How much for homemade goods?

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I had someone approach me and ask me to make her 4 matching sets: blanket/2 burp rags/2 wash cloths. That’s 4 blankets, 8 burp rags and 8 wash cloths. I told her I’d get as much done as I’m able and I think we’ll both be content with whatever I’m able to accomplish.

So here’s my question: how much do I charge per set? I’m thinking $40. I’m just doing a simple light flannel blankie w/ batting and solid backing/binding and simple burp rags w/ the matching flannel and buying el cheapo wash cloths and sewing the matching flannel to that as well (she wants everything to match). My goal is to keep the supplies under $10 per set. I’m probably not giving myself enough for my time, but I’m thinking $40 is about retail price for a set like this. I’m not good at quilting, but I may be able to do some on the machine and some may just be the knotted yarn throughout (if ya KWIM).

Her grandbaby is due in October and she wants this for a gift in August. If I’m diligent I could probably get 2 sets done by then and maybe offer to do another set for when the baby comes and a 4th for Christmas (if she’s still interested). The wheels are turning now and I may ask if she’d be interested in some of those onsies w/ the numbers on them for each month/pictures.

I’m probably in over my head w/ a FT job and 4 littles, but I’ve been praying for God to show me a way to save up for school enrollment fees this fall and I feel like this would be a good opportunity. Please also pray for me for this intention!
 
I know that’s probably the retail price for a set. But a lot of retail textile goods come from China. I know people talk about cheap labor there but the cost of materials over there are also very cheap compared to here. To try and compete with that usually means paying yourself a fraction of the minimum wage.

Although some people expect retail prices for everything, there are people who are willing to pay more for something that was handcrafted locally with higher quality materials.

You do deserve to be compensated fairly for your time. But if you choose to try and compete with retail, know that you are most likely not charging a “fair” price and that you would be giving this person the gift of your time, which is completely fine but only if you are okay with it. That’s 100% your choice though! 🙂

If you are unsure, try a practice run. Time yourself making one of these sets. Then you’ll have a better idea of where you stand.
 
Retail is not custom made. Estimate, fairly, how much time it would take you to do the work, then give yourself a liveable hourly rate. Too many people denigrate the work of craftspeople by saying they can buy it more cheaply. They should be reminded that things bought at Walmart, or Target, or wherever discount goods are sold, do not become heirlooms.
 
Thank you! No, just a former acquaintance from work, but seems willing to pay what I ask. I have SOME material on-hand already that was given to me, so this will be my starting point for practice (semi-free or reduced cost). If I try to get the blanket done in under 2 hours and the burp rags/wash cloths done in an hour, paying myself $10/hr plus supplies, I think $50 would be fair. I’ve seen some craft pricing guidelines on Pinterest, so I may reference there as well as checking out ebay.

Thanks for all the thoughts. You are right, Monicad, to keep in mind the possibility for future requests and price accordingly. I think if I were just doing one burp rag and one wash cloth, I might take it down to $40.

Please say a little prayer for me! This would really be an answer to my prayers that God show me how I can pay for things and bless my family with this little project.
 
Check Etsy as well for comparison. And don’t undervalue your time. Your work is worth more than minimum wage.
 
English poster here - had never heard of a “burp rag” (and I was a midwife in the past), so looked it up (thought it might be like a bib) - I found this site with ideas for making lots of different ones, which may help you if you go on to develop your project!

tipnut.com/baby-burp-cloths/
 
You may think they are “simple” blankets, but obviously she does not if she is asking you to make them for you. There are many people who do not have the skill to sew and value your ability. (There are some who don’t value it and will say something like “oh, its just straight lines!” Yes, I had some one say this about a blanket set I made and embroidered as a shower gift!) Value your talent and your work. You are being hired as a seamstress.

Be accurate in your costs. You may have some fabric in your stash, but you did pay for it originally. If she buys the fabric, you can charge her labor and then give her the scraps once you are finished. If you are buying all the materials please include the cost of thread, needles, etc. I could usually make a blanket in an hour (cutting and sewing) so I would double my costs + $15 for labor. Since I charged this much, I also made sure my things were packaged as professionally as I could.

I also set one day aside a week to work full time on sewing. I’d try to sneak away during other days to cut things out, plan projects etc but I needed a full day set aside to be my sewing day. My family respected the business I had and respected my time when I was sewing. Leaving the sewing for when I had free time usually never worked. I could get things in when little ones napped, but eventually my business grew to where I needed a full day to work.

Good luck to you. It can take time to build a business, but if you do your research and are diligent in your work, you can make it succeed!
JLCecilia said:
I had someone approach me and ask me to make her 4 matching sets: blanket/2 burp rags/2 wash cloths. That’s 4 blankets, 8 burp rags and 8 wash cloths. I told her I’d get as much done as I’m able and I think we’ll both be content with whatever I’m able to accomplish.

So here’s my question: how much do I charge per set? I’m thinking $40. I’m just doing a simple light flannel blankie w/ batting and solid backing/binding and simple burp rags w/ the matching flannel and buying el cheapo wash cloths and sewing the matching flannel to that as well (she wants everything to match). My goal is to keep the supplies under $10 per set. I’m probably not giving myself enough for my time, but I’m thinking $40 is about retail price for a set like this. I’m not good at quilting, but I may be able to do some on the machine and some may just be the knotted yarn throughout (if ya KWIM).

Her grandbaby is due in October and she wants this for a gift in August. If I’m diligent I could probably get 2 sets done by then and maybe offer to do another set for when the baby comes and a 4th for Christmas (if she’s still interested). The wheels are turning now and I may ask if she’d be interested in some of those onsies w/ the numbers on them for each month/pictures.

I’m probably in over my head w/ a FT job and 4 littles, but I’ve been praying for God to show me a way to save up for school enrollment fees this fall and I feel like this would be a good opportunity. Please also pray for me for this intention!
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This is something I have thought through for some of my own sewing and quilting. One, you will more than likely never be able to charge enough for the time and labor. Homemade stuff is a rarity and folks may not truly understand the time that goes into it.

However, a general rule of thumb that I have considered is to charge 3 times the actual cost of the item made. So if you use $10 worth of materials, including threads, batting, material, “bling” or what ever, then $30 is certainly fair. Frankly I think the $40 you are suggesting is also very fair.

Almost 20 years ago my mother used to make homemade baby afghans and charged as much as $80 each. People were delighted to get them…her work was excellent.

So I would say your price is fair and you could always go down a little if your friend seems a little unhappy with it, like $35. Good luck with future projects. This is something I am trying to get started to help bring in money also. People do like homemade things if they can get them.
 
Origen52 said:
Retail is not custom made. Estimate, fairly, how much time it would take you to do the work, then give yourself a liveable hourly rate. Too many people denigrate the work of craftspeople by saying they can buy it more cheaply. They should be reminded that things bought at Walmart, or Target, or wherever discount goods are sold, do not become heirlooms.
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SuscipeMeDomine said:
Check Etsy as well for comparison. And don’t undervalue your time. Your work is worth more than minimum wage.
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I’ll second checking out Etsy for comparisons.

And, use good materials. You’re not doing poor quality mass produced junk, you’re doing custom work that can be passed on to another generation.
 
Thank you, thank you, thank you! All very encouraging! I LOVE the idea of setting aside a day just for sewing. Where I am right now w/ a FT job, that’s not possible, but I will def. keep an in/out ‘time sheet’ for my project since I’ll only be able to do bits at a time. And I plan on keeping my receipts as well. I never considered double the cost of supplies, but I will def. consider it.

Thank you!
 
I usually sell blankets (receiving type) for $30, quilts for $50. Burp cloths are usually $5 each or $8 for two. I don’t make wash cloths but my guess would be the same as the burp cloths. If I sell as a set, I would most likely sell for the blanket price plus $10. In other words, if it was a simple receiving blanket and the other items I would sell for $40, but if it was a quilt plus the others if would be $60. To make time for sewing i usually wake up an hour early or sew while my kids play. I’ve never been able to just take a full day, and honestly I’m not sure I would be able to focus that long at a time. Most of the time I gather supplies on day 1, cut on day 2, pin on day 3, sew on day 4. On more productive days I can do an entire project, but most of the time it takes 2-4 days. 2-4 days really means about a week and a half because my family comes first so not everyday do I get time to work. If you have any other questions you can PM me.
 
The burp clothes we used with our twins was a clean diaper. My mother had taken cloth diapers and doubled them up (as they seemed thin), and they got a good dose of bleach with every washing.

The kids are going on thirty two and doing well, and so are some of the diapers - great cleaning rags. 😃

Which is not to disparage your burp rags at all. I suspect we got a few “looks”, but with twins, you are tired enough you don’t notice.
 
bitterhope said:
I usually sell blankets (receiving type) for $30, quilts for $50. Burp cloths are usually $5 each or $8 for two. I don’t make wash cloths but my guess would be the same as the burp cloths. If I sell as a set, I would most likely sell for the blanket price plus $10. In other words, if it was a simple receiving blanket and the other items I would sell for $40, but if it was a quilt plus the others if would be $60. To make time for sewing i usually wake up an hour early or sew while my kids play. I’ve never been able to just take a full day, and honestly I’m not sure I would be able to focus that long at a time. Most of the time I gather supplies on day 1, cut on day 2, pin on day 3, sew on day 4. On more productive days I can do an entire project, but most of the time it takes 2-4 days. 2-4 days really means about a week and a half because my family comes first so not everyday do I get time to work. If you have any other questions you can PM me.
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My guess is that your quality is somewhere between Macy’s and Nordstrom’s, and your pricing should reflect that range.
 
bitterhope said:
I usually sell blankets (receiving type) for $30, quilts for $50.
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:eek: just $50 :eek: I don’t know the detail in your quilts, but people around here charge $50-$100 just to machine quilt the pieces together! I say you should raise your prices 😃
bitterhope said:
I’ve never been able to just take a full day, and honestly I’m not sure I would be able to focus that long at a time.
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I fully admit that sewing is my addiction and I use to physically crave to sew. I’d be a grouch unless I sat behind my machine. I could spend hours sewing!

I had to put my sewing up due to homeschooling and no room for both machines and books, so I have been sew-free for 9 months. It was hard, but I think I may be in control of my sewing addiciton! 😛
 
I can’t sew as much mainly due to having so many other things needing to get done. I start fretting over being behind on everything else, and I homeschool two of mine. The rest are in school or preschoolers. It’s just not possible to do everything. I’ve thought of raising prices but no one here would pay more. I barely can find people who can afford what I do sell. Most of the orders I get are very specific, and they tend to be very easy and quick items. Diaper bags are tough, those go for $100 or more depending on the size and pattern. But a lot of the people I sew for are spouses in my husbands unit and we just don’t have the money to pay more than I charge. I even discount if they provide me with the fabric. There have been times in the past where I actually set up a booth at the farmers market or the PX but I’m just not able to do that now. Too many things going on in life I guess. I did charge more then, but I spent much more time working then as well. Now with another set of twins coming I am lucky to get a few hours each week to sit down and sew. I enjoy crochet much more than sewing and I crochet for my babies, but I don’t crochet for other people. It is way too time consuming because I get started and nothing else gets done. I get into my own little world and all I can see, hear, concentrate on is whatever I happen to be making at the moment.
 
You have children and you are expecting twins???

Oh my…

I was lucky in that I had twins first and was too dumb to realize what was coming. Not that I would change any bit of it, but…

Oh my.

God bless you and your family, and may your husband be safe!

And I understand the $$ issue - probably not too many Generals’ wives or Colonel’s wives expecting.
 
Thank you! Yes, we are all enlisted families. And this is our second set of twins so I’m not quite so worried this time around. I figure we survived last time we will survive again. At least this time I have bigger kids that can help out (these are #9 and 10) and my husband should be around for a while too.
 
otjm, I’m with you: for my first couple of babies, I made myself some jazzed up burp cloths out of the thick Gerber cloth diapers and just embellished them w/ ribbon. I’ve even sold some to co-workers. Nothing fancy. By baby #4, I just grabbed a dish rag or a blanket and called it good.

bittersweet, I’m the same way with setting a schedule (cut one day, sew another). That way at least I feel accomplished every day that I get to work on my project. It’s slow starting b/c w/ ballgames every night and compensating for sick children who can’t go to the sitter and the other sitter taking off 2 days this week I can’t get out on my lunch hour either. Itching to get started. Looking forward to my mom’s visit this weekend to go w/ me to put things together. Just hope our local Wal-Mart has what I need. I like the online fabric sites, but I prefer being able to see and touch before I buy.

otjm, thank you for the props - the price continues to go up in my head every day. The first set I’m doing is out of fabric that was given to me free and clear, so the supply cost will be low, but I need to remember to go ahead and charge just as if it weren’t b/c the next set won’t be that way!

You girls are awesome, I’ve really enjoyed your responses. It’s nice to hear from other ladies who are juggling the same sorts of things as me, including a knack for crafting! I also enjoy crocheting - I’m hoping to finish off a simple, single-layered fleece blankie for our cousin whose baby girl will be due this month. It will be a late baby gift, but I don’t care. I always enjoyed getting gifts that sort of strung out weeks and months after baby came. With baby blankets I’ve learned to make 'em a bit bigger so baby can grow with them and hang on to them for a few years.
 
Umm, so I was shocked when I looked up flannel baby blankets on etsy. One seller is selling a 3-piece set for $17!!! A blanket, burp rag and bib. Oh. My. Goodness!!! There were even a few with the very same fabric I’ll be using and the blankets ranged anywhere from $15-$25. The only way I could sell one for $25 is if I was able to complete it start to finish in one hour flat. Wow, just wow. Oh well. If my buyer thinks $65 is too steep for a 5-piece set, she can buy the first set and retract her request for more sets.
 
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