09/22/2026
A rant about why I sometimes want to give up on trying to sell my beaded creations. I know it’s long, but I ask simply for a read and possible understanding as to why handmade items aren’t cheap -
Just had to restock on letter beads. The order was over $60. So totaling up the cost of the beads, shipping and tax and dividing that by the number of letter beads I ordered, each individual letter costs me $0.202365 each. You figure most names are an average 5-6 letters, that can be over $1 in just one word on the finished project! I don’t even factor in the time of sorting and counting the beads to make sure I got what I paid for!
Then there are included basic costs - the plain beads, the focal beads, the hardware, the cording, the tools I have to have (threaders, pliers, scissors, lighter, super glue), packaging for the finished items(bags, boxes, tape).
There’s the major part of deciding how much my time is worth. How much value do you put on your time?
There’s the time of putting the hardware together - connecting jump rings, split rings, clips and charms.
There’s the time of consulting with a person on how they want the item to look. Then putting all the time into assembling it to their specifications. If I happen to put a bead out of pattern, I have to undo it and start again.
On top of all this, I have carpal tunnel in both my wrists. If I work too long or too hard on a piece, my hands start tingling and burning then go numb. So, I have to stop to do acupressure on my wrists in an attempt to get them to stop hurting.
After all the time, money and work is invested into a finished item, I have to total up the value of what I feel is a fair price for the time and supplies I invested in it, yet still try and make a profit.
I sell cheaper than items I see others posting so I’m already somehow selling myself short.
Then when I do try and sell my products, people see what price I’m asking for a good quality, handmade item and decide $5 is too much for a pen or a keychain, $12 is too much for a wristlet.
Please don’t even get me started on the scam messages I get from posting on my craft page. 7 just today! Yet I have to invest the time those take up with the hope that at least one will be a true person interested in a purchase!
There’s no winning in this.
