Encompassing Designs
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Kits
    • Patterns >
      • Christine Little >
        • Signature Designs
        • New Designs
        • Seasonal Designs
      • Deborah Sweet
      • Susan Leslie
      • Patricia Perry
      • William Morris
    • Supplies >
      • Backings
      • Frames
      • Hooks
      • Books
      • Extra
    • Wool >
      • Abrashed
      • Custom Dyeing
      • Dyed Bundles
      • Dyed Curly Mohair
      • Dyed Spots
      • Dyed Values
      • Dyed Yarn
      • Jacquard Dice Dyes
      • Natural & Colours
      • Plaids & Textures
      • Dye Books & Swatches
  • Ordering
  • Blog
  • Workshops
  • Our Story
  • Contact Us

How to value and price hand hooked rugs.....

7/25/2013

32 Comments

 
For those who sell rugs there seems to be an ongoing debate at calculating a fair price.  Fair in respect to the rug hooker as well as the potential buyer.  One  never wants to give their work away, and time should always be compensated but if we  were paid a reasonable rate or even minimum wage for our labour, rug sales might be non-existent. Proper acknowledgement and compensation for fiber art has been a slow education but we are gaining ground inch by inch. Luckily, people today who want to purchase quality, are not afraid of the price tag that may accompany it. 
 
Customers ask why can they buy a supposedly hand-hooked rug up the street for a fraction of the cost compared to what they see in my shop and I explain that those rugs are made in China using goodness knows what, possibly a machine, whereas, the rugs in my shop and other local venues are selling the traditional, handmade craft as our grandparents would have constructed. Generally the nod of the head ensures that they understand the price difference and one more person is educated to appreciate what goes into this art form.  


When making out the price tag, it is never fair to undervalue your rugs as that sets up an unrealistic expectation in the buying community and makes it more difficult for others to ask for reasonable pricing. If someone sells rugs or their handiwork just to recoup the cost of materials and disregards their time and effort because they have fun doing it, that does little to educate the buying market of the true value of our talents.  
 

Lighthouse Rug Hookers Pricing Guide

Whether you are selling your hooked mats or setting a value for insurance purposes or for a show, it helps to have a realistic set of pricing guidelines. Most shop and gallery owners will ask you to set a price on your own work.  That creates a dilemma.  Do you price to recover your cost?  Do you want some return on your labour and creativity? What is the value in today’s market and is it worth selling a piece?

The Lighthouse Hookers, the South Shore branch of the Rug Hooking Guild of Nova Scotia, (RHGNS) had some lively discussions, came up with a chart and tested it on three different hooking styles: a wide cut primitive mat with recycled fabrics, a fine cut pillow with fine shading in purchased dyed wool and a wall hanging with special techniques and a variety of fibers.  The guideline seems to work and the results are available to all Maritime hookers.

We used three existing guidelines as a basis for discussion.  The RHGNS approved a set of guidelines in June, 2002.  These were published in the Rug Hooking magazine and revised at a teacher’s branch workshop in 2005.  We wondered if they would still work today.  The second set was from the Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and Labrador and the third, designed to price commissions, was published in the Spring 2011 issue of Rug Hooking Magazine. The end result was a slightly modified and updated version of the RHGNS guidelines. Our members felt that it most closely reflected their style of hooking and suited the local market conditions.


Criteria

Amount per square foot


Basic price on burlap, monks cloth and rug warp                                              $80.00
Basic price on linen                                                                                         $90.00
Original design, depending on complexity                                            $12.00 - $20.00
Dyed  new woven wool, custom dyed by hooker                                               $30.00
Dyed new woven wool, purchased                                                                     $6.00
Recycles wool as is                                                                                           $ 6.00
Recycled wool, over-dyed                                                                                 $10.00
Intricate shading, 75% of work                                                                           $15.00
Intricate shading, 50% of work                                                                          $10.00
Fine cut strips (#3 and #4)                                                                                $10.00
Wider cut strips (#5 - #8)                                                                                   $8.00
Sculptured hooking                                                                                          $20.00
Other materials (fibres, roving, metallic threads, embellishments, etc.)             Recover cost
Marketing costs (gallery commissions, promotional flyers, show entry fees )     Recover cost
Quality of work, including finishing                                                                Subjective
Visual appeal                                                                                                 Subjective


  • Basic price includes backing, printed commercial pattern and allowance for time/labour
  • Adapted design category was deleted because of copyright issues
  • Quality of work and visual appeal are the “WOW” factor and must be evaluated by the artist
      Sessions conducted by Heather Gordon and Joan Young, Spring 2011 in Bridgewater, NS
Picture
Formula for finding the square foot of a square or rectangle rug  (example size 22" x 33")
Multiply the width x length  22 x 33 = 726 square inches
Divide 726/144 = 5.0146 square feet
Multiply 5.0146 x (price calculated from criteria ex. $120.00) = $601.75 ($600.00)
                                              
32 Comments
Pat Lawson
10/29/2013 06:13:39 am

Thank you for this Christine! It's right on the money for me. I've had success selling items at around $1.00 per square inch ($120 per square foot) depending on those variables you noted, i.e. degree of difficulty, etc. The dollar per square inch formula is an easy quick way to calculate what I consider a minimum I should charge. I usually hook with an 8 cut, original design always, finishing with care by whipping rug edges and finish small wares (cozies, pillows) with hand made wool cording.

Reply
Jean Ottosen link
10/2/2014 12:30:50 pm

Thank you from me also Christine! I am still at a loss though. I calculate my small 6" square (36 sq. in.) rugs should sell for $1.50/sq. in. without figuring in the hand spun, hand dyed yarn, and commissions (40%)! I am not sure they would sell for that high a price.

However I was at a gallery today that sells my work and the work of other fiber artists, notably quilters. And I was surprised to see a quilted 6 x 8" piece selling for $165! When I commented to the proprietor she said she thought my prices could be higher. So maybe I will give it a try after all, using this formula as a base.

Reply
Sally Van Nuys link
11/3/2014 02:53:58 am

I also take into consideration the area in which I am selling. If it is upscale, prices can be higher; if it is economically depressed, they go to my lower end. These are great guidelines, to be adjusted based on your own selling criteria.

Reply
Polly
12/14/2014 06:33:44 am

Totally disagree
Treat as art - you are an artist
Find me an artist that charges on the size of their canvas
Some large ones - turn out OK
Some small ones - Super

Reply
dee
7/21/2015 03:14:56 am

Numerous fine artists use a formula that charges by the inch. This article is but one that describes the method. http://mariabrophy.com/business-of-art/how-to-price-your-original-artworks.html

Reply
Betty Rae link
8/18/2016 02:19:29 pm

I totally agree with Polly. We have been indoctrinated to think of ourselves as "crafters" not "artists". Those of us who design and hook our own rugs are artists. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The rugs we love, another may hate! Selling is a hard business.

Reply
Rachelle LeBlanc link
7/20/2017 06:43:48 am

I agree. This is art. Painters do not charge more based on the size of their brush strokes. Prices for hooked worked should be based on who you are( your artistic accomplishments) , who you are selling too (this is were market research comes in), and the established price you sell your work. This method of pricing hooked work is outdated and keeps people thinking of this as crafty work

Bernice Mitchell
1/28/2015 02:06:10 am

I fail to understand your pricing. Are you saying your cost of backing material is $80-$90 /sq. foot?
I am in British Columbia which is a very difficult area to try to sell my work. I have been been told I under-price, but if I charged this much I would never sell anything here.

Reply
Daniel
3/29/2015 10:00:41 pm

This is only a guide not by Christine but by other groups, she is posting it for our convenience. So if you like a piece of work and it does not fall in this criteria are you passing it by?

Reply
Katie
7/9/2015 03:27:32 am

I am trying to sell my rug pieces,which is Inuit art, prices for my materials are high in cost because of the area I live in. a ball of wool here ranges from 6- 9 dollars and the burlap is a whopping $54.00 a sq.yard how can I sell anything at this range? however your idea of pricing can be helpful to most, I need more help. the costs would so high to sell my pieces here.

Reply
larisa erwin
9/21/2015 09:16:51 pm

I use the same formula as you use,but I multiply by 125 to get the cost. ithen subtract 25 percent for the store and then the store prices whatever they want so they can sell it.

Reply
DUQUESNOY 5VIEUBLED MarieClaude
5/14/2016 01:43:43 am

ct recevoir les dessins ? svp merci

Reply
Betty Rae Calleja link
8/18/2016 02:15:37 pm

If a fire were to destroy my large rugs, money could not replace them. I no long try to sell my work because of the low pricing. When I pass, my kids may try to do so. Therefore, your criteria is valuable. My time and creativity are worth far more than you have indicated. I understand trying to sell rugs is disappointing as people do not appreciate that it is an art form not a "craft." For insurance purposes, I would set the price at a minimum of $120 per square foot. I am finishing an original 11' x 7' rug on monks cloth. 77 sq. ft, at $120 makes it worth $9,240.
I am not in the hooking business. My web site is about my work as a mystic and spiritual counselor, but it displays some of my rugs.

Reply
Betty Rae Calleja link
8/18/2016 02:15:44 pm

If a fire were to destroy my large rugs, money could not replace them. I no long try to sell my work because of the low pricing. When I pass, my kids may try to do so. Therefore, your criteria is valuable. My time and creativity are worth far more than you have indicated. I understand trying to sell rugs is disappointing as people do not appreciate that it is an art form not a "craft." For insurance purposes, I would set the price at a minimum of $120 per square foot. I am finishing an original 11' x 7' rug on monks cloth. 77 sq. ft, at $120 makes it worth $9,240.
I am not in the hooking business. My web site is about my work as a mystic and spiritual counselor, but it displays some of my rugs.

Reply
Betty Rae Calleja link
8/18/2016 02:19:56 pm

If a fire were to destroy my large rugs, money could not replace them. I no long try to sell my work because of the low pricing. When I pass, my kids may try to do so. Therefore, your criteria is valuable. My time and creativity are worth far more than you have indicated. I understand trying to sell rugs is disappointing as people do not appreciate that it is an art form not a "craft." For insurance purposes, I would set the price at a minimum of $120 per square foot. I am finishing an original 11' x 7' rug on monks cloth. 77 sq. ft, at $120 makes it worth $9,240.
I am not in the hooking business. My web site is about my work as a mystic and spiritual counselor, but it displays some of my rugs.

Reply
Jackye Hansen link
10/15/2016 09:54:54 am

Ifeel that $185.00 a square ft.is fair for quality work on good backing LINEN, or warp clothe or homespun fabric, Add more for Waldoboro style.

Reply
Margaret Pittman
10/31/2016 06:37:25 pm

Great article!

Reply
Laura Lasak
1/17/2017 12:44:58 pm

How would I sell my moms hooked rugs? Don't know where to begin! Any help greatly appreciated!

Reply
Joan
4/2/2017 08:05:03 am

In the calculation above where did the 144 come from in the division portion? And do these prices reflect what things are today in 2017 or more?

Reply
Gwen Hess
12/23/2017 06:25:25 am

to convert square inches into square feet.

Reply
Abbey Hanson
8/1/2017 05:44:34 pm

I have a question. I recently started making braided rugs. My granny has been making them for years, and my great grandma before her. They are made out of wool that I find our get from her. How much would I sell them for?

Reply
Trudy Bennett
11/18/2018 12:42:17 pm

Thank you. I recently finally completed a rug started in 1965 and immediately donated it to the church for a silent auction. It measures 3’x6’ on quality burlap (RittermereFarms) and can be hung or not. I was having difficulty valuing the rug and this is very helpful. I had put a reserve bid of $500 and did not get a bid. I will put advertise the rug online somehow and just give the money to the church.

Reply
Betty Chapman
9/12/2019 02:06:33 pm

I have a patterns of rugs on burlap. They are over a hundred years old in good shape. Do you know who I would to sell them. I live in Canada New Brunswick.

Reply
Daniel Nell
9/13/2019 08:32:34 am

to see if old patterns are worth keeping on burlap or to redraw on linen

Reply
Brenda
11/6/2019 05:51:07 pm

I have a gallery that wants to sell my rugs. They will take 40% of the sale price and I will get 60%.

How do I handle that? I wonder if I can price my rugs high enough to get $120sqft after they take their 40% and still have a chance of selling anything.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Reply
Christine
11/6/2019 06:08:28 pm

Hi Brenda, sorry I am not the one to give any advice about selling rugs. I sell more supplies than finished goods. I do know that there is only so much the market will bear so you will have to decide if you want to sell quantity at a lower price, or only a few at a higher price. I know someone that sells a lot of rugs and she prices herself out at $100sqf. She sells them directly on Etsy instead of a gallery that needs to make money to stay in business. It also depends on whether you have made a name for yourself or just starting out. Perhaps after you sell a few and words gets around that you are someone to keep an eye on, then you can ask for more money. All the best with your endeavour.

Reply
Brenda
8/6/2021 05:32:48 pm

Thank you for answering my query, Christine. Perhaps I should go the direct route even though the gallery is a prestigious one. :)

Tracy Burns link
7/16/2021 07:13:12 pm

Hello, I am a little late to the game. I have been selling rugs (my own designs) off and on for a few years now. I price my rugs at $180 a sq. ft. For wide cut #6-#8 . This is $1.25 a sq. in. and $302 a sq. ft. For fine shading cuts #3-#5. This is $2.09 a sq. in. I have sold pieces in galleries with a 40% commission. When sell in galleries you are not to reduce your price from that time on, because that under cuts the galleries and you may not be able to have your work displayed in the future. I have been doing craft shows and now art shows for 26 years. I never sell well in my area. People you know don't usually value your work. They like it yes, but they don't value it. I sell better 25 + miles away from home. All marked up the 40% extra. I no longer give rugs for charity auctions, because they never try to run the price to the true value. I will donate a hooked ornament or a mug rug, but I still value those at around $20.00 (do you know how much a Hallmark ornament made in China sells for?) for auctions. Or I set a percentage of what I want to give and take that out of my profits of a show and donate that percentage. Make signs letting people know younauport a cause. It will boost sales. If you aren't selling raise your price. Crazy, but it works. People want value/quality. My ornaments were only $9.00 in 2013. People would not buy them. I had them in a specialty gift shop and she said I needed to raise the price $4.95 and more depends g on the size and materials. So the ranged to $17.95. From October to December of 2014 I sold over 100 ornaments. I raised my prices again in 2020 and sold more than the 2 previous years. So hang in there.

Reply
MckinneyVia link
3/4/2022 03:01:19 am

I very much appreciate it. Thank you for this excellent article. Keep posting!

Reply
Tracy Burns link
3/4/2022 09:38:40 am

You are very welcome. I am sorry, I did not realize how many typos there were. I am dyslexic so things happen. I hope that everything was helpful.

Reply
colleen tiefenthal
8/1/2022 04:01:03 pm

Tracy - Very Helpful! Thank you so much. I have a potential customer asking me to price a 4x6 floor rug and I was anxious about pricing. I generally work in a 6 cut. I hope I can convery the cost in such a way that she understands what all goes in to making this type of ART. Your comments encouraged me as I've never hooked such a large commissioned piece.

Tracy Burns link
8/2/2022 08:30:14 am

If you are still unsure maybe offer to give her a mini domo on how hooked rugs are made. Be transparent. Show her how we cut to hooking. Explain the process of finding wool, the proper backing for what she wants to use the rug for, how long that backing will last (burlap is cheap, but will not last as long as linen), how you lay out the patten and how long that take for the size. Also let her know how much matreials cost and how that plays in to your pricing. Hand Dyed wool is so expensive, but if you do it yourself it is a little cheaper. This is where the $1.25 or $2.09 priceing for cut and possibly dyed wool or you can go in the middle depending on the cut.
I have a commission for a 34" x 20" rug for and Arts & Crafts style Bungalo, The gentlman that wants the rug is a fellow artist so this helps with my pricing, but when I told him the price he said just get with me when you have the design. I quote $850.00. (34" x 20" =680" x $1.25 = $850.00) But I did not calulate in the dyed wool. So I may add $0.25 -$0,30 on to the price to cover the dyed wool. I will negociate the price with him when I take him the final design that I come with. He already likes the colors that I piecked out. Now I did not add any markups on this price like for galleries, because it is a direct commison from a customer and is not goig through a gallery. But to sell at a show or festival that is where I keep my prices the same as the galleries. Right now I have art rugs in 7 galleries and the commision percentages range from 10%-50%. I now have them all priced 50% higher. I do hope this helps. Good luck with your commision.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Christine Little has been ranked #5​ out of the 60 top rug hooking bloggers by Rug Hooking Magazine!

    Picture
    Picture
    Max Anderson, Australia, recipient of my Nova Scotia Treasures rug.  An award of excellence for promoting Canada through his writing.  
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    January 2023
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Picture
    Picture
    Gift Certificates are available for that special rug hooker in your life!  Any denomination, no expiry date! 

    Picture

    Categories
    (Click on the categories for past blogs)

    All
    Announcements
    Beginner Class
    Christmas
    Colour Planning
    Contests
    Copyright
    Coupon
    Customer Rugs
    Cutter Servicing
    Dyeing
    Equipment
    Featured Hooker
    Giveaway Draw
    Guest Blogger
    Guest Blogger
    Health & Fitness
    Home & Heart
    Hooked Rugs
    Hooking Groups
    Hook In Talk
    Initially Yours
    Jibber Jabber
    Just A Bit Of Fun!
    Life's Experiences
    Life's Experiences
    New Design
    New Ideas
    Pattern Of The Week
    Patterns Hooked
    Pets
    Rants
    Recipes
    Rememberingfbe7326ff7
    Rug Schools
    Show & Tell
    Show-tell
    The Rant
    Tips Technique
    Tips Techniquef0cd117ab4
    Visitors
    Workshops

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture





















    Picture
    We have a pot to "Fiz" in!

Shop Hours:
Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 
Saturdays 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
We are closed during ice and snow storms
​so please call ahead.  If school is cancelled we probably are as well.  

Toll Free: 1-855-624-0370
Local: 1-902-624-0370​
encompassingdesigns@gmail.com

498 Main Street
P.O. Box 437
Mahone Bay, N.S.
Canada B0J 2E0

​Follow us and keep up to date
on our specials, new products
​and events!
Picture
Picture
Picture


Home
Shop
Ordering
Blog
Our Story
Workshops

Contact Us




​​​© Copyright 2023 Encompassing Designs. Website by SKYSAIL