Wood burning art is an awesome talent that takes many years to master. If you intend to sell your wood burning artwork, you may be wondering how much to charge for your wood burning art so you can make a profit.
In this post, I am going to cover how to price wood burning art along with some tips on how to do so.
While pricing art is definitely different for everyone, this post should give you some ideas on how to efficiently price out your art so you can make a living.
Related:
How To Prep Wood For Pyrography Art
My Supply List & Recommendations
How Much To Charge For Wood Burning Art
When I price my wood burning art, I like to calculate how much the materials cost, how many hours I spent on it, and then what I want to make per hour.
It’s really hard to price handmade work because not everyone is willing to pay the price you deserve. My advice is to never sell yourself short and to charge what you need to charge to make money.
There will always be customers who will be willing to pay!
Pricing out wood burning artwork can be determined by understanding these different categories:
Overhead
Overhead is the cost of running your wood burning business. Even if this is minimal, it’s still important to be aware of all expenses it takes to create wood burning art.
Materials
Materials can sometimes be the most expensive part of any project (besides your time of course). This is especially true when it comes to wood burning art, since you’ll be working with various kinds of wood, stains, and other materials.
Some of my wood burning tools are definitely expensive upfront, and it costs money to replace broken and old tips on my wood burning pens, so it’s a good idea to know how much your tool upkeep costs are when pricing out pyrography art.
Check out my pyrography art for sale here!
Time/Skill/Difficulty
Among the most important factors to consider when pricing your work is the time and skill it takes to complete a piece.
If a project is simple and not detailed, the pricing will be different than a project that has lifelike art on it. It also depends on your skill level and confidence.
I charged much less when I first started wood burning, and much more now with my added confidence and skills.
Also, time and difficulty relate to the size of the wood burning piece. Is it 5″ or 5 ft long? That will change the price a lot!
Branding and Marketing
Branding is about who you are—your reputation, values, and how others perceive you. Marketing is about what you do—the products or services that people purchase from you.
I have several websites and social media platforms I use to market my art business. All of this is included in my business expenses because it can get expensive! There are many free ways to market your work, so this category is different for everyone.
Time per Hour
Hourly rate is calculated by taking the total number of hours it takes you to create a piece and dividing it by the amount of money you want to make per hour.
This will vary by person because it’s up to you to determine how much you want to make per hour! When you start a new project you intend to sell, try to keep track of hours spent on it so you can easily calculate a price afterward.
As I mentioned earlier, we are all different, so charge what you feel is appropriate. It all depends on the project, how difficult it is, the size, etc.
Quick Overview Of Expenses
This is different for everyone!
Supplies. The cost of your supplies can be the largest expense you’ll encounter, but it’s also one you can control. Get creative with materials and see what works best for your style. I like to buy wood when it’s on sale and invest in high-quality tools that will last me a long time.
Your time. To me, my time is my biggest expense, and the most important when I figure out how to price my work. I want to make sure it’s worth my time and I’m not making a low hourly wage.
Shipping. If you sell online, then you also have the cost of shipping to worry about. It can be expensive to ship wood burning art, but it’s important to make sure you are charging enough so shipping costs are covered.
Marketing. There are many different ways to market yourself as an artist, including word-of-mouth, social media marketing, trade shows or art fairs, festivals, and more. You can purchase business cards to leave at local shops and include them with your orders.
Selling fees. Sell on Etsy? There are fees that you will have to account for. Have a website? Fees there too.
Since I am a business and this is my full-time job, I am very aware of all my expenses. You need to be so you can make a profit.
How I Price My Pyrography Art
My method is not some fancy formula, it’s actually quite simple. All I do is decide how much I want to make per hour, and then calculate the costs it takes to create the piece and run my business.
For example:
If a sign takes 5 hours and I want to make $25 an hour, the cost would start at $125. If the wood slab costs $5, I add in that, the shipping price, and usually another overhead fee for using sealant, tools, selling fees, etc. My cost per hour usually varies based on the difficulty of the piece.
I really can’t say an exact method I use to price my wood burning art, because it truly depends on the piece and the time it takes to create.
Learning how to price your wood burning art is tricky at first, but it’s doable!
Don’t forget that there are so many factors that affect pricing. It will take some trial and error before you figure out what works best for your business! Even after years of doing this, I’m still trying to figure it out lol.
Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions in the comments about charging for wood burning art below!
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