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Commission Management for Makers
Commission management for makers who build custom work
Commission management covers the full lifecycle from client inquiry through quoting, building, approval gates, and delivery. Costumary's Studio tier ($19/mo) gives makers an intake form, quote builder, client portal, approval workflow, and pipeline view so nothing slips through the cracks between 'yes I'll take your commission' and 'it's in the mail.'
Every build, remembered
Project reference group
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Fabric
Detail
Foam
Build note
Front trim needs sealing before paint. Match fabric edge to the darker swatch.
Seal foam edges
Log fit test
Add material cost
Material Sheets 6mm
Synced to materials and budget
$12.99
Ask with project context
Costumary workspace demo showing four core features:
- Reference board: drag and drop character images, group by costume piece, add color swatches, notes, and checklists
- Materials tracker: list supplies with costs, stores, quantities, and order status. Live budget totals update as you add items
- Project timeline: plan milestones for patterning, construction, painting, fitting, and packing with convention deadline tracking
- Build diary: log progress with photos, notes, and technique records. Track what worked, what failed, and what to try next time
Overwhelmed? Start with a template.
Each template comes with milestones, starter materials, and a timeline. Skip the blank page and start building today.
Yuji Itadori
~3wJujutsu High's unassuming sorcerer-in-training: the pink-and-black undercut wig, white school uniform, and subtle Sukuna curse marks. The wig styling is the make-or-break challenge—it needs proper teasing, gel, and heat-setting to hold spikes through a con day. 4 components, 10 materials, 3-4 weeks, $75-150.
10 milestones·10 materials·$75-150·
Use templateAnya Forger
~3wSpy x Family's telepathic kid in the Eden Academy uniform. The build is a black A-line dress with gold scalloped trim, a white Peter Pan collar, a red bow, and a pink wig with horn clips. It looks simple, but the wig quality, horn stability, and trim finish are where beginners hit walls. This template covers 6 components, 10 materials, a 10-step build plan, and a $40 to $120 budget across 3 weeks.
11 milestones·13 materials·$40-120·
Use templateMomo Ayase
~3wMomo Ayase from Dandadan in her signature school uniform: pastel pink sweater, white shirt with red bow tie, and navy pleated skirt. This is a beginner-friendly build that comes together fast, with most pieces thriftable, but three details make it read as Momo: the wig bangs, green earrings, and the exact sweater shade. The wig styling is the hardest part, the earrings are a fun DIY, and the rest is shopping. Includes 8 components, 12 materials, a 10-step plan, and a 3-week, $85 to $225 budget.
10 milestones·12 materials·$85-225·
Use templateThe commission lifecycle most makers handle manually
A typical commission flows through inquiry, quoting, deposit, building (with WIP approvals), final approval, remaining payment, and shipping. Most makers track this across DMs, spreadsheets, PayPal notifications, and memory. It works until it doesn't.
- Intake: client fills out a form with project details, references, and budget.
- Quote: maker sends itemized pricing with materials, labor, and scope terms.
- Build: milestones with WIP photos and approval gates before each phase.
- Delivery: final approval, remaining payment, shipping with tracking.
Where commission management breaks down
The most common failures are scope creep (client asks for extras not in the quote), stale queues (months pass with no client updates), payment gaps (deposit received, final payment never collected), and burnout from managing communication across platforms.
What a commission management tool should do
At minimum: intake forms, quote templates, milestone tracking with photo uploads, client-facing portal for progress viewing, payment status tracking, and a pipeline view of all active commissions. Costumary's Studio tier covers all of these. The free commission tracker covers pipeline basics.
Frequently
asked questions.
Keep learning
Next steps, deeper guides, and free tools to help you build.
Commission Pricing Without Losing Money
The formula for pricing craft commissions so you don't end up working for $4/hour.
Commission Payment Tracking
How to track deposits, milestones, and final payments without losing money.
Commission Tracker
Free pipeline tracker for commissions from inquiry to payment.
Commission Calculator
Calculate materials, labor, and overhead for commission pricing.
Upcoming conventions
Plan your build around a real deadline. Find dates, checklists, and budget estimates.