One of the biggest struggles in the crochet community is pricing handmade work fairly. So many crocheters spend hours creating beautiful, high-quality items, only to sell them for far less than they’re worth. Why? Because they don’t know how to price their work correctly, they fear losing customers, or they feel pressure to compete with mass-produced, factory-made goods.
But here’s the truth: handmade is a luxury. It’s a skill, an art, and a craft that takes time, effort, and dedication. If we, as crocheters, start valuing our work correctly, we can shift the mindset of consumers and create a stronger, more profitable industry for all of us.
That’s why I’ve created a Crochet Pricing Formula & Flowchart—so you can confidently price your work, get paid what you deserve, and educate your customers on why handmade costs more.
The Problem: Undercutting & Devaluing Handmade Work
One of the biggest pricing mistakes crocheters make is undercutting their own work or competing with each other on price. This happens when makers:
❌ Price based on what they "think" customers will pay, rather than what their work is worth
❌ Compare prices with other crocheters and try to underbid them to get more sales
❌ Feel guilty for charging higher prices because they love what they do
❌ Don't factor in time, materials, skill, and business expenses when setting prices
❌ Compare prices with other crocheters and try to underbid them to get more sales
❌ Feel guilty for charging higher prices because they love what they do
❌ Don't factor in time, materials, skill, and business expenses when setting prices
This cycle leads to a race to the bottom, where crocheters are barely breaking even—or worse, losing money—just to stay competitive. The reality is, customers will pay what you teach them to pay. If we all price our work fairly, consumers will begin to understand the value of crochet and stop expecting bargain-basement prices.
The Solution: A Fair Pricing Model for All Crocheters
Fair pricing ensures that all crocheters can earn a living wage without competing to be the cheapest. It also helps consumers understand the time, labor, and skill that goes into each piece.
By following this simple formula, you can price your crochet pieces confidently and fairly:
Crochet Pricing Formula
💰 Price = (Materials + (Time x Hourly Rate)) x 2 + Shipping
✅ Materials Cost – Yarn, hooks, embellishments, packaging, etc.
✅ Labor Cost – Your hourly rate × the time spent on the piece
✅ Pricing Multiplier – Typically 2x-3x to cover costs like taxes, marketing, and business expenses
✅ Shipping Cost!
This ensures that you cover your costs, pay yourself a fair wage, and make a profit—just like any other business.
Hourly Rate & Labor Cost: Pay Yourself Fairly!
One of the biggest mistakes crocheters make is not paying themselves for their time. Imagine working a full shift at a job and not getting paid. That’s what happens when we don’t factor in labor costs.
Use this info to determine a fair hourly rate based on your skill level:
Skill Level Suggested Hourly Rates:
Beginner: $10 - $15
Intermediate: $15 - $25
Advanced: $25 - $50
📌 Pro Tip: If you create a piece faster due to experience, that doesn't mean you should lower your price! Your expertise and efficiency increase your value, not decrease it.
Why Fair Pricing Benefits the Entire Crochet Community
When crocheters price fairly, we all win. Here’s why:
✔️ No More Undercutting – If we all charge fair prices, there’s no need to compete on price. Instead, we can stand out based on quality, style, and uniqueness.
✔️ Consumers Learn to Respect Crochet as a Skill – When all crocheters price their work fairly, it teaches customers that handmade is not cheap. They begin to understand the time, effort, and skill that goes into each piece.
✔️ We Create a Sustainable Business Model – By charging what we’re worth, we can afford to keep crocheting, reinvest in our businesses, and continue doing what we love without burnout.
✔️ It Encourages More People to Value Handmade Over Fast Fashion – When prices reflect the true cost of handmade goods, more people will appreciate the quality, sustainability, and uniqueness of crochet over factory-made items.
When we stand together and price fairly, we set a standard in the crochet community. We create an environment where crocheters don’t have to fight to get sales, but instead thrive by charging what they deserve.
Final Thoughts: Charge Your Worth!
Crochet is an art. It’s a skill. It’s labor. It’s time away from your family, your rest, and your other responsibilities. Your time and talent deserve to be compensated fairly.
So the next time someone asks why your crochet piece costs more than something at a big-box store, confidently explain:
✨ It’s handmade.
✨ It’s made with high-quality materials.
✨ It’s one-of-a-kind, not mass-produced.
✨ It’s supporting a real person, not a factory.
✨ It’s made with high-quality materials.
✨ It’s one-of-a-kind, not mass-produced.
✨ It’s supporting a real person, not a factory.
Let’s stop pricing out of fear and start pricing with confidence! When we value our work, others will too.
🔥 Are you ready to start pricing fairly? Share this blog post and let’s uplift the crochet community together! 🚀💖
