A line sheet answers the questions a shop buyer has before they reply to you: what you make, what it costs them, what it sells for, how many they have to order and how soon it ships.
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Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why a Pretty Catalog Isn’t Enough
- What a Line Sheet Has to Do
- Step-by-Step: Build Your Line Sheet
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Tools and Resources
- Worked Example: A Candle Maker’s First Line Sheet
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Key Takeaways
- The Bottom Line
Introduction
A shop owner likes your work and asks, “Do you have a line sheet?” If the answer is a link to your Etsy shop, the conversation usually stalls, because your retail listings don’t tell a buyer what they would pay you, how many they need to order or when the stock would arrive.
This guide shows you how to build a wholesale line sheet for handmade products from scratch. You’ll set wholesale prices that still pay you, choose order minimums you can actually fill, lay out each product so a buyer can order from the page, and send the finished sheet in a way that gets read.
Here’s how it works, one step at a time.
Why a Pretty Catalog Isn’t Enough
Many makers start wholesale by sending a lookbook: big styled photos, a short brand story and a link to the online shop. Lookbooks are nice to flip through, but a boutique buyer can’t place an order from one.
A line sheet is an order tool first and a sales piece second. The buyer needs to compare your products against everything else competing for the same shelf, and they need numbers to do it. If the wholesale price, suggested retail price, minimums and lead time are missing, the buyer has to email you to ask, and many won’t bother.
The second problem with a lookbook is that it usually shows your whole range. Wholesale buyers want the products that sell well in a physical shop, in quantities you can make again and again. That is often a smaller, tighter set than what you list online.
Now:
A line sheet fixes both problems. It’s a short document, often one to four pages, that lists only the products you’re ready to sell in volume, with every number a buyer needs printed next to each item.
What a Line Sheet Has to Do
Before you open any design tool, decide what the line sheet has to accomplish. A wholesale line sheet for handmade products has three jobs.
- Let the buyer pick products quickly. Each item needs one clear photo, a name, a product code and a one-line description.
- Show the buyer their margin. The wholesale price and the suggested retail price (often shortened to MSRP or SRP) should sit side by side so the buyer can see how much they keep on each sale.
- Set the rules of the order. Minimum order amount, case packs, lead time, payment terms, shipping and reorder terms should all be on the page so the buyer knows what they’re agreeing to.
If a buyer can fill out an order using only your line sheet, it’s doing its job. Every step below works toward that test.
Step-by-Step: Build Your Line Sheet
Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Choose Which Products Go on the Sheet
What: Pick the products you’ll offer wholesale, which is often a subset of what you sell retail.
Why: A shop that orders 24 units of a product will want to reorder it. If you can’t make it again at the same quality and price, it doesn’t belong on the sheet.
How: Start with your best sellers from your shop stats, then cut anything that fails these checks:
- You can make at least two or three times your usual monthly volume without the quality slipping.
- The materials are steady and easy to restock at a predictable cost.
- The product still makes a profit at a wholesale price (Step 2 tests this).
- It survives being handled, displayed and shipped in a box with other units.
One-of-a-kind pieces and heavily personalized items rarely fit wholesale. Keep them in your own shop, where the price can reflect the custom work.
Example: A ceramicist lists 40 items online but chooses eight mugs and four planters for wholesale. The cut items include a sculptural vase that takes two days to make and a glaze she can only buy in small amounts.
If you aren’t sure what sells, check How to Read Shop Stats to Know What’s Selling before picking.
Step 2: Set Wholesale Prices That Still Pay You
What: Set a wholesale price for each product and a suggested retail price for the shop.
Why: Shops resell your work, so they need room between what they pay you and what the customer pays them. A common rule of thumb in retail is that shops roughly double the wholesale price, a markup often called “keystone.” Your wholesale price has to cover your costs and pay you even at that discount.
How: Work it out in this order for each product.
- Add up materials, packaging and your labor per unit at the hourly rate you want to earn.
- Add a share of overhead (studio rent, tools, software, booth fees) per unit.
- Add your profit. The total is your minimum wholesale price.
- Multiply by about two to get a suggested retail price, then check that number against similar items in the shops you’re targeting.
- If the retail price comes out too high for those shops, cut costs or drop the product from the sheet. Don’t quietly accept a wholesale price below your cost.
Keep your own online retail price at or near the suggested retail price you give shops. Buyers notice when your Etsy or Shopify listing undercuts them, and it makes it harder for them to sell your work.
Example: A candle costs $4.50 in wax, fragrance, wick, vessel and label, plus $3.00 in labor and $1.00 in overhead. That’s $8.50 before profit. Adding $2.50 of profit sets the wholesale price at $11.00, and doubling it gives a suggested retail price of $22.00.
For the full method, read How to Price Handmade Products on Etsy (No Underselling) and Wholesale vs Retail Pricing for Marketplace Sellers.
Pricing note: The numbers in this guide are examples only, not financial or tax advice. Your own costs, local sales tax rules and any resale certificate requirements depend on where you and the buyer are located, so check with your state’s tax agency or an accountant before you send your first invoice.
Step 3: Decide Your Order Terms
What: Write down the rules every wholesale order follows.
Why: Clear terms stop the back-and-forth emails and protect you from orders you can’t afford to fill.
How: Decide each of these, then print them on the sheet.
- Opening order minimum. A dollar amount (for example, $150) or a unit count for a first order. Pick a number large enough to make the paperwork and shipping worth it.
- Reorder minimum. Often lower than the opening minimum, to make reorders easy.
- Case packs. The number of units per product a buyer has to order, such as “sold in sets of 6.” Case packs speed up packing and fit how shops display stock.
- Lead time. How long between order and shipment, for example “ships in 2 to 3 weeks.” Base it on your actual production speed, not your best week.
- Payment terms. Many makers ask for payment up front on a first order. Some offer terms like “net 30” (payment due 30 days after the invoice) to repeat accounts once trust is built.
- Shipping. Say who pays shipping and how it’s calculated.
- Damage and returns. Explain how a buyer reports items that arrive broken, and the time window for doing so.
Example: A jewelry maker sets a $200 opening minimum, a $100 reorder minimum, earrings in packs of 4, a 3-week lead time and payment by invoice before shipping on first orders.
If you’re unsure how to phrase terms, the approach in How to Write Shop Policies That Build Buyer Trust works for wholesale terms too.
Step 4: Give Every Product a Code and Spec Line
What: Assign a product code (often called a SKU) to each item and write a short spec line.
Why: Buyers order by code. Codes cut mistakes when a buyer wants “the blue mug, the big one” and you make three blue mugs.
How: Use a simple, readable pattern. For example, MUG-BLU-12 for a 12-ounce blue mug. Then add a spec line for each product:
- Size or dimensions
- Materials or ingredients
- Colors or scents available
- Weight, if it affects shipping
- Care notes, if they matter to the shop
Barcodes: Some shops want a scannable barcode on each product, and others are happy with a hang tag and your code. If a shop asks for UPC barcodes, GS1 US is the official source in the United States. Its get-started guide lists a single GS1 US GTIN at a $30 one-time fee, and a Company Prefix for up to 10 items at $250 up front plus $50 per year. GS1 US also says each variation of each product needs its own unique barcode, so a mug in three colors needs three codes. Prices can change, so check the page before you buy.
Labels for textiles: If you sell clothing or other textile products, the US Federal Trade Commission’s guide Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements explains that textile labels must show fiber content, country of origin, and either the company name or a Registered Identification Number (RN). Shop buyers often look for compliant labels before they stock apparel.
Products for children: The US Consumer Product Safety Commission defines a children’s product as one designed or intended mainly for children 12 or younger. These products must go through third-party testing and have a written Children’s Product Certificate. If you make toys, baby items or kids’ clothing, read the CPSC guidance before you offer them wholesale, because a buyer may ask for that paperwork.
Step 5: Shoot or Choose Clean Product Photos
What: Pick one clear photo per product, plus an optional styled shot for the cover.
Why: Buyers scan line sheets fast. A plain background lets them compare items quickly and see color and shape without distraction.
How:
- Use the same background, lighting and angle for every product on the sheet.
- Show the product at a size that makes the details visible. Small thumbnails make buyers guess.
- Add one styled lifestyle shot on the cover to show how the product looks in use.
- Use photos that show the color accurately. A buyer who receives a different shade than the one pictured may not reorder.
Example: A soap maker photographs each bar on white paper by a north-facing window, with the bar’s label facing the camera so the buyer sees the packaging they will get.
For setup tips, read How to Take Product Photos That Sell on Etsy and Poshmark.
Step 6: Lay Out the Pages
What: Arrange everything into a short, easy-to-scan document.
Why: A messy layout hides your prices. A clean one lets a buyer build an order in a few minutes.
How: Most line sheets follow this order.
- Cover: your shop name, logo, a lifestyle photo, the season or year (for example “Spring 2027”), and your contact details.
- Product pages: a grid of products, usually four to nine per page, each with photo, name, code, spec line, wholesale price, suggested retail price and case pack.
- Terms page: opening and reorder minimums, lead time, payment terms, shipping, damage policy and how to place an order.
- Order form (optional): a table with code, product, case pack, wholesale price, quantity and line total, so buyers can fill it in and send it back.
Keep fonts readable and prices in the same position on every product block. Date the sheet so you and the buyer both know which prices apply.
Step 7: Save, Send and Follow Up
What: Export the sheet and send it to the right person at the shop.
Why: A line sheet that sits in a general inbox, or that’s too big to open, won’t get read.
How:
- Save the sheet as a PDF and keep the file small enough to attach to an email. Compress the photos if needed.
- Name the file clearly, for example “YourShopName-LineSheet-2027.pdf”.
- Find the buyer’s name. Many independent shops list a contact for vendors, or you can ask in person.
- Write a short email: who you are, why your products fit their shop, and one sentence on your best seller. Attach the PDF.
- Follow up once after a week or two if you hear nothing. Then let it go and try the next shop.
Example: A maker who visited a gift shop on a Saturday sends the owner a three-line email on Monday with the line sheet attached and a note that they met at the counter. The owner replies within the week to ask for samples.
If you’re also working with shops on consignment, the pitch steps in How to Sell Handmade Products on Consignment in Local Shops pair well with a wholesale line sheet.
Step 8: Update the Sheet on a Schedule
What: Revise the line sheet when prices, products or terms change.
Why: Shops keep old line sheets and order from them. If your costs rise and your sheet doesn’t, you’re stuck honoring old prices or having an awkward conversation.
How: Review the sheet at least once or twice a year, and any time a material cost jumps. Put the season and date on the cover, mark discontinued items and send current buyers the new version with a short note about what changed.
When you need to raise wholesale prices, the advice in How to Raise Prices on Etsy or Shopify Without Losing Buyers applies to shop buyers as well: give notice, explain briefly, and stand by the new number.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Most line sheet problems come from a handful of repeat mistakes.
1. Pricing wholesale from your retail price backward without checking costs. Halving your Etsy price looks simple, but if your Etsy price was already too low, your wholesale price will lose money. Start from costs, as in Step 2.
2. Listing every product you’ve ever made. A long sheet slows buyers down and commits you to restocking items you can’t make in volume. Ten to twenty strong products usually beat sixty mixed ones.
3. Promising a lead time you can’t hit. A first wholesale order shipped late is often the last one. Time a full batch before you print a lead time, and add a buffer for the week everything goes wrong. How to Batch Handmade Production Without Losing Quality shows how to measure it.
4. Leaving out the suggested retail price. Buyers use the suggested retail price to judge their margin. Without it, they have to guess what the item should sell for.
5. Undercutting your stockists online. If your own shop sells the same item for less than the suggested retail price, shops will notice and stop ordering.
6. Forgetting the date. An undated sheet can float around for years. Always print the season or date on the cover.
7. Sending a file that’s too big to open. A 40 MB PDF may bounce or never get opened on a phone. Compress the images first.
Tools and Resources
You don’t need expensive software to make a line sheet. These options cover most makers.
| Tool or resource | What it does | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Canva | Templates for multi-page PDFs with product grids | Free plan available; paid plans add features |
| Google Docs or Google Slides | Simple layouts you can export to PDF | Free with a Google account |
| Microsoft Word or PowerPoint | Table-based layouts and PDF export | Paid, or free web versions |
| Google Sheets or Excel | A cost and pricing calculator for Step 2, plus the order form | Free (Sheets) or paid (Excel) |
| GS1 US | Official US source for UPC barcodes, if a shop requires them | $30 for a single GTIN, per GS1 US |
| SBA marketing and sales guide | Planning sales methods such as retail and wholesale | Free |
| A PDF compressor | Shrinks the file for email | Free options available |
The US Small Business Administration’s marketing and sales guide suggests listing the sales methods you’ll use, such as retail, wholesale or your own online store, in your sales plan. Writing wholesale into that plan helps you set a budget for samples, postage and trade time.
Your bookkeeping matters here too. Track wholesale orders separately from marketplace sales so you can see which channel pays better. How to Set Up Simple Bookkeeping for Your Marketplace Shop covers a simple system.
Worked Example: A Candle Maker’s First Line Sheet
The scenario below is an illustration built from the steps above, not a submitted seller story.
Before: A candle maker sells about 15 scents online. Two gift shops have asked about carrying the candles. The maker has no wholesale prices and answers each shop with a link to the Etsy shop.
What they do:
- Choose products. They pick the six best-selling scents in the 8-ounce jar, plus two tins. Seasonal scents stay online only.
- Price them. Using the costs from Step 2, the jar wholesales at $11.00 with a $22.00 suggested retail price. Tins cost $5.00 to make, wholesale at $7.00 and carry a $14.00 suggested retail price.
- Set terms. Opening minimum of $150, reorder minimum of $90, candles sold in packs of 4 per scent, a 2-week lead time, and payment before shipping on first orders.
- Code and label. Codes follow the pattern JAR8-LAV and TIN-CED. Both shops are happy with printed codes, so no barcodes are bought yet.
- Photograph. Each candle is shot on the same linen background, plus one cover photo of a lit candle on a shelf.
- Lay out. A three-page PDF: cover, one product page with eight items, and a terms page with an order form.
- Send. Each shop gets a short email with the PDF attached.
The math on a first order: One shop orders four packs of jars (16 jars) and one pack of tins (4 tins). That’s 16 × $11.00 = $176.00 plus 4 × $7.00 = $28.00, for a $204.00 order, which clears the $150 minimum. At the costs above, those 20 units cost $156.00 to make (16 × $8.50 plus 4 × $5.00), leaving $48.00 of profit before shipping.
Result: The maker now answers every wholesale inquiry with the same PDF. Because the prices were built from costs, each wholesale order covers materials, labor and overhead and still earns a profit, even though the per-unit profit is lower than on a retail sale.
That’s the trade with wholesale. You earn less per unit, but you sell more units at once and spend less time on listings and single-order shipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a line sheet for handmade products?
A line sheet is a short document, usually a PDF, that shows shop buyers the products you sell wholesale. Each item lists a photo, name, product code, wholesale price, suggested retail price and order quantity. It also states your order minimums, lead time and payment terms.
How is a line sheet different from a lookbook or catalog?
A lookbook is a visual brand piece with styled photos and few numbers. A line sheet is an ordering tool with prices and terms on every page. Many makers send both, but the line sheet is the one buyers need to place an order.
How do I calculate wholesale prices for handmade goods?
Add your materials, packaging, labor and a share of overhead per unit, then add profit. That total is your minimum wholesale price. Many shops roughly double the wholesale price to set the retail price, so check that the doubled number still fits the shops you’re targeting.
What should my wholesale order minimum be?
Pick an amount that makes the order worth packing and invoicing, and that a small shop can still afford to try. Many makers set a dollar minimum for a first order and a lower minimum for reorders. Adjust it after a few orders based on what buyers actually spend.
Do I need barcodes on my products to sell wholesale?
Not always. Some independent shops are fine with your own product codes on hang tags, while larger retailers may require UPC barcodes. In the United States, GS1 US is the official source, and its get-started guide lists a single GTIN at a $30 one-time fee.
How many products should be on my first line sheet?
Start small. Ten to twenty products you can make reliably in volume is a workable first range for most makers. You can add products in the next season’s sheet once you know what shops reorder.
What payment terms should I offer shop buyers?
Many makers ask for payment before shipping on a first order, then offer terms such as net 30 to repeat accounts. Net 30 means payment is due 30 days after the invoice date. Only offer terms you can afford to wait on.
How long does it take to make a line sheet?
If your product photos and costs are ready, a simple line sheet can come together in a day or two using a template. Most of the time goes into working out prices and terms, not the design.
What software can I use to make a line sheet?
Canva, Google Slides, Google Docs, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint can all export a multi-page PDF. Use a spreadsheet such as Google Sheets or Excel for the pricing math and order form.
Should my online retail price match my suggested retail price?
Yes, keep them the same or very close. If your own shop sells the item for less than the price you suggest to stockists, shops lose sales to you and often stop reordering.
How often should I update my line sheet?
Review it at least once or twice a year, and any time your material costs rise. Date the cover so buyers know which version they have, and send active buyers the new sheet when prices or products change.
Can I sell wholesale while still selling on Etsy or other marketplaces?
Yes, many makers do both. Keep enough stock or production time for each channel, track wholesale orders separately in your books, and keep marketplace prices at or near your suggested retail price.
Key Takeaways
- A line sheet is an ordering tool, so every product needs a photo, code, wholesale price, suggested retail price and case pack.
- Build wholesale prices up from costs, not down from your retail price.
- Put only products you can remake in volume on the sheet.
- Print your minimums, lead time, payment terms and shipping rules on the page.
- Keep your own retail prices at or near the suggested retail price you give shops.
- Date every version and update it when costs change.
The Bottom Line
Start with the pricing spreadsheet. Work out costs and a wholesale price for each product you might offer, and drop anything that doesn’t make a profit at that price. Then write your terms, shoot matching photos and lay it all out in a free template.
Once the PDF is done, pick three local shops that already carry handmade goods and send each a short, personal email with the sheet attached. Track what they order and reorder, and use that to shape next season’s sheet.
Ready to run the numbers? Start with the pricing method in How to Calculate True Profit Margins After Marketplace Fees, then come back and build your first sheet.
If you’ve sold handmade work wholesale and learned something the hard way, submit your story so other sellers can learn from it.
Related Articles
- Wholesale vs Retail Pricing for Marketplace Sellers: how wholesale and retail prices relate and where each makes sense
- How to Sell Handmade Products on Consignment in Local Shops: the other common way to get into local shops
- How to Prep Your Shop for Craft Fairs and Pop-Up Markets: where many makers first meet shop buyers in person
About This Research
Chloe Cruz is the editor of Crafter Story and has spent four years writing about eCommerce.
This guide was put together from the US government and standards-body pages linked in the text: GS1 US’s get-started guide for barcode pricing, the FTC’s textile labeling guide, the CPSC’s children’s products page and the SBA’s marketing and sales guide, all checked in November 2026. The pricing and order examples are illustrations, not data from a specific shop. Crafter Story is an independent publication and is not affiliated with any marketplace, and this guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
Content reviewed and updated: 2026-11-10
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