Not everyone is as obsessed with scrapbooking as some of us are. With that being said, it is important to remember that it might not be because they don’t want to be, or they don’t want nice albums to look at and share with their families. For whatever reason, not all people are into our hobby. The good news is, that it enables us to provide our services to them and create layouts and albums for them for a fee.
The question I am asked most often by those looking to get paid for their scrapbooking efforts is “How much do I charge for my services?”. This is a tricky question with no set response. It is really up to the paid scrapbooker how they go about charging for their work.
Per Page/Layout
Many scrapbookers for hire charge upwards of $10-$20 per completed page (sometimes more). It is important not to short change yourself, as you know that creating a layout is work. More than likely creating it for someone else will feel much more like work than anything else – you will probably spend much more time agonizing over placement, colors, etc. Keep in mind that you aren’t charging just for supplies, but also for your time.
Per Completed Project
Many scrapbookers just charge a one time, overall fee which they collect a deposit on up front. Usually this runs about $75-$100 per album but I have seen many charge much more than that, and actually get it. When deciding on a final price for one completed album or project, calculate your supply cost and then figure out what you would like to be making per hour. Think about how many hours it might take to complete a project such as that and added and configured all together, that should be your quoted price.
Per Supplies used plus nominal fee
Another group of scrapbookers for hire choose to charge the actual costs of supplies used and then perhaps a few dollars to cover their time per page. This practice is better served for close friends and not for clients, as they will come to expect this and as they will share with others, those new clients will expect the same. Honestly your time and hard work should be worth more than that.
Deciding how you will go about it, is a very personal decision and one that you should be spending some time on before contracting out your work. Don’t short change yourself, but also don’t get too high at first either. You will need to build a portfolio of your completed work, and this will enable you to ask for more money eventually for your projects. More on building scrapbooking portfolios coming in an article titled: Scrapbooking for Others: Building a Scrapbook Portfolio.
Nicole Humphrey writes about the creative and memory preserving side of life and families in the Scrapbooking Blog and Fun Blog, provides helpful hints to blended families and single parents on the Parents Blog, and provides informative tips and advice for students, teachers and parents on the Education Blog. She also guest blogs on a variety of topics. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
Related Articles:
Bargain Hunting at the Local Scrapbook Store
Cheap Scrapbooking Supplies from the Bathroom
Different Uses for Scrapbooking Supplies