How To Price Your HANDMADE QUILTS and Other SEW TO SELL Goodies! 5+ Years Etsy Seller Experience

My mom got so frustrated with people wanting a great product but a cheap price so she decided to give them a list of what they needed to purchase and then she restricted the size to a throw and she gave a few options on patterns that she knew she could piece quickly and hand quilt quickly. She charged a flat rate for the completed throw. She did not drive so they also had to pickup. She would laugh because people who acted like her prices were high before had no problem purchasing all the machine thread, quilt thread backing, batting, and Piecing fabrics...bring it all to her...agree she keeps leftovers..and make another trip to pick up...they weren't saving a dime but in their mind they were paying a cheaper price!😂 I also only do throw sizes lol

Very important video. One person said that each time we undervalue our time, the whole quilting world is damaged because the next person will have a hard time getting a fair price. I used to live in Amish country and they had annual quilt auctions. It was nothing to see a queen size quilt go for $3,000. Some people would gasp but that represented at least 6 months of someone's life because they were hand quilted.

I never sell my quilts because people don't want to pay what they are worth. I only give away as gifts to special people.

When i was younger, i did alterations for a very short time. I took apart a designer gown, altered it and put it back together again. You couldnt tell that i had even taken it apart. I was so proud of myself. I am too embarrassed to say how litgle i asked for and she balked at paying that. I held my ground ( and her dress) so she paid up. Never again,i said. The reason i dont sell my quilts is because people dont have a clue of my money and time invested in them. Good video!

Whoa!! You did it. You talked about the big secret taboo subject: pricing! Idk why more people won't share this valuable information. I've had my unpleasant stories and no longer offer my services. You gave excellent tips.

My husband tells me I am making quilts for free. This last quilt was supposed to be a scrap quilt, nothing to purchase and I told the girl $450. Then the woman wanted designer fabrics. I am about ready to give up on selling them. Mostly giving quilts to my family and for gifts. I have been quilting for for 15 yrs and I love it. Recently someone asked me if I sold my quilts and I told them yes. Glad to see your video about pricing. My heart gets in the way..... Got to stop

❤ You are one crazy chick in a great way. I only mean that in the best sense of the word. I just love you and I’m an old lady who quilts. You just bring a breath of fresh air for the world of Quilting. Thank you.

People forget: when they ask you to make me a blanket. Walmart sells blankets. Quilts are 3 layers of fabric, hours of time! Plus thread etc. I got tired of giving people a price and being asked “wow! That much?” Now I sometimes just inflate the price x3! and they will then say they don’t want to pay that much. They change their minds and I tell them to go to Walmart. I’ve never made one for people where I’ve gotten even 5$ an hour. Not worth my time to do it. I’d sincerely rather give it away as a gift than have my work so undervalued.

I was talking to a gal in a quilt shop. She mentioned that a friend offered to pay her a hundred dollars for a king size quilt. Her response.... " I have more than that in thread. " Another two gifted her niece a mid-sized quilt as a wedding gift. Two summers later at a family picnic at her niece's house she saw the quilt , nicely folded in a wooden box on the back porch...it was the dog's bed. When she left she took it with her, unbeknownst to her niece. Nobody even missed it.

For those who have no idea the cost, let them go get all the supplies themselves. They get the fabric they like and you're not out money for fabric they may or may not like. Then they only pay you for labor.

I hate it when people say, "you should sell those". About anything. They have no idea how much time it takes and how much money I would have to charge to be fair to myself. Minimum wage here in Seattle is $15 an hour. I am a nurse and the nursing wage for a new graduate is $45 an hour in Seattle. I am not a new nurse and am paid more than that. I am not going to make crafts as a side gig when I could just take an extra shift and get time and a half, or get a second job giving flue shots or injections for bone marrow donors for more money than my day job.

I had someone who wanted a baby quilt. They offered me $25 for everything. Because that is what they can get at Walmart. I gently told them I wasn't Walmart and $25 would barely cover the cost of materials.

I don’t make to sell but I’d like to start gently educating family and friends about the value of the quilts gifted to them by me, so I’ve decided to work out a valuation (costs including materials, labour, overheads etc). I plan to put it on a card with the washing instructions. Here’s an example: “Handmade heirloom-quality quilt. Bespoke design for you, created 2024. Valuation for insurance purposes: $450. For best care: Washing as infrequently as possible can extend the life of the quilt for generations, so shake out and air regularly instead. When necessary, warm machine wash on gentle with wool wash or mild detergent. No bleach. Spin off then dry over several lines with right side down to reduce fading. Or tumble dry on WARM/LOW.”

One lady on Utube was so tired of people under valuing her quilts that she drew up a list of her costs to make a queen size quilt. Supplies, thread, fabric, batting etc. Her time she de❤cided she was worth $15.00 an hour, afterall McDonalds is paying that much. Yer total for the quilt was $1695.00. That was a real eye opener for those of us who have always undervalued our work and time. It was a great video. Miriam your going to have a great business. You have the personality and common sense to work with u your customers.❤️

I can’t imagine trying to sell anything I make because the price would be ridiculous! I’ve had friends ask me to hem pants, with the caveat that “I’ll pay you!” No, it’s not fun, and there are alteration shops who will do it faster and better. I’m currently making a QAYG Mandelorian helmet quilt for my 9yo grandson for Christmas (he won’t appreciate it now, but maybe later?). So far I’m figuring 100 hours (10 hours a week on average, 9 rows, one per week plus slashing and binding) plus $150 in materials. Is anyone going to pay me $2150 for it? Doubtful. It’s a labor of love for him, and worth it.

Great points. The same thing happens in the bag making area. The majority of my bags are made out of cork, which is pricey already, and still have people say “I can get it at Walmart.” Um, no, it’s one of a kind, hand crafted by me not in a Chinese sweatshop.

Oh my goodness. You brought up so many good points. I recently made two t-shirts quilts for a lady. My first time. I sat down and figured out the cost and after I was done with both quilts I under estimated the cost. When I gave her the quilts she loved them and I think she realized I didn’t charge her enough and she gave me a”tip”. She said she loved the quilts. I really didn’t make a lot on these quilts. This video was very helpful. Thank you ❤

Living so close to Lancaster, Pa I never take for granted the price of blankets, quilts, and comforters. After making a few throws as gifts it reinforced my feelings towards anyone who has more patience than I do. I hope all of you ladies that are quilters have a wonderful happy and safe future. ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉

Wow! Those are things that I never thought of! I, too, was undervaluing my quilts. I made two quilts for a lady whose husband had passed away out of her late husband's shirts. I told her I did not want payment for the quilts because I still had my husband. Here it is years later, I get a note with two gift cards over $100 dollars each from her. I still see her from time to time and we hug and talk. But now my eyes are opened and I will charge for my thread, my time involved etc. Thanks for all the questions to ask.

You are so right. People have NO idea the cost of quilts. They think it should be comparable to a blanket you purchase at a Big Box Store. Materials, time not only to make the quilt but how intricate is the pattern.