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zozee 09-17-2016 06:41 PM

Best selling mug rugs for Christmas?
 
I wandered into a new consignment shop last week and the owner is really personable. We got to chatting about what sells well, and she said home dec items if the fabric has mass appeal. And that people are shopping for Christmas gifts now, so she wants impulse inventory. One thing led to another, and she asked if I'd make some mug rugs (she didn't know what they were till I told her, and she got excited about them). She asked for 5-10.

I've never sewn for profit, so I need the help of friends here to suggest things and advise me.

1. Should I use Christmas and/or Hanukkah themed fabric or non-seasonal, year-round prints?
2. Best size?
3. Sets that match or sets that coordinate? How many per set? Two ? Four?
4. How to price. In her shop, the consignor or gets 60%, and the shop 40%.
5. Binding or birthing method?
6. Any other considerations?

Thanks for answering any or all questions. I'm testing the market, really. No experience.

lynnie 09-17-2016 08:32 PM

size about the size we use here for the swap
seasonal and year round
2 to a set and coordinate maybe one set for Christmas
I'd go birth method, since most people don't know the difference and it's quicker.
se nice fabrics, not the stff you want to get rid of. They'll like them better and they will sell.
Let us know how yo do.

Bree123 09-17-2016 09:40 PM

To answer the simplest question first, #5, I'd do binding because I could then "pre-quilt" a large section of fabric & cut to size, then bind, rather than having to individually quilt every little mug rug. Guess it depends how many you plan to make.

I would ask for that input from the shop owner and/or from guild members -- or at least local quilters. If you don't have ready access to that information, you could raffle off a free set of 4 mug rugs in exchange for people completing a short 3 question survey (you really do need to keep it to 3 questions or less or you won't get as many responses). The 3 questions I would ask would be:

1. Would you prefer mug rugs (oversized fabric coasters) made with
a) holiday fabric
b) winter fabric (snowflakes, pine trees, polar bears, etc)
c) non-seasonal fabric
2. Would you be more likely to buy
a) ones that match
b) coordinating designs where each one is different
3. How much would you be likely to spend on a set of 4
Give 4 suggestions in $2 ranges. See notes on costs/pricing below for more info.
a) $10-12
b) $13-15
c) $16-18
d) $20+
4. Any other comments or suggestions?

I would personally make sets of 4. You can always split them up if they're not selling fast enough. The shop owner should be able to help give you some basic information about the type of buyers who shop her store. Your local SBA may also be able to help with market demographics.

As far as size & pricing... that's really going to depend on what the local market, and specifically that shop's customers, will bear. If your market won't support more than $10 for a set of 4 coasters, you're going to have to keep them to 6x6" in order for them to be remotely profitable (and hopefully get some deals -- I'd definitely bind in a solid color to save money). It would mean only buying fabric that is $12/yd or less, cotton batting that is $4.80/yd or less, a single color of cotton thread & keeping construction/quilting simple enough that you can complete each rug in 7 minutes or less.

Here's how I came up with those numbers (based on 6x6" -- for 8x8, just multiply by 1.8):
Fabric for top & backing (@$6/yd x 41"W)........................ $0.34
Fabric for straight of grain binding (@$3/yd x 41"W).......... $0.15 *solid fabric
Cotton batting (@$4.80/yd x90"W).................................. $0.06
Cotton thread (@$0.007/m)............................................ $0.14
Wear & tear on machine & iron.......................................... $0.03
Disposables (blades, needles, markers, starch).................. $0.15
Durables (pins, cutting mat, seam ripper, etc -- approx)..... $0.10
Electricity....................................... ................................... $0.05
TOTAL COST TO PRODUCE 4 MUG RUGS (no labor)........... $4.08
Commission to vendor............................................ .......... $1.63
Total cost without labor............................................. ........ $5.71 (for 8x8", $10.28)
Absolute minimal labor cost for set.................................... $8.00*

*That means if you can spend an average of just 7 minutes per mug rug to buy materials, press, cut, piece, quilt, bind, deliver to the store & collect payment, you will make $10/hour.

I'd pick my prints so that I could use the same 2 colors of solid fabric to bind all of them & hopefully could get away with the same color of thread to piece & quilt them all. I buy Warm & Plush on the 25yd x 90" roll from Walmart.com, so that's how I calculated price of batting. For the quilting, I'd cut my (unwashed) fabric into sections of 36x36" and would layer, quilt, cut & then bind. I'd use SOG binding with butted corners, machine sewn front & back. Ugh. The artist in me absolutely hates that idea, but my business sense knows that it's the only way to even hope to make a profit at that price point.

Of course, if you can sell at a higher price point, there are a lot of things that you can (and should) do to entice customers to buy your product that could include anything from increasing the size to buying premium fabric (even if that's just shopping the designer fabrics at JAF) to mitering corners to possibly fussy cutting holiday motifs for each rug, or maybe even offering mug rugs with Insul-bright batting so they're heat resistant. The difficulty with each of those is they can easily drive costs as high as $24/set, leaving you with virtually no opportunity to even get paid a nominal amount for your time unless this consignment shop has a very upscale clientele. There are markets in the US for $10/coaster prices ... but those wouldn't be holiday mug rugs; I'd probably rename them "fiber art coasters" to sound fancier, and there would need to be something unique about them to attract buyers in that market. At that price point, I would definitely make every single coaster in the set different and have a couple different sets in case people want more than 4. You might design your own fabric through Spoonflower; or you could use solid fabrics, but do different FMQ motifs; or you might even paint/ink a design on them and seal it with Scotch Guard. If you are interested in that market -- feel free to PM me & we can chat more. :thumbup:

Maggie_Sue 09-18-2016 05:33 AM

Bree your knowledge is incredible!!! What great information!!!!

zozee 09-18-2016 07:21 AM

Bree, thank you SO much for that cost breakdown and so much more. There's NO way that I could make a mug rug in 7 minutes. I'm just not that fast. It would be fun to see how long it DOES take, excluding the time it takes to shop and buy fabric.

From what I've observed and know about the location, the demographics include lower, middle, and to upper income level shoppers. It's close to both an army base and a golf course community, and between townhouses in the suburbs and waterfront properties on the Chesapeake. The shop owner owns the adjacent two businesses in the 3-store strip mall on a busy highway. One of the stores sells high end consignments clothes, shoes, handbags and jewelry, but the manager says people some of the people from the golf course community will consign but won't buy used goods. The middle shop is a florist who isn't doing well . Her shop is very unappealing with silks and very few cash and carry fresh arrangements. The vintage home dec shop I'm wanting to sell in has a $120 large DOWN-stuffed (why???) decorative sofa pillow in a bird motif that is NOT selling, and smaller (16") pillows at $30 (busy orange/lime paisley) that aren't selling. Owner thinks it's the fabric--too specific. She suggested solids if I wanted to make them.

I do like the idea of selling pairs of mug rugs ("fiber art coasters"--I like that). My problem is I can't stand to make two identical ANYTHING. Boring! I like coordinated but not matchy-matchy (as you say "the artist in me") but I know there are customers who want two of the exact same thing (the business person in me).

At this point, if someone bought my wares, it would be flattering, but probably not profitable. As I said, I'm not speedy fingers. I'm up for the experiment, though. If the things don't sell, I could give them as gifts to my own family and friends.

quiltingbuddy 09-18-2016 07:46 AM

I just made 30 mug rugs 6x9" for the girls coming to an upcoming retreat we are having with our church. They go along with a workshop I'm doing and no way did they take 7 minutes. Not even close. I loved doing it because it will be a special and unexpected treat for the attendees. I used a bunch of my excess batting and pieced them then cut to size, did quilt as you go strips then layered them with designs that I sewed overtop and quilted down at the same time. I cut the backing larger enough to bring around and use as binding. They are adorable and I really enjoyed the process as it was the first time for me making mug rugs and I used up lots of small scraps of beautiful fabric that I had no idea what to do with otherwise. Would I do them for a venture such as yours though? Not in a million years. I guess I can't do stuff for profit because with the time it takes I can't see any way to make a profit. So if it's fun, go for it. If not and you won't make any money what is the point? Unless you just want to enhance your community with beautiful handwork. I say do what you love and leave the rest behind.

RedGarnet222 09-18-2016 08:34 AM

All great information girls! But, if I were to buy a gift in a shop like this I would be looking for the presentation/packaging too. I like the convenience of being able to wrap and bow it, so a box for a set to me is not out of line. It has to have nice wording on the hang tag too. Think about a cutsie name for your wares so someone talking about it say's something to someone else that perks up their ears, so they want to buy one too. See where I am going here? Presentation and packaging and a flirty name and hang tag.

Look what moda did with just a cute ribbon on their fabric cuts with cute names for them.

klswift 09-19-2016 07:58 AM

Great breakdown. I believe the key is the price of the fabric. A person can not make a profit on any fabric item if they go to a LQS and pay off-the-shelf price. If you buy in a store, you need to shop wisely. Also, the idea of quilting a larger piece, cutting it into sections and binding is great (I will definitely use it!), but, for a newbie the birthing method might be quicker. Another trick when using binding is to use a decorative stitch. This way if you are in a hurry, you can be a bit off with your stitches and no one will be the wiser. Take an afternoon without interruptions, lay out all your supplies and then time yourself thru the whole process of making 2 mug rugs. This is your starting point. Of course you will speed up as you go, but it is a base to work from. To give yourself a break from the mug rugs, after making a few sets, make a set of 4 placemats. This will give a variety to your inventory and keep you fresh. I would not use solid fabric, but perhaps small prints that read solid. I would also make the holiday sets and a few 'regular' sets. You will find that if you have all your supplies ready, you will spend a whole day making them, building an inventory and feeling excited about it. There is nothing better than at the end of the day looking at a table top with all the finished product on it and knowing you did that! And take pictures with notes on fabric, time involved, things not to do the next time, etc. If you treat it as a business, it will work as a business. If for some reason the don't sell at that shop, you will have your christmas and hostess gifts already made or a head start on selling on etsy. But, do keep it fun. Good luck.

mac 09-19-2016 09:31 AM

Wow, what great information you all have.

By the way, what is the "birthing" method?

tessagin 09-19-2016 10:07 AM

I agree. What you could also do is get some card stock and cut to the size of the sets (the largest part. Like Comic book boards. This would give stability to the set and you could wrap it in holiday ribbon like the curling ribbon and attach a jingle bell or mini menorahs, snowman, Christmas tree.

Originally Posted by RedGarnet222 (Post 7655648)
All great information girls! But, if I were to buy a gift in a shop like this I would be looking for the presentation/packaging too. I like the convenience of being able to wrap and bow it, so a box for a set to me is not out of line. It has to have nice wording on the hang tag too. Think about a cutsie name for your wares so someone talking about it say's something to someone else that perks up their ears, so they want to buy one too. See where I am going here? Presentation and packaging and a flirty name and hang tag.

Look what moda did with just a cute ribbon on their fabric cuts with cute names for them.


sewmuch 09-19-2016 10:18 AM

Fabric has gotten so expensive to make things for sale and make a small profit...I just bought fabric for pillowcases, 3,
cost $30, they are gifts, to make a profit I would have to charge what...I don't know to much for a sale...

Bree123 09-19-2016 10:29 AM


Originally Posted by klswift (Post 7656454)
A person can not make a profit on any fabric item if they go to a LQS and pay off-the-shelf price.

Respectfully, I can & do make a profit selling quilts that are made with LQS (often organic) fabric. It depends on your market. It's true that most mug rug/coasters would fall into the inexpensive gift category & even $6 sale fabric at JAF is bordering on too expensive ... but there are fiber artists out there who have found niche buyers who are looking for something specific & are willing to pay a lot more.

What determines how much a businessperson should spend on materials should be market demand. If the market is telling you that it won't support items (e.g., mug rugs) that are more than $2.50 a piece, then everything (including packaging & displays) needs to come in at less than $1 and you need to be able to be a lightening fast quilter. If the market is looking for unique "luxury" items, the demand for mug rugs in the form of unique pieces of usable art might command a price of $10 a piece, in which case the owner could invest either more time or more money in her product and still be profitable.

silverfoxmag 09-19-2016 10:50 AM


Originally Posted by quiltingbuddy (Post 7655594)
I just made 30 mug rugs 6x9" for the girls coming to an upcoming retreat we are having with our church. They go along with a workshop I'm doing and no way did they take 7 minutes. Not even close. I loved doing it because it will be a special and unexpected treat for the attendees. I used a bunch of my excess batting and pieced them then cut to size, did quilt as you go strips then layered them with designs that I sewed overtop and quilted down at the same time. I cut the backing larger enough to bring around and use as binding. They are adorable and I really enjoyed the process as it was the first time for me making mug rugs and I used up lots of small scraps of beautiful fabric that I had no idea what to do with otherwise. Would I do them for a venture such as yours though? Not in a million years. I guess I can't do stuff for profit because with the time it takes I can't see any way to make a profit. So if it's fun, go for it. If not and you won't make any money what is the point? Unless you just want to enhance your community with beautiful handwork. I say do what you love and leave the rest behind.

Would love to see the mug rugs you made.

zozee 09-19-2016 11:37 AM


Originally Posted by klswift (Post 7656454)
Great breakdown. I believe the key is the price of the fabric. A person can not make a profit on any fabric item if they go to a LQS and pay off-the-shelf price. If you buy in a store, you need to shop wisely. Also, the idea of quilting a larger piece, cutting it into sections and binding is great (I will definitely use it!), but, for a newbie the birthing method might be quicker. Another trick when using binding is to use a decorative stitch. This way if you are in a hurry, you can be a bit off with your stitches and no one will be the wiser. Take an afternoon without interruptions, lay out all your supplies and then time yourself thru the whole process of making 2 mug rugs. This is your starting point. Of course you will speed up as you go, but it is a base to work from. To give yourself a break from the mug rugs, after making a few sets, make a set of 4 placemats. This will give a variety to your inventory and keep you fresh. I would not use solid fabric, but perhaps small prints that read solid. I would also make the holiday sets and a few 'regular' sets. You will find that if you have all your supplies ready, you will spend a whole day making them, building an inventory and feeling excited about it. There is nothing better than at the end of the day looking at a table top with all the finished product on it and knowing you did that! And take pictures with notes on fabric, time involved, things not to do the next time, etc. If you treat it as a business, it will work as a business. If for some reason the don't sell at that shop, you will have your christmas and hostess gifts already made or a head start on selling on etsy. But, do keep it fun. Good luck.


Good ideas! I'd have fun timing myself to make two mug rugs, start to finish , including the presentation tag or whatever. The interruption-free afternoon could be tricky, though. What's that? I have a high schooler who needs a twice-daily chauffeur.

I'm just resting up from finishing a house my hubby and I are flipping. It hits the MLS tomorrow! It's hard to get motivated for another adrenaline rush when my gut tells me I probably wouldn't make money on the quilted products. I can make a whole lot more money per hour with my regular part-time job as a tutor.

We shall see. I have a deadline for finishing a baby gift right now.

wendiq 09-19-2016 02:23 PM

1. Should I use Christmas and/or Hanukkah themed fabric or non-seasonal, year-round prints? I prefer year-round prints as I like to use them as gifts.
2. Best size? 9X11
3. Sets that match or sets that coordinate? How many per set? Two ? Four? I like to buy and sell them separately.
4. How to price. In her shop, the consignor or gets 60%, and the shop 40%. I usually found that if I tried to sell them over $7 they didn't sell.......
5. Binding or birthing method? I did a birthing method with a decorative stitch close to the edge.
6. Any other considerations? Food items seemed to sell well....appliqued and a separate space for cup by the side of a goodie........I pretty much found stuff in my stash.....helped me and them!

Good sales to you!!!!

Tartan 09-19-2016 03:42 PM

I didn't have much luck selling mug rugs. Most people have no idea what they are for and are unwilling to pay much for what they consider a coaster. I did a mug with the mug rug rolled up in it, chocolate kisses (wrapped in celephane) for Christmas craft show at $10 and came home with most of them. I ended up gifting them for Christmas presents.

zozee 09-19-2016 04:49 PM


Originally Posted by wendiq (Post 7656736)
1. Should I use Christmas and/or Hanukkah themed fabric or non-seasonal, year-round prints? I prefer year-round prints as I like to use them as gifts.
2. Best size? 9X11
3. Sets that match or sets that coordinate? How many per set? Two ? Four? I like to buy and sell them separately.
4. How to price. In her shop, the consignor or gets 60%, and the shop 40%. I usually found that if I tried to sell them over $7 they didn't sell.......
5. Binding or birthing method? I did a birthing method with a decorative stitch close to the edge.
6. Any other considerations? Food items seemed to sell well....appliqued and a separate space for cup by the side of a goodie........I pretty much found stuff in my stash.....helped me and them!

Good sales to you!!!!

Do you mean food-themed fabric mug rugs sold better? Applique is too time consuming for something with such a narrow profit margin, at least for me.

Tothill 09-19-2016 06:25 PM

Thank you Bree123 for such a great post. The information you have shared is valuable.

CookieZenmilk 09-19-2016 07:28 PM

2 Attachment(s)
i would make some holiday mugrugs, but i get more use from something colorful or neutral fabrics. i use mine to throw my keys on so i don't scratch a table. i would pair one mugrug with two criss-cross coasters such as this design. http://patspattering.blogspot.com/20...other-way.html

[ATTACH=CONFIG]558558[/ATTACH]

i use the birthing method on my mugrugs. i quilt them before i put the backing on. don't forget to add this tag:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]558559[/ATTACH]

Look on pinterest for inspiration.

Yooper32 09-20-2016 05:05 AM

I sold all but one of my mug rugs two yrs. ago at our guild table at a quilt show. I do not make sets. To me, mug rugs are individual items for individual people. As for packaging, tell people to go to the Dollar Tree. We have an excellent crafters/artist's store in my nearest town and I was seriously upset that even the jewelry had no boxes, but they convinced me that it would add too much to the item price and each consignee would have to provide their own and it would be a mess for whoever was running the store for that particular day, as they had to take turns if they have item for sale there. Then I discovered that great bargains in gift boxes can be had at the Dollar Tree and that solved that problem.

Quilter 53 09-20-2016 05:57 AM

Mac, birthing method is when you stitch right sides together leaving an opening, turn inside out, and hand stitch the opening closed, tho' I have machined stitched it closed while top stitching around the whole project. Great information here, but I think I'll just keep to my "hobby" an not try to make it a business. Just me.

mac 09-20-2016 06:27 AM


Originally Posted by Quilter 53 (Post 7657132)
Mac, birthing method is when you stitch right sides together leaving an opening, turn inside out, and hand stitch the opening closed, tho' I have machined stitched it closed while top stitching around the whole project. Great information here, but I think I'll just keep to my "hobby" an not try to make it a business. Just me.

Thanks for the explanation. I have never heard it called that. Don't you just love it? I learn so much on this Quilting Board.

Re: Selling. I have sold crafts and sewn items in the past. I hardly made a profit back then and with the price of fabric and anything else to do with quilting being as expensive as it is -- I don't think I will be doing it anymore. What things I do make to sell is for a senior center that sells crafts to make money for the upkeep of the center. At least this way, I know I am not going to make a profit and that it is an act of love.

The part I used to really hate is when people would come and look at my items for sale, and they would turn to their friend and say (right in front of me) "Oh, I can make that and it would be so much cheaper." I always wanted to say, "I can hear you."

1000scraps 09-20-2016 07:02 AM

2 Attachment(s)

Originally Posted by mac (Post 7657157)
Thanks for the explanation. I have never heard it called that. Don't you just love it? I learn so much on this Quilting Board.

Re: Selling. I have sold crafts and sewn items in the past. I hardly made a profit back then and with the price of fabric and anything else to do with quilting being as expensive as it is -- I don't think I will be doing it anymore. What things I do make to sell is for a senior center that sells crafts to make money for the upkeep of the center. At least this way, I know I am not going to make a profit and that it is an act of love.

The part I used to really hate is when people would come and look at my items for sale, and they would turn to their friend and say (right in front of me) "Oh, I can make that and it would be so much cheaper." I always wanted to say, "I can hear you."

I agree with your last item: same thing I often heard! Or they say "aldi" or as you may say "Trader Joe" sells it much cheaper!!! My answer in my mind: then go and buy it there!!!
And to the MugRugs: I often sew them fitting to some mugs, like these:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]558573[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]558574[/ATTACH]

Neuras 09-20-2016 11:42 AM

Very cute!

Pennyhal 09-20-2016 12:55 PM

I make my mug rugs 5x7 inches. I bought cellopane recloseable bags that they fit into. Shop around and your can find some really nice ones inexpensively. I print the little info paragraph on some decorative paper and slide it into the bag on the back side of the mug rug. That way, they stay "sanitary" and people who give/receive them know what they are. They are pretty common to us, but the general public needs the explanation! I also printed out on some bright paper what they are used for and set it by the display. People commonly ask me, "What do you do with them?" I point out the paragraph and my list of uses...office gifts, something to give with a birthday card, an acknowledgement of a kindness, hostess gifts, etc

I sell them by the hand full at craft shows that I sell at. However, I do not quilt mine. I use machine embroidery and they are all done in the hoop. I have found that people did not buy Christmas ones no matter how gorgeous they were. Last year I did not sell any Christmas ones. What sells for me in my market are ones that have a theme to them and something that makes them laugh. I think that coming up with thematic ones would be easy, but the "funny" part more difficult. Also, you'd have to buy thematic fabric if you don't have any...like jungle, flowers, coffee, etc. so you'd end up using a little bit of a lot of different fabrics which can be an expensive initial investment.

Gee Hope 09-21-2016 04:27 AM

I bought a dozen themes mugs about a year ago and never made the mug rugs to accompany them. Seeing how well yours turned out may be the incentive for me to do mine. Thanks for sharing.


Originally Posted by 1000scraps (Post 7657185)
I agree with your last item: same thing I often heard! Or they say "aldi" or as you may say "Trader Joe" sells it much cheaper!!! My answer in my mind: then go and buy it there!!!
And to the MugRugs: I often sew them fitting to some mugs, like these:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]558573[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]558574[/ATTACH]


mac 09-21-2016 07:44 AM

To 1000scraps: Great job on your theme mugs and rugs. I can seeing people wanting to buy them for gifts. I can also see that you are good at marketing, something we all need to learn when selling our things.


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