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Handmade Pricing Calculator

Price candles, crochet, jewelry or baked goods so your time is paid and every sale makes a profit.

Updated September 2026
No sign-up. Runs in your browser.

Handmade pricing Pink cells are yours to edit
B13=B12*(1+B6%)
ABC
Your numbers
Pay yourself fairly
Tools, packaging, utilities
On top of costs
Common rule: retail = 2 x wholesale
Etsy is roughly 9.5% + fixed fees
Results
Labor cost$30.00
Total cost to make$39.50
Wholesale price$47.40
Retail price$94.80
Lowest safe price$43.89Covers costs and fees, zero profit
You keep at retail$45.82
Handmade pricing+ Handmade Pricing & Inventory Sheet

Estimates for planning and education only, not financial or tax advice. Always check current platform fees and your own numbers.

The handmade pricing formula

Add your materials, your labor (hours x an hourly wage you would accept) and a share of overhead like tools and packaging. That is your cost to make. Add a profit markup to get a wholesale price, then multiply it, usually by 2, for retail.

The 2x retail rule is a common rule of thumb, not a law. It leaves room for shop fees, discounts and selling to stores later.

Your lowest safe price

The lowest safe price covers every cost and the selling fees, with zero profit. Never go below it. If the market will not pay your retail price, look at your time and materials before you cut the price.

The formulas behind it

Every result cell is a plain spreadsheet formula, so you can check the math or rebuild it yourself.

CellResultFormula
B11Labor cost=B3*B4
B12Total cost to make=B2+B11+B5
B13Wholesale price=B12*(1+B6%)
B14Retail price=B13*B7
B15Lowest safe price=B12/(1-B8%)
B16You keep at retail=B14*(1-B8%)-B12

Questions people ask

How much should I charge for a handmade candle?

Start from your costs. For example, $4 in wax, wick, fragrance and jar, 20 minutes of work at $20 an hour and $1 of overhead gives about $11.67 to make. With a 20% markup and a 2x retail multiplier that is about $28 retail.

Should I pay myself for my time?

Yes. If labor is not in the price, you cannot hire help, sell wholesale or take a break without losing money. Pick an hourly wage you would accept from an employer.

What retail multiplier should I use?

Many makers use 2x wholesale. If you only sell direct and never plan to wholesale, some use a lower multiplier, but make sure you stay above your lowest safe price.

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