How to Price Cricut Projects: Shirts, Decals, Mugs and More
How to price Cricut projects: materials, blanks, machine cost, cutting, weeding and press time, with shirt, decal and mug examples.
In this guide
A Cricut can make shirts, decals, mugs, signs and more. Many crafters start selling to friends, then wonder if they are making any money. This guide shows how to price Cricut projects with a simple formula and three examples.
- Cricut project price = blank + vinyl + transfer tape + machine cost + labor + overhead, then profit and fees.
- A custom shirt costs about $14.74 to make and sells for about $22.
- Add a machine cost per hour to pay for your Cricut, mats and blades.
- Weeding time is labor. Time it and price it.
Why Cricut projects get underpriced
Materials for one project feel cheap. But weeding, layout and pressing take time, and mats, blades and the machine wear out.
Friends and family prices also creep into public prices. Start with the full cost.
The steps
1. Price the blank
Shirt, mug, tote or sign.
2. Cost vinyl and tape
By square inch with waste.
3. Add machine cost
Machine, mats and blades spread over hours. Often $1 to $3 an hour.
4. Add labor
Design, weeding, pressing and packing.
5. Add overhead, profit and fees
Use 10% overhead, 30% profit and fees.
Worked example: shirt, decal and mug
$20 an hour, 10% overhead, 30% profit and 10% fees.
| Custom HTV shirt | Car decal | Permanent vinyl mug | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank | $4.50 | $0.00 | $3.25 |
| Vinyl and tape | $1.10 | $0.70 | $0.60 |
| Machine cost | $0.40 | $0.20 | $0.25 |
| Packaging | $0.40 | $0.20 | $0.80 |
| Labor at $20.00/hr | 0.35 hr = $7.00 | 0.15 hr = $3.00 | 0.3 hr = $6.00 |
| Overhead (10%) | $1.34 | $0.41 | $1.09 |
| Cost to make | $14.74 | $4.51 | $11.99 |
| Plus 30% profit | $19.16 | $5.86 | $15.59 |
| Cover 10% selling fees (divide by 0.90) | $21.29 | $6.51 | $17.32 |
| Suggested price | $22 | $7 | $18 |
Decals are quick and cheap to make. Shirts and mugs carry more profit per sale.
Pricing mistakes to avoid
- Pricing only materials. Weeding and pressing time is labor.
- Forgetting machine wear. Mats and blades wear out. Add a machine cost per hour.
- Friend prices for everyone. Use full prices publicly.
- Ignoring image licenses. Check if images can be used for products you sell.
What you keep on each sales channel
The same custom HTV shirt at $22.00 leaves different money in your pocket depending on where it sells. This uses the $14.74 cost to make from the example above, with Etsy's current transaction, processing and listing fees and Square's in-person card rate. Shipping, sales tax and ads are left out.
| Where it sells | Buyer pays | Fees | You keep | Profit over cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etsy (6.5% + 3% + $0.25 + $0.20 listing) | $22.00 | $2.54 | $19.46 | $4.72 |
| Your own website (about 2.9% + $0.30) | $22.00 | $0.94 | $21.06 | $6.32 |
| Craft fair, card reader (2.6% + $0.15) | $22.00 | $0.72 | $21.28 | $6.54 |
| Craft fair, cash | $22.00 | $0.00 | $22.00 | $7.26 |
| Wholesale to a shop (50% of retail) | $11.00 | $0.00 | $11.00 | -$3.74 |
On Etsy, fees take about 12% of a $22.00 sale. If a sale comes through Etsy Offsite Ads, add another 15% (12% for shops over $10,000 a year), so build that into your price if you're enrolled. Wholesale at half of retail loses $3.74 per piece here. Either raise retail, lower your cost, or set a separate wholesale price with a case minimum.
Bulk and custom order pricing
For a group order of matching HTV shirts, design and a test press takes about 0.5 hr at $20.00/hr. Charge that once per order, then spread it across the pieces. Materials are $6.40 per piece and hands-on time is 21 minutes, which drops when you batch the same design. Overhead is 10%, profit 30%, and 3% covers card or invoice fees.
| Quantity | Setup share per piece | Cost per piece | Price per piece | Order total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10.00 | $25.74 | $34.50 | $34.50 |
| 10 | $1.00 | $14.30 | $19.16 | $191.65 |
| 25 | $0.40 | $12.87 | $17.25 | $431.21 |
| 50 | $0.20 | $12.26 | $16.44 | $821.88 |
The price per piece falls from $34.50 to $16.44 because the setup is shared, not because you cut your rate. Quote the tier the customer actually orders, ask for a 50% deposit before you buy blanks, and set a minimum order size for custom work.
Cricut pricing checklist
- Blank cost.
- Vinyl and tape with waste.
- Machine cost per hour.
- Design, weeding and press time.
- Overhead, profit and fees.
- Bulk tiers.
Price your cutting machine time
Type your machine, mats, blades and hours into the peach cells. The calculator shows machine cost per hour.
Get the Cutting Machine Time Cost CalculatorCalculators that help
- Single design cost: Cost one vinyl design. Use the Single Vinyl Design Cost Calculator – Vinyl, Transfer Tape, Cutting & Weeding Labor, Retail & Wholesale.
- Weeding time: Price weeding labor. Use the Vinyl Weeding Time & Labor Calculator – Complexity Levels, Labor per Design & Order Hours.
- HTV garments: Price HTV apparel. Use the HTV Garment Pricing Calculator – Shirts, Hoodies & More, 1 to 4 Colors.
- Permanent vinyl tumblers: Price vinyl tumblers. Use the Permanent Vinyl Tumbler Pricing Calculator – Layered Decals.
Common questions
How much should I charge for Cricut shirts?
Many HTV shirts sell for about $15 to $30. In this guide a custom shirt prices at about $22.
How do I price Cricut decals?
By size, vinyl and time.
Should I charge for weeding?
Yes, it is labor.
How much does a Cricut cost per hour to run?
Many makers use about $1 to $3 an hour for machine, mats and blades.
Can I sell Cricut Design Space images?
Check the license. Many images need a commercial license.
How do I price for friends?
Use the same formula and offer a small discount if you like.
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