Handmade product pricing calculator
Work out what each lip balm, bath bomb, jar or candle really costs to make, then see your profit and margin at retail and wholesale. Free, no account, no email.
Each jar keeps $11.51 at retail and $4.01 at wholesale.
Cost per jar = (ingredients + packaging for every jar, plus tax on both, + your time + overhead) ÷ jars. Margin = profit ÷ price. 50% and up is healthy, 25–50% is caution, under 25% is weak.
What a jar of whipped tallow costs to make
One batch makes 13 sellable jars, 2.3 oz each in a 4 oz glass jar. The surprise: the jar, label and shrink band cost more than twice as much as everything inside the jar.
That's common with small balms and butters. If you only count ingredients, you'll price too low.
| Ingredients Tallow, jojoba, rose hip, castor, olive, beeswax, vitamin E, arrowroot | $5.49 |
|---|---|
| Packaging (13 × $1.04) 4 oz glass jar 92¢ + shrink band 7¢ + 2" round label 6¢, per jar | $13.52 |
| Sales tax on supplies (7%) | $1.33 |
| Time (1 hr at $20/hr) | $20.00 |
| Overhead | $5.00 |
| Batch total | $45.34 |
| Cost per jar ($45.34 ÷ 13) | $3.49 |
How to price handmade products
Count the packaging
Jars, tins, tubes, wicks and labels add up fast. For small products they can cost more than the ingredients.
Pay yourself
Put your time in as a cost. Otherwise your profit is quietly covering your wages.
Check wholesale first
Shops usually pay about half your retail price. Make sure that still leaves a profit before you say yes.
Markup isn't margin
3× cost is a 67% margin, not 300%. Margin is the share of the price you keep.
Making soap? The soap pricing calculator works per bar. Selling at shows? See if a show is worth the booth fee with the craft show profit calculator.
Every product costed for you
- Enter ingredient and packaging prices once in your stockroom.
- Set default packaging for each product type, like a jar, label and shrink band for every whipped tallow.
- Each product is costed per unit with its margin shown, and your numbers update when a supplier raises a price.
Questions makers ask
Does this work for candles and bath bombs?
Yes. Pick your product and the labels change. The cost and pricing math is the same for anything you make in batches.
What markup should I use?
There's no single right answer. Start from your real cost, check the margin at retail and at wholesale, and compare with similar products sold near you.
Will it tell me how much fragrance or essential oil to use?
No. This page is for cost and pricing only. Follow your supplier's usage rates for fragrance and essential oils.
Should packaging be per unit or per batch?
Enter it per unit: what one jar, tube or candle needs (container, lid, label, wrap). The calculator multiplies it by how many you make.
Is it free?
Yes. It works right on this page with no account and no email address.