jeans, jorts, or even overalls. A standard pair runs around RMB150 and you can pick out your own buttons at shop 335 just down the hall.
Find it: Rm. 340 South Bund Fabric Market

Suit Up: Go bespoke with W. Sanford
Everything in the shop here is better than custom-tailored—it’s all bespoke. That means that each panel of the suit you get here (starting from RMB6,000) is made uniquely for your body and the cut you requested, then put together over a 50-hour tailoring process using materials imported from England. It’s a world of difference from the RMB600, two-hour suits you get at the fabric market, and they're built to last for decades. Don't believe us? Go in and chat with Sanford himself; his goal is to “openly share the bespoke tailoring experience.”
Find it: W. Sanford

Made to Eat: Winner, winner, Chinese dinner
Dine at home with Flying Chef and get a full, customizable meal with zero fuss (¥250 plus the cost of each dish, clean-up included). The only things you need to provide are drinks, a clean kitchen and plates to eat on. A solid range of Chinese and Southeast Asian staples are on the menu, but the chefs are always willing to go off menu―just put in requests when you book your dinner.
Find it: www.flyingchef.cn

Pick Your Poison: Rock out with your cocktail out
Think you're special enough to warrant your own cocktail? The bartenders at Urban Bar can help. They make everything from specialized mixes for parties to molecular cocktails for bars. It'll set you back RMB800 to get your own drink, which comes complete with naming rights. From there, it's just a matter of annoying all the bartenders in town with your drink order until it gains a foothold.
Find it: Urban Bar

Wok and Roll: Hand-made woks
While most woks are now factory made, there are still a few rare places like the Cen Ronggen Wok Store (岑荣根锅店) that make them by hand. Hand-made woks are much denser and last longer than their machine-made counterparts and can be designed to suit different styles of cooking. Shanghainese cuisine, for example, favors shallower woks. Even if you’re an amateur cook, hand-made woks still have appeal for their old-school looks and tradition: wok-making is sadly a dying craft and may not be around much longer.
Find it: 214 Baoyuan Lu 宝源路214号, Tel: 130-4664-7226

Top Tees: Wear your life
Admit it: you’ve thought about launching your own line of T-shirts. Or at least getting your ratty old 老外看不懂 tee remade because nobody here seems to sell it anymore. Get in touch with Luojie―he’s based near People’s Square and can get your custom designs screen printed in five days for as little as RMB30 a shirt (volume discounts are also available). Iron-on prints can be made in as little as three hours. All you’ve got to do is provide an image in .jpg or .psd format and pick out your shirt colors.
Find it: Rm. 83-5, 221 Renmin Da Dao 人民大道221号83-5室, Tel: 137-8899-6482

Bling Bling: Jewels just for you
Hainan Genuine Pearl is one of our favorite boutiques in Tianzifang for the sweet, English-speaking salesgirl, Sally, and the funky jewelry she makes in minutes. She can do everything from simple pearl earrings to elaborate, multi-colored necklaces. Just bring in a picture of what you want or stop by to browse pre-made pieces. If Sally doesn’t have what you’re looking for, she’ll buy the materials and have your one-of-a-kind piece ready in a few days. RMB150-RMB1000
Find it: No. 8, Lane 248 Taikang Lu 泰康路248弄8号, Tel: 139-1773-3196

Off the Wall: Graffiti to go
Graffiti artist Tommy Tam can turn your wall into a graphic mural. He’s done everything from corporate work (like a job for New York Style Pizza and the quarky chickens on The Funky Chicken’s wall) to more illicit “freelance” jobs around town. Murals start at RMB5,000.
Find it: Tel: 158-2193-8351, brandfuryone@gmail.com

Tats Off: Get temporarily inked
It’s hard not to love temporary tattoos. They’re fun, cheap and you can pretend to be real hard. Make your own at this Taobao shop (RMB25 per A4 sheet); just send over .jpg files and your custom “Mama’s Boy” tats will arrive in just two days.
Find it: www.taobao.com

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Hats Off: Cap the look
Bad hair day? No problem. MLoO’s hats are all custom made and pack a serious style punch designed to make you want to cover up even the best hair day. Maria, the designer behind these one of a kind creations, makes everything from feathered headpieces, to fedoras, to her latest line of adorably adorned floppy hats. A custom-made hat costs approximately RMB400, depending on the materials—leather is a bit more—and takes around a week to make.
Find it: Glory Box and www.ilovemaryloo.com