It’s a discussion I see constantly. One that unfortunately tends to get toxic and starts arguments. Though I never really see anyone actually break it down for people.
Honestly, I’ve even been questioned about my own prices more than once. Told anywhere from “you need to charge more/your worth” to “that’s too high, nobody will pay that!”
As a visual person myself, sometimes I need things pieced apart to understand better. So allow me to break it down for you as best I can, using my current make as an example.
Going forward, anything “hourly” is based on my locations minimum hourly tip wage, and not full regular minimum wage.
*Full simplified breakdown at the end.
Yarn. Obviously makes up a lot of the cost when it comes to crochet items. But most don’t realize that just because it’s yarn, does NOT mean that it’s cheap. The solid black cake above I made myself, using 4 individual strands of thread. Each thread being approx. 450yds each. One 4oz/2,100yd cone of that thread costs $18. It takes me about an hour to wind a full cake myself which is $5.99 for my state. The multicolor cake pictured is a Cotton King-Sultan from Hobbii and costs $21.
So at this point in JUST YARN we’re already at $45. Again, that’s just the yarn to even make the item.
Now let’s get into actually making said item. Most things are made by following a pattern, like I did originally start with. And you guessed it, patterns also cost money! The pattern I chose to use For the top alone cost $10.
Now while I did have a pattern, I also had to make SEVERAL changes/modifications to it, which adds to the amount of time to make the top. With that said, it took me roughly 6-8hrs (I unfortunately didn’t actually time it) to finish just the top. I’ll meet in the middle and say 7hrs for math purposes. That’s $5.99x7hrs= $41.93. I like solid numbers so we’ll round up to $42. Add the cost of the pattern and we’re at $52 for just the top.
With the top finished, we then move onto the skirt. Like the top, I decided to use a different pattern for making the skirt. This pattern also cost $10.
I am still in the middle of making the skirt, but I DID actually time myself and how long it takes me to do just one round/row of the skirt. It takes me 25min to complete just one singular go around. Currently I have 15 finished rounds/rows. 15x25min=375 mins/6hr15min of time I’ve currently put into the skirt. That math’s out to $5.99x6hr15min=$37.43 for where I’m currently at with the skirt.
Now the cake I’m using for the skirt is 7oz/874yds to begin with. So far I’ve only used 3oz/372yds, leaving me with 4oz/502yds to keep going. If I use the math above and knowing I have enough yarn to make at least another 15 rounds/rows, and knowing how long that takes. That adds another $37.43 to finish the skirt. I will still have another 1oz/124yds left, which isn’t much so we will leave that out of the math for now. Adding everything together for a rough estimate, the skirt being 30 rounds/rows at 25min per round, that’s 30x25min=750min/12hr30min. Making $5.99x12hr30min=$74.87, round to $75. Add the pattern for $10. We get a rough cost of $85 for just the skirt. Making the ENTIRE finished piece added cost together to = $182.
Now I’ve had MANY people argue with me in that I should be charging regular minimum wage and not the minimum tipped wage. So just for sake of argument, regular minimum wage for my location is currently $12.48 hourly. Redoing my math, using a regular minimum wage this dress would cost $316.
As a seller I would much rather charge the $182 for something I made simply because I chose to make it, knowing that it is much more affordable for many versus the $316. HOWEVER, if it was something someone requested custom that I had zero plans to make before on my own, I would be more inclined to charge the $316 as it does take away from my time and isn’t something I would make myself if it wasn’t directly requested.
I do NOT agree with charging outrageous prices on items you chose to make yourself unrequested.
Simplified Breakdown
| Bralette Pattern | $10 | |
| Skirt Pattern | $10 | |
| Total Yarn Cost | $39 | |
| Minimum Tipped Wage=$5.99 | Regular Minimum Wage=$12.48 | |
| Yarn Winding=1hr | =$5.99round^=$6 | =$12.48round^=$13 |
| Making Top=7hr | =$41.93round^=$42 | =$87.36round^=$88 |
| Making Skirt=Approx. 12hr30min | =$74.87round^=$75 | =$156 |
| Total Work Time=20hr30min | =122.79round^=$123 | =$255.84round^=$256 |
| Grand Total | Grand Total | |
| Grand Total | =$182 | =$316 |
*The way I do my pricing does not work for everything nor will it work for everyone. As many of us crochet at many different levels and pacing. As a rather quick crocheter, I’m more than comfortable with this breakdown.
C3Fiberarts 
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