Costing, Packaging and Presentation of Finished Products
Marks here come from arithmetic and presentation discipline: a correct costing sheet, a sensible price, and packaging that protects the piece.
Costing formula
Total cost = direct material + consumables + direct labour + overhead + packaging.
- Direct material: what you paid, or a fair market value for donated waste.
- Consumables: glue, paint, sandpaper, varnish, thread, blades - always forgotten.
- Labour: hours × a realistic rate; a candidate's time is not free.
- Overhead: rent, electricity, tool depreciation - usually 10–15 per cent of material plus labour.
- Add 5–10 per cent for wastage. Selling price = total cost + profit margin, typically 20–30 per cent.
Worked example
A batch of eight pen stands. Materials ₹160 (glue 60, paint 80, varnish 20). Labour 4 hours at ₹50 = ₹200. Overhead 10 per cent of (160 + 200) = ₹36. Packaging 8 × ₹10 = ₹80. Total ₹476, so ₹59.50 per unit. Price at ₹75, giving about a 26 per cent margin. Reasoning: the waste material was free, but the processing time was not - costing only materials sells the work below cost.
Packaging
Protect corners, stop movement inside the box, add a moisture barrier in monsoon, use corrugated board and paper fill. Label with product name, materials used, care instructions, maker name and contact, and "handmade from upcycled material".
Presentation
Photograph on a plain background with a scale reference, write a short story card explaining the source material, attach a price tag, and build a portfolio or WhatsApp catalogue. At an exhibition use two or three height levels and good light.
Traps
Forgetting labour and consumables; pricing by guesswork against a neighbour's stall; oversized packaging that lets the item rattle; no care label; photographing in dim light against clutter.