Custom Pillow Pricing: How to Price Pillow Covers and Pillows
How to price custom pillows: covers, inserts, decoration, sewing and shipping, with three worked examples.
In this guide
Custom pillows are popular gifts for holidays, weddings and memorials. Sell covers alone, or with inserts. This guide shows how to price pillow covers and full pillows.
- Pillow price = cover + insert + decoration + time + packaging + overhead, then profit and fees.
- A sublimated pillow cover costs about $9.90 to make and sells for about $15.
- Inserts are bulky to ship. Many sellers sell covers only online.
- Memorial and photo pillows can carry higher prices.
Why pillows need shipping in mind
Inserts raise shipping costs because of box size.
Covers ship flat and cheap.
The steps
1. Price the cover
Blank or sewn.
2. Add insert
If included.
3. Add decoration
Sublimation, HTV or embroidery.
4. Add time and packaging
Pressing or sewing, plus packaging.
5. Add overhead, profit and fees
Use 10% overhead, 30% profit and fees.
Worked example: three pillow options
$20 an hour, 10% overhead, 30% profit and 10% fees.
| Sublimated cover only | Cover with insert | Sewn embroidered pillow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover | $3.50 | $3.50 | $8.00 |
| Insert | $0.00 | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Decoration and packaging | $1.50 | $2.00 | $3.00 |
| Labor at $20.00/hr | 0.2 hr = $4.00 | 0.25 hr = $5.00 | 1 hr = $20.00 |
| Overhead (10%) | $0.90 | $1.55 | $3.60 |
| Cost to make | $9.90 | $17.05 | $39.60 |
| Plus 30% profit | $12.87 | $22.17 | $51.48 |
| Cover 10% selling fees (divide by 0.90) | $14.30 | $24.63 | $57.20 |
| Suggested price | $15 | $25 | $58 |
Shipping is extra. Price it by box size, since pillows with inserts ship in bigger boxes.
Pricing mistakes to avoid
- Free shipping on inserts. Inserts raise box size.
- Sublimating cotton. Use polyester covers.
- Low quality photos. Check photo resolution.
- No proofs. Proof names and dates.
What you keep on each sales channel
The same sublimated pillow cover at $15.00 leaves different money in your pocket depending on where it sells. This uses the $9.90 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) | $15.00 | $1.88 | $13.12 | $3.22 |
| Your own website (about 2.9% + $0.30) | $15.00 | $0.73 | $14.27 | $4.37 |
| Craft fair, card reader (2.6% + $0.15) | $15.00 | $0.54 | $14.46 | $4.56 |
| Craft fair, cash | $15.00 | $0.00 | $15.00 | $5.10 |
| Wholesale to a shop (50% of retail) | $7.50 | $0.00 | $7.50 | -$2.40 |
On Etsy, fees take about 12% of a $15.00 sale. The fixed $0.45 per order hits small items hardest, so bundles and multi-packs keep more of each 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 $2.40 per piece here. Either raise retail, lower your cost, or set a separate wholesale price with a case minimum.
Pillow checklist
- Cover.
- Insert.
- Decoration.
- Time and packaging.
- Overhead, profit and fees.
- Shipping.
Price sublimation products
Type your blanks, prints and time into the peach cells. The calculator shows cost and price.
Get the Sublimation Multi-Product CalculatorCalculators that help
- Shipping: Find dimensional weight. Use the Dimensional Weight & Shipping Cost Calculator – Billable Weight, Rates & Smaller Box Savings.
- Embroidery: Price stitching. Use the Machine Embroidery Pricing by Stitch Count Calculator – Run Time, Thread, Blank, Labor & Price per 1,000.
- Image size: Check photo resolution. Use the Image Size, DPI & Print Size Converter – Pixels to Inches & cm, Quality Check for Sublimation & DTF.
- Free shipping: Build shipping into price. Use the Free Shipping Price Builder – Build Shipping into Prices & Set a Free Shipping Threshold.
Common questions
How much should I charge for a custom pillow?
Covers often sell for about $15 to $30, and full pillows for more. In this guide a cover prices at about $15.
Should I include inserts?
Offer them, but shipping costs more.
Can I sublimate pillows?
Yes, on polyester covers.
How do I price memorial pillows?
Add design time.
What size is common?
16 x 16 or 18 x 18 in.
How do I ship pillows?
Covers ship flat. Inserts need bigger boxes.
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