Craft Inventory Tracker, Count Supplies Before Reordering
By the Brainfy Studio editorial team · Published
A craft inventory tracker records the supplies you have before you buy more. Use consistent material names, units and storage locations. Keep raw supplies separate from finished products so making an item moves materials out of one record and adds a finished item to another. Begin with the supplies you reorder most often.
Give similar supplies distinct identities
Create a supply code for each material that you need to distinguish. Two fabrics with different colours or widths should not share a balance simply because both are cotton. Include the material name, unit, variant and storage location. Keep the code stable even when you move the box.
Choose a base unit such as metres, grams or individual pieces. Record both package quantity and conversion when you buy in packs. If a pack contains twenty beads, three packs add sixty beads. Do not mix pack counts and individual counts in the same balance.
Record stock movements consistently
Start with a physical count. Add purchases and subtract material used, discarded or transferred elsewhere. If a count differs from the recorded balance, write down the adjustment and reason. A brief note about a damaged pack is more useful than changing a number with no record.
Set your own minimum quantity based on upcoming projects, storage and supplier lead time. Reaching the minimum prompts a review, not an automatic order. Check whether a planned project has changed before replenishing supplies that you may no longer need.
Keep stock counts separate from product pricing
Inventory answers how much material is available. Product costing answers how much a finished item consumes and costs. Connect the two with the supply code and unit, but keep the calculations distinct. A stock purchase is not automatically the material cost of a single finished product.
If costs change between purchases, choose a costing method you understand and apply it consistently. The simple example below uses one unit price for all beads. It does not model different purchase batches, accounting valuation or tax treatment.
Build a short review routine
Before ordering, count the supplies on your next project list. Check locations, units and outstanding orders. Count again after a production run if usage was uncertain. Avoid recording the same incoming shipment when it is ordered and again when it arrives.
The paid Craft Inventory Tracker is an XLSX download with Start Here, Supplies and Lists sheets. It is separate from the Handmade Product Cost Calculator. The workflow on this page is free to read and can also be used in a blank list. No supplier integration, barcode scanner or automatic purchasing is included.
Worked example, bead stock for a production run
A fictional maker counts individual beads. Every bead in this example has a recorded unit cost of $0.08.
| Movement | Quantity change | Balance |
|---|---|---|
| Opening count | 120 | 120 |
| Purchase, 3 packs of 20 | +60 | 180 |
| Used, 6 bracelets of 12 | −72 | 108 |
| Damaged beads | −3 | 105 |
The closing balance is 120 + 60 − 72 − 3 = 105 beads. At the single example unit cost, the remaining supplies total 105 × $0.08 = $8.40. If the chosen target is 160 beads, the shortfall is 55 beads. Three packs of twenty supply sixty beads, taking stock to 165.
Before you finish
- Assign material codes and units.
- Convert packs to the base unit.
- Record usage and damaged quantities.
- Check open orders before reordering.
- Keep finished product counts separate from raw supplies.
Brainfy files for this task
Checked against the files customers download. Prices are current catalogue prices.
Craft Inventory Tracker (Paid — $9.00)
XLSX · 1 file · sheets: Start Here, Supplies, Lists
A paid XLSX file with Start Here, Supplies and Lists sheets. It is a supply record, separate from product pricing and finished-goods records. No automatic purchasing or supplier data connection is included.
Questions
Does the tracker calculate my selling price?
Use a product costing process for selling prices. This workbook organizes supplies. The related handmade pricing guide covers materials, labour, overhead and fees.
Can I count part of a pack?
Yes, if you use a consistent base unit and mark estimates. Count metres rather than mixing full rolls with unmeasured offcuts.
Is the craft inventory download free?
No. The Craft Inventory Tracker is a paid XLSX file. The guide and example are free to read.
Sources and method
The workflow and fictional example are original Brainfy Studio editorial examples. File names, formats and sheet names were checked against the published-product snapshot dated 8 November 2026. The linked source is a related resource, not an endorsement of this product.
- Inventory Templates — Vertex42
