How Do You Price Gumpaste Flowers?

Decorating By SweetDreams98 Updated 12 Jul 2014 , 10:27pm by TheItalianBaker

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SweetDreams98 Posted 11 Jul 2014 , 2:51am
post #1 of 13

So I have my pricing down for cake per serving (and a chart with amount extra for certain flavors etc) but I'm just starting with gumpaste flowers and I have no idea how to charge for them.  Does anyone have a tried and true method they would like to share?  Any tips are appreciated!

12 replies
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Norasmom Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 2:32am
post #2 of 13

Charge $20.00/hr for your time.  That's what I charge in Boston.

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FromScratchSF Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 2:49am
post #3 of 13

Pricing sugar flowers are hard - some are much easier and more elaborate then others, if you are new it takes a long time to make 1 but after you've made 100 you can bang them out pretty fast.  The hard part is if it takes you a long time to make a flower because you are new you can't charge for that learning curve.  It's just part of doing business.

 

Sugar flowers, to me, are part of the art that are a time sink and unrecoverable as far as sales go.  Many bakeries just buy wholesale flowers for this very reason.  I happen to like making flowers and am good at them so I spend the time to make them.  But I can't charge an hourly rate per flower and I can bang them out pretty fast.  Nobody would ever buy them.

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costumeczar Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 3:11am
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I charge an approximate hourly rate, but like @FromScratchSF said, I can make them pretty fast. Some take longer than others so you just have to know what's going to be a massive pain in the butt and increase your price accordingly.

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TheItalianBaker Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 3:17am
post #5 of 13

few nights ago I made 2 medium roses, it took me 45min. I figured they costed me $6 each one. I would say I can price them around $10/12 each one, more for bigger flowers

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costumeczar Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 3:32am
post #6 of 13

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheItalianBaker 
 

few nights ago I made 2 medium roses, it took me 45min. I figured they costed me $6 each one. I would say I can price them around $10/12 each one, more for bigger flowers

That seems to be pretty high for the cost to make them, is that just for your gumpaste? I make my own gumpaste so if that's what commercial gumpaste costs, good lord....

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TheItalianBaker Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 3:33am
post #7 of 13

AOh no no, included my labor cost!

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kakeladi Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 5:28am
post #8 of 13

AMany suggest you price them the same as real flowers. That might help you some.

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SweetDreams98 Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 6:06am
post #9 of 13

AThanks for the suggestions! I know years ago when I was wedding cake shopping my baker told me they are pricey but didn't elaborate and now that I'm doing cakes I was kind of lost lol So far I really like making them, made 3 peonies and I'm going to start roses tomorrow just to practice. There's definitely a learning curve with time just like everything else :) I LOVE the look and don't like putting fresh flowers on a cake unless I have to so I guess I will just practice, practice, practice!

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costumeczar Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 11:25am
post #10 of 13

A

Original message sent by TheItalianBaker

Oh no no, included my labor cost!

Oh, okay. I was thinking you were using gumpaste made from gold or something!

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leah_s Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 12:26pm
post #11 of 13

AI always bought them becsuse they are such a time suck. I marked them up 300%.

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kakeladi Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 10:26pm
post #12 of 13

I sometimes would make them. sometimes buy.  It depended on the flower and how busy I was.

Here's a pic of one cake where I used both hand-made and purchased ones.  http://cakecentral.com/g/i/53839/a/54839/

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TheItalianBaker Posted 12 Jul 2014 , 10:27pm
post #13 of 13

AWhere do you guys buy them?

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