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If you’ve been an avid reader of my blog, FinSavvy Panda, then you probably know how much I’m an advocate for earning in the comforts of your home and taking on hobbies that make money.
Who wouldn’t want to make money doing what you love, especially when you get to hone your creativity skills?
Whenever I think of crafts to make and sell, the next thing to plan is where to sell them. The one surefire platform I always recommend is Etsy, the ultimate hub for all the unique creations people love buying from.
Come on, like you haven’t skimmed through different product listings on Etsy, or even bought a couple of cute stuff (because I know I did)!
With almost 95 million active buyers on Etsy, as well as the many millennials and Gen Z babies, looking for quirky crafts, it makes sense to take advantage of that market and start selling.
Uh, and selling what, exactly?
I share a couple of things you can sell on Etsy so you have your own side hustles from home!
PIN THIS: I’ll be updating this post so make sure to pin this image here and save it to your Pinterest board. That way you’ll be able to come back to this page to learn about the best things to sell on Etsy!
Understanding Etsy’s Market
If you want to know what to sell on Etsy, you have to understand that there’s more to making a profit than selling random crafts and posting them online.
Meaning, you need to be aware of Etsy’s audience and what they typically look for.
This can be done through proper market research, which involves understanding Etsy’s target audience, and what your competitors are selling, as well as SEO keyword research to put your listing on the top of the search results.
To give you a gist of what type of market you’re dealing with, here are important statistics to be aware of:
While today’s crafting world seems to be dominated by women and those identifying themselves as such, the numbers seem to be shifting, with Etsy’s male customer base increasing by a whopping 124% since 2019,
Most of Etsy’s online buyers are millennials between the ages of 18-35 years old, though there are a few outliers of more mature customers looking for unique creations for their homes or events.
A popular trend to watch out for is wedding items, with the keyword “personalized gift” being one of the most searched topics on the platform.
Other popular trends include Christmas, custom or handmade crafts, vintage products, and even video games.
This goes to show how people continue to look for unique (and even cute) crafts and items they can’t readily find elsewhere. People are after one-of-a-kind, high-quality products, which you should consider when determining what your small business should offer.
With all these statistics in mind, here are the best things to sell on Etsy that will help you earn more sales and profit in the long run.
1. Handmade Jewelry
I’m not saying that diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend, but I have to make an exception when it comes to handmade jewelry!
There’s something that feels even more romantic when gifting someone a personalized necklace with their initials, or even a locket with a cute photo, may it be a pic as a couple, family, or your doggo!
Other than personalized necklaces, there are more types of handmade jewelry you can sell, like birthstone rings, bracelets with Zodiac signs (for the astrology girlies), and drop earrings, which have become one of the more popular jewelry pieces on Etsy!
While it’s a fantastic business idea for stay-at-home moms, the process of creating your chosen handmade jewelry can be a bit overwhelming. You can start by sourcing your materials from local bead and jewelry supply shops in your area, or even start from Amazon to get wholesale prices.
To earn profit without your crafts appearing too overpriced, a rule of thumb is to price your jewelry at least 10% higher than how much it takes to source the materials and make it. That should also include the packaging materials!
2. Custom Clothing and Accessories
Ever wondered where that family in Disneyland got their adorable matching shirts for their trip? It might have been Etsy or other cool apps where you can sell clothes.
Or maybe majestic dog portraits embroidered on a fuzzy sweater? That’s right, Etsy! Many sellers are offering custom clothing and accessories, ranging from couple tees to personalized bags, so people can strut their stuff knowing they won’t bump into anyone wearing the same outfit. Sure, it isn’t the end of the world matching with someone, but if you knew me, I always love having some sense of edginess to what I wear!
The awesome part is that the sky’s the limit when figuring out what type of personalized clothing or accessories to offer, which is why they are one of the most profitable items. I researched a few fashion trends, and here are the ones that struck me the most:
Sustainable and eco-friendly fashion is IN! I suggest you upcycle clothing and transform it into something new and valuable.
Say bye to fast fashion and hello to slow fashion, opting to source high-quality materials. Everyone’s after quality over quantity, and I wholeheartedly agree with this!
Only source and use sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester, and other plant-based alternatives. It’s a great way to market your products as well!
Have a tough time figuring out what design to do for clothes and accessories? Research the current fashion trends, create a mood board, and let your creative juices flow!
3. Digital Products
I praise this world for today’s technology because there’s no shortage of what you can do to create passive income, and that includes creating digital products!
You read that right, you can start selling digital downloads on Etsy, such as eBooks, informative courses, or even gorgeous templates for school or work. The best part is the low overhead costs since all you need is your laptop, the right editing tools, and your artistic juices to start creating!
In fact, I make quite a profit selling Canva Pinterest templates that suit just about any niche! I like to think of it as a win-win situation, where I get to hone my creativity and earn a profit, while my customers have a captivating template that will catch attention!
Creating and selling digital products is easier said than done, though. What you can do to begin is by figuring out what topic you should talk about in your digital product. You can start with a topic you’re passionate about, or if you have a business, determine what type of digital products complement the physical products you already offer.
Once you’ve created your chosen digital product, you may want to offer free content to give them an idea of what to expect, before they commit and purchase the full digital product. You can also increase and drive traffic to your listings by applying search engine optimization strategies or partnering with influencers.
4. Vintage Goods
For the love of God, when I say vintage goods, please don’t mention digital cameras or cassette tapes. To me, anything made in the 1990s to early 2000s cannot be considered vintage and retro!
Kidding aside, the Y2K has become such a huge fashion trend recently, and you can see that this has slightly altered the shopping habits of the younger generation, who are obsessed with all things vintage and retro!
But when I say vintage goods, there’s almost no limit to what you can sell, because I just saw a 150-year-old active San Francisco sourdough starter for sale on Etsy. Needless to say, it’s a hit!
You don’t need to wait for 150 years to make money on Etsy, though. You can start with old treasures you have at home that are lying around, such as figurines, antique telescopes, gorgeous china, and interesting posters from the 1900s, or you can even try flipping furniture.
That said, do make sure that if you plan on sourcing vintage goods to sell, practice your due diligence by verifying the item’s authenticity by knowing how to differentiate what’s real or fake based on labels, marks, and similar indicators.
5. Cricut Crafts
My Cricut machine can make just about anything, and I’m not even exaggerating. It can even make me money!
I know that’s meant to be a joke but I do mean it because there are a ton of Cricut crafts to sell, ranging from custom stickers, cute custom gifts, or even home decor! One of my favorites is custom signs, which homeowners adore as they love displaying witty welcome signs for their guests to laugh at before they enter.
New to using the Cricut? Install Design Space, it’s made for your trusty machine when it comes to creating custom designs! It’s also extremely easy to use, whether you’re a seasoned Cricut user or a total beginner looking to start making easy things to sell on Etsy.
Once you installed the Design Space and had it optimized for your Cricut, you can start experimenting with unique designs by searching for popular patterns. Based on personal experience, you’ve got to play around with the heart and butterfly patterns on Design Space. They are just so cute and a whimsical design you can add to your products.
6. Art and Print
Besides digital products, you can even sell your art on Etsy, with so many types to create like drawings, paintings, and custom digital art. These are some of the best Etsy shop ideas for talented artists out there, as you get to share your amazing crafts while making a living out of your passion.
What I love about selling art is how you have no limits or boundaries with your art, and it’s considered a slow-paced job since it’s best to take your time creating new things. You’ll never run out of ideas and there are thousands, even millions, of people out there looking for customized artwork for their home.
You can target many niche markets and gain a huge customer base from, such as custom family or couple illustrations, a realistic painting of one’s home, or a more popular artwork today, personalized pet portraits! I can imagine commissioning a digital painting of my family and me, it would make the perfect Christmas card, don’t you think?
Selling digital art is a bit “easier” regarding packaging and shipment, as you will only need to send a high-quality file via email or a cloud platform. But what if you plan to ship physical works of art? That’s a different story and it will require more effort and material to keep it safe during its journey!
I recommend investing in padded mailers and corrugated cardboard boxes, and not skimp on the bubble wrap when packing your art. Make sure you encase it with bubble wrap firmly, whether it’s a flat or rolled-up painting. Don’t forget to mark the package as fragile when handing it over to the shipping courier!
7. Home Decor
Pine-scented candles and custom throw pillows are a few of my favorite things (please tell me you’ve sung that in your head! Hint: Sound of Music).
Home decor is one of the top-selling items on Etsy with a constant market you can rely on thanks to homeowners like me who love to decorate their space, especially during the holidays with quaint Christmas crafts. Admit it, you’ve gone a little crazy with the holiday decor at one point, because I sure have!
Keeping up with the ever-changing decor trends can be quite overwhelming with all the different facts and statistics, which is why you’ll want to first stick with timeless pieces or seasonal crafts before branching out. What I heard was that this year, homeowners are focusing more on decor for their home office, as well as products focused on wellness, like essential oil-scented candles.
8. Personalized Gifts
I would honestly cry if someone ever gave me anything personalized since it feels more unique, giving any gift receiver some form of emotional attachment. May it be a custom shirt or engraved mug, anything customized to one’s unique personality is a precious gift for partners, family members, and special friends.
Since people are after unique crafts as gifts to themselves or loved ones, these will be huge Etsy and Amazon handmade products. You’ve even got a lot of ideas to choose from when thinking about what to sell since you can engrave and customize almost anything! My personal favorite has got to be wine bottles, as a champagne lover myself. Coasters and pillows are also a neat idea!
That said, I know that the time crunch of creating multiple custom orders with a deadline can be a bit challenging. What you can do is try standardizing the appealing features of your products, allowing you to save time compared to having to completely customize items.
Also, don’t forget to take advantage of the huge demand for personalized gifts during special occasions like Christmas and Valentine’s Day! We’re all looking for special gifts at this time so the people we cherish will know how much we love ‘em.
9. Wedding Items
As mentioned, one of the top-searched keywords on Etsy’s search bar had anything to do with weddings, and it’s not hard to see why! Brides are looking for something one-of-a-kind, wanting handmade invitations, decor, and other products to have their wedding stand out.
The personalized touch to things like neon signs, wedding ring boxes, or even the cake topper helps make the event more intimate, too. On the plus side, creating wedding crafts is a fun job that pays well, and one that will always have a consistent flow of customers who want to order your gorgeous crafts.
If you’re a jack (or jill) of all trades and plan to offer different types of wedding items, from invites to personalized giveaways, you may want to offer a customizable wedding package with different inclusions and tiered pricing. This will not only attract more clients since it saves them time from searching for multiple vendors, but it can also increase your revenue as you get to sell more wedding items in the long run!
Start by creating different budget options based on what previous clients want, with prices depending on the number of guests and types of products to be included.
10. Stationery and Planner Accessories
New year, new me? Well, no matter the date, it’s never too late to start planning and journaling to document your life!
A lot of girlies out there are getting into journaling as their way to relieve stress and anxiety, all the while keeping their creativity levels in check. It’s also such a way to help with self-improvement, so you’ll see stationery and planner accessories on the rise, especially those made for bullet journals.
From cute stickers to personalized bookmarks of varied colors or patterns, there are a ton of products you can sell on Etsy. At the moment, the current trends are focused on sustainable products, so you’ll want to look into selling products made with environment-friendly materials such as bamboo, recycled paper, and even eco-friendly packaging.
While vintage and retro styles continue to slay in the world of stationery and planners, the minimalist design and bullet journal is a growing trend that’s worth tapping into, especially with the growing love for all things neutral.
For more trendy ideas, be sure to check out Etsy’s 2024 trend predictions.
11. Pet Products
There’s nothing I wouldn’t buy for my pet (except chocolate, obviously), and every amazing pet owner thinks the same thing! We all love to give our pets the best, and because of that, pet products have become Etsy top-selling items.
There’s a plethora of pet products you can create and sell, such as custom collars, pet beds, cat towers, feeding bowls, stuffed toys, and even bath products.
If you plan on making custom pet bowls, you’ve already got me as your first customer because this makes feeding times much more fun with my furry friends! Come on, you can’t deny you never went on a mini shopping spree for your pal for life, because my online cart’s always filled with pet treats and cute beds!
Just remember that when creating pet products, it’s important to prioritize safety. The materials you use must be pet-friendly and made of great quality to avoid any accidents or injuries from flimsy structures.
When you plan on selling pet products, I recommend joining active pet owner communities on Facebook and Reddit. Post regularly and you can start gaining a following, which can translate to more sales, especially when you post your listings on Etsy.
12. Children’s Toys and Clothing
I discussed the love of pawrents, but I haven’t forgotten parents of playful children! We all love our kiddos and want to spoil them silly, which is why you’ll find a huge market for children’s toys and clothing.
There’s always a new toy you can create to amuse the kiddos, may it be an alphabet puzzle for babies or a climbing arch for toddlers.
Of course, you can find a lot more awesome children’s products to sell for a sizable profit. Besides using your cheap hobbies to make fun toys, clothing will always be a huge hit, with parents constantly on the lookout for adorable onesies or custom hoodies with beloved characters. You can sometimes catch me swooning over cute shirts for kids with funny and endearing captions like “Best Big Brother Ever!”
Similar to creating pet products, you need to ensure that you follow safety standards and use non-hazardous, child-friendly materials when constructing toys or creating clothes. That way, you lessen the risk of serious injuries or illnesses from poor-quality craftsmanship or allergens from certain materials.
Keep up with the fashion and toy trends for children by joining relevant communities online, as well as checking children’s stores to see what clothes or toys are in style. Lately, parents are after gender-neutral clothing, along with athleisure wear and bright colors!
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