Sewing vs Buying Cost Comparison
Find out whether making a garment yourself is cheaper than buying it, including fabric, patterns, equipment and the value of your time.
Is It Cheaper To Sew It Yourself?
Enter your fabric, notions, pattern and machine costs, the hours you spend sewing and the shop price. The calculator compares cash cost and time-inclusive cost.
Sewing vs Buying Estimator
Homemade clothes can save money, but time and equipment matter.
Understanding The Costs
Key concepts for homemade vs shop-bought
Cash Cost
Fabric + notions + pattern ÷ reuses + machine ÷ garments. Spreading one-off costs gives a realistic per-garment figure.
Time Value
Hours × hourly value. Set it to zero if sewing is a hobby you enjoy.
Break-Even Time
Sewing stays cheaper while time spent is below (Shop Price − Cash Cost) ÷ Hourly Value.
Non-Cost Benefits
Custom fit, quality fabrics and sustainability are benefits beyond the price.
Typical Sewing Savings
Illustrative comparison by garment type.
| Garment | Sewing Cash Cost | Shop Price | Likely Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple dress | £25 – £45 | £35 – £70 | Sewing (cash) |
| Trousers | £25 – £40 | £30 – £65 | Sewing, if fit matters |
| Wool coat | £70 – £150 | £150 – £400 | Sewing |
| Basic T-shirt | £8 – £15 | £5 – £15 | Buying |
| Tailored jacket | £80 – £180 | £200 – £500 | Sewing, with skill |
| Rule of Thumb | Sew costly items | Buy basics | Value your time |
Sewing vs Buying Calculator FAQ
Answers to common questions about this calculator.
For higher-priced or custom-fit garments, often yes. For basics such as T-shirts, shop prices are hard to beat.
If sewing is a hobby, you may value time at zero. For a budgeting decision, include a realistic hourly value.
Spread the machine and tools cost across the number of garments you expect to make.
Divide the pattern price by the number of times you will reuse it.