How much to charge to teach sewing to someone?
 

I am in the process of teaching a newbie how to sew and use a sewing machine. How much should I charge her? Would a package deal be better , say like 5 lessons for a set amount or should I charge by the hour? I am thinking that a 2 hour meeting would be better than an hour an a half. I have taught others to sew before but have not charge as they were friends and children from school. Is $15 and hour reasonable or too much. I don't want to break the bank but work within her budget. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Now I know why I don't have a business, it's too stressful.

Can not answer that, but I am like you, can never figure how much to charge for any thing. joyce j

I was asked to teach someone to sew. That person volunteered to pay $20/hour.

Shari

You might check out the LQS and see what they charge per hour for an individual lesson. I've taken quilting lessons that way but it's been a long time ago and I don't remember what the charge was. One-on-one instruction is worth more than a group lesson. Time is money. I think $20 per hour sounds reasonable.

What would a similar class cost at JoAnn's?

I forgot to mention..... I think you should charge for instruction time and not be charging for the time they are sewing only. I've taught group classes and I usually show how to do some skill and then the students do a sample or little bit of the sewing. Then, they go home to complete that skill. Many people are very nervous about doing some sewing in front of others because they are just learning. Others want you to stand over every stitch and are afraid to do anything without your help. You will have to determine what the learner wants from you to determine whether to charge by the hour or by the project.

My LQS charges $20 for a quilt class. It is usually 3 hours. All supplies are extra or you can bring your own. All of the time isn't teaching. A lot of it is student work. Maybe you could have her make a small project while learning.

What's the going price on a couple fifths of Barcardi 151?

Four years ago I took sewing lessons from a neighbor - including using attachments on my machine. We contracted for 6 weekly sessions that lasted 2 hours each. She charged $10 an hour, which I felt was a good price.

this is something you need to sit down and discuss with her---should have been discussed & agreed upon before beginning- some people charge by the hour- some by the project/class- it needs to be an amount that is fair to both of you- what is YOUR time worth to you? is that an amount she can afford and thinks is fair? it is something you need to sit down with her & talk about-before going too far- it's kind of 'unfair' to give classes for free-with no discussion of compensation---then suddenly expect compensation- without discussion.