If you’ve ever stared at a finished product and thought, “Okay… what do I charge for this?” — you’re normal.
Pricing handmade products is one of the hardest parts of selling crafts, because it mixes math with emotion. You want it to feel affordable, you want people to buy, and you don’t want anyone to think you’re overcharging.
But here’s the truth that saves a lot of stress:
You don’t need a perfect price. You need a repeatable pricing method.
Once you have a method, pricing becomes quicker, calmer, and way more consistent.
Step 1: Start With a Handmade Pricing Formula
When people say “I don’t know how to price,” what they usually mean is “I don’t know what to include.”
Use this simple handmade pricing formula as your foundation:
Materials + (Time × Hourly Rate) + Overhead + Fees + Profit = Price
This formula works whether you’re making candles, laser engraved signs, knitted items, resin art, woodworking, jewellery, or 3D printed products.
Step 2: Calculate Materials (Properly)
Materials are more than your main item. They include the small stuff: glue, screws, paint, sandpaper, tape, failed test pieces, packaging inserts — all the things that disappear quietly.
If you reorder it because you produce products, count it.
Step 3: Pay Yourself for Time (Yes, Really)
The biggest reason makers underprice is simple: they don’t include their own time.
When you calculate time, count more than “making time.” Include:
- design and setup
- material prep
- finishing and cleanup
- assembly
- packaging
- customer messages and fixes (estimate a little)
Pick an hourly rate you can live with. You can raise it later. The important part is that you start paying yourself on paper first.
Step 4: Add Overhead
Overhead is the cost of “being in business.” Electricity, tools, blades, printer nozzles, software subscriptions, workshop costs, website hosting — it all counts.
Two simple ways to do overhead:
- Percentage method: add 10–20% on top of cost
- Monthly method: divide monthly overhead by products made and add per item
Either method is better than ignoring it.
Step 5: Fees and Packaging
If you sell online, you’ll have fees. If you sell locally, you still have packaging costs.
Common examples:
- payment processing fees
- platform fees
- boxes, tape, labels, inserts
If they’re not in your price, they come out of your profit.
Step 6: Choose Profit On Purpose
Profit is not “extra.” Profit is what lets you upgrade tools, buy in bulk, grow, and stay motivated.
A lot of makers accidentally set profit to zero and then wonder why the business feels exhausting.
Choose a profit margin you’re comfortable with and build it into the price.
Make It Easy With a Pricing Calculator
You can absolutely do all this in a spreadsheet. But most makers won’t do it consistently because it takes too long.
A faster way is to use a craft pricing calculator that already includes materials, personal time, machine time, overhead, and profit in one place.
I built one because I needed it for my own work — and it’s the tool I use when I’m pricing anything new. It turns this whole process into a few quick inputs and a clear output.
Final Tip: Price With Numbers First, Then Check Your Market
Start with your real costs. Then look at the market. If your price is higher, don’t panic — it might mean your quality is better, your process is slower (for now), or your costs are higher.
Pricing is not about being the cheapest. It’s about being sustainable.
If your price doesn’t pay you, it’s not a real business price.