"Charge three times the cost of your materials" is probably the most repeated pricing advice in crochet groups. It's easy to remember and easy to apply. But crochet is different from most crafts: two pieces can use almost the same yarn and take completely different amounts of time. This guide tests the 3× rule on three common projects and shows what it actually pays you for each hour of work.
Does the 3× materials rule work for crochet?
Usually not. The 3× rule sets your price from yarn and supplies alone, so it can't account for how long a piece takes. Applied to common projects, it often pays well under the US federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour — and the longer the project, the worse it gets.
It can work for quick items with expensive materials. For most crochet, where time is the main cost, it undercharges.
What does the 3× rule pay per hour?
Here's the rule applied to three example projects. "Pay per hour" is the price minus materials, divided by hours — what you actually earn for your time (packaging and overhead left out for simplicity).
| Project | Materials | Hours | 3× price | Pay per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beanie (1 skein at $6) | $6 | 2 | $18 | $6.00 |
| Blanket (10 skeins at $6) | $60 | 30 | $180 | $4.00 |
| Amigurumi (1 skein $5 + $2 stuffing/eyes) | $7 | 4 | $21 | $3.50 |
All three pay below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, and the amigurumi — small, detailed and slow — pays worst of all.
Why does the rule break down?
Because it assumes time scales with materials. In crochet, it doesn't:
- Stitch type changes time dramatically — dense or textured stitches use more time per skein.
- Yarn weight matters — chunky yarn works up faster than fingering-weight yarn.
- Detail work like amigurumi faces, color changes and assembly adds hours without adding much yarn.
A multiplier on materials can't see any of that.
What should you use instead?
Price from time and materials together:
Price = (materials + hours × hourly rate + packaging + overhead) ÷ (1 − profit margin)
At $15 an hour with a 20% profit margin (again leaving out packaging and overhead), the same three projects come out very differently:
| Project | 3× rule price | Time-based price |
|---|---|---|
| Beanie | $18 | $45.00 |
| Blanket | $180 | $637.50 |
| Amigurumi | $21 | $83.75 |
Those time-based prices may be higher than your market will pay for some items — especially large blankets. That's valuable information. It tells you which projects are genuinely worth selling and which are better as commissions, gifts or patterns. How to price crochet items walks through the full formula, and we look at the blanket problem in how much to charge for a crochet blanket.
Is there a case for using the 3× rule at all?
As a floor, sometimes. If an item is quick and uses costly materials, 3× might land close to a time-based price. But check it: work out what the 3× price pays you per hour. If the answer is below the rate you'd accept, the rule is underpricing your work.
A related guide covers how much to charge for amigurumi.
