How to Price Crochet Items to Sell + Simple Pricing Formula

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Turning your crochet hobby into a real business begins with knowing how to price crochet items to sell.

Finding the right prices for the things you make is like finding the perfect balance – staying in business because you love it, and making enough money to keep doing it.

UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 BY BRITTANY
This post may contain affiliate links.

How to Price Crochet Items to Sell - A Simple Pricing guide and chart
Learn How to Price Crochet Items to Sell in Craft Fairs, Markets & Online

So when you’re learning how to price crochet items to sell, watch out for two common mistakes: making things too cheap or asking for too much.

In this article, we’re going to help you find that balance and put the right price on your crochet stuff. This way, it’s fair for both you and the people who want to buy from you.

Here is a quick overview of the topics we will cover in this article:


How to Price Crochet Items to Sell – The Best Way

The best (and easiest way) to price your crochet items follows this simple formula:

Supply Cost + (Hours Spent Crocheting x Hourly Rate)

With this simple pricing formula, you will cover the cost of the supplies, and give you an hourly rate for the work you put in. This is the most straightforward pricing strategy.

There are three key parts to this pricing formula and how to price your crochet in a fair and profitable way. We’ll look at each in the following sections.

But don’t forget to factor in things like:

Supply Cost

To keep it simple, I like to lump all costs associated with making and selling the product into one category: the supply cost. This includes the obvious things like yarn, buttons, and/or pom poms in the product. But it also includes things like:

  • The tax you paid for the supplies
  • The cost of buttons, pom poms, labels, or other things in the finished product
  • Packaging and Shipping cost

Depending on how you like to keep records, a spreadsheet or a product notebook can make keeping track of costs a breeze.

Here’s an example of what your cost table might look like:

Cost TypeAmount
Yarn Cost (Including Tax)
2 skeins @ 5.99 + 6% tax
$12.70
1 Button$1.50
Handmade Label$0.25
Soft Envelop for Shipping$0.12
Tissue Paper for Packing$0.20
TOTAL SUPPLY COST$14.77

The total cost doesn’t factor in the time it takes you to crochet the product, which is important if you want your crochet business to be profitable enough for you to keep doing it. That brings us to our next point.

Setting Your Hourly Rate

Putting a dollar value on your time is often the hardest part, but still very important to get right. The average hourly rate for crochet is somewhere between $12-$20 per hour.

Look at the minimum wage data for your State, and add as much to it as you need to sustain this as a business. Some States have much lower minimum wages than others and in these cases, I’d recommend doubling it for your hourly rate.

Keeping Track of Hours Worked

Since the number of hours you work on the product is directly reflected in the price, keeping track of the time you spend on it it crucial. That way you don’t short yourself or overcharge your customers.

For years my favorite app for tracking hours worked on a project is called Timesheet. That is until I got an iPhone. Since Timesheet isn’t available in the Apple store, I migrated to another app called Toggl Track.

Both options allow you to keep track of hours based on project – which is the most important thing. You need to know the exact number of hours worked on each product you sell. So creating a “project” in the app for each product will help you keep them separated.

How Much Should You Charge for Crochet?

The amount you charge for crochet should factor in the product cost, your hourly wage, and the number of hours spent on each item you sell. Here are a few examples to get you started.

Example #1: How Much Should You Charge for a Crochet Blanket?

Cost TypeAmount
Yarn Cost (Including Tax)
12 skeins @ 5.99 + 6% tax
$38.03
Handmade Label$0.25
Box for Shipping$3.50
Tissue Paper for Packing$0.50
TOTAL SUPPLY COST$42.28

Supply Cost + (Hours Spent Crocheting x Hourly Rate)
$42.03 + (15 x $13) = $237

Now you might be looking at that number and thinking “No way?! No one will ever buy that”, and you’re not exactly wrong. Since blankets require so much time and yarn to make, they often require a specific customer.

Because of this, many shop owners choose not to sell blankets in their shops. But if you really want to offer this option to your customers, it’s best to offer blankets on a made-to-order basis. This way you don’t have a ton of time and money tied up in blanket inventory you’re not sure will sell.

Example #2: How Much Should You Charge for a Crochet Hat?

Cost TypeAmount
Yarn Cost (Including Tax)
1 skeins @ 7.99 + 6% tax
$8.47
2 Buttons$1.20
Handmade Label$0.25
Soft Envelop for Shipping$0.12
Tissue Paper for Packing$0.20
TOTAL SUPPLY COST$10.24

Supply Cost + (Hours Spent Crocheting x Hourly Rate)
$10.24 + (1.5 x $14) = $31

Since hats are quick to crochet and don’t require much yarn, this makes them a top choice for shop owners and craft fair-goers. Plus people love to wear crochet hats in the winter, so they usually sell quite well.

While these are just two examples of how to price crochet items to sell, you can follow this simple exercise for any product you want to sell.

It’s a good idea to guestimate the costs and time associated with a particular product before you consider adding it to your shop. Choosing items that are quick to make, and that don’t require much yarn are often the best products to offer.

Avoid Making This Big Mistake When You Price Crochet Items

It’s tempting to position the price of your items below what similar products are selling for so you can win the sale. But if you do this, not only can you potentially drive the market lower and lower as shops compete with one another. But you can also burn out. Making pennies on the hour spent is the quickest way to do that.

Instead, use our simple pricing formula, and be confident in the value of your time and the quality of your products.

If you follow this formula and the item price seems more than what someone will be willing to buy, there are a couple of things you can do.

Tips to Save Time and Money on Product Costs When You Price Crochet Items

  1. Save money on supplies: Use store coupons and sales to make sure your supplies are at the lowest possible price.
  2. Choose projects/stitch patterns you’re good at: Don’t spend extra time on a finicky stitch pattern.
  3. Buy Supplies in Bulk: Things like labels, buttons, and packing materials bought in higher quantities cost less per unit.
  4. Be Choosey About Your Products: Stick to smaller items that take less time to crochet.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Price Crochet Items to Sell

What Items Should I Crochet to Sell?

The most common crochet items you’ll see for sale are headbands, hats, mug cozies, bags, baby blankets, and scarves. These items require less time and yarn to make, making them a sensible option for shop owners to keep in stock

Should I Take Custom Orders on Crochet Items?

Offering custom orders on crochet goods is a great way to make sure your customer gets exactly what they want. Just be sure to let them know how much time it will take for you to complete the custom order. It’s also a good idea to take payment upfront

Pricing Crochet Items From the podcast…

Need some inspiration to listen to while you crochet your blanket? Check out this episode of the BHooked Podcast where I chat with Chantal, the talented maker behind Knitatude about how to price crochet items to sell.

Hit the play button below to listen!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through these links. Please note that prices and availability of products are subject to change. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the content on this site. I only recommend products that I have personally used and genuinely believe in. Thank you for your support!