How to Price Your Crafts for a Craft Fair
A craft fair adds a cost your online shop does not have: the booth. Between the table fee, travel, and a full day of your time, you can lose money at a good show if your prices do not account for it. Here is how to price your crafts — pottery, baskets, quilts, or anything handmade — so the booth pays for itself, with round numbers that sell.
The booth changes the math
Online, your main costs are materials, time, and platform fees. At a fair you add a booth or table fee, travel, and a whole day of standing behind the table. Spread those show costs across the number of pieces you realistically expect to sell, and add that to each item — otherwise a busy day can still end in the red.
Price for the venue, in round numbers
Fair shoppers pay cash and decide fast. Round, clean prices ($20, $35, $50) move faster than $18.50, and they make change simple. Bring a spread: a few lower-priced impulse items to catch everyone, a middle tier that is your bread and butter, and one or two higher-priced statement pieces that anchor the table and make the middle tier feel reasonable.
Break-Even Calculator for Makers
Enter your costs and prices to see how many pieces you need to sell to cover a booth and start profiting. Built for pottery — the same math works for any craft.
Open the free calculator →Know your break-even before the show
Before you load the car, work out how many pieces you have to sell just to cover the booth, travel, and your day. If a booth is $150 and your profit per piece is $25, you need six sales before the day breaks even — a number worth knowing on the drive over. The same approach works whether you make pottery, baskets, or quilts.
The maker Break-Even & Profit Calculators (Excel + Google Sheets) work out your profit per piece, booth vs. online, and the month you turn a profit — with a worked example for your craft. See the toolkits →
Frequently asked questions
How do I price crafts to make money at a craft fair?
Spread the booth fee, travel, and your day across the pieces you expect to sell, add that to your normal materials-plus-time cost, and use round, cash-friendly prices. Then check how many sales cover the booth before you commit to the show.
Should craft fair prices be higher than online?
Often, yes — a fair adds booth and travel costs your online shop does not have, and shoppers are paying for the in-person, hand-picked experience. At minimum, prices should cover the extra show costs so a good day is a profitable one.
How many items do I need to sell to break even at a show?
Divide your total show cost (booth, travel, your time) by your profit per item. If the booth is $150 and you profit $25 a piece, that is six sales to break even — everything after that is the day's earnings.
This guide is general information to help you plan — not financial advice. Your right prices depend on your craft, your costs, and your local market.