Do you enjoy making crafts as a hobby and want to make money from it?
Getting paid for your crafts and making a full time income from it is totally doable.
I only ever made crafts with cricut for my kids to play with and never thought of it as a lucrative hobby. Not until I started spending a lot of time on Etsy and saw that the very things I made casually at home are being sold to thousands of people.
So today in this post, I’ll show you how you can make money from your hobby of crafting. Not just by selling. I’ll review 4 other ways to turn your hobby into a full-pay earning venture.
Sounds great? Keep reading.
What you need to monetise your crafting
The great thing about crafting is that monetising your crafts requires low start up costs. You probably already have cutters, woodwork equipments, crochet pins, candle making moulds, soap moulds, a printer or a cricut depending on your craft. You’ll just need to make sure you have a great camera to take pictures or videos. You can either use your smartphone or this really affordable but high quality canon camera that’s loved by many influencers I know.
The money making ideas described below can apply to virtually any craft. From small home made craft ideas to large crafts that involve sewing or woodwork.
So pick whatever your favourite craft is and apply the 5 steps below to starting making some cash.
If you’re good at so many things and need inspiration, check out pinterest for hot selling crafts to get ideas.
Another tip I is to use a software called Everbee. If you create an account and search for any craft idea, Everbee will show you top selling products on Etsy and thenumber of sales which is a good indication of demand. Etsy is one of the top market places for selling crafts and handmade goods. Therefore getting insight to top selling products on Etsy will give you a competitive edge. Try Everbee for free here.
How to make money from crafts
1. Selling crafts from home
With everyone looking for gifts all year round – Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation gifts, wedding gifts, friendship or birthday gifts- depending on your crafts, people might be interested in buying your crafts for gifting.
Big crafts like woodwork also sell all year round as people are constantly trying to renovate or make their homes look nice.
You have the option to sell online on marketplaces like Etsy or at your local craft markets.
You can also create a simple website to list your crafts, pricing details and contact information.
Checklist to start a crafting business:
- Start by choosing a business name and registering your business.
- Depending on the nature of crafts you make you may purchase a business insurance to cover you in the event of an accident.
- Essential tools for your business: You may already have some or all of the crafting supplies you need but here are some additional tools you will need for your business depending on your craft.
- Label printer
- Packaging supplies- depending on your craft – bubble wrap, tissue, envelopes, water proof frosted bags, ribbons, flat pack boxes.
- Digital camera and lighting tools
- Basic photo editing software
Tips on Deciding what crafts to sell to make money
Consider what you are really great at. What do you get the best reviews on? What’s that thing you make that everybody raves about. Is it a Soap? Candle? Hand wash? Crochet bags? Children’s wooden toys? Custom furniture? There is a list of the top selling crafts at the end of this post for inspiration.
Once you figure out what you want to sell then think about pricing and options (e.g size and Color options).
How to find people to buy your crafts
One of the best places for selling crafts is Etsy. Etsy is an online market place where people go to search for handmade items. So by listing your creation on Etsy, you have access to potential buyers. Just ensure you use the right key words to describe your item. This is called search engine optimisation (seo).
Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook, you can show and sell your crafts to a wider audience.
The key is to always have great pictures of whatever you create. Client testimonials also help.
2. Start a crafting blog
The second obvious way to make money with your crafting hobby is to write about it. You can start a blog to share your unique craft ideas and crafting hacks. People are always online asking questions like “How do I make X”, where can I find supplies to do X?
Why not be the person who answers all these questions on your blog.
Starting a blog is dead cheap and will only cost you $2.79 a month. Here is a step by step tutorial on how to create a blog in 30 minutes or less!
Need some inspiration? Check out two of my all time favorite craft blogs
3. Write and sell an e-book about crafting
If you don’t mind writing, and have a collection of ideas or special techniques you use, you can put it all together and create a beautiful e-book.
There are tools like Canva or Picmonkey to help you create cute graphics and layout for your book. To sell, Gumroad or Etsy can help you take care of payments and transactions online.
If you don’t have a website, you can sell your ebook on Amazon kindle.
Marketing your e-book follows the same principle as marketing your crafts. Use social media. Pinterest and facebook are great places to attract potential customers.
4. Make money by joining craft affiliate programs
This is less about your crafting but more about recommending crafting supplies to people and getting a commission for sales.
You probably know the best items for certain techniques and the most durable crafting tools you love.
When you recommend them to people using your affiliate link, you get a commission on sales.
You can recommend products from:
- Amazon Associates
- Michaels
- Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores
- Cricut
- Etsy
- Blick Art Materials
- Scrapbook.com
- Craftsy (now Bluprint)
- CreateForLess
- ConsumerCrafts
- Clickbank
It’s important to recommend products you have used as well as products that are durable. That way, people keep coming back for your recommendations and the more commissions you will get.
5. Teach crafting classes
If you love teaching, you can teach people how to make your popular diy crafts and earn money from it.
You can do this from the comfort of your home! All you need is a laptop or phone, internet and a video call software.
There are platforms like skillshare and udemy which make teaching online very easy. Need inspiration?
This course on jewellery making goes for £59.99 and has been taken by almost 10,000 students!
That’s a six figure income from only one course!. Now multiply that by several courses.
Don’t know how to make a course?
Don’t worry about it. Just write out the details and hire a freelancer on Fiverr to help you turn your ideas to a video or teaching slides at an affordable price.
Crafts that make money
I have gone ahead to Etsy to do some research for you on some easy to make crafts that sell and can make you money. This list is not exhaustive. That something is not on this list does not mean it would not sell. Do your own research first. This list is just a great place to get ideas and inspiration.
- Handmade jewellery (necklaces, earrings, bracelets)
- Personalized/customized mugs and tumblers
- Hand-painted or printed art prints
- Candles (scented or decorative)
- Soaps and bath bombs
- Handmade greeting cards and invitations
- Crocheted or knitted items (hats, scarves, blankets)
- Personalized/customized phone cases
- Pottery and ceramics
- Handmade baby items (clothing, blankets, toys)
- Pet accessories (collars, bandanas, toys)
- Handmade home decor (pillows, wall art, wreaths)
- Handmade bags and purses
- Digital planners
- Handmade children’s toys and games
- Leather goods (wallets, keychains, belts)
- Wood crafts (signs, ornaments, home decor)
- Scrubs, lotions, oils
- Wedding and party favors
- Handmade macrame and fiber art
- Handmade accessories for weddings (veils, headpieces, garters)
- Any eco-friendly and sustainable products
- Handmade stained glass art and decor
- Handmade paper crafts (scrapbooking, journals, cards)
- Handmade ceramic and clay jewellery
- Handmade polymer clay charms
- Handmade cross-stitch patterns and kits
- Handmade felted and wool crafts
- Resin crafts
- Embroidery hoop art
Final thoughts on how to get paid for your crafting hobby.
Turning your crafting hobby into a source of income is an exciting journey that is within reach for anyone with a passion for creating.
By following the steps outlined in this guide and leveraging the power of social media, local connections, and online platforms, you can start earning money from your creative ideas. Remember to stay dedicated, continuously improve your skills, and always put your customers’ satisfaction first. With determination, creativity, and a pinch of business savvy, you can craft your way to financial success while doing what you love.