Crafts That Make Money: 16 Crafts You Can Start Making Today (2020)
Interested in starting an online small business to earn some cash on the side?
Then you should consider selling crafts that make money. It’s a fun hobby that can generate extra income on the side of a career or while studying as a student.
There are a lot of options when looking for a super easy craft to make and sell. The good thing is no matter which you choose, they’ll all help you develop useful business skills and are a low impact business when you sell them.
You only need the know-how to make the crafts, and the rest is easy as cake. Anyone can begin selling crafts online with websites like eBay and Etsy.
With that being said, here are some of the best crafts that can make money to help you think of your own craft business idea.
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Bracelets
Bracelets are a lot of people’s favorite accessories, and they can be made for very cheap.
This means that even a modest markup in price can leave you with good profit.
You can make tons of different styles of bracelets, too. They can be composed of fabric, natural products, rope, synthetics, or metal, for example.
There are many styles of bracelets for sale that you can use for inspiration. Try to find a niche that isn’t very saturated so you maximize how many sales you can make.
Not only that, look at the prices.
If you made a beaded bracelet for $5 and sold it for $30, that’d be $25 profit per sale!
Paintings
There’s perhaps no craft idea with greater earning potential than paintings.
Think about how much art sells for in galleries and museums. Even if you sold a couple of paintings per month, that could be your rent or tuition.
How do you sell art and paintings, though?
An easy way would be to walk into coffee shops and ask if they’d be okay with you selling your art inside their shops. You could extend a percentage of the sale to them for hosting the spot, as well.
You may also want to consider selling your work on Craigslist or pitching local galleries.
Bath bombs
Who doesn’t like a relaxing bath at the end of a long day? To make them even more fun, some like using a bath bomb. These are small capsules or balls that contain different dyes and safe materials that add color and life to water.
Making them is relatively simple, too. They are usually made of Epsom salt, citric acid, corn starch, and other cheap ingredients. You can experiment to find fun combinations, and sell them online.
For more on how to make them, check out this great tutorial below.
Handcrafted candles
Candles are an easy way to make any home smell and feel better.
These small items can change the entire atmosphere of any room, which is why everyone loves them.
Candles are also a good craft the makes money, as they are quick to make, and sell for fair prices.
Rings
Similar to bracelets, rings are another common accessory that both men and women enjoy. They can be made of different metals, including gems, and have a lot of potentials to sell for profit.
Wooden sculptures
Wood carvings and sculptures are fun items to have for a house, backyard, or front porch.
You will often see them used for home decor or practical uses like storing items.
There are wood pieces of furniture, bowls, cutting boards, shelves, and practically anything you can imagine.
Those with the power tools and know-how could turn this craft into a serious money maker.
Pick a specific area to focus on and master like furniture, for example. These items can then be sold during lawn sales or shipped around the globe if you sell them online.
Etched cutting boards
Cooking is part of everyone’s day. This is why etched cutting boards are a fun craft to make and sell. They are wooden cutting boards that have different designs or words burned into them via stencils.
Create a stencil yourself to offer a truly unique board or purchase stencils online and use those for the etching process.
Letter crafts
Letter crafts come in all shapes and sizes. As you could guess from the name, letter crafts are decorations that are centered on single or multiple letters.
They can be made out of paper, wood, fabric, or any material you want.
Letter crafts can be decorated, used to hang up, or turned into magnets. Here are some examples from Etsy if you need ideas.
Rope bowls
Rope bowls are exactly what they sound like: bowls made out of rope! Despite them looking like they’d be difficult to make, rope bowls can be an easy DIY project that you can earn a couple of bucks off of.
All you need to make these are rope and a glue gun. Consider finding unique colors of rope to make different styles to offer.
These types of bowls are nice to have on coffee tables, for throwing car keys in or having around the house for other little items.
You can make a rope bowl by gluing the ends of a string of rope together. Coil the rope and begin gluing it so it begins to take the shape of a bowl. Place the rope over an actual bowl to achieve a specific shape, and let the glue solidify before taking it off.
Coasters
Every house can use some coasters. That’s why they make an excellent craft to earn money from.
Coasters can be made out of almost any material imaginable from plastics, to fabric, and metals.
Artsy individuals can customize coasters by painting them or using stencils to apply etchings.
Leather cups
Whether it’s pens, pencils, or other office supplies, a cup is always a small handy item to have around the office and house. Specifically, leather cups are gaining popularity right now, and may easily trend to become a bestseller on websites like Etsy.
Faux leather can be purchased for a reasonable amount, but real leather can be used for cups to make them high quality. Genuine leather also means that you can charge a premium, resulting in more profit.
Similar to the rope bowls we mentioned previously, you can wrap leather around a cup and cut the correct shapes. These can then either be glued or sewn together depending on your skills.
Kick it up a notch by adding further decorations or designs around the outside.
Tote bags
Whether you’re going grocery shopping or just out for the day, a tote bag will hold all of your necessities. They can be made out of the canvas, leather, plastic, or any other mendable materials.
Tote bags are also light and easy to package, which creates the opportunity to turn to sell them into a real business. You can list them on websites like Amazon and eBay, and ship them all around the world.
Custom magnets
No fridge or whiteboard is complete without some magnets. Some businesses buy personalized magnets to offer to customers, as well. This creates a good chance to offer custom magnets.
You can either take requests and sell them that way or make certain designs ahead of time and offer those. It’s possible to purchase blank magnets in bulk, which can be glued to other ornaments or decals.
Organizers
Everyone needs storage items to stay organized throughout their day. While cups and small boxes get the job done, many people opt for prettier organizers made of wood, painted glass, or other decorative designs.
You can make an organizer yourself by first choosing the design of it. Look up images or use one you have as inspiration. Next, decide on what material to use. You will then have to cut this material into the needed pieces and assemble it.
Alternatively, you could offer DIY organizers where you sell the pieces and create instructions to make it more fun for the customer.
Photography
Freelance photography is a very lucrative career, and while services net a large amount of the income, selling the photos you take is also a great profit generator.
Photographers can sell their printed work or use picture frames and mark-up the price from the added costs. I suggest starting an Instagram account to show off your skills and begin generating your first few clients.
Pet items
You would be surprised how much money some people will spend on their pets. This is why creating pet products like toys, blankets, and clothing is a good craft that makes money.
If you’d like to offer customers a variety of products, consider making items specifically for small and large breeds.
Wrapping up
Many people enjoy making crafts, but few take the next steps to earn money from them. Don’t be afraid to take the plunge, as you could be bringing in some serious cash.
There is no shortage of crafts that make money, either. That’s why you need to consider your crafting skills and what materials you have at your disposal before you begin.
I’d recommend you choose one item to sell from this list and learn to master it. Then use platforms like Etsy, Facebook groups, or eBay to begin making sales, and try selling them to friends and family, as well.
How much money have you made selling crafts so far?