There are many items that you can sell online for extra income. These business ideas can help you get started with earning money by shelling out a little capital.
Don’t worry because if you are not artistic or do not have enough technical knowledge, I included some items you can still sell.
Moreover, these items are sought after by many people on various platforms like Etsy, Pinterest, Google Trends, and Shopping Analytics. They are also profitable once you know how to approach these business ventures properly.
If people told you that you couldn’t make money with arts, prove them wrong with the success story of individuals that pursued creativity and business at the same time.
Brandon Bechtel made 1 million dollars from making candles.
Mike Pasley made $700,000 from his apparel brand in its first year of business operations.
Alex Moore earns at least $3000 a month for selling rustic, outdoor, and nature-themed pieces of jewelry for men.
Teen sisters Caroline and Isabel Bercaw earn $20 million every year for selling bath bombs.
Many people may spend money on different crafts you may offer. If you hit the jackpot item, then it’s going to rain money.
These ideas may be little, but there’s no telling how profitable they can be in the long run.
Related: Top things you can sell on Etsy and make money.
Best Things To Make And Sell For Extra Money
Personalized Gifts
People like giving personalized gifts because they are different from other items you can just buy anywhere.
In a survey, consumers prefer personalized service, and they are willing to spend more for it. They find the lack of customized options by big retailers as unimpressive.
It leaves small businesses the opportunity to make up for the big retailers’ lacking charms and use the chance to make more money.
Consider adding customs name engraves or thank you notes on your handmade crafts to turn them more memorable.
Curated Gift Boxes
This idea is for those who have little talent in the arts but has a keen eye for aesthetic and creative items.
Products that you can use for pampering yourself have been popular since 2014. By now, you can tell that this is a popular item to create a curated gift box.
People use curated gift boxes as a gift, weekly reward, or souvenir. It has brought a drastic increase in sales on the Etsy webpage.
When you’re in a rush to grab a gift for someone, you can always opt for personalized gift ideas because they still give off a unique vibe to the receiver.
These gifts are not just for the bare thought of giving, but it’s a reminder that they remember you and care for you.
Another great thing about curated gift boxes is you can always change things up in your package. Include products depending on the season or the trend, and don’t limit your ideas on humans.
Create gift boxes even for pets. You can gather cute accessories for dogs, cats, fish, birds, and other pets. More people look for pet gift boxes, too.
Wellness items arranged in a basket can be luxurious; therefore, they are more expensive. It is a great way to earn a large amount of money to make up to $100 per box.
Offer this idea as a part of your services so you can maximize your earnings.
You can shell out a small capital to make you at least ten curated gift boxes and sell them as ready-made products.
Arranging baskets can be more tiresome to do, but gift boxes have their strength in this field.
You can set your gift boxes all at once, with the same sizes that make the shipping and delivery process more manageable.
Ceramics And Pottery
Ceramics are consistent best-selling items. They are not the easiest craft to make, but it is the easiest to sell. Many people like ceramics and pottery for their collections or personal use.
There are various ceramics sellers with sold-out products because of their approach to the market. Some potters choose a theme for their work and promote it to people who like that theme.
To distinguish your ceramics’ style from other competitors, you have to create unique designs instead of joining the mainstream styles.
Use your humor to create phrases, quotes, or memes that you can include in your product. You can also design career-based or hobby-based ceramics and souvenirs or collection-worthy mugs.
It may not be the simplest and fastest item to make, but it does not need you a grand space to start working on it.
You can use polymer clays or concrete to start projects as a beginner in the ceramics and pottery industry.
Related: Strategies to help you save money and live a better life
Woodwork Goods
You may think that woodwork is labor-intensive and requires in-depth knowledge to create one craft. It’s true, but this type of art is still popular among people.
Simpler items like mug coasters or small ornaments sell best on Etsy. They are either for decoration, gifts, or hobbyists.
Since this business idea requires specific skills, buyers expect that the items will cost more because they pay for things that are not common in the marketplace.
Jewelry
Many people are not just interested in wearing handmade jewelry. They are slowly taking an interest in making it.
You can buy kits for creating jewelry at an affordable price. The kits usually have gemstones, beads, and wires that can help you curate your handmade jewelry.
The era of fashion and people’s interests change over time, so it’s best to keep up with the trends and follow fashion icons to know what style you should pursue.
Jewelry is either easy or difficult to make. It all depends on the design you aim to make.
Think about what people would prefer: minimalist or fancy?
Knowing which of these options catches the target market’s interest, you can now determine how and when you’ll create your jewelry collection.
Related: Ideas to make $2000 this year
Enamel Pins
It seems like the younger generation always has new “it” items. Enamel pins are popular among the youngsters and remarkably profitable.
You can be the designer of your enamel pins. Come up with designs that people like, in trend, cute, and unique. Then, work with a manufacturer that can make your design into an actual enamel pin piece.
If you know-how, you can design it yourself. But if you want to hire someone to create your designs into reality, you can hire someone to do it for you.
When you complete the design, you need to search for a manufacturer. Ask for their sample works, identify your preferred materials, make the minimum pieces, and negotiate with the budget.
Bath Bombs
Self-care is viral nowadays that even bath bombs are becoming a new best-selling item. It is an ideal item to make you money, just like Lush, who became a multi-million dollar company by selling bath bombs.
Bath bombs became famous during 2015 and continue to improve in sales until now. Lush sold over 21 million bath bombs during 2017, according to Fast Company.
We usually use soap bars for bathing, but bath bombs gave a new experience of taking a bath. It’s creative, fragrant, and unique that it immediately became a best-seller among bath products.
Many people are starting their bath bomb business. You have to be extra and think of something creative to add to the typical bath bomb.
If you look through Google Trends, you’ll see that bath bombs are at their peak during December. This data gives you the idea that bath bombs sell the most during Holidays.
You may want to take advantage of this season and create Christmas-themed bath bombs.
Similar to other business ideas, making bath bombs is either simple or complicated. It depends on how you would like your bath bomb to come out.
It can be glittery or simplistic, and make them with herbs or oils. It depends on your creativity and the people’s interest.
You can also conceptualize a bath bomb for people with sensitive skin. These bath bombs are currently in trend now.
Bath bombs are one of the easiest crafts to make that can earn you cash. If you’re a beginner in the DIY world, then this idea is for you.
You just need to invest in a bath bond mold to produce bath bombs. You can sell them for at least $7 each, which makes this an excellent business idea.
Candles
As mentioned in the introduction, even a 17-year-old can make millions from the candle business. Brandon Bechtel made almost a million in revenue, and his company was just two years old at that time.
The candle industry in the U.S. is worth $3.2 billion. According to this data, selling candles’ profit margin is from $10 to $30 each.
Candles are another easy craft to make. Anyone can pull off a good candle just by watching DIY tutorials, even if you’re a beginner.
Usually, you can make candles by melting and pouring. You don’t need to have master skills in candle making.
Also, include safety labeling on your candles. Because of the fire hazard that comes with it, protect your business by setting up warnings to avoid lawsuits.
You can start your candle business with just $200.
Bar Soaps
Another wellness product that is a consistent best seller is soaps. The handmade soaps, in particular, have been a crowd favorite.
If you’re starting a bar soap business, it is efficient because you can make it in batches and retail for $5 and more, depending on its benefits.
The bar soap industry is a growing market. In Fortune Business Insights data, the soap industry is to project $55 million value by 2027.
Just like with bath bombs, you need to be thorough with the ingredients you will use. Make sure that they are safe for the skin.
Also, the workstation for the production of soaps must be sanitized and meet health standards.
Organic Cosmetics
People are now switching to organic cosmetics that use natural ingredients safe for humans and the environment. This change proves that most cosmetics users are more aware of the chemicals added to some top brands’ products.
A company that used pure ingredients to create a cosmetic brand is Simple Skincare. They target markets with sensitive skin which needs safe skincare products.
It takes time to create your organic cosmetics brands because you need planning on the formula, appearance, branding, and things. It is important to emphasize that you have to be careful about the recipes of your products.
As long as you hit the correct formula, people will love your products and support your growing business.
Cupcakes & Cakes
Do you have skills in baking? Make use of those skills and sell your goods. People always love sweets like cupcakes, cakes, and cookies.
Most people still prefer homemade goods because they have fewer preservatives and are more memorable than factory-made ones.
You can choose where to market your goods. It can be for special events, celebrations, catering, and even gift baskets.
But as sweet as the business could be, some aspects need to be considered: expiration dates, health standards, labeling, legalities, etc.
Before starting this business, check its feasibility. Take this step to ensure that you are not wasting ingredients and maintaining your food quality.
If you think creating cupcakes and cakes will not work for you, you can also try teaching others to bake. Create courses that guide people to bake online like Teachable.
Sweets and Treats
Since we’re talking about food, why not make money from sweets? Many businesses became successful with selling sweets and treats.
Sweets in the City offer various sweets and even personalize them for gifts. Its owner is now a famous business icon and even added retro-themed candies in their selections.
If you can choose a specific niche to focus on, you can slim the chances of having big competitors.
For example, create vegan sweets that target people who consume plant-based goods. Naturally, people expect to pay a bit more for these products so you’ll profit more.
Also, remember to check the requirements and qualifications in selling sweets and treats.
Arts & Printables
Do you enjoy painting or creating artworks? Do you also like playing around with photoshop and making digital artworks? Then this idea can be your path to a great income source.
You can either try selling traditional artworks or digital artworks or maybe both! You can create a unique spin to the two niches and form a collection.
You can sell them on art fairs or exhibits and e-commerce sites like Etsy. Your artworks’ digital version can sell as stock photos, or card designs, and a lot more.
Online Courses
Courses are still a form of craft. Especially now that e-learning platforms like Thinkific, Podia, and Teachable are very famous, you can sell courses online and improve their knowledge and skills on a particular aspect.
Since we mentioned that online courses are hot right now, there can be saturation in the industry. You can earn quickly with this business, but you have to stand out among other classes.
People who enroll in online courses look for someone credible. People need to trust you and your credentials for them to buy your course.
You cannot establish your reputation to be trustworthy overnight, but it’s going to be worth it in the end.
If you think your course is useful and unique, give it a shot. Mommy Labor Nurse offers courses that help first-time moms and even current moms on giving birth.
According to its owner, she earned $13,000 during her first course.
Remember that these stories are not one-shot that happened in one sitting. Successful people took months to build their brand, and it shows how much they earn from it.
Digital Goods
Start making money from selling digital goods. All you need is basic photoshop or editing skills.
Or you can also start designing through Canva, a very easy-to-navigate graphic design platform.
Who needs digital products? There are invitation cards, wall decoration, posters, and a whole lot more. Not everyone has the skill to design, but if you luckily have it, capitalize from it.
Another great thing about making and selling digital goods is you don’t need to allot physical storage for them. You can save it online and continue creating designs.
If you have a site or page for your digital goods business, try investing in software that sends your products to your customers like SendOwl.
In case you don’t have a website, you can still promote your business online. Use Etsy, Sellfy, or Shopify to list your digital products to widen your market.
You can even consider it as a passive income source as long as you have the right approach.
Custom Printed Merchandise
Here’s another idea for those who don’t feel like doing any labor-intensive crafts, don’t have a workstation or space for storing products. Custom printed merchandise is the best-selling business that doesn’t need to be physical.
You can start this business through the print-on-demand method. It allows you to create the printed merchandise like t-shirts or mugs without buying the resources.
Check out Printify that prints your design on the specific product asked, then ships it to you. You can create your designs on Canva, Photoshop, or other software for designing.
This business lets you earn up to 40% profit margin by just creating designs for printed merchandise.
Furthermore, print on demand is useful for people who want to make money but don’t have a bank account.
Printed merchandise is easy to make and sell. Just invest in some necessary graphic designing skills and be creative. The more quirky your design is, the more it will stand out.
Printed Stickers
Necessary skills in designing and crafts are all you need to start a sticker business. It is profitable, easy, and enjoyable to do.
Of course, you’ll need to shell out money for some materials you’ll need. Cricut machines, sticker papers, and an account on graphic design software are some of them.
If you look through the internet or even on Pinterest, you’ll see that many are interested in stickers.
Usually, people use stickers to design their gadgets, notebooks, tumblers, and other personal belongings with something special to them. Therefore, they look for stickers that can be customized or have exciting designs.
Pet Supplies
In a study conducted, the pet industry will be at $269 billion by 2025. So ride the wave and start crafting pet supplies and accessories to earn more money.
You can choose from a wide variety of pet supplies like treats, toys, collars, leashes, and other items that can be handmade to sell online.
Pet lovers worldwide love treating their fur babies with the most unique and cutest goods, and the case study very well displayed it.
With more pet owners raising awareness of what food their pets eat, they switch to natural and healthy treats. So this insight can give you something to focus on when entering the industry.
Just ensure that anything that pets can ingest must undergo research and trial to keep them safe from harmful materials.
How Can I Sell Things To Make Money?
You’ve come this far, and you may wonder how to sell things to make money. Like any other business, you can’t be successful overnight. Well, unless you got lucky and woke up with thousands of dollars in your bank account.
Most businesses that sell handmade crafts earn up to 4 figures from at least half a year of starting.
If we have to consider things that can help us earn fast, these two can help:
- Choice of product- Is the product easy to produce?
- Approach to pricing products
Even if you are new in this small online business, you can earn money in your first two months of operation. If you can mass produce your items, then the better.
As much as possible, avoid items that take time to produce. Running a business will make you realize that items created quickly are better products.
Remember that you also have to consider your customer’s behavior towards purchasing. If they cannot have their items quickly on time, they can grow impatient and turn away from your business.
If it has a unique factor that makes it stand out from competitors, then increase your cost. People always pay for something that can guarantee excellent quality.
Some business owners are afraid to increase their prices because they think that people will favor the competitors. Never undercharge your products because they are from hard work, and you deserve to profit from them.
To price your products:
- Compute the total costs you spent on creating the items.
- Include everything from the materials, paper works, and fees you paid.
- From there, set your profit margin.
Profit margins vary from item to item, but you can set an average of thirty to forty percent range of profit margin. If you can charge higher, then the more you’ll earn.
How To Start A Profitable Craft Shop Online?
Choose Your Items To Sell
Hopefully, the list above has given you an idea of what could be the perfect products to sell on your online craft shop.
Don’t just focus on the profit-making aspect, but also evaluate if making these crafts motivates you.
These are things you should consider when picking your products:
- Choose items that people want but are not common in the market.
- Introduce a unique and appealing product that people will like rather than supplementing what they’re finding.
Aside from these things, don’t forget to:
- Create your spin on the products.
- Make crafts that you like doing.
Here you have the ideal formula for a selling product.
Choose a Creative Shop Name
Your shop’s name is one of the most critical parts of your business. It is your branding, your marketing strategy, and the key to business growth.
Choose an original name for your shop. Let your creativity help you think of a catchy and unique business name. Sometimes, the weird names get recognized more.
Sign Up On Online Selling Site
If you start a small business, you know that even a tiny amount of money is valuable. Platforms like Etsy, Sellfy, and Shopify, and even your website can altogether help you sell your products well.
Etsy charges you only $0.20 for each product listing and other taxes. But since Etsy has a large audience of over 300 million people, your sales will outweigh the fees you need to pay.
Meanwhile, Shopify only starts charging you monthly fees when you’re ready to sell. So creating your seller account is free. Shopify store conversions rates are highly improved with the Debutify theme. Debutify also offers free 14 days trial.
Start Selling
Once you’ve prepped your shop, you can start selling now. You can continue advertising your products even when you are selling already.
Where To Sell Your Crafts Online?
Amazon Handmade
Sell your handmade products from jewelry, home decor, accessories, and any craft to earn money from Amazon’s large audience.
Etsy
It is another e-commerce site that promotes handmade crafts, vintage goods, and other artistic goods.
ICraft
Sell your personalized merchandise and other customized products on this site.
Hyena Cart
You can try advertising your products here for all things that are organic, natural, vegan, and eco-friendly.
Zibbet
Zibbet is a new e-commerce site for artworks and crafts by creative sellers.
Aftcra
For U.S. citizens, Aftcra promotes handmade products by local artisans.
Handmadeology Market
It is another online marketplace where you can sell handmade goods.
Teachable
You can sell them on Teachable for your online courses, which is popular among online business platforms.
Where To Sell Your Crafts Offline?
Aside from selling online, you can also reach potential customers from your local area. You can promote your crafts here:
- Small Shop looking for handmade suppliers
- Craft and Art Fairs
- Local Craftworks and Art Galleries
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Starting A Craft Business?
Crafts business is an attractive concept for most entrepreneurs. However, it would help if you got yourself prepared for these things:
Pros:
- You work when it’s possible for you.
- You only have to interact with your customers.
- You manage your brand and products.
- You can earn a lot from mass-produced products.
- It can be a source of extra income, and if successful, it may be a full-time income.
- You get to use your creativity to make new things.
- Owning a business is rewarding.
Cons:
- It can be lonesome when working.
- You have to spend on the business capital.
- The business can be hectic and tiring.
- You must know essential details of tax laws.
- The fate of the company may burden you with pressure.
- You have to keep paying for labeling, website, fees, etc.
- You have to face displeased customers or scammers.
How Do I Make Crafts To Sell As A Beginner?
It’s straightforward to gather information and learn it. Thanks to the Internet, it is easier to figure out things when you are an amateur in the craft industry.
Before deciding on the products you’d like to sell, I suggest watching video tutorials on Youtube. It can help you determine whether the item you chose is in your interest and doable.
If you don’t like small and detailed items, then crafts like embroidery, jewelry, etc., may not be the best option for you.
However, if you love to design and use Photoshop, digital products are the best business idea.
What Are The Best Selling Handmade Crafts?
Frequently check which items are in demand and trending. You can use sites like Google Trends and Pinterest to see what people search most and when. You can also check Etsy and Amazon Homemade to know the best sellers.
Pinterest provides you accurate data so you can monitor the trends within the year. Analyze the data to help you decide which products to sell.
Conclusion
We’ve reached the end of the guide, and I hope that this answered questions you have about things to make and sell.
Hopefully, you found what business idea is best for you to plan your online craft shop easily.
These options do not necessarily mean you should limit yourself to one product to sell.
You can mix a bit of this and that to your business idea, like digital and actual items, so your shop can keep up with the market and sell consistently.
