Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Selling Your Crochet and other Crochet topics.

How to Price Your Crochet Items

If you've decided to take the plunge and sell your crochet, one of the first things you want to think about is how to price your items. You don't want to price them too high so that buyers are scared off, but you shouldn't price them too low either (after all, you are trying to start a business and should be compensated for your skill and creativity). You should do some searching to see if others are selling similar items and how much they are charging, but a rough way to calculate how much to charge is to add up the costs of all of the supplies that you used to create the item and multiple by 3. This will give you a good starting point from which to adjust up or down depending on the market for your goods.

Comments

7/6/2010 1:45:49 PM
pattie holliday said:

This is exactly how I price my items. I didnt know other people used that rule. I didnt wont to price things to high so this worked out about right.

10/30/2010 7:46:44 AM
Renee said:

Was looking for an Idea how to price my afghans'
I want to sell at craft shows.Think I found my answer.Thank-you.

2/19/2011 11:01:42 AM
Lia said:

I dont think this will work for my doily granny square project. The crochet thread is inexpensive but there is a lot of labor that has gone into this piece! Response: Good point Lia! Sometimes there are going to be projects that need to be specially priced to account for the painstaking time, effort and design that went into it.

3/1/2011 11:02:58 PM
greg said:

I am making a king sized blanket with some red heart soft yarn it is double crocheted i am using three colors jeweltone goulash and a red when it is said and done i will have $150 alone in the yarn will i be able to sell it for triple that Response: Well, it's worth a try, all you have to do is find one customer for it! I'd suggest doing some research into how much handmade king-sized blankets sell for and see how yours compares. Good luck!

6/17/2011 8:34:25 PM
martie said:

i never knew how to price my stuff...i get a million compliments on my stuff and very few buyers. so i guess im pricing too high...:S
Response: I hope this helps!

8/23/2011 1:04:50 PM
groovycrochet said:

Another way I price blankets, doilies, or other "flat" items is by the square inch x 0.05. This works great for me as it usually costs me about 0.01 or 0.02 for the materials. Response: Great tip, thank you!

8/24/2011 2:12:24 AM
azlady13 said:

I use the x3 rule and then up it or down it according to the degree of difficulty of the pattern. Response: Yes, that's a great approach as well, thanks.

9/21/2011 11:53:57 AM
Kevin said:

I have sold some of my items and the price were good. But the blankets that I make I want to be fair in the price. I will try and use the x3 rule and see if it works.

1/8/2012 12:58:57 PM
E.J. said:

I have been crocheting for years and have sold some of my doilies but have used them mostly for gifts. You mentioned to Lia that sometime you need to adjust the price. I heard from someone who said that a hand crochet doily should be priced a a dollar per inch. For example an 18 inch doily would be $18.00. Response: That's a great rule of thumb. It's also worth doing a little research to see how similar products are priced; if yours is really unique, then you have a lot of flexibility in deciding how to price!

2/5/2012 1:09:49 AM
Sunshine Harralson said:

i just hate when people say some stuff is to high but they dont understand all the time that goes into each item, the supplies part is not that bad but sitting down and taking the time to make something is what cost (i crochet 12-14hrs a day) Response: You said it!!

4/17/2012 11:01:07 PM
Brandi said:

I absolutely agree with Sunshine! I don't want to break people's wallets but I spend a lot of my time creating these pieces. I don't want to shortchange myself but I want to be fair. Pricing is where I struggle most, but my husband told me not to worry about it so much since I'm really only doing it as a hobby and for a little extra money. So, I'm really only needing to cover my materials plus make a little profit. I really do enjoy doing it... response: Brandi, your husband gave you good advice! Just try to remember -- We crochet because we love it. And that's where we get taken advantage of! If we can cover costs and make a little extra, then that's not too bad; but, it is still so frustrating ...

6/14/2012 9:51:57 PM
jbell said:

i was lost on knowing how to sell my product and i have gotten too many answers that did not sound right to me. i thank you and i will try to let you know how i did on my first sale. response: glad I could help, and please do!

7/1/2012 11:54:03 PM
angie said:

I charge cost of materials plus a penny per yard and that seems to work out to a pretty fair price so far.

7/7/2012 5:24:03 PM
Dusti said:

I really like all the suggestions! I make a lot of photo props for newborns and found $15 to be a good standard price for a pair of booties or beanie or cape. For a beanie and cape set I usually charge 25-30.

7/23/2012 10:03:30 PM
monica said:

If the person I'm making the item for buys the yarn how much should I charge? I'm going to make some beanies for some school kids in their school colors

answer: Well, one way to do it is to ask how much the yarn cost. Divide the cost of the yarn by the number of beanies you make with it, then deduct that amount from what you would normally charge for the beanie. So, let's say that the yarn cost $6, and you are able to make 3 beanies. Each beanie's yarn cost $2. If you would normally sell the beanie for $10, this time charge $7 or $8. Hope this helps!

7/31/2012 9:27:51 PM
Petunia said:

If I spend $30.- in yarn to make a blanket do I have to charge $90.-and how much for my time?Can somebody let me know. Thank you. Answer: Blankets are hard to price. I'd suggest doing some internet searches for similar blankets (taking into account size, complexity of design, yarns used) to get an idea of how much other sellers are charging and if they are selling.

8/6/2012 12:57:44 PM
Jeanna said:

Was looking for some beginners tips on pricing my crocheted items. thank you so much!!!

9/15/2012 12:58:51 AM
Ginny said:

Thank all of you for your suggestions. All the information is very helpful. answer: You're welcome, glad to be of help!

9/17/2012 11:44:36 PM
Judy said:

Love all this information. Was discouraged when seeing the prices at Goodwill. That does not even pay for yarn. Having a hard time convincing myself that my work really is worth more than that and there is a demand for new and good quality crocheting. answer: Judy, just take a look at some fashion magazines these days, and you'll see that crochet is alive and well! Don't give up and keep enjoying your work!

9/18/2012 1:41:47 PM
Joyce said:

Laurie Wheeler of "Crochet Liberation Front" has some good audios, or videos on selling your products. Knowing your venue and customer base is key. ie. people expect to pay less for things at a craft fair vs. a show. So don't expect to sell high priced items when people are looking for $5. items. She had lots of good tips on display, etc.
(I never tried to sell anything yet, I'm just learning, and I thought this was good info. Also some good podcasts out there too. answer: Awesome tips, thank you so much for sharing them here!

9/22/2012 5:30:09 PM
charlotte said:

I always wondered how to price my crochet items and your 3x the yarn price sounds very reasonable, thank you so much! answer: You are very welcome!

10/11/2012 12:12:31 PM
Erin Hintz said:

I crochet all of stuff. I crochet blankets and baby blanket

10/22/2012 8:55:44 AM
Dyan said:

My son had cancer at 18 and while going through treatment he learned to crochet (in the hospital bed) he does Filet crochet, among other things and I dont think he is getting the value he should get. He designs the patterns and does the work. he did the Lords Supper Blanket for his brother once, I have blankets with my name on them and big poodles, since I raise standard poodle over 35 years. I would like some input as to what a reasonable price should be? he does the stand up roses, leaves and boarder squares and gets $6.00 per sq. Blankets? answer: I'm so glad your son is doing better and has developed such wonderful crochet skills! I think the pricing of his blankets will depend on a number of things: your location, comparable items (though his creations sound amazing), materials used, etc. How many squares go into the blanket? Maybe that's a place to start. Perhaps he should start writing down those patterns he's creating and sell them too! Good Luck!!

10/25/2012 8:13:28 AM
AshleyT said:

I have started making crochet headbands/ ear warms and I'm not sure how to price them. I have made four for my sister and she has showed them off and now I have a couple of people that wants one. Help please. I have never sold any of my work but would like too. answer: That's great! I'd suggest looking on Etsy to see how much sellers are charging there. You'll probably see a range of prices, but it'll give you some idea. Also, you might just want to multiple the cost of yarn times 3 or 4 to get a starting price. If these are friends of your sister's, you might also just ask them what they think should be the price or how much they would pay if they saw it in a store. Hope this helps!

10/26/2012 2:39:30 PM
Angel said:

So if all I use is my yarn how do I figure that out? Especially if I don't use all of the skein of yarn?
answer: usually, I end up using a skein of yarn, so I take the price of that skein and multiply by 3. Say it's $4.95 x 3 = about $15 as a starting price. If I don't use the whole skein, I try to estimate how much I did use (1/2? 1/3?) and divide the price of the whole skein by that amount. Hope this helps!

11/6/2012 12:51:41 PM
mary ncminn said:

i crochet king, queen, twin, baby blankets christmas skirts in my home. so i really need some help coming up with different prices on each items. answer: wow, that takes a lot of time and effort, plus lots of yarn! I think the best thing you can do is a little research into what your "competitors" are charging and then adjust from there.

11/12/2012 11:21:10 AM
bill said:

Pricing is hard, but I have found the 1.00 per inch on a doily works in the Minneapolis area, when doing granny squares I do 1.00 per square, as I use all my scrap yarn for these, the yarn is already paid for from previous projects. Blankets I figure 40 to 50 hrs per blanket and just figure 5.00 per hr one each maybe more if is a complicated pattern. pot holders and kitchen towels are 6.00 each as they are fast and use partical skeins. Just a couple ideas I use. Answer: Thank you so much for sharing with everyone, this is really helpful information!

11/12/2012 11:21:43 AM
bill said:

this is really good thanks and i made 17 items with crocheting so now i know how to price them. Answer: Thanks for saying so!

11/13/2012 11:38:25 AM
Brandy said:

The many suggestions discussed in this forum have been a great help! This will help me a great deal! answer: so glad to hear it!!

11/24/2012 12:18:44 PM
LBD said:

I typically take the amount of time it takes me to do something ("x"), divide by 1/2 ("y") and multiple "y" by $7 (just under minimum wage in my state).
So a hat that takes about 6 hours will cost a customer $20 (I like clean numbers... $21 is weird. lol) answer: oh, thank you for adding in this alternative way of figuring out pricing!

12/30/2012 1:04:21 AM
Mergatroid said:

LBD, that's just confused me further, so effectively you're paying yourself $3.33 an hour before materials?! Must be a hobby yes?

Not being smart guys,(does the head in as a jeweller/lapidarist trying to do pricing...it is super hard) I've just picked up the hook again after 35 years so pricing in this arena will be a whole new ball game again.

In any craft the biggest disappointment is when others intentionally under price everything to make sales.
This has a huge potential for backfiring in the long run, people will always expect their prices to be low, so these folk tend to be trapped down the low end of the market.
Do heaps of research, as has been suggested look what others are charging for the same style/quality you wish to achieve that have the same target market that you seek.
Find a 'happy level' between what your 'mentors' charge and what you initially thought (which was probably way too low to be taken seriously).

It's easier to 'come down' than 'go up' where prices are concerned.

Other price factors to consider are general stock items. Items you choose to make and have on hand, these fall under your normal price structure.
Commission is a whole new ball game. Pricing is higher and based on either similar to what you generally make(bit more than normal stock) or a 'one of- original item'..can be WAY more up there in price.
I digress, now to finish off the hat for daughter that went along the lines of, you buy the material I'll make you something....hmmmm, not a good business model to follow. ;)
Have a great day all.

1/9/2013 8:10:53 AM
debbie said:

How would I price a crocheted pillow? I am using 4 different colors and buying the pillow insert for it. My pattern uses a special stitch and will take at least 4 hours for each panel, front and back. When I use the pricing above it seems too high a price. Help!
Answer: I would look at some catalogues, like Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn, that offer designer knit and crochet pillows to get an idea of the retail price that businesses are charging.

1/24/2013 1:00:56 PM
Bobbie Bellacetin said:

Hi Thank you for letting us know how to price our blankets, etc. But my question is where can I sell these blankets?

Thank you
answer: I would try a few different venues to see what works best, such as opening a shop on Etsy, joining a local crafts show, starting a blog and posting pictures of what you make. The whole idea is to get out there and let people see what you are offering. Good luck!

1/28/2013 9:46:09 AM
Eva Dubly said:

I crochet baby layette and have done for years, gave my items as gifts. I now need to make some money and I feel the x 3 suggestion is worth trying for starters. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Answer: you are very welcome and good luck!

2/20/2013 1:11:08 PM
Canary LeBlanc said:

Thanks for the help; I try to keep my prices in line with everyone else, and try to make my prices a little cheaper if possible. Take care and GOD bless you all!!!!!!

2/22/2013 4:06:13 AM
Mochi Of Cali said:

I have been crocheting for years and now I would like to start selling some of my crochet patterns and dolls. How should I go about pricing them? answer: for the patterns, I would check around on Ravelry to see at what price similar patterns are selling; for the dolls, that's going to take more research, both on internet sales sites like Etsy and in your home town (which is usually the place to start to see if there is a market or crafts fair that sells similar items). You might want to talk with other crocheters and crafters in your area to get ideas from them about the level of pricing that your community can support. Good luck!

2/26/2013 4:06:43 PM
Moody aka said:

I have crocheted the ruffle scarf with Sashay yarn...how do I price it for sale? answer: well, first I'd start with the price of the yarn and multiply by 3 and see how much that is, then adjust according to how simple or complicated the scarf was to make. Also, have you seen other scarves like it for sale? How much were they?

2/26/2013 8:34:33 PM
Gina of Cali said:

I crochet actual photographs using Red Heart yarn into pics, pillows, and blankets. They are considered priceless (can't be bought or duplicated) yet I can't seem to settle on the pricing. Many say they are worth hundreds, while others are not willing to pay so much...what to do??? And how to I get them out, about, and known to the public? answer: as they say, you're not going to be able to please all of the people all of the time. You seem to have a very specialized product, so focus on custom orders and word-of-mouth. See if some local stores are willing to offer the product on consignment. Try setting up an Etsy store and pricing it on the higher side, you can always lower your prices later if you're not getting the level of interest you had hoped. Good luck!

4/2/2013 4:49:09 AM
Dolores Doyle said:

I've started crocheting dressy hats for women and want to sell some. Would they be priced the same way
answer: Since that is such a specialized product, you might want to check in some of your local stores as well as online for pricing ideas.

4/30/2013 6:34:01 PM
Victoria said:

I've been selling some of my crochet items here and there. I'd like to try and put a "signature" or something similar inside the hat just so people will know that I made it. Just like an artist would put his signature on a painting. Does anyone have any suggestions? Answer: that's a great idea! You might want to search for "personalized cloth tags" that you can sew inside the items.

4/30/2013 9:33:11 PM
Loretta (Wood) Corbett said:

I am making sweaters and had no idea what to charge. They do take a lot of time and after reading these comments from others, feel $50 is a good price some what sticking to the X3 idea. At 72 years young it will give me a small extra income and a place to use my extra time. Answer: that's so great! I'm glad this site was helpful to you.

5/19/2013 7:07:56 PM
Marion said:

My situation is a little different. I have numerous pieces that were crocheted by great grandma. I think the 1.00 per inch may work for me. Thanks for your input. Was very interesting. I don't crochet but do pillows. I make the insert pillow and have zipper on outside for cleaning. I embroider the highlights on face (picture) of pillow. No way do people want to pay what they are worth. I usually give as gifts or donate for prizes.

5/29/2013 3:34:36 PM
Luxmi said:

Hi there, I have some crochet items too. i am doing beanie caps,fruit baskets, Blankets and many more stuff. Never no how to sell these stuff. willing to take orders and do. Hope this site will be a helpful for me. I am a beginner in this fied. but doing very well.

7/18/2013 12:05:01 PM
Esther Ormsby said:

The 3x is a way I started pricing but for harder or flowers that pop up or popcorn stitching I use the 4x's method. This seems to work for me!

8/19/2013 10:15:44 AM
Felicia said:

I also have a lot of crochet items- beanie caps, headbands but have problems finding a sale avenue. Kindly enlighten me. I'm on etsy but have been able to make only one sale in a period of 12 months. Kindly advise on how I can make more sales. Answer: Well, this is the challenge! So many vendors online now, it's hard to stand out. Perhaps start the old fashioned way, by locally participating in crafts fairs or getting your items into small boutiques. Or create your own website. Just stick to it!

8/20/2013 7:46:06 PM
Felicia said:

Thanks very much. As you have advised, I would stick to it because I kept on having the feeling that things would get better.

9/9/2013 11:07:04 AM
richelle said:

i am making a crochet cellphone pouch.i am confused how to charge my labor,used accessories and materials.so that i can give a reasonable price. Response: it is confusing! I would suggest adding up all of the materials you used and multiplying by 3. If that amount is less than 15 to 20 dollars, then I would charge around that price (depending on how fancy or simple your pouch is).

9/12/2013 10:58:28 AM
valerie said:

I am making a baby laynete for a friend and not sure how to price this . I was to ask to pay me for the wool and whatever she felt fit to give me for my labor. Now that i see your answer above, I am not sure how to give her my price for labor. Response: I would check around to see how much such layette sets go for (you can probably find a lot on Etsy). Since it is for a friend, you might want to give her a discount, but (fortunately or unfortunately) labor costs on a per hour basis for crochet really don't get factored in at a meaningful rate -- pricing really depends a great deal on what the market is willing to pay for the finished item.

10/17/2013 5:39:31 PM
Raymond said:

I have a lot of crochet pieces that my wife made most pieces are going to stay in the family,some of them I will have to sell ,I did not have an idea how to price them,i have dollies/blankets/pillowcovers/ chairseat covers and much more. thanks for the info.

10/24/2013 7:17:30 PM
Jennie said:

I've never sold anything. I would like to put my crafts at a craft show.
Thank you for the tips. answer: You're welcome and good luck!

11/11/2013 12:01:04 PM
Clay said:

Thanks :)

11/19/2013 9:45:14 PM
Jeannie said:

Ive recently had a request to recreate 3 crochet doilies that a ladys mother in law crocheted for them 30 years ago or so. The original doilies are so beautiful but so intricate i wasnt sure how to price them. In addition to re-creating them she wants me to block and starch them and attach a ribbon so she can hang the new ones on her christmas tree every year and she wants 3 of each.
The Materials cost me approx $2 per snowflake/doilie so the x3 rule seems like i would be ripped off in the time and effort it has taken me to do this. So i decided instead to set an hourly rate and charge per hour which is $8. 2 hours per snowflake/doilie * 9 =$144. The lady was a bit taken aback by my price but when i explained the amount of work involved in recreating this family heirloom she understood and agreed.
The best pricing i saw was charge per hour + materials. Why not charge an hourly rate? Your selling an item that yes only cost $3 in wool to make but what about your skill. Dont underestimate that you have a skill that your selling, that you have spent hours of practising, researching patterns, pulled out thousands of stiches and re-done just to get it to look right only to throw it out and start all over again. If someone asks you to make something because they thing you are talented, make sure you charge them accordingly. And you can remind them that if they want something cheaply made in a factory by a machine shop on ebay. answer: right on! for such intricate, painstaking work, I'm so glad you were compensated appropriately!!

2/23/2015 6:32:05 PM
Naomi said:

Hi, I have been crocheting for couple years, but mostly always made it gave them as gifts, but my sister has asked me to help her out with a booth in October, well she needs quite a bit of stuff, well my question is im new at pricing don't want to under charge, but then I don't want to over price it either, this site has helped with trying to figure that out, thanks so much.

3/7/2015 12:27:38 AM
Molly said:

I have been crocheting for years, but just recently started thinking about selling my items. I have had a few people interested, but even when I offer a low price to them, I don't hear back. I have recently started making crochet "graphgans" I have 2 zebra print baby blankets finished. I timed the second one and it took me 19.5 hours to make, $10 in material andit measures around 3 ft tall. ive been reading up today about how people price their blankets and the 3X rule may apply to say a granny square blanket, but how do I really compensate for everything I put into these blankets? with the 3X rule it would only be 30 dollars for the blanket, but I would only make about a buck an hour. I do spend my time watching tv, but these graphgans are labor intensive and do require staying attentive. any input would be appreciated. posted one of facebook and a friend said they wanted one, I tried offering 30 and never got a reply. any input would be appriciated

3/25/2015 8:13:16 PM
Lori Shields said:

I am just now getting orders for baby blankets, slippers and baby flip flops; most of my orders need to be shipped; how do I charge for making an item and the shipping cost .....thanks :)

4/9/2015 7:50:04 PM
April said:

I have a question: I have a niece who is need of a special handicap van and her mom has been trying to raise money for it without much success. It occurred to me today that I could crochet some items and try to sell them with the proceeds going towards her van. In this instance would it be out of line to ask a little bit more for each item as long as I am completely transparent about where the money is going?

4/20/2015 3:04:54 PM
Jacque Mwalujuwa said:

I didnt know how to price my baby blankets until I did some research and this rule. Along with research on how to charge for my time , creativity, & labor. I dont believe my friends were to happy with the huge price adjustment. But my work is EXCELLENT & I cant charge $60 for a blanket that cost me $60 + tax in yarn. So im glad I found this information out.....

Ask a Question

Not finding the advice and tips you need on this Crochet Tip Site? Request a Tip Now!

Guru Spotlight

Phyllis Serbes

Ever wonder how you could make your life better and more fun? So have tens of millions of fans who have turned to LifeTips for answers over the past decade. We keep the tips, advice, books, podcasts and writing services flowing, so you can keep your life and business growing in the right direction. Upward!