Skip to main content

How to price machine embroidery items

This article is brought to you by Lizzsews.

There's no exact price for how much you should or shouldn't charge for a product. Pricing a product is tricky, you don't want to undercut yourself, you don't want to overcharge your customer, and you want it to be at a price that a customer is actually going to purchase it from you for.

This Baby Yoda embroidery design can be found in Lizzsews Etsy shop

Recommended read: How To Sew A Fleece Embroidered Patch Pillow

By pricing your items, you are determining the value of your products for you to make and the cost for your customers to use.

You also want to remember the psychology behind pricing your item:

- Cheap cost: Customers will think that your product is cheap quality and not worth it, and you won't be able to afford to put your item on sale.

- Expensive cost: Depending on your product, your brand, your reviews and other factors, the customer will either think that your product is really good quality and worth the extra cost, or they will think that you're charging more than the product is worth.

- Shipping cost: If you have shipping costs on top of the cost of your product, customers will most likely go to another shop offering free shipping.

Example:

Shop A: Pillow: $30 + $18 shipping

Shop B: Pillow: $50 + $0 shipping

Even though the total price from shop B's pillow is more than the total of the shipping and the pillow in shop A, the customer is more likely to get their pillow from shop B.

Pricing embroidered items:

There are obviously many different ways of pricing embroidered projects, but I'm going to share how I personally price mine, with an example of an embroidered washcloth with a dancer patch design.

Recommended read: How to embroider towels

I start off with at least a $5 hooping fee.

Next, I look at the number of stitches in my design, in this design, there are 5,750 stitches, I will round this up to 6,000 and charge at least $1.30 per thousand stitches. Resulting in $7.80, which I will round up to $8. Always round up.

I then look at the number of colours in my design, in this design, there is only one colour, but I usually charge an extra $0.25 per colour.

Next, I look at the cost of my blank. For this example, I'm looking at the cost of a washcloth. I look at how much I paid for the washcloth, as well as the retail price of a washcloth. I got my washcloth for only $1; I found the average cost for these washcloths to be about $1-3.

Recommended read: What are blanks

Next, I look at how much people in my area, as well as online, are selling similar items for.

Lastly, I add up the numbers, compare it to others and use my customer judgement to finalize the price. Remember to always add a little extra so you can run sales and deals. And if you're selling online, add in the shipping cost.

My total: $5 + 8 + 2 = $15
Based on my research, I believe that $15 is a good price for this washcloth.

Leave a comment below and let me know what item you're pricing! And don't forget to subscribe to stay up to date with all of Lizzsews new articles. See you next time!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

10 Things You Need To Start Machine Embroidery Today

This article is brought to you by Lizzsews Thinking about diving into machine embroidery but not sure where to start? Here’s everything you need to know to get started—without spending a fortune. Interested in sewing?  Recommended read: 10 Things You’ll Need to Start Sewing! 1. Get Yourself an Embroidery Machine You can start with any embroidery machine, but here are a few great beginner-friendly options: Brother SE600 – A combo machine that sews and embroiders. It’s affordable, versatile, and my top pick for beginners. Brother PE550D – Embroidery-only and comes with built-in Disney designs. Super cute! Brother SE1900 – A step up, with more advanced features and a larger embroidery area. 💡 Tip: Set a clear budget before buying, b uy the largest hoop your budget allows . While the SE600’s 4x4 hoop is great for starters, you may outgrow it quickly—and the next hoop size up is a big price jump. Recommended read: How to Choose the Right Embroidery Machine   ...

8 Reasons Why Your Upper Thread Is Shredding On Your Embroidery Machine

 This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Here are some reasons why your top thread might be shredding while you’re embroidering! Starting machine embroidery is definitely a challenge, and troubleshooting is hard.  Recommended read: 10 Things you need to start machine embroidery today Often when your top thread is shredding, it’s caused by when the thread goes through the eye of the needle or while it’s going through the thread guides.  1. A dull or bent needle How long has it been since you’ve changed that needle? It might be time to swap it out! A needle only lasts about 8-10 hours of stitching, this amount of time may vary depending on what you are making. It’s good to have lots of needles on hand. Recommended read: When should I change the needle for machine embroidery 2. Are you using the right needle for the project? Are you embroidering heavier fabrics? Like denim or leather? If so, you’ll want to use a heavier needle size like 90/14. If you’re just...

Guide To The Three Main Machine Embroidery Stabilizers

This article is brought to you by  Lizzsews . Here's everything you need to know about the three main types of machine embroidery stabilizers, what they're used for and how to pick the right one. 💡 Why Stabilizers Matter Stabilizers are essential in machine embroidery. They help support your fabric, prevent puckering , and ensure your design comes out clean and crisp. A stabilizer is placed underneath your fabric. Some special ones, called toppers , go on top, but these are only used for certain materials, like towels or blankets. 👉 You always need a bottom stabilizer. Toppers are optional and only used for specific projects. 🏷️ The 3 Main Types of Stabilizers 1. ✂️ Cutaway Stabilizer Cutaway stabilizer is non-woven , permanent, and ideal for stretchy or knit fabrics like t-shirts, baby onesies, and fleece. Why it's great: Provides strong support Prevents pulled or sagging stitches Stays put even after washing and wearing Comes pre-cut or in ro...