How do I handle size requests from buyers?

List size as a variant on Etsy: 0-3 months, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, 12-18, 18-24. Buyer picks at checkout. Stock 2 to 3 of each size so you can fulfill within normal turnaround. 6-9 and 12-18 months are the most common baby shower sizes.

Why are onesies higher margin than adult tees?

Smaller surface means less vinyl and less ink. Blanks are cheaper per unit. But retail price does not scale down proportionally because gift-market buyers pay close to adult-tee prices. The combination drives margin 5 to 10 points higher on onesies.

Can I personalize onesies with names?

Yes, and name-customized onesies are the single highest-converting variant on Etsy in the onesie category. List a base design as "Add your name" and buyers convert at 2x to 3x the rate of non-personalized. Worth the extra minute of typesetting.

How do I price a 3-onesie set for twins or siblings?

Bundle pricing. List 3 matching onesies at $48 to $55, which is $16 to $18 per onesie versus the $22 single-price. Buyers feel they get a discount, you clear $9 to $12 profit per onesie on the batch.

Sublimation blank reference

Baby Onesie Sublimation Cost

Written by Maya Reeves. Reviewed 2026-04-21.

Blank cost

$3.00 to $4.50 depending on size and blend

Retail range

$16 to $26 retail at 60% to 80% margin

Production time

7 to 10 active minutes per onesie

Baby onesies are the strongest gift-market product in craft sublimation. Baby showers happen constantly, grandmothers order custom, and the average order value is higher than adult tees because buyers include a gift card and sometimes a matching bib or blanket. A shop that can produce a quality custom onesie has a steady gift revenue stream most shops miss.

Economics are friendly. Blanks are cheaper than adult tees because less fabric, so margins come in higher. The downside is quantity per batch is lower because onesies come in narrow size runs (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, 12-18, 18-24 months) and buyers specify size.

This page covers onesie pricing for both sublimation (polyester onesies) and HTV (cotton onesies). Most shops run HTV for hand-feel since babies touch fabric directly.

Step 1 of 4: Product

Presets

Product and materials

Start with what the item costs you before you touch it. Blank, paper, ink, and anything else you squeeze into the box.

Blank type

Pick the closest blank to auto-fill average costs. You can override each one below.

Blank cost

What you pay your supplier per unit.

Paper cost per sheet

A-Sub, TruePix, or whatever brand you use.

Ink cost per print

Cartridge or ink bottle cost divided by prints per fill.

Other materials

Tape, shrink wrap, butcher paper, lint roller. Per unit.

Step 1 of 4

What a custom onesie actually costs to produce

Blank cost is $3.00 to $4.50 for Bella+Canvas 100B infant onesie in cotton, $3.50 to $5.00 for Rabbit Skins or American Apparel cotton onesies. Polyester onesies for sublimation (Vapor brand, JPG brands) run $4.50 to $6.00 and are mandatory if you are sublimating.

Vinyl or ink: HTV at $0.70 per chest design (less vinyl because smaller surface). Sublimation at $0.85 per onesie ink cost plus paper $0.20. Packaging for gift market often includes a small card, bringing other-materials to $0.30.

Active labor: design 10 to 15 minutes single (amortized for batch), 3 to 4 minutes weeding (smaller design), 2 to 3 press, 2 pack. Total 17 to 24 minutes single, 7 to 9 batched across 12 onesies. Gift-market sellers often batch because one baby shower buys 3 to 6 onesies at once.

Full per-onesie cost breakdown (HTV)

Cotton onesie $3.50, vinyl $0.70, packaging $0.30. Materials $4.50. Labor on 18 min single = $7.50. Overhead $0.30. Total $12.30.

At 65% margin retail $20.30. Most Etsy onesies sit $18 to $24. Bulk of 6 onesies for a baby shower prices per-unit at $16 to $18 since design amortizes.

Worked example: pricing a custom baby shower onesie

Bella 100B cotton onesie $3.50. Siser EasyWeed HTV 0.2 yards at $3/yd = $0.60. Packaging $0.30. Materials $4.40. 15 min design, 3 weed, 3 press = 21 min labor. $25/hr = $8.75. Overhead $0.30. Total $13.45.

At 65% margin retail $22.19. List at $22 with $5 shipping. Gross $27. Etsy fees $2.70. Shipping label $4 (onesies are light). Net $7.85, or 29% net. Strong.

For a 6-onesie baby shower gift set, design amortizes to $1 per onesie. Per-unit cost drops to $7.00. Bulk pricing at $16 each, $96 for the set. Net after fees $10 per onesie. Bulk shower sets are the best margin product in onesies.

Where to buy onesie blanks

Bella+Canvas 100B is the retail-preferred cotton onesie, stocked at S&S Activewear and SanMar. Rabbit Skins 4400 is the budget cotton option at $2.50 to $3.25 per unit. American Apparel 4001 sits mid-range with softer hand-feel.

For sublimation you need polyester-coated onesies. Vapor Apparel and SubliCase carry specialty polyester infant onesies for sublimation. Prices run $1 to $2 above cotton equivalents. Sublimation onesies make sense only if you are doing full-wrap designs that cotton HTV cannot match.

FAQs

Sources

Bella+Canvas 100B product page, bellacanvas.com, reviewed 2026-04-21.
S&S Activewear infant onesie wholesale, ssactivewear.com, reviewed 2026-04-21.
Rabbit Skins 4400 pricing, Jiffy Shirts, reviewed 2026-04-21.
Vapor Apparel polyester onesie catalog, vaporapparel.com, reviewed 2026-04-21.
Siser EasyWeed pricing, heattransferwarehouse.com, reviewed 2026-04-21.

Need the full sublimation pricing tool? The main calculator covers every blank with full preset options. For fee math on the final retail price, use the Etsy fee calculator.