How to get custom embroidery & how much it costs

Like many things custom-made, hiring an expert embroiderer for a custom or personalized piece of embroidery can be overwhelming at first. Unlike other products that are already created and exist on a real (or digital) shelf, getting something made for you that does not yet exist is a bit more challenging. For example, where do you go to find the right artisan for an embroidery job and know how do you know it’ll turn out the way you expect it? Plus, it is difficult to know what you should be paying for a personalized piece of embroidery.

Fortunately, there are 5 simple rules & guidelines you can reference when hiring an embroiderer (known as “commissioning”) to create a customized embroidery masterpiece for you.

#1  - The format

Custom embroidery can come in many different forms. For instance, you can get an embroidered patch on your pair of jeans or on your favorite jacket.

One of the most popular uses for custom embroidery is getting an embroidery piece directly on an embroidery hoop.

Like commissioning an artist for a drawing or painting on canvas, artisans specializing in embroidery can turn any request, such as a photo, into embroidery on a hoop.

Why is this one of the most popular methods? In short, it does not require a logistical hassle of shipping merchandise back and forth between the customer and embroiderer. All you need to do is start a request, choose an embroiderer, and it will get shipped directly from the artisan’s studio to your doorstep in a safe & secure package.

Of course, if you prefer to coordinate with your embroiderer and get something like a piece of clothing embroidered, the option is entirely available. For example, you might ship the dress you want embroidered to their studio, and the artisan you chose will send it back with the embroidery patched on.

The format of the embroidery piece will not matter for the total pricing, as the embroiderer will only charge you for the labor (time & experience) and materials used (thread and hoop).

#2 – The subject type

If you are looking to commission an embroiderer, you probably already have an idea of what you want created for you. However, here are the 5 more common types of made-to-order embroidery requests:

• Personalized embroidery of pet
• Personalized embroidery of someone
• Personalized embroidery of words or phrases
• Personalized embroidery of a landscape
• Personalized embroidery of a flowers & floral designs

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Some embroiderers specialize in a specific subject type, so be sure to hire an embroiderer that has experience with the subject type you want. The easiest way to find the most relevant creator for the job is by starting a request and selecting the type of embroidery you want, and you will be matched with the right, available embroiderers for the job.

The cost of the different embroidery types do vary from embroiderer to embroiderer. For example, pet embroidery typically costs 3 times more than a simple sentence patched on an embroidery hoop.

#3 – The size of the embroidery

Like a custom painting, the beauty of getting custom embroidery is that you can request it any way you want. You choose the embroiderer, you choose the format, you choose the subject type, you choose the style (such as preferred colors), you choose the modifications (such as what it should, and shouldn’t contain), and of course, you choose the size.

When it comes to embroidery hoops, there are 4 standardized sizes:

• 4 inches
• 6 inches
• 9 inches

Note: these inches are measured in times of diameter since embroidery hoops are circular. 

#4 – Choosing your photo and describing your request

Your embroiderer will create your request into a real piece of artwork. This means you can get just about anything embroidered, such as your dog’s face with his or her name patched below.

In this example, the embroiderer obviously needs a photo and the name of your dog to do a good job, which you should provide before placing an order. Once the embroiderer checks out your request, they can either approve to proceed, or decline if something doesn’t seem quite right.

#5 – How much should you pay for a personalized or custom embroidery hoop?

Since each piece is unique and made-to-order, you can use the 3 following rules to understand what a fair price is for an embroidery hoop is:

• The labor of the embroiderer – multiply the hours required by their hourly rate. On average, the standard rate for an embroider is $25/hour. Depending on the request, the hours required to create an embroidered hoop will vary, but you can expect it to take somewhere between 2 and 3 hours for most requests. This means the labor cost is somewhere between $50 and $75. (Keep in mind, the more detailed, complicated, and larger the request is, the more time it will take to create. In some instances, it may take up to 10 hours or more).
• The materials used – when it comes to custom embroidery, the materials are thread, the embroidery hoop (the wooden framework), and the fabric (think of it like the canvas). In total, for most requests, these typically cost around $15.
• Shipping – as we write this in 2021, teleportation does not yet exist, so the package containing the piece of embroidery needs to be shipped from A to B (that is, the artisans’ studio to your doorstep). Fortunately, embroidery patches and hoops are lightweight and small, so shipping typically does not exceed $10.
  

Using the example above, the cost for a typically custom-made embroidery piece is $85.

Conclusion

Hiring an embroiderer for a customized embroidery piece does not only provide you with an incredibly unique gift, but the process is exciting as your photo (or idea) can turn into a real, handmade piece of embroidered art.

If you have questions about the process or want to learn more, our friendly team is here to help – contact us!

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