Materials, your time, overhead, profit and marketplace fees — in one honest number. Built for Etsy, markets and commissions.
Retail price = (materials + hours × rate + overhead) × (1 + margin) ÷ (1 − fee%). Materials are obvious; time is where most makers under-price. Overhead covers the things you forget — packaging, labels, hook wear, listing fees. The margin is your business's profit on top of your wage. Dividing by (1 − fee) is the step everyone skips: a 10% fee on a £50 item isn't £5 off your margin unless you priced for it.
| Skill | Rate | Typical work |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | £10–14 / $12–15 | Simple scarves, dishcloths, basic amigurumi |
| Intermediate | £14–20 / $15–25 | Blankets, hats, shaped toys |
| Advanced | £20–32 / $25–40 | Garments, colourwork, cables, lace |
| Expert / custom | £32+ / $40–60+ | Custom design, commissions, wedding pieces |
Price = (materials + your time × hourly rate + overhead) × profit margin, then divided by (1 − marketplace fee) so fees don't eat the margin. Most makers under-charge by ignoring time; this calculator makes time visible.
Guilds suggest a minimum of $15–25 (£12–20) per hour. Charge more for advanced work (cables, colourwork, custom orders). If the result feels 'too high', that's the market telling you to make faster items, not to work for free.
A worsted-weight throw takes 20–40 hours and £40–80 of yarn, so an honest price is £350–£900+. Sellers who price blankets at £60 are paying customers for the privilege of making them.
The old 'materials × 3' shortcut ignores time entirely and works only for fast items with expensive yarn. A time-based formula is fairer and scales to blankets and garments.
Related: Yarn calculator (know your materials cost) · Guide: how to price crochet and actually sell
Crochets Maker logs your hours and materials per project, prices each item with this exact formula, and keeps a sales & profit log for tax time.
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