How to Price Your Acrylic Products for Profit

One of the most common struggles for acrylic makers whether you're selling earrings, signage, cake toppers, or custom decor; is figuring out how to price your products. You want your work to be affordable enough to attract customers, but not so cheap that you’re working for free. And with the cost of materials, time, packaging, and shipping, it can feel impossible to find that sweet spot.

Let’s break it down and look at a few ways you can price your acrylic products to actually make a profit, not just break even.

1. Start With Your Costs (But Don’t Stop There)

A lot of makers use a pricing calculator or basic formula as a starting point. Something like:

(Cost of Materials + Time) × 2 or 3 = Retail Price

Or another version that factors in wholesale and retail:

(Cost of Materials + Labor + Overhead) × 2 = Wholesale
Wholesale × 2 = Retail

If you’re new to pricing, this can be helpful. It gives you a baseline so you're not undercharging. It forces you to think through what you're actually spending, not just on acrylic sheets, but also on things like:

• Laser time and wear
• Design time (especially for custom work)
• Masking, tape, glue, paint, or hardware
• Packaging and shipping materials
• Software subscriptions & digital tools
• Your own time and expertise

That said, while calculators are great for building awareness of your numbers, they aren’t the best fit for everyone.

2. Consider the Market and Your Niche

Here’s the truth: sometimes the price you should charge is based less on math and more on what the market will bear.

For example, if you’re making high-end wedding signage with gorgeous fonts and clean finishes, your pricing structure will be different than someone selling blank rounds for fellow crafters. It all comes down to:

• What similar items are selling for
• What makes your product stand out (design, quality, service)
• The perceived value to your customer

Take some time to browse Etsy, Faire, and Pinterest. Look at comparable products and pay attention to sellers who are successful. How do your products measure up in terms of style, finish, quality, and presentation? Are you underpricing compared to others doing similar work? Are you charging more, and if so, are you showing why it’s worth it?

Pricing isn’t just about numbers, it’s about positioning.

3. Don’t Forget Your Time

So many makers forget to pay themselves. And I get it, when you’re doing something creative and you love it, it’s easy to treat your time as "free." But time is one of your most valuable resources.

Whether you’re designing from scratch, sanding edges, assembling pieces, or messaging back and forth with custom clients, it all adds up.

Track your time for a few orders and ask yourself:
Are you actually making a decent hourly rate? Or are you barely getting by?

Even if you’re not ready to pay yourself $50/hour, you still need to start somewhere. Build your pricing with room for growth. As your skills sharpen and your business grows, so should your pay.

4. Pricing for Wholesale or Bulk Orders

If you’re selling blanks to other makers or offering wholesale to boutiques and shops, you'll need to build in room to discount without losing money.

This is where that formula above can be helpful. Knowing your wholesale price (usually 50% of retail) ensures you're not cutting too deep when offering bulk or resale pricing. You can also set order minimums to make it worth your time.

5. Know When to Raise Your Prices

It’s easy to keep your prices the same out of fear, fear of losing customers, fear that you’re “not worth it,” or fear of pricing yourself out of the market. But here's a gentle reminder:

If you’re constantly busy, always behind on orders, or feeling burned out... it’s time to raise your prices.

Higher pricing can give you breathing room to offer better customer service, upgrade materials, or even just enjoy your work again.

You don’t have to do it all at once. Raise prices on your best sellers first. Or test a few higher-end items in your shop and see how they perform. You’ll be surprised how many customers will still click Add to Cart.

Final Thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to pricing acrylic products. A formula can help, but market research, customer perception, and your own goals matter just as much.

The best pricing strategy is one that:

• Covers your costs
• Pays you for your time
• Reflects the quality of your work
• Leaves room for growth and sustainability

If you’re not sure where to start, use a calculator to get a ballpark figure, but don’t stop there. Study the market, know your numbers, and price like the business owner you are.

Helpful Resource:
Looking for a free pricing calculator to get started? Try this one: Product Pricing Tool

But remember: your value isn’t found in a formula. It’s in the hands that made it.