Pricing is the part of selling handmade rugs that trips up almost every new maker. Charge too little and you end up working for free; charge too much and your pieces sit unsold for months. It’s the number one reason talented tufters give up before their business gets off the ground. The good news is that pricing doesn’t have to be guesswork. With a clear formula that accounts for your materials, your time, and a fair profit margin, you can set prices with confidence and build a business that pays you back.
Pricing is the part of selling handmade rugs that trips up almost every new maker. Charge too little and you end up working for free; charge too much and your pieces sit unsold for months. It’s the number one reason talented tufters give up before their business gets off the ground. The good news is that pricing doesn’t have to be guesswork. With a clear formula that accounts for your materials, your time, and a fair profit margin, you can set prices with confidence and build a business that pays you back.
🌿 When Korean living brand Hanssem commissioned And-et to create large-scale nature-inspired tufted landscapes for their Cheongju and Ulsan showrooms, we learned two lessons every tufting artist should know: define the signature style only you can make, and price your work with precision — design, hours, materials, and installation all counted, never guessed.
Start With Your Costs
Every solid price starts with knowing your costs. Add up the materials in each rug: yarn, primary cloth, glue, and backing. For a standard piece, that usually runs $20 to $50. Don’t forget the costs that are easy to overlook, like tool wear, packaging, and shipping. Knowing your true cost per rug is the foundation everything else builds on.
Use the Square-Foot Method
Most tufters price by area, which keeps things consistent across sizes. Measure your rug—length × width gives the total square footage—then multiply by your per-square-foot rate, which for beginners commonly runs $40 to $65. For example, a 2 ft × 2 ft rug is 4 square feet, so at $55 per square foot it would sell for $220.
Factor In Your Time
Materials are only half the equation. Tufting, gluing, trimming, and finishing a rug takes several hours of physical work, and your time has real value. Set an hourly rate that feels fair, then build that labor cost and a profit margin into every price. Otherwise, you’re paying to run your business instead of earning from it.
Don’t Underprice Your Work
When you’re starting out, it’s tempting to set low prices to win your first sales, but resist the urge. Underpricing hurts both you and the wider maker community, and it draws bargain hunters instead of customers who value craft. For most makers, pricing small rugs under $100 is unsustainable once labor is included.
Adjust as You Grow
Your prices shouldn’t stay frozen. As your line work gets cleaner, your finishing sharper, and your reputation stronger, your rates should rise to match. Custom and commissioned pieces can command a premium too, since they’re made to order. Review your pricing every few months, and charge more as your skills and demand grow.
Price with both your costs and your time in mind, and you’ll build a business that’s sustainable, not just busy.
Work With And-et
At And-et, we believe great craftsmanship and fair pricing go hand in hand. We hold every piece to a high standard while keeping our prices reasonable, so quality always stays within reach. We also love collaborating on all kinds of projects, from custom work to creative partnerships. Whatever you have in mind, our door is always open—reach out anytime, and let’s make something together.