how to price a cross stitch

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lizmitchell89
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how to price a cross stitch

Post by lizmitchell89 »

I've just started my own business doing customized cross stitched portraits. However, I'm having difficulty pricing them. I've heard of several different ways to price them like 1 cent per stitch, or charge hourly or by square inch. Can anyone please give me advice on how to price a portrait properly?
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richardandtracy
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Re: how to price a cross stitch

Post by richardandtracy »

The question has to relate to whether you need to live off the income or whether it's intended as a hobby business that will get you some pocket money. If it's the former, then it is much more important that you figure out the costs you need to pay and then cover them.

For a pocket money business, 1c per stitch means $1 per hundred. If I'm lucky I can do 100 per hour, so as a hobby would you be prepared to go for $1/hr or less in confetti filled areas? I might - after all, I do it for nothing for myself.

For a business where you are living off the proceeds, the minimum you should aim to charge is the minimum wage in your area (if you have one defined by law) and possibly check up on what is termed the 'Living Wage' for your area, and charge that per hour minimum. It will make a piece of cross stitch seem like a very luxurious item, and may, unfortunately, price your market out of existence. With a $7/hr minimum wage, a 400 x 350 picture and 100 stitches per hour, the cost comes in at a whopping $8400.

I doubt if it's a business you could live off unless you have access to very wealthy clients.

Regards,

Richard
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NeedleAndFork
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Re: how to price a cross stitch

Post by NeedleAndFork »

I do a bit of paid stitching as well as selling small completed items. None of these are ever going to pay me even close to minimum wage - they're a nice supplement that enable me to buy more goodies for myself. That said, I also don't undercharge for my work. I believe that my needlework skills have value, and I charge accordingly. I've seen people on etsy selling ornament or small hoops that I KNOW they spent atleast 10 hours on, and then charging $8 for them. I find that insulting - it devalues needlework and the skill that we all put into it, making it seem like 'women's work done to keep busy' and thus not having any real value.

There are a number of ways to price for services - but I would warn against telling a customer that you expect to get paid $x an hour, unless you can also tell them in advance how many hours you will take for a peice. Nobody wants to be suprised at the end with a figure much larger than they were expecting. If you want a certain amount an hour that's fine - multiply that by the number of hours it will take you and just give that final price to the customer - no suprises at the end. They are paying for a finished product, so price the finished product for them. Of course, don't forget to factor in cost of supplies etc.

When I sell ornaments, I come up with a price based on cost of supplies, level of skill involved, and approximate number of stitches in the ornament, method of finishing, as well as what the market will bear. I do not sell to people who want a cheap handmade item, but rather cater to people who understand what handcrafted art means and so are willing to pay more than what a fancy ornament in the store will cost. This means that sometimes when I give a person a price, they actually visibly cringe - that's ok.. a handcrafted piece of art isn't in everyone's budget

Just please be aware that this is not likely to pay a living wage - I wish it did, but unless you're a famous artist and have a skill set well above and beyond the norm, I doubt you'll be able to make anything remotely close to minimum wage. And as I mentioned above, please also don't devalue yourself and other stitchers by charging so laughably little that you barely make any money. Not only does each person that does that make it harder for the next person to charge a decent amount, but if you're not making enough you'll start to resent the work you put in while stitching, and it would be a shame for that to happen. Also, you wan to convey the message that a hand stitched item IS a work of art - both in skill and labor put into it. Undercharging does away with that message and reduces it to idle work rather than an art form.

One other thing - if you are working on a piece for someone, help them get excited about it as you stitch it. Share regular updates with them so they can see it progressing. This way they actually see the work and time put into it and appreciate the effort and thus the cost.
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kinley626
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Re: how to price a cross stitch

Post by kinley626 »

I agree wholeheartedly with NeedleandFork. If you are charging for your art, you should be paid appropriately.

I've done a few (3) pieces by commission and wrestled with this concept at first. I knew I would be putting aside my own projects for the duration and that I would be stitching like a mad woman to get it done. I normally stitch just a few hours on the weekend. For these I stitched 4-5 hours daily until it was done. I work a full-time job and I attend classes. So the price had to be WORTH it for me. I spoke with a few folk who work with fibers and did a little bit of digging and playing with numbers and came up with a pricing method I believe was fair for me: $2 per square inch plus cost of materials and supplies. I told each customer the price up front so there would be no surprises at the end, and asked for a deposit to begin the project.

Good luck with your new venture!
Kinley Rose :rose:

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