This is a long post that will break down how to fairly price your crocheted/knitted items for selling online, selling at a craft fairs, and selling at consignment shops! I even touch base on shipping.
I started this post in May of 2016… This year I am trying to get to my older drafts, so I can “finish more” as I mentioned in my New Year’s Resolutions post.
Whether you are selling online, at a craft fair/farmer’s market, or consignment shop, I have got you covered!
NOTE: This is a very long post! But I wanted to make sure I covered as much as I could, so grab a cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy!
I am part of several crocheting groups on Facebook, and one thing that just really gets to me is when I see someone post a picture of a finished project, and then ask how much they should charge – WHICH HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. I won’t tell you this is the golden way of pricing your work, but this is how I price mine and what I believe is fair to you, other makers and to your buyers.
I use this process for every item I put up for sale (including jewelry), and then I know that I am getting paid for my time and material cost. Nothing should come out of your pocket when selling items, other than the set up costs. You do have to buy the yarn a head of time and spend the time working the project to list it, but make sure you make up for it in the selling price.
I try to explain this process to all those I come across asking for help on pricing their finished items (on a much smaller scale), and I can’t tell you many times I have received replies of “That’s ridiculous! No one will pay that.” My thoughts, if you don’t think people will pay what it is worth, maybe you should reserve those for fun times, gifting and donating, and work on different projects to sell. Your time and hard work is worth getting paid for.
Depending on where you are selling, the math equation will change slightly, but all the same concept:
time + cost of materials (even if they are from the stash) + associated fees = selling price + shipping (if applicable)
I want to talk about each one a little more in depth, how to handle pricing custom projects, shipping, how to handle pricing a lot of different inventory and why you shouldn’t underprice your work, but first I want to talk about some other ways you may have read or heard about to price your work, AND WHOLESALING.
A. 3x the cost of your materials. Why this doesn’t work – if it costs you $40 in yarn to make a blanket, but takes 20 hours to crochet that blanket. $40 * 3 = $120, or $200 for your time + $40 in materials = $240. That is a difference of $120 in the red!
B. Double the cost plus $1 or * 2.2%. This is very common and useful for calculating physical items you may have purchased elsewhere, like a yarn winder, or crochet hooks if you are reselling them, but not if the item you are selling requires your time.
C. Are you interested in selling your items to another store, say Anthropologie or Modcloth (or similar)? Follow the rest of this post regarding time and materials. Whatever figure you have then, will be the cost you will sell to a wholesaler. If you sell these items to the public, you should double this cost, as this is what those who wholesale purchase from you will do.
Your Time:
Your time is sooooooo important! That is why you mustn’t underestimate it. Don’t just look back and say “well, I guess it took me about 20 minutes to do” because if it really took you 45 minutes, then you are hurting yourself and not giving yourself credit for the time invested.
I use the timer on my phone to time myself all the time when working a project. It may seem tideous, but most of the projects are repetitive so if you time yourself on a couple of rounds, then you can just multiply it throughout. It is important during this period that you don’t stop the clock because you dropped a stitch, or for the few seconds you spend pulling at the yarn so you can keep going and that you don’t speed through it. Crochet like you normally would so you get an accurate time.
I round everything up to the nearest quarter of a minute when working individual rounds, and everything up to the nearest quarter of an hour on a whole project so things don’t get complicated. For example, if it took 4 minutes and 36 seconds, I would say it took me 4.75 minutes (or 4 minutes and 45 seconds) to complete the round. If a whole project took me 12 minutes to complete, I would say it took me 15 minutes. Rounding up to the quarter makes it much easier to do the math later, since there are four quarters in an hour.
It’s also important not to forget the time you spend tying your slip stitch, turning you work, threading your needle and weaving in your ends.
I keep a notebook of my projects where I included my own notes, and my times so I can reference them later, especially if working a similar project.
Real Life Time Example:
I’ll give you an example with true times using my Slanted Shell Baby Beanie in the Newborn Size:
7 minutes (to crochet the crown, which is Rounds 1 – 4) + (2.25 minutes per round of clusters * 8 rounds) + (2 minutes per round of SC * 2 rounds) + (1.25 minutes per weave * 2 weaves) = 7 minutes + 18 minutes + 4 minutes + 2.5 minutes = 31.5 minutes -> 45 minutes
In this example, you can see how I broke everything down and it was very simple to do. I time myself working the crown, one round of clusters, one round of single crochets and working one weaving of the ends, then I just multiple those numbers times how many times they occur. In the end, the newborn sized hat took me 31.5 minutes to complete, and I round that up to the nearest quarter of an hour which is 45 minutes.
*If you are doing a custom piece for someone, before quoting them a price, work up a small sample and time yourself like this! Then use your time to estimate the rest (plus your materials), and quote this price. Do not buy materials or start the actual project until it’s paid for! When I do custom work, I NEVER charge more than I quote even if it takes me a longer to do because I think it’s unfair to them. I just adjust my price for next time, but this is completely up to you.
Rate Per Hour:
Now that you know how long it took you to work up that hat, it’s time to decide how much you want to get paid. I suppose this is something to consider beforehand, but now is when I’d calculate it. When I started out, I “paid myself” $8.00 an hour because I wanted to make my crocheted pieces affordable and be competitive, but the more I worked projects, the more wear I saw that I put on my hands, arms, back, neck, etc and so I decided that it was worth more than just minimum wage.
I now pay myself $10-$12 an hour. Honestly, it’s up to you what you want to make per hour, but under no circumstances should you be making less than the minimum wage in your area. You and your time are worth more!
Using the newborn beanie example, here’s the math figuring in my hourly rate: 45 minutes = 0.75 of an hour * $10 an hour = $7.50
Cost of Materials:
Another thing to consider, materials. How much yarn did you use to complete your project? Did you use any buttons? Or fabric for a lining?
Regardless of whether you are using up materials from your stash or went out and bought them specifically for the project, you need to figure in the cost.
I use Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn for many of my projects for a few reasons, but one of those being that it is very economical. With one 7 ounce skein, you can make practically a million newborn sized hats. Hehe. Well, you can make a bunch for sure. The way I like to think when I am trying to figure out how much yarn I used is in halves and thirds for larger projects. For example, an adult sized beanie would use about 2/3 of a skein. For baby hats it’s harder to gauge because they don’t use much yarn at all. In these cases, I figure in $1.00. I never go any lower than that, and if I use multiple colors in the hat, I figure in $1.00 per yarn color because each skein costs money.
I will say, I do have a small scale that I use to determine how much yarn each project uses based on weight, but I don’t use it for pricing my items, I mostly use it when I am designing patterns or sharing crochet pattern reviews for my blog. Mine came from Amazon, and I think I paid around $13. Totally affordable if you want to go this round, but I think the estimating I do is less work, and still pretty accurate.
Using the same math from above and my yarn cost, here’s the new math:
$7.50 (labor) + $1.00 (yarn) = $8.50
Associated Fees/Sales:
What are associated fees? Are you using Etsy or eBay? Both of these platforms take a small percentage of your sale, plus Etsy charges $0.20 to list each item. Consignment shops also take a percentage, usually 30-50%.
Do you want to run sales in your shop? Like 10% or 20% off? You need to build this into your price so that when you run your sale, you will still make the base amount needed.
Do you want to donate to an organization or fundraiser of some sort? You also need to build this into your price.
Real Life Examples Using the Same Newborn Hat:
A. Selling on Etsy: $8.50 + $0.20 (listing fee) + 5% (fee Etsy takes from sale) = $9.14
B. Selling on eBay: $8.50 + 9% (fee eBay takes from sale) = $9.27
C. Selling a Craft Fair Where You Paid $20 For Spot: $8.50 + $1.00 (or reasonable amount of money to equal what you paid for spot, say you think you will sell 20 items, then $1 is good) + $0.25 (for Shopping Bag if you purchase them) = $9.75
D. Selling at a Consignment Shop That Takes 20% of Sale: $8.50 + 20% = $10.20
You can always add more to these, say $0.50 to items that cost under $10, $1 to items that cost $10-$20, etc. This straight profit guarantees you always have a little something extra. Don’t get greedy though, make it reasonable.
Secret to Pricing a Lot of Different Inventory:
Okay, so there is a little secret to pricing your items if you are selling at a craft fair/farmer’s market/flea market/consignment shop if you have a lot of different inventory, and that is to bulk price similarly.
What does that mean? Let’s say you have already calculated your time and materials and fees, and gotten a cost for 5 different adult sized hats you will be carrying in a variety of colors. Just throwing numbers out there, let’s say the come out to $21 (A), $22.75 (B), $18 (C), $23.50 (D), and $26.25 (E). Now, you could always put these prices on the tag, and call it a day, but you could also bulk price them to make it easier.
Hat’s A, B and D, you could price at a flat $25.00, hat C, you could price at a flat $20, and hat E, you could price at a flat $30. Always higher than your price, never lower, AND close to the original price, not like $10 over. This makes it easier for making up tags and/or entering the information into a computer system (sometimes done with consignment shops) plus they are easy for the customer to see and understand.
Shipping:
This is just a quick little overview for how I choose my shipping costs based on my experiences. You can weigh your item in the packaging you will ship in, then go to USPS.com, plug in the size and weight of your package, and the zip code it is going to, and it will pop up several pricing options. I find this to be a lot of work, and I am pretty good at eyeballing it, so I don’t do this anymore.
I ship from Florida in the US. Prices are from my experience, and current to the time of this post.
I find a lot of small items will ship in a manila envelope for $3.95 ($15 internationally). Items like a hat (or two), a skein of yarn, a pair of fingerless gloves, a clutch…
If it fits in a manila envelope but is a tad bit heavier than the smaller items I mentioned, it usually ships for $4.95 ($16.95 internationally). Usually this is for like an adult size slouch hat, a scarf, two skeins of yarn…
If it heavy, or can’t be bent, or doesn’t fit a manila envelope, my next go-to is a flat rate priority shipping package, which come with $50 insurance.
Flat rate envelopes fit items that would fit in a manila envelope, or things that can’t be bent, like a book, and ship for $7.25 ($24.95 Internationally – has weight restriction).
If it doesn’t fit into the flat rate envelope, I go to the rectangle medium sized flat rate box (there is a smaller, more square one). Usually, I don’t have to go larger than this. I am able to fit lots of items in this size box, and even blankets, after they are strategically folded. Shipping is $14.25 ($34.95? Internationally – has weight restriction).
Priority packaging comes with $50 insurance in case your package is lost. If the cost of your item is more than $50, pay to add more! I have yet to have a package not reach it’s destination, but it’s all about the piece of mind, and i’s really inexpensive to add.
Three Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Underprice Your Work:
1.) Getting burnt out; 2.) Overworking. Both which make you enjoy it less (or quit), and allow for sacrifice in the quality of your work. 3.) You also make it unfair to other makers who are trying to make a living selling finished products.
Real-Life Example Of Underpricing:
I had a customer contact me last year just before the holidays asking for a price on four 60″ x 70″ afghans of a ripple pattern. I sent her a photo showing a baby blanket I had made, and asked if that was what she was looking for. When she replied yes, I got so excited at the thought. I sat down and estimated how long they’d take me to make based on the time it took me to make the baby blanket, and estimated how much yarn I’d use also based on the baby blanket. I explained to her that they would take me about 18 hours each to complete, and that the total price would be $214.50 per blanket plus shipping for a total of $875.50. Realizing how high this number was, I also quoted her on some lapghan sized afghans. She was outraged and replied by “I was paying $65 per blanket with someone else but she shorted one of my blankets and refused to fix it. Won’t be contacting you again”. I responded back with a slightly lower rate figuring in $9.00, apologized for her experience and explained to her that I use my crocheting as a part time job, and can’t make anything less than $9.00 an hour for my time. I explained that it takes a lot of time, effort and hard labor on my body figuring in 18 hours per blanket plus the simple fact that it would cost $45 in materials alone per blanket. If you do the math, the profit is only $20 per blanket. After explaining this to her, she apologized and better understood and we ended on a positive note. I didn’t get the sale, but for $20, I couldn’t have made it work.
After our conversation ended, I did a search for ripple afghans on Etsy to see if anyone was having luck selling them, how often they sold and what they were selling them for. I do this often actually, and take time to read the different reviews because research is important to your business. I ended up finding the shop that this customer ordered from and was sad to see that this shop had received so many negative comments based on what I can only imagine being a result of getting burnt out, and being underpaid.
Moral of this long story and post, fairly price your work and never forget that you and your time are valuable. It also makes it fairer for other shop owners out there trying to earn a living.
Wow! If You’ve Made It This Far, Thank You!! And I Hope You Find This Info Helpful!!
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Wow!
I think that this is the best article I ‘ve read so far for pricing crocheted items.
Well done and thank you Alexandra!
Thank you sooo much, Despina!
I totally agree. This is so very helpful. I struggle with this alot.
So happy to hear you enjoyed this article 🙂
Please link me to your etsy, because you sound fabulous.
Thank you! Here it is to check out, though it’s just digital patterns right now: https://www.etsy.com/shop/eyeloveknots/
Excellent post on this!! I agree, it is the best I’ve read so far. I actually realized something I’d been doing wrong when pricing my items. Where you said you will change 36 seconds to .75 of a minute, I would usually do $10*36 seconds. But $10*.75 makes so much more sense and never realized it before. Thank you so much for making this post!!
Glad I could help 🙂 Thank you!
I enjoyed your article and the very informative”how to calculate the price”, etc. What would be the difference of taking the time from start to finish and figuring the price instead of breaking it down in parts?
I don’t do start to finish timing because I often don’t do a project that way. I may stop to stretch, make another cup of coffee, sit on the porch with my cats, check my phone, run an errand etc and then come back, and I may take these breaks several times during a project, so I just time in parts where my attention is dedicated to the project.
People just don’t realize the Time and effort it takes to make anything handmade , it’s discouraging . I like the way you broke everything down – very informative. Thank you !
It is discouraging. Glad you enjoyed my article!
Thank you SO VERY MUCH Alexandra for your very informative article! I appreciate how you broke down every detail. Just as the ladies before me stated, people just don’t realize the time and effort it takes to make handmade. I enjoy following your blog for your very helpful hints, patterns, and everything else you are so kind to share!
You’ve made my day with this comment – thank you!!
This is such an interesting and informative article – thank you so much for taking the time to put it together and sharing it ?
So welcome!
People who don’t crochet don’t realize what it takes to make something. And I think a lot of people doing the crocheting under price themselves. We recently had a collegiate afghan made that would probably fit a full size bed, the lady only charged $100, and to me that was cheap! I’d like to invite you to bring this post and more over to my new UNLIMITED Monthly Link Party!
Unfortunately, I think all too much makers say “there’s no way someone would pay for this” so they low ball the price to get the sales not realizing they’re hurting themselves and other makers in the process. Hopefully this article helps makers realize they are worth it all and more.
Popping over to check out your party – thanks for the invite!
Very interesting! Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!
Thank you so much for sharing this at #HomeMattersParty. You have included some much information that can also be used to price any craft item for sale.
Thanks, Donna! I use it for pricing anything I make to sell, and I really do think it’s a great way to keep everything fair.
This is such a useful article, which has made me realize I should be a bit more logical about my pricing, and am probably undercharging for knitted items. I tend to think of them as a bi-product of pattern design. Would love to know if you have a view on pricing patterns. I tend to pluck a figure out of the air, based on the number of pages and looking at other patterns for similar items.
They are sometimes a bi-product of pattern design, as long as you aren’t making extras or taking custom orders at the same price (because then they are no longer a bi-product). As far as pattern pricing, it’s more of a gray area, and I don’t have any math equation for basing on blog traffic, or research, but I guess I would suggest determining how much you make on your ads per month, and use that as a basis for pricing.
From a business aspect, it’s suggested a price that ends in $0.99 like $3.99 instead of $4.00 because it’s supposed to make the buyer feel like they’re getting a better deal seeing the “3” first. I tried this, but I like the ease of using even numbers when it comes to me keeping track for tax purposes, so I switched all mine back (it also really didn’t spike my numbers at all).
I have a lot of luck selling PDFs of free patterns I publish on my blog at $2.00. I sell new patterns that haven’t been published on the blog at $4.00. I don’t get as many purchases on the $4 ones unless I promote a coupon, but that’s kind of expected just because of the higher price.
Hope that helps!
Thanks so much 🙏
Your article helped me A Lot❤️
So welcome! Glad to hear.
This was a fantastic article! I’m currently knitting hats with cabled owls. I am a very fast knitter but they still take me 5 hours to complete! Your article has empowered me to up the price and change my marketing strategy to reflect how special they are! Knitting generally takes longer than crochet but it makes me sad to see so many beautiful and complex crocheted items at farmers markets and craft fairs with $10 price tags.
You and me both! And not only because I know the makers time is worth so much more, but because it’s unfair for other makers with fairly priced projects who are trying to compete.
Cabled owl hats sounds really lovely! Bet they are a beautiful site. Definitely something to take and run with. Maybe a matching cowl, gloves or scarf?
Best of luck! Thank you for taking the time to drop me a line 🙂
My wife and I are currently going through her parents estate we have found over 50 different afghan blankets and throws that were made by my mother in law, her Mother and possibly her grandmother, we are determined to find good homes for each and need to find out the best way to sell them while getting a fair price so this money will go into an account for her while she is living in care center after a stroke, any help in direction you can give will be greatly appreciated.
I am sorry to hear that about your mom. I know that is not easy.
I believe crocheted blankets cost about $40-60 in materials. I have tried to sell items at my material cost in the past, and sadly, have not had much luck because people don’t even want to pay these low prices for beautifully handcrafted pieces. The vintage market right now is buying crocheted and knit blankets up for $5-8 at thrift stores, and selling thrm online for $20, and that’s what the community seems to want to pay for them. I know it’s not fair, or really what you want to hear, but that’s reality right now. I wish I could help further! But perhaps start an auction on eBay? $40 auction, $60 buy now?
Hi Alexandra I just found your post & I find it really informative. But I’m confused on the math part of how to factor in how long it takes for a work (which I’m not surprised about since I’m bad at math haha). I was understanding you a little when you talked about how to time each round. But when you gave the example of how long it takes for your baby hat which came out to 31.5 mins & you rounded up to 45, that confused me. Help please in layman’s/really slow at math terms please haha
I round up to the next quarter (15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour) because it’s just easier to calculate that way than figuring out how much for 1 minutes worth of work.
EXCELLENT article! You go into so much more detail about things that some others don’t. And I have stopped paying myself minimum wage, as someone who’s crochet for roughly 50 years, and has been selling my ‘merch’ for about 30 years, I realize my experience and talent deserve what I ask for. It’s disheartening to see people post items for sale that I KNOW cost them more in yarn that what they are asking for… and their idea/response it: “Well it’s just my hobby”! And YES it DOES affect those of us that struggle to make it a business, what with cheap competition from overseas and people undercutting prices. My daughter makes felt Voodoo pincushions, and got a few sales for $5 – which included her shipping! But when she raised the price to $8 and added $1 shipping, she consistently got MORE sales. Her excuse for the $5 price was ‘Well I had the felt/stuffing/mini buttons/ embroidery floss on hand” She finally saw my reasoning that she’d have to replace those items, and probably at a higher price than what she originally bought them for. Again, excellent article! Thank you!
So glad you found this article helpful! I try my best. This is a topic I see so many makers asking about, and I am a firm believer in paying yourself a fair wage for the sake of yourself, and other makers. And! Sometimes underpricing your work hurts you. You’d think you’d get a lot more sales, but some shoppers will look at a low price compared to the rest and be confused by the price difference, and go with the maker that puts more worth into their pieces.
I have been crocheting again since November of last year (I took a several yr hiatus from burnout) and I forgot how much I really loved doing it. My husband suggested I start selling my afghans and I thought “okay I might make a little money.” The way you break down how to figure the cost is amazing! I also make jewelry and I always felt so bad charging 35-40$ for a necklace and earrings set I just sold them super cheap. This just makes so much more sense to me now! Thank you for this amazing insight!
So glad you found this helpful! I know many of us feel our items aren’t worth much, especially when comparing it to similar items we see in stores, but the nice thing is many folks understand the time that goes into handmade items which helps us in pricing and selling (though it’s still not easy to build). I definitely recommend pricing items fairly for yourself so you don’t get burned out again – I know how it can be!
How would you you handle someone who buys the yarn for me but wants to pay me for my time too? 6 placemats and coasters…once the yarn arrives.
Hi Kim! I would work a sample beforehand and time myself then use that sample to estimate the total time the projects will take and multiply that by my hourly rate, which is $14 – make sure whatever you pick that it is at least minimum wage for your area. Present that and turnaround time to the client, and get payment up front first – I have done the whole do the project first, and get payment later but been burned enough times to change it.
Also, I’m sure it’s already been discussed, but in case it hasn’t and your client is not savvy in yarn types and brands, definitely provide guidance to them. I would also credit them for any yarn not used at the end.
This was so helpful. Thank you!
So very glad you found this to be helpful 🙂 Drop me the link to your shop so I can check it out?
Even though it was longer then I wanted to read, it was extremely helpful
thank you for taking the time to post this
praying for your business
Thank you so much! So very glad you found this to be helpful 🙂 Drop me the link to your shop so I can check it out?
Thanks for this great information! Now I’m going to start a notebook (one for each craft), add pictures of the final product and use your easy math both for my records or to show anyone that may be concerned about a $200 piece, by being able to break it down for them visually. Again, much thanks!
This is a great idea! I used to have an Excel spreadsheet that broke all this information down with time and links to supplies too just for myself to use as reference, but I love the idea of creating a portfolio to show people. It will help with custom orders at craft shows too because they can check out your book to see things you may not have available on hand, or great for you to reference if someone asks about the cost of a similar project.
Hello there!
Yes, this was a very long read, but extensive informative! Thank you so much!! It really helps to know that my process are not really high and that alot of people charge around the same, so I feel like I am not overcharging customers! I am so thankful, I stumbled upon this, this morning!! Thank you!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!
So very glad you found this to be helpful 🙂 Drop me the link to your shop so I can check it out?
I have a suggestion, to all knit and crochet sellers. In the description box on Etsy, maybe add something like, this soft and cozy project took me approximately 22 hours to make, as I can only knit on the way to work, or while the kids are in school or whatever. You don’t have to say $9.00 per hour but make a little add in on how long it took. I haven’t said hours in mine, but I do say that due to the amount of time this item is in my lap at home, in the car etc, that I do machine wash and dry and check item to be sure it is defect free.
You could add something like this in, but I would recommend doing so strategically to add value to the listing. I wouldn’t add anything in that says “because I’m limited on time” or “because I can only work in the car”. This makes it seem more like a burden, or make buyers feel sympathy, and this can turn clients away. In the description, you want to share a story that captures your buyers attention, and makes them happy at the idea of buying your item.
The only time I explain why I’ve priced items as I have is when I am messaging with a buyer as this is a personal one on one experience. In this message, I will say “I am estimating this project to take 22 hours to complete. Including yarn, the price will be $300 plus $15.75 to ship, and I can have it ready in 11 – 15 days.”
My mom asked me to crochet a blanket as a baby shower gift for a coworker. Because she is my mom I didnt expect she was going to pay me for it. I didnt keep track of my hours making it. It was a 35″ x 35″ blanket. Cost of materials was about $12. How much do you think I should charge for the whole blanket?
This can vary, especially thinking about the stitch pattern, and yarn weight used. I recommend timing yourself working up a small sample, then do a little math with that info to see how long the blanket took, then times your desired hourly wage, plus $12.
Thank you so much for this. My sister once commissioned a pair of baby blankets for our niece’s baby shower… for twins. She paid me a fair amount, plus covered the yarn, ordered to be all in the same dye lot. I am no good with booties, but I designed wee flip flops — the babies would live in Florida. I didn’t want full price, since I was donating some of my time towards the shower gift. After the shower, when a cousin saw the photos, she asked my sister how much I’d want to crochet a baby blanket for her daughter. My sister gave her a modest figure, and our cousin yelped, “But I can buy a baby blanket at Target for $12!” My sister calmly shrugged, said baby blankets take time to crochet and I use quality yarn, and our cousin could go get her blanket at Target. Pfui. My sister realized the value of my time.
I do not sell my work normally. The items are for charity or for loved ones. However, I have taken a couple of commissions, and I see I undervalued my time a bit. However, the last purchaser was thrilled by how well I met her special request — her initial chained then carefully sewn onto her scarf in such a way that it did not show through to the other side., of a scarf and slouch hat set — so she gave me extra.
I do not drive. People have seen me crocheting on the city buses, and say they will buy the yarn if I will make them an item. Um, nope. I do not crochet for free (unless for a charity). Thank you very much. This will be extremely helpful if I am asked to crochet items for others.
The good thing is there are so many folks out there that know the value. A LOT of people that don’t, but so many that do, and those are the ones that don’t mind paying for our time.
I am curious how to price a baby blanket because when I tried it came out as 168 dollars and I feel like that’s wrong?
I feel like this could be correct. Worked in a #4 weight yarn, I know I’d expect to spend 8-12 hours, and then add in material cost.
Thank You for this! I am getting my stuff together for next year’s craft fair, and I am super nervous about my blankets. I want to crochet a 40 by 60 blanket, but enough yarn cost like $20-$40, it takes me like a full week to make one. I feel like I am not making much of a profit if I sell it at $60 but I feel like no one will buy one from me so……
You are right on the money. It is not fair to you or other makers if you sold afghans for only $60, especially when with that time, energy and materials, you could create so many other items that would earn you more. You are worth it, and so much more.
In my experience with markets, you need to have different price levels. You will mostly likely sell the most from the bottom level, a few less from the mid level and not many of the higher level, which is where afghans fall. Don’t be discouraged though. Make a couple, price them fairly and display them in a way that catches buyers attention. They are really great for that, and for sparking conversation between you and them. Though buyers may not end up buying it, it brings them to your booth to see the other items you have, and you may be surprised, and sell an afghan or get a custom order for one in a different size or color scheme. I would have info figured for this ahead of time just in case you get asked if you do custom orders. I treat shawls the same way. Even here in Florida on a hot day, shawls and afghans will bring people in to look.
Thank you so much, I live in Montana so a lot of the elderly people or the outdoorsman buy blankets. But I am definitely thankful for the advice because I was going to do about half of my sales with afghans so know I will definitely only do a few.
Thank you for this article! Very informative!
So happy to hear 🙂
Hi Alexandra
I’m late to the party but I hope you see this post.
I live in the UK and have been making blankets since March 2020 and haven’t done anything with them. People have asked if I will sell them and I’d been told previously that it was 3 X the cost of the yarn but I always thought they were worth more so haven’t sold them but I’ve got so many now that I need to do something with them .
I recently made a large double bed sized blanket that was multi coloured and cost £47.50 in yarn and took me 120 hours, 12 hours of which was spent sewing in ends, I thought, 3 X the yarn cannot be right. That worked out at around 79 pence an hour! Who wants to work for that amount of money!
A quick Google search and I found your excellent blog.
I’ve just read your article on pricing and want to thank you so much for your detailed breakdown.
I’m going to print it out and work out the price of all the blankets I’ve made. I did occasionally time myself and wrote it down but I’ll invest my time in making some test pieces and I’ll be able to accurately price my blankets. Worth doing as I think I’m worth it!
Thank you!
I am so glad this post helped you! Blankets can definitely labors of love, but so many people out there willing to pay fairly for them, and cherish them for a long time. I hear so many people that recommend three times the cost of materials, and I feel for makers because that is just not fair to anyone. You are certainly worth more!
Good afternoon, thanks for this article, it shed some light on pricing crocheted items. I was wondering would you apply this formula to crochet apparel like binkinis, crop tops, cardigans, sweater, etc. First think I am thinking is that when you start crochet designing these sort of items more material will be needed depending on the individual’s size. What would you recommend. From one Floridian to another. 😊
Hello fellow Floridian 🙂 So very sorry for the late response! Personally, when I have done garments in the past, I have done the math to estimate time and materials for each size, and priced accordingly. I sold several at a local consignment shop in the past before, and this is how I priced them (with a little extra to cover the fee to have them there), and I’ve sold a few online as well following the same method.
If you notice when out shopping, it doesn’t matter the size of the garment, they’re all the same price. You could absolutely follow suit in this, which would be close to the norm we’re all used to, and keep pricing easy, but the reason I didn’t do this is because for this to be fair to me (or you, or any seller) would be to sell all for the highest price, and in this case, you will most likely be overcharging for several other sizes, and I try to keep it as fair as possible for the buyer as well – that’s why I did the calculations for my items. Another way you could do it would be, for example, XS and S are $20, M and L are $30, XL and 1X are $40.
With all that said, I think it also would depend on how you’ll be selling as well. I sold one off’s in the consignment shop, but had I made a bikini top in each size and several colors, I most likely would have grouped the pricing more as mentioned just above. Not sure if that really answered the question, but feel free to reply back or send me an email.
OMG. You have helped me so much. I’ve tried to sell my scarves and baby blankets at yard sales and people skip right over them once they see the price – and I’m pricing them LOW here! I’ve tried a few listings on Etsy and FB marketplace as well with no luck. Again, pricing them lower than I should even. I’m reaching out to a consignment shop to book a monthly booth. At a yard sale a lady told me about a consignment shop nearby that I could pay $100 a month to rent a booth and that my scarves would sell like hotcakes at $45 she said. This blew my mind because I thought no one would buy one for more than $20, which is basically paying me $2-3 an hour. I will price them as she suggested but I’m really concerned my baby blankets won’t sell if I don’t underprice them. I can make a chunky scarf in 1-2 hours (have tried timing myself but I stop and go sometimes doing other things) and a baby blanket takes me a LOT longer, especially if it’s fine yarn. Will be interesting to see what I can get for my scarves and blankets, as I’ve accumulated a lot over the years. Of course I still give baby blankets as gifts to friends and loved ones but I stopped giving items away I knew weren’t appreciated or used. I enjoy crocheting and it’s a hobby but I spend hundreds of dollars in yarn, not to mention the time. Very few people understand how much time and effort it takes to make a blanket and balk at anything over $100. I will do my best not to undercut myself and to not shortsell other sellers out there trying to make a living. It’s a very tough market for sure.
For timing, you really only need to do one or two rows of a scarf, or however many are in the repeat, then multiple that by the number of rows, and time yourself once weaving ends in, and multiple that by however many ends there are. Works the same for afghans.
I have a booth at a local antique mall, and while I love it so very much, I will say, I have a crocheted afghan that has been there on display for the last year. It is a great piece to bring shoppers into the space, and to get shoppers talking, and that is why I would definitely recommend having at least one on display. Make sure to display it in an inviting way that shoppers can see it from a far, and will come over to see it. And if you take custom orders, I would have a little card or display nearby it that states you take custom orders of afghans, and your contact information. I have sold tons of afghans as custom orders, but not many of my ready made afghans – seems people always prefer a different color or size.
Best of luck with your booth! It is so very fun to have and do, and you can incorporate so many handmade items with vintage items to create a beautifully curated display.
Thank you so much! This was very helpful. I crochet blankets, all sizes, mostly for baby, and will start selling them on etsy. I always watched my grandma crochet growing up and learned from my mom who recently passed away so I will continue the tradition. I do believe that it takes a special person to appreciate the hard work, time and passion put into crocheted items.
You are so right, but I promise that they are out there waiting to see your beautiful blankets! Best of luck on Etsy 🙂 My recommendation is get familiar with your stats, update listings periodically and share your listings with friends and on social media.
My issue is that no one wants to pay for your time. 100% of people say you never make back your time. They expect you to charge for materials but nothing extra.
This is a false statement. I am one who can honestly say that I’ve never accepted a custom order for anything less then my given price, which are set fairly for time and materials. You must believe in your worth, and in your work, and when some scoff at your prices, because they will, you explain to them this took me 4 hours to make, and cost $40 in materials, and that’s why it is priced at XYZ. Though they may not buy, they will understand, and many will buy. It makes me sad to see so many makers underpricing because they think they’re work isn’t worth it, and they give in to the scoffing. Your work, your time and the labor on your body is absolutely worth it, and mustn’t be undervalued. And for those items you think won’t sell at what they should be priced at, they probably are not the item you should spend your time making.
Hey I want to thank you for this article it was brilliant and I learned a lot I always giving away my stuff I love the look on a child’s face when they get a toy oh my gosh it is just priceless but recently I’ve had people wanting to buy my stuff and I put my stuff in the shop because she the shop owner just loves my stuffed animals ,
What happened cuz I will post a picture of what I just made look at my new monkeys and suddenly somebody else a can I get two of them in these colors how much my old method was three times the price the yarn whether it was my stash or I had to go buy it and then stuffing and then I would add 2 hours for anything else that I need to put on it clean up critiquing if I had to frog something if it took me a little longer cuz it was a new pattern and then I would get my price 17-in monkeys is $50 suddenly I use the tool because the 17-in monkey took me 60 hours to make Used 2 yd and a handful of stuffing it’s not a straight-up monkey it’s a hairy monkey and according to for calculators my monkey should have been $180 which she wouldn’t have bought and these are going to babies next up I fix things for people that are broken crocheted things that are broken I am a mender of crocheted things and I was handed a blanket that was not finished buy a woman that it died and I was asked to go pick up yarn that they paid for to make an identical one in a different size so I’m going to be making one king blanket and one Queen blanket and single stitch corner to corner and I’m and I was trying to find a reasonable price for this I came up with $420 for both blankets not shorting my time this is a love offering you have any more suggestions please hit me up
All I can say is that your time, talent and the wear and tear on your body is 100% worth the price. And I find things that come out to prices I don’t think folks would pay for (or if I don’t think it would be a fair price), then I do not spend my time creating them, and instead, find other items I love just as much that would bring me the same joy, or I work the larger projects as gifts only.
Thank you for the info! I have the hardest time trying to figure out how to charge for things. Mostly, I just crochet and give as gifts. But, on some of my big projects, I’ve had people asking what I would charge. When I try to add it all up – as you did – I don’t know of anyone who would pay the price of what it’s worth. Which is really sad. I fell the smaller projects are more worth selling just because I don’t think I’ll ever get the money for blankets that I make. 🙁
You would be surprised with the blankets though! Do you sell online? Like on Etsy, Facebook, Instagram etc. If blankets are something you’re interested in selling, I recommend posting some listings/photos of blankets you’ve made, and mention that you take custom orders. The majority of the blankets I’ve sold were not ones I made, and listed, but actually through custom order requests I received because people saw the others. I would put up photos of them with price and all the details, then make sure to mention Made to Order with a time frame in case someone did like one of them. They’re also great to have on hand if you sell at a market because though they may not sell here, they bring lots of people over to look, and start conversation.
This was very informative, thank you. I’m a 70 yr old, crocheting since I was 7. Now have cancer, can’t work and decided to try to sell my ORIGINAL afghans to public. I’ve sold a few ( $250.00 each). My problem is that I live in a small country town.. no real outlet for selling, and I never make two afghans the same, always different. Not sure where to go from here. Also, my only internet is on my phone.
Hi Debra! You could download the ebay or Etsy shop apps, and sell online using your phone to photograph and manage. You can post ready to made listings for items you already have finished, and custom order listings for items you’ve already sold.
What a wonderfully informative post! I don’t crochet or knit myself, but appreciate the skill involved and concur on the importance of getting paid fairly for your time and expertise!
Thank you!
I just started my own Etsy shop and this is very helpful! Thank you!
So happy to hear! What is the name of your shop? I’d love to pop over, and check it out.
This was the first post I read as I start my journey/thought process into what to do when I retire or what can I do now with my knitting skills. I will bookmark this to come back to. I have a book of sketches and plans but now will also add the pricing part. Great food for thought. Thank you
Sounds like you have a lot of research and work already put in. So glad I could help! Definitely would be a great way to earn a little extra income, especially if you like to do stuffed animals as those as so popular right now.
This post is so helpful! I often struggle with pricing my crocheted items so this really resonated with me. Thank you for sharing your insights!
So glad you found this helpful! Best of luck 🙂