I made a crocheted rug for new grandchild. It was made up of 63 6" squares in different patterns and colours. Now I have been asked to make one for another person, who will buy the wool (about 30 balls of 8 ply) themselves, and pay me to make the rug. But I don't know what is a reasonable amount to charge them. Any ideas?
Happywanderer said
04:11 AM Sep 1, 2012
I've done the same as you wendy. They've paid for the wool but as they were family I didn't charge for the labour. I really don't know how you would work out a price, its a hard one. The last one I did my sister sent it to Sweden to a friend who had a baby, The friend was originally an exchange student who came to stay with them many years go. So I felt quite proud to be asked to make the baby blanket.
Rip and Rosie said
04:43 AM Sep 1, 2012
Like you, have never known what is reasonable to charge. Given the large amount of time involved, sometimes hundreds of hours, even if you charged $2 per hour, it would be hundreds of dollars...........AND no one would work for $2 per hour !
I am finishing a large table cloth for a 12 seat table, and it has taken a couple of years to do, I reckon over 800 hours- at $2 per hour, that's $1600 plus the cotton!!
Rosie
wendyv said
05:08 AM Sep 1, 2012
The Driver makes furniture and sells it. He and other woodwork club members work on a formula of charging 3 times the cost of the materials. He reckons that's what I should do. 30 balls at even $2 a ball = $60 x 3 = $180. I think not.
Rosie - my Hardanger is like that. Heaps of hours in even a small item. But I have never done that for other people, except as gifts. $2 an hour - last job I did I was paid $35 an hour!
Think it is going to be a rather token charge.
Happywanderer said
05:24 AM Sep 1, 2012
I think you will have to agree on a total price with the person who you are doing it for, but who knows what, $30 , $50, $100. Its a hard one.
BohemianGypsy said
02:53 PM Sep 1, 2012
Having sold my craft before I would say don't make your fee to cheap as they might want you to make heaps of them and that certainly won't be worth it to you. Personally I didn't think $180 for a crocheted blanket the size you mentioned was too bad. If you wanted to lower it then don't go any lower than $150 otherwise you really are underselling yourself. I hope that helps. Let us know how you get on.
Michelle
Gerty Dancer said
06:37 PM Sep 1, 2012
I'm with your driver Wendy... 3 x the materials, if that equals $180 then thats the price, and you are still being severely underpaid for your time and skill. Have a look in craft shops for anything similar, they arent cheap!
jules47 said
03:47 AM Sep 2, 2012
Have seen those crocheted rugs for sale at free camps along the way for about $60 - like a knee rug size - don't know if they were "wool" or sythetic - baby booties were $5 pair (wool) - scarves round $10 - mostly synthetic - that new twirly stuff - cushion covers about $20 - just for some comparisons for you. These are not in shops - people do the work on the road travelling, set up a table at free camps or whatever - have seen people selling cards, wind things (you know birds and the wings go round), jewelly (mostly beading), knitted slippers - doing haircuts, massages, a signwriter -have seen people over the years selling paintings of the local areas, even some reading tarot cards.
Another lady was selling novels - she had bought them new, and was selling them for around the $5 mark.
Just for what it is worth.
Gerty Dancer said
03:51 AM Sep 2, 2012
The Working With Wood Show is on in Canberra this weekend (your driver would enjoy it Wendy!) and they had a couple of other craft stalls. One was for beautiful hand-knitted jumpers... the cardigan out in front was $240. Good quality craftwork is not cheap
gold dandelion said
04:50 AM Sep 2, 2012
if its a hobby and you have time do it for free karma will look after you.
Rip and Rosie said
02:58 PM Sep 2, 2012
Yes, it may be a hobby, but when you are asked to make something, I.e. not a gift, it is reasonable to be paid.
BohemianGypsy said
04:53 PM Sep 2, 2012
Rip and Rosie wrote:
Yes, it may be a hobby, but when you are asked to make something, I.e. not a gift, it is reasonable to be paid.
I totally agree Rosie. If someone asks you to make something then you need to charge accordingly.
Michelle
golivers travels said
08:06 PM Sep 2, 2012
Hi R&R
I am occassionaly asked to machine embroider items for people. At present am doing 80 hats for a school. I charge $5 per hat plus materials. The hats are embroidered on the front and back. And are fiddly. To have them done through a company was going to be $10 per hat.
Friends I do not charge at all as it is usually under an hour to do an embroidery on a towel or top etc.
Having said that I would be like you Rosie I would not know what to charge someone if they wanted me to make them a quilt. They take hours. But do not undersell your skills as others have said.
Glenda
capricorn and pisces said
09:04 PM Sep 2, 2012
we went to the wood show Gerty, on Friday and again Sat morning, hubby is into woodwork on the coast here. I saw the beutiful cardigans, jumpers etc, talked to the lady selling them, she said they were all hand knitted and that the one I was admiring was close to $500.....no I didn't purchase it, even though it was practically snowing outside! cheers capricorn
Gerty Dancer said
09:30 PM Sep 2, 2012
It actually did snow very briefly on Friday afternoon in the southern suburbs of Canberra C & P. Pity to have missed you on the Saturday.
neilnruth said
05:07 AM Sep 3, 2012
It's the eternal question - how much do we charge for what we enjoy doing anyway? Three times sounds good - but wise to check out if she really wants you to do it before she buys the wool. Often when they add up the cost of the wool then add your charge they suddenly change their minds! I have charged $10/hr for making curtains, $100 for completing the quilting on a quilt (and they gave me an extra $50) and other times just accepted what they have given me - as long as it hasn't taken too much of my time. If you really don't wnat to do the job, give a steep price, and that often deters.
Esmeralda said
11:59 PM Sep 3, 2012
People who quilt on a professional basis (just the quilting not the patchwork), charge per square foot - the cost differs between types of quilting - maybe that is something you could look at.
wendyv said
02:24 AM Sep 4, 2012
Thanks for the suggestions, all. Because this person is kind of a family member, I have decided to charge only $35 for my work. She is paying for the wool. But I have made it clear that if it was outside the family, it would be heaps more. The rug actually measures about 3'8" x 4'8". It is very "different". The baby's mother chose 7 different pattern blocks from a crochet block book I have. She then chose 5 different colour wools. Two of the block patterns are multi coloured and use all 5 colours in small and large sections. The other blocks use a different colour for each of the other patterns. It is a much more solid and heavy blanket than a traditional sort of afghan, because most of the pattern blocks are pretty dense. I don't have a photo of the finished one but will get one at some later date and post it for those of you who are "crafty"
Rip and Rosie said
03:24 PM Sep 4, 2012
I did a large tapestry for my sister-in-law many years back. It was all in sepia tones -and a real beast to do. She chose it, paid for the materials. As it was over 1 meter long, it took months to do. She "paid" me by completing the Royal Dalton tea set I had been collecting bit by bit. I was happy with that. Rosie
I made a crocheted rug for new grandchild. It was made up of 63 6" squares in different patterns and colours. Now I have been asked to make one for another person, who will buy the wool (about 30 balls of 8 ply) themselves, and pay me to make the rug. But I don't know what is a reasonable amount to charge them. Any ideas?
The last one I did my sister sent it to Sweden to a friend who had a baby, The friend was originally an exchange student who came to stay with them many years go. So I felt quite proud to be asked to make the baby blanket.
I am finishing a large table cloth for a 12 seat table, and it has taken a couple of years to do, I reckon over 800 hours- at $2 per hour, that's $1600 plus the cotton!!
Rosie
Rosie - my Hardanger is like that. Heaps of hours in even a small item. But I have never done that for other people, except as gifts. $2 an hour - last job I did I was paid $35 an hour!
Think it is going to be a rather token charge.
Having sold my craft before I would say don't make your fee to cheap as they might want you to make heaps of them and that certainly won't be worth it to you. Personally I didn't think $180 for a crocheted blanket the size you mentioned was too bad. If you wanted to lower it then don't go any lower than $150 otherwise you really are underselling yourself. I hope that helps. Let us know how you get on.
Michelle
Another lady was selling novels - she had bought them new, and was selling them for around the $5 mark.
Just for what it is worth.
I totally agree Rosie. If someone asks you to make something then you need to charge accordingly.
Michelle
we went to the wood show Gerty, on Friday and again Sat morning, hubby is into woodwork on the coast here. I saw the beutiful cardigans, jumpers etc, talked to the lady selling them, she said they were all hand knitted and that the one I was admiring was close to $500.....no I didn't purchase it, even though it was practically snowing outside! cheers capricorn
People who quilt on a professional basis (just the quilting not the patchwork), charge per square foot - the cost differs between types of quilting - maybe that is something you could look at.
Because this person is kind of a family member, I have decided to charge only $35 for my work. She is paying for the wool. But I have made it clear that if it was outside the family, it would be heaps more.
The rug actually measures about 3'8" x 4'8". It is very "different". The baby's mother chose 7 different pattern blocks from a crochet block book I have. She then chose 5 different colour wools. Two of the block patterns are multi coloured and use all 5 colours in small and large sections. The other blocks use a different colour for each of the other patterns. It is a much more solid and heavy blanket than a traditional sort of afghan, because most of the pattern blocks are pretty dense.
I don't have a photo of the finished one but will get one at some later date and post it for those of you who are "crafty"
Rosie