I have sold on Etsy, eBay, Amazon, at three craft fairs and to family and friends, and Etsy is its own animal entirely. The crafts to sell on Etsy that bring in the most are small, simple to personalize with a name or a date, and tough enough to come out of the mailer looking exactly the way they did in your listing photos. That is the filter every single item here had to pass. You get a note on each one about personalizing it, packing it and photographing it so it actually shows up in search, because on Etsy the listing does as much work as the making does. Perfect for a brand new shop, a quiet shop that needs fresh listings, or a maker who wants repeat custom orders instead of one-off sales. Sewing your stock rather than crafting it? The small sewing projects to sell online are already sized for the post.
Crafts to Sell on Etsy For Maximum Profit
The crafts to sell on Etsy that do best are small, easy to personalize and tough enough to survive the mailer. Photo resin coasters sell for about $38 to $55 for a set of four with the buyer’s own photos. Leather tassel keychains sell for about $14 to $20, or $22 with an initial charm added. Personalizing is what lifts the price, and flat, light items are what keep the postage sane.
1. Easy Macrame Bracelet
Two lengths of waxed cord, folded and taped to the table, then one square knot worked over and over, switching sides each time so the knots twist into little rosettes. That is the whole technique, which is why a stack of these comes together in a single evening. Trim the tails, braid them and add a sliding knot so one size fits nearly every wrist. On Etsy, sell them in sets of two or three in coordinating colors, because matching sets for best friends and sisters outsell singles.
- Supplies: waxed macrame cord in two colors, scissors, tape, measuring tape, lighter or clear glue for the ends
- Approx cost: about $0.40 to $0.80 per bracelet
- Sells for: about $8 to $12 each, or $20 to $28 for a matching set of three.
- Etsy note: personalize with the buyer’s color pair or a tiny letter bead on the tail. Bracelets ship flat in a padded envelope for the cheapest postage. Photograph them stacked on a wrist so the rose texture shows.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
2. Flower Bead Bracelet
Tiny daisy beads strung on elastic, and the whole thing takes about ten minutes once you have a rhythm going. Jewelry is one of my favorite things to make, and this is the style I would build a whole listing around, because you can offer it in twelve colorways without buying twelve new things. Buyers order two or three at once to stack them. Knot it properly and put a dab of glue on the knot, then hide the knot inside a bead, which is the step most people skip and then hear about.
- Supplies: flower beads, seed beads, stretch cord, scissors, jewelry glue
- Approx cost: about $0.60 to $1.20 per bracelet
- Sells for: about $12 to $18 each, or $30 for a stack of three.
- Etsy note: personalize by color and by wrist size, which you can ask for at checkout. Posts in a plain envelope for the price of a stamp. Photograph three stacked on a wrist, not flat on a table.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
3. Flowery Perler Notebook
A plain hardcover notebook with a perler bead design fixed to the front, which turns a five dollar book into a made-to-order gift. Use a hardcover or a stiff-lidded moleskine so the beads have something solid to sit on, and use a two-part epoxy rather than hot glue, because epoxy holds forever and will not squeeze up through the bead holes. Offer initials in beads and you have a listing people order for a whole bridal party.
- Supplies: hardcover notebook, perler or Hama beads, two-part epoxy adhesive, tweezers
- Approx cost: about $4 to $6 per notebook
- Sells for: about $18 to $26. A beaded monogram adds $5 without adding ten minutes.
- Etsy note: personalize with initials or a birth-month flower. Notebooks post flat and survive the mail well. Photograph one open and one closed so the buyer sees the paper too.
Get the full tutorial at Eilentein.
4. DIY Jute Rope Tray
Dollar store jute rope coiled into a flat spiral over a tray wrapped in cling film, with Mod Podge brushed on generously as each round goes down. Press it flat with your palm as you go, cut the end, glue it down and let it cure until the rope holds its shape on its own. It costs a few dollars and reads like a boho piece from a home decor shop. Offer it in two or three diameters on Etsy, and stage it with candles or paper flowers so buyers can picture it on a coffee table.
- Supplies: jute rope, Mod Podge, foam brush, cling wrap, a round tray to use as a mold, scissors
- Approx cost: about $3 to $5 per tray
- Sells for: about $18 to $30, depending on diameter.
- Etsy note: personalize by size and by adding rope handles or a painted rim. Trays are light and unbreakable, so a box with a little paper padding is enough. Photograph one styled with candles and one empty from above.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
5. DIY Leather Tassel Keychain
Leather tassels with a soft, rounded, slightly floppy shape that look like they came off a designer handbag. That is the whole selling point, and it is a real one. The fringe cut is the thing to get right: cut it fine and stop about half an inch from the top edge, then roll tightly and glue as you go. Offer them with a lettered charm attached and it becomes a made-to-order item instead of a generic one.
- Supplies: leather or faux leather offcuts, keyring hardware, strong adhesive, sharp craft knife, ruler
- Approx cost: about $2 to $3 each
- Sells for: about $14 to $20, or $22 with an initial charm.
- Etsy note: personalize with an initial disc or the leather color. Envelope postage, no padding needed. Photograph a row of them in different colors, which sells the colorway choice.
Get the full tutorial at Persia Lou.
6. DIY Fruity Zipper Purses
Small zip pouches that people buy for change, makeup, earbuds, a charger, or the things that live loose at the bottom of a bag. There is a zipper involved, so this is an intermediate sew, but once you have done three the fourth takes twenty minutes. Fabric choice is doing all the work on this listing: offer six prints and buyers will pick, which is exactly the small decision that makes somebody order instead of browse.
- Supplies: fat quarter, lining fabric, fusible interfacing, zipper, thread
- Approx cost: about $3 to $5 per pouch
- Sells for: about $16 to $24. Sell them in sets of two sizes for $30.
- Etsy note: personalize by print, and add initials on the lining tab for an upcharge. Flat packs in an envelope. Photograph one open with things spilling out so the scale is obvious.
Get the full tutorial at The Lovely Drawer.
7. Bead Trivet
Wooden beads and twine, assembled into a hot pad that looks far more expensive than the pile of parts it came from. This is a genuinely easy make, which is why it is a good staple listing: you can build them while you watch something. Use unfinished beads and stain or paint them yourself, because the raw wood version is the one that photographs like a boutique product. Keep the twine tension even or the trivet will not sit flat.
- Supplies: wooden beads, twine or cord, hot glue gun, wood stain or paint, sealer
- Approx cost: about $4 to $7 each
- Sells for: about $22 to $32. A matching pair sells better than a single.
- Etsy note: personalize with a stain color or a two-tone bead pattern. Ships in a small box. Shoot it under a real dish so the buyer sees what it is for.
Get the full tutorial at Carnets Parisiens.
8. Personalized Sharpie Mugs
If one listing is going to carry an Etsy shop, it is this one. A plain white mug, an oil-based paint marker, a name or a quote, and a bake to set it. The oil-based marker is not a suggestion: a regular marker washes off and you will get the review to prove it. Wipe the mug with rubbing alcohol before you draw, bake it, and let it cool in the oven rather than pulling it out hot. Handwriting sells better than anything fancy.
- Supplies: plain ceramic mug, oil-based paint markers, rubbing alcohol, oven
- Approx cost: about $3 to $4 per mug
- Sells for: about $18 to $28 personalized. Sets of two for a couple sell for $40 and up.
- Etsy note: names, dates, inside jokes and coordinates all work, and it is the personalization buyers search for by name. Double-box it with the handle protected. Photograph it held in a hand.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
9. Kate Spade Inspired Key Fobs
Fabric scraps and key fob hardware, and you have a wristlet that looks like it came from a counter display. Buy the hardware in bulk, because that is the only real ongoing supply, and then every scrap you already own becomes stock. Interface the fabric so the strap holds its shape, and use the clamp pliers with a scrap of leather between the jaws so you do not mark the metal. Everyone loses their keys, so everyone is a customer.
- Supplies: fabric scraps, key fob hardware, fusible interfacing, pliers, thread
- Approx cost: about $2 to $3 each
- Sells for: about $12 to $18, or three for $40.
- Etsy note: personalize with the buyer’s fabric choice or an embroidered initial on the strap. Posts in an envelope. Photograph a fan of eight in different prints.
Get the full tutorial at Flamingo Toes.
10. Beach Tote Tutorial
A straight-sided tote with rope straps, about 20 by 10 inches, which is the size that actually holds a towel and a book. The clever part of this pattern is that it finishes neatly inside without a lining or bound seams, so you skip the two steps that make tote bags tedious. Pick quilting cottons that coordinate rather than match. This is the listing that turns into bridesmaid orders, teacher gifts and a summer run every single year.
- Supplies: two coordinating cotton fabrics, heavy interfacing, rope for straps, thread
- Approx cost: about $9 to $14 per bag
- Sells for: about $38 to $55. Monogrammed, $65.
- Etsy note: personalize with a monogram or a name on the front panel. Folds flat into a poly mailer. Photograph it packed and on a shoulder, not empty on the floor.
Get the full tutorial at Radiant Home Studio.
11. Citrus Print Tea Towels
Halve a lemon or orange, blot the cut face dry, dab on fabric paint and press it onto a plain white flour sack towel. Each slice leaves a print with real pulp and rind texture, so no two towels match exactly, which buyers read as handmade in the best way. Heat set the paint once it dries so it survives the wash. Sell them as a set of two or three in coordinating colors, and they become an instant hostess or housewarming gift that ships for almost nothing.
- Supplies: plain white cotton tea towels, lemons or oranges, fabric paint, paper towels, paintbrush or sponge, iron
- Approx cost: about $2 to $4 per towel
- Sells for: about $12 to $16 each, or $28 to $38 for a set of three.
- Etsy note: personalize by color palette or add a stamped initial in one corner. Towels fold flat into a poly mailer. Photograph the set folded with real fruit on top so the print reads instantly.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
12. DIY Leather Chain Bracelet
Leather cord woven through a length of chain, which sounds like nothing and looks like a jewelry counter. The trick is tension: pull the leather snug at every pass or the weave gapes and the whole thing reads homemade instead of handmade. Chain by the foot and leather cord by the yard means your per-piece supply cost is tiny and your sizing is completely flexible, so you can make each one to the buyer’s wrist without holding any extra stock.
- Supplies: curb chain, leather or suede cord, clasp, jump rings, jewelry pliers
- Approx cost: about $2.50 to $4 each
- Sells for: about $18 to $28. Men’s sizing in black sells just as well.
- Etsy note: size to order, and offer chain in gold or silver as the second choice. Envelope postage in a small pouch. Photograph it on a wrist and again coiled on stone.
Get the full tutorial at Moms and Crafters.
13. DIY Flower Tea Lights
Candles are one of the things I make most, and these little flower-wrapped tea lights are the kind of item that sells out at a market table and then keeps selling online, because they photograph like a wedding favor. Make them in one color family per batch so a set looks intentional. Battery tea lights are the smarter choice for a listing, because a real flame near petals is a conversation you do not want to have with a customer.
- Supplies: tea lights or battery tea lights, petals or faux flowers, adhesive, ribbon
- Approx cost: about $1 to $2 each
- Sells for: about $6 each, or $26 for a boxed set of six.
- Etsy note: personalize by flower color for weddings and showers, which is where the bulk orders live. Pack six to a small box with tissue. Photograph a lit set at dusk.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
14. Felt Fruit Coasters
Felt sheets, scissors and glue, and not a single stitch anywhere. I can cut and assemble a full set of these in under an hour, which is the reason they earn their place in a shop rather than just looking good on a shelf. Use stiffened felt, not the floppy craft kind, or your lemon slice will curl at the edges by the second week. Cheerful, fast, and they photograph beautifully, which on Etsy is half the job.
- Supplies: stiffened felt sheets, fabric scissors, fabric glue, template
- Approx cost: about $1.50 to $2.50 per set of four
- Sells for: about $20 to $28 per set of four.
- Etsy note: personalize by choosing the fruit mix, which makes each set feel made for the buyer. Posts flat in an envelope. Photograph them fanned out with a real glass on one.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
15. Simple Felt Needle Case
A little folding felt wallet that holds needles and pins, which is the sort of thing every person who sews keeps meaning to buy and never does. That is a good position to be in as a seller. It is one of the fastest makes on this page, and the whole listing works because your buyer is another crafter who knows exactly what it is the second she sees it. Blanket stitch the edge rather than gluing it. The stitch is the product.
- Supplies: felt, embroidery floss, needle, small button or ribbon tie
- Approx cost: under $1 each
- Sells for: about $10 to $15, and it is a natural add-on to any sewing-related listing.
- Etsy note: personalize with an embroidered initial on the cover. Lightest envelope postage there is. Photograph it open with real needles in it.
Get the full tutorial at Sum of Their Stories.
16. Yarn Dog Keychains
Little yarn dogs that clip onto a bag, made almost entirely from the leftovers already in your yarn bin. They work as keychains and as bag charms, and bag charms are having a very good few years, so this listing is timed well. Trim the finished dog in stages rather than all at once, because you cannot put yarn back on. Offer breeds and colors and buyers will ask for their own dog, which is where the price goes up.
- Supplies: yarn scraps, cardboard for wrapping, scissors, keyring or lobster clip, small beads for eyes
- Approx cost: about $0.50 to $1 each
- Sells for: about $12 to $18, more for a made-to-match breed request.
- Etsy note: personalize by breed and coat color from a photo. Envelope postage. Photograph one clipped to a real handbag, not lying on a table.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
17. DIY Cloth Napkins
Squares of good cotton or linen with a mitered hem, and about five minutes each once you have a production line running. Napkins are one of the strongest repeat items on Etsy, because people buy four, then buy four more in a different color, then buy eight for a holiday table. Use a linen blend rather than quilting cotton. It costs more per yard and it is the entire difference between a napkin that sells for eight dollars and one that sells for eighteen.
- Supplies: linen or linen-blend fabric, matching thread, rotary cutter, iron
- Approx cost: about $2 to $3.50 per napkin
- Sells for: about $48 to $70 for a set of four.
- Etsy note: personalize with a monogram in the corner, which is the upsell buyers actively search for. Folds flat into a mailer. Photograph a set on a laid table, one corner turned back.
Get the full tutorial at Viva Veltoro.
18. Chicken Wire Suncatcher
The trick is pairing a cheap wooden embroidery hoop with a scrap of chicken wire: the hoop frames it and the wire grid gives every bead charm its own hanging spot. Glass tulip and leaf beads go onto head pins, then jump rings clip them to the wire, and a ribbon bow and twine loop finish the top. Glass matters here, since plastic beads will not throw color. Listings with photos taken in a sunny window show the light play, and that sells this better than any description can.
- Supplies: embroidery hoop, chicken wire, glass tulip and leaf beads, head pins, jump rings, wire cutters, pliers, ribbon, jute twine, work gloves
- Approx cost: about $5 to $8 per suncatcher
- Sells for: about $24 to $38, more for a larger hoop.
- Etsy note: personalize with birth flower colors or a name charm in the center. Wrap the charms in tissue and ship in a small box so the wire stays round. Photograph it in a bright window, plus one close shot of the beads.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
19. Woven Yarn Mug Cozy
A strip of notched cardboard sized to the cup becomes a mini loom, and chunky yarn is woven over and under with a popsicle stick until the frame is full. A little crochet at the ends joins the sleeve, and a heart button adds the finishing touch. It feels like crochet without the pattern reading, so beginners can turn out a batch quickly. Sell them sized for reusable travel cups and standard mugs, and bundle one with a cup for a cozy gift listing in fall and winter.
- Supplies: yarn, sturdy cardboard, ruler, scissors, popsicle stick, crochet hook, buttons
- Approx cost: about $1 to $2 per cozy
- Sells for: about $10 to $15 each, or $25 to $30 bundled with a reusable cup.
- Etsy note: personalize by yarn color and button shape, and ask for the cup measurement in the listing. Cozies are soft and light, so a poly mailer works. Photograph them on a real cup so buyers see the fit.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
20. Beaded Desk Plant
Green glass seed beads strung on floral wire make trailing stems, each one tipped with leaf beads and a flower or berry bead, then pushed into foam inside a mini terracotta pot and topped with moss. It is the houseplant that never needs watering, and it glitters when it sits near a window. Buyers shopping for desk decor and gifts for plant lovers snap these up. Offer a few bead color stories on Etsy, and mention in the listing that every plant is shaped by hand, so each one looks a little different.
- Supplies: green seed beads, leaf beads, flower or strawberry beads, floral wire, mini terracotta pot, foam rounds, faux moss
- Approx cost: about $4 to $7 per plant
- Sells for: about $20 to $35, depending on pot size and stem count.
- Etsy note: personalize with flower bead colors or a painted pot. Pack it upright in a small box with tissue around the stems. Photograph it on a sunny desk so the beads sparkle.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
21. Air Dry Clay Ring Holder
Rolled air dry clay is cut from a flower template, the petals are slit and overlapped, and the whole piece is set in a bowl to dry into a ruffled dish with a little cone in the center for rings. Paint it in soft color washes, then coat it with UV resin so it shines like porcelain. No kiln, no oven. It is the kind of piece that shows up in bridesmaid and birthday gift searches, so list it in a few colors and offer custom shades to match a wedding palette.
- Supplies: air dry clay, rolling pin, paper template, sculpting and cutting tools, sponge, primer, acrylic paint, brushes, UV resin, UV lamp
- Approx cost: about $2 to $4 per dish
- Sells for: about $16 to $26 each.
- Etsy note: personalize with a color to match a wedding or a painted initial on the base. Wrap each dish in bubble wrap and ship boxed, since clay can chip. Photograph it with rings in place, held in hands for scale.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
22. Fern Printed Tea Towels
Real leaves inked and pressed onto plain flour sack towels, which means every single one is slightly different and you get to say so honestly in the listing. Use fabric paint rolled thinly onto the leaf rather than brushed on, or you get a blob instead of veins. Heat set it or it washes out. Flour sack towels come in packs, so you can print an entire season’s stock in one afternoon at a table.
- Supplies: flour sack towels, fabric paint, foam roller, fresh leaves or ferns, iron
- Approx cost: about $2.50 to $4 per towel
- Sells for: about $18 each, or $32 for a pair.
- Etsy note: personalize by choosing the botanical and the ink color. Folds into an envelope. Photograph one hanging on an oven handle in a real kitchen.
Get the full tutorial at Garden Matter.
23. DIY Tile Coasters
Plain ceramic tiles from the hardware store, a printed image sealed on top, felt pads underneath. This is the item I would point a new seller at first, because it takes any design at all, which means one process covers wedding gifts, pet portraits, monograms, city maps and dad jokes. Seal it properly with several thin coats and test one with a wet glass before you list, since a coaster that lifts the ink is the fastest one-star review on the internet.
- Supplies: 4 inch ceramic tiles, printed images, Mod Podge or decoupage medium, clear sealer, felt pads
- Approx cost: about $1.50 to $2.50 per coaster
- Sells for: about $28 to $38 for a set of four, more for custom photos.
- Etsy note: any image at all personalizes it, which is why it is the most flexible listing here. Pack four in a small box with card between. Photograph a set fanned with one drink on top.
Get the full tutorial at The DIY Dreamer.
24. Photo Bookmarks
Paper crafts are my core passion, so I am biased here, and I still think this is one of the smartest small listings on the page. A photo, a laminate, a tassel, done. It is personalized by definition, so it never competes with a generic product. Laminate with a good margin around the photo and round the corners, because a square corner catches on a page and peels. Grandparents buy these in fours.
- Supplies: printed photos, laminating pouches or clear contact, hole punch, ribbon or tassel
- Approx cost: about $0.60 to $1.20 each
- Sells for: about $9 each, or $28 for a set of four.
- Etsy note: the buyer’s own photo is the product, which is the strongest personalization there is. Plain envelope. Photograph one in a real book beside a cup of coffee.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
25. Stenciled And Dyed Scarves Tutorial
Lightweight scarves stenciled and dyed, and the best part for a seller is that no two runs come out identical, so “one of a kind” is simply true rather than marketing. Pre-wash the scarf to strip the sizing or the dye will sit on top and rinse away. Work in batches of six in one dye bath, because the setup takes longer than the dyeing does, and a single scarf is not worth wetting the table for.
- Supplies: blank rayon or cotton scarves, fabric dye, stencils, fabric paint, gloves
- Approx cost: about $5 to $8 per scarf
- Sells for: about $28 to $42.
- Etsy note: personalize by color family, and list each one individually since each is genuinely unique. Folds into a light mailer. Photograph it worn and draped, never flat.
Get the full tutorial at Pretty Handy Girl.
26. DIY Gold Dipped Magnets
Small objects half-dipped in gold paint with a magnet on the back, which is the kind of thing that looks like a design store product and takes about four minutes. Use strong neodymium magnets, not the weak craft ones, because a magnet that slides down the fridge with a note attached is a bad memory of your shop. Tape a clean line before you dip so the gold edge is sharp. The sharp line is the entire look.
- Supplies: small wooden or stone shapes, gold craft paint, painter’s tape, neodymium magnets, strong glue
- Approx cost: about $1 to $2 per set of three
- Sells for: about $14 to $20 for a set of six.
- Etsy note: personalize with initials painted on, or match the gold to rose gold or silver. Flat envelope postage. Photograph them on a real fridge holding a real card.
Get the full tutorial at Gina Michele.
27. Keyboard Cat Wrist Rest
A padded wrist rest shaped like a very relaxed cat, which is exactly the sort of thing that does well on Etsy and nowhere else. Everyone who works at a desk is a customer, and half of them want a cat on it. Fill it with crushed walnut shell or rice rather than polyfill, because it needs weight to stay put under a wrist. Offer it in cat colors that match somebody’s actual cat and you will not be able to keep up.
- Supplies: cotton fabric, embroidery or applique for the face, crushed walnut shell or rice, thread
- Approx cost: about $4 to $6 each
- Sells for: about $26 to $36.
- Etsy note: personalize by coat color and markings from the buyer’s photo. Posts in a poly mailer. Photograph it at a real keyboard with hands in the frame.
Get the full tutorial at Urban Threads.
28. Bunny Coin Purse
A tiny zip purse with ears, which is the kind of item people buy as a small gift and then keep for themselves. It uses offcuts, so your stock comes out of the scrap bin, and it sews up in about twenty minutes once the pattern is traced. Interface the ears so they stand up rather than flop, unless you want a sad bunny. Make a run of them for Easter and they sell through every spring without fail.
- Supplies: fabric scraps, lining, fusible interfacing, small zipper, thread
- Approx cost: about $2 to $3 each
- Sells for: about $16 to $22.
- Etsy note: personalize by fabric print and ear lining. Envelope postage. Photograph one held in a hand so the smallness reads, because photos flatten scale.
Get the full tutorial at Sew DIY.
29. Bold Stamped Leggings
Plain leggings hand-stamped with a repeating shape, which turns a blank garment into something with a maker’s name on it. Cut your own stamp from a craft foam sheet and you can print a motif nobody else has. Slide cardboard inside the leg before you stamp or the paint will bleed through to the back, and heat set before you list. Offer the design in three colorways and let the buyer pick their size and color at checkout.
- Supplies: plain leggings, fabric paint, foam or rubber stamp, cardboard, iron
- Approx cost: about $8 to $12 per pair
- Sells for: about $34 to $48.
- Etsy note: personalize by stamp color and layout, and offer a matching child size. Posts light in a poly mailer. Photograph them worn and moving, not folded.
Get the full tutorial at How Does She.
30. Cherry Bead Bracelet
White seed beads with a pair of red cherry clusters and a green stem bead dropped in every inch or so, strung on bead thread and finished with a clasp. It takes minutes once you have the pattern in your fingers, and the beads cost pennies. Fruit bracelets are a steady seller with teens and the summer crowd. Make matching necklaces in the same pattern to sell as a set, and list grape, strawberry and daisy versions alongside it so shoppers can build a stack.
- Supplies: white, red and green seed beads, bead thread or stretch cord, clasps and jump rings, beading needle, scissors
- Approx cost: about $0.50 to $1 per bracelet
- Sells for: about $8 to $12 each, or $18 to $24 with a matching necklace.
- Etsy note: personalize by wrist size and offer other fruit versions as variations. Bracelets mail in a tiny padded envelope. Photograph one on a wrist and one flat with the necklace.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
31. Pressed Flower Mason Jar Lights
Clean a mason jar, brush on a thin coat of Mod Podge, lay pressed flowers and fern leaves against the glass, then seal them under another thin layer. Tuck a string of battery fairy lights inside and the flowers glow like stained glass after dark. It makes a lovely night light or bedside lamp, and buyers love it as a wedding or Mother’s Day gift. On Etsy, offer custom flower choices, and photograph it lit in a dim room, because that glow is what sells it.
- Supplies: mason jar with lid, pressed flowers and ferns, Mod Podge, soft brush, battery fairy lights, twine
- Approx cost: about $4 to $6 per jar
- Sells for: about $22 to $35, more with birth month flowers.
- Etsy note: personalize with birth flowers or a name on the lid tag. Glass needs a box with bubble wrap on all sides. Photograph it glowing in low light plus one daylight shot of the flowers.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
32. Mini Notebooks
Pocket-size notebooks you make yourself, which means you choose the paper, the cover and the size rather than reselling somebody else’s. That is what separates a listing that competes on price from one that does not. Score the cover before you fold or it will crack along the spine. Sell them in threes with different covers, because a single small notebook feels like a small purchase and a set of three feels like a gift.
- Supplies: cardstock covers, plain paper, bone folder, needle and thread or long-arm stapler
- Approx cost: about $0.75 to $1.50 each
- Sells for: about $8 each, or $20 for a set of three.
- Etsy note: personalize with a name or a job title on the cover, which lifts it into a gift listing. Envelope postage. Photograph a stack fanned open so the paper quality shows.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
33. DIY Earbuds Holder
A small snap case that keeps earbuds and a charging cable from turning into a knot in the bottom of a bag. It is tiny, it is fast, and it solves a daily irritation, which is the profile of a steady seller rather than a seasonal one. Line it with something soft so the buds do not rattle. Add a wrist loop and it becomes the thing somebody clips to a gym bag, which is a whole second set of search terms.
- Supplies: fabric scraps, fusible fleece, snap or magnetic closure, thread
- Approx cost: about $1.50 to $2.50 each
- Sells for: about $12 to $18.
- Etsy note: personalize by fabric print and add initials on the flap. Envelope postage. Photograph it open with real earbuds and a cable inside.
Get the full tutorial at Neat House Sweet Home.
34. DIY Shell Ring Dish
A real shell painted and gold-rimmed into a little dish for rings by the sink, and it lands squarely in the wedding and bridesmaid market where people buy six at a time. Seal the inside so a ring does not scratch the paint. Gold leaf the rim by hand rather than painting it, because the slightly uneven edge of real leaf is what makes it look like a boutique piece instead of a craft.
- Supplies: scallop shell, acrylic paint, gold leaf or gold paint pen, sealer
- Approx cost: about $2 to $4 each
- Sells for: about $16 to $24, or $85 for a set of six for a bridal party.
- Etsy note: personalize with an initial inside the dish, which is the version brides order. Wrap in tissue inside a small rigid box. Photograph it with a real ring in it on a marble surface.
Get the full tutorial at Twinspiration.
35. Customized DIY Notepad
Stacks of paper padded at the top with a printed personalized header, which is one of the highest volume personalized listings on Etsy because it works for teachers, realtors, new babies, and anyone who signs their name a lot. Padding compound is the only specialty supply and a bottle does dozens. Print your headers in batches, then cut, clamp and pad the whole run at once. It is an assembly line, and assembly lines are where the money is.
- Supplies: printer paper, chipboard backing, padding compound, brush, clamps, guillotine or craft knife
- Approx cost: about $1 to $2 per pad
- Sells for: about $12 each, or $30 for a set of three personalized pads.
- Etsy note: the name printed at the top IS the product, so every order is custom by default. Posts flat. Photograph three pads stacked at an angle with a nice pen.
Get the full tutorial at Hello Little Home.
36. DIY Photo Resin Coaster
A photograph set in clear resin, which is the strongest personalize-and-post item we own. The buyer sends a picture and gets back something that looks manufactured. Resin needs a level surface, a warm room and patience, and it needs you to seal the photo first or the paper will go translucent and ruin the whole pour. Do a test pour before you list. Once the process is dialed in, every order after that is the same twenty minutes of work.
- Supplies: silicone coaster mold, two-part epoxy resin, printed photos, sealer, mixing cups, gloves
- Approx cost: about $3 to $5 per coaster
- Sells for: about $38 to $55 for a set of four with photos.
- Etsy note: the buyer’s photo personalizes it completely. Pack each coaster separately in a small rigid box, since resin can chip on a corner. Photograph one with light raking across it.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
37. Resin Coaster With Dried Flowers
The same resin process as the photo coaster, with pressed flowers instead, and it sells to a completely different person. Every coaster comes out unique because no two pressed petals land the same way, which is a genuine selling point and not a claim you have to stretch. Press your flowers properly for at least two weeks. A flower with any moisture left in it will brown inside the resin weeks after the buyer receives it, and that is a refund.
- Supplies: silicone coaster mold, epoxy resin, pressed dried flowers, tweezers, mixing cups, gloves
- Approx cost: about $3 to $5 per coaster
- Sells for: about $42 to $60 for a set of four.
- Etsy note: personalize with a wedding bouquet’s own flowers, which is the version that commands the highest price on Etsy. Pack individually. Photograph a set backlit so the light comes through.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
38. Easy DIY Daisy Bead Rings
Tiny daisy rings made from seed beads on elastic, and they take about four minutes each. That is the whole business case: four minutes, a handful of beads, and a price that has nothing to do with either. Rings are the ideal Etsy item because they size to order without any pattern change, so you never hold dead stock in the wrong size. Sell them in threes to stack across fingers and the average order value doubles.
- Supplies: seed beads, flower beads, stretch cord, scissors, glue
- Approx cost: about $0.25 to $0.50 each
- Sells for: about $8 each, or $20 for a set of three.
- Etsy note: personalize by size and color combination at checkout. The lightest envelope postage on the page. Photograph three worn together on one hand.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
39. DIY Shrinky Dink Flower Bracelet
Shrink plastic flowers you color yourself, bake, shrink and then string into a bracelet nobody else is selling. The coloring is genuinely fun, and the shrinking is the part that makes people watch the video twice. Color more heavily than feels right, because the shrink concentrates the color and a pale flower comes out washed. Punch the holes before baking. Everyone forgets once, and only once.
- Supplies: shrink plastic sheets, colored pencils or permanent markers, hole punch, oven, elastic or chain
- Approx cost: about $1 to $2 per bracelet
- Sells for: about $18 to $26.
- Etsy note: personalize by flower color and wrist size, and offer a matching pair of earrings. Envelope postage, and it cannot break. Photograph it on a wrist against a plain sleeve.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
40. Easy DIY Hot Glue Keychain
Keychains made from hot glue, which sounds like a joke until you see one finished and painted. The supplies are a glue gun and paint, and the result posts for the price of a stamp. Work on a silicone mat so the glue peels away clean, and let each layer set fully before you add the next or you will get a droop you cannot fix. Make a run of twenty in one sitting and you have a month of stock.
- Supplies: hot glue gun and sticks, silicone mat, acrylic paint, sealer, keyrings
- Approx cost: about $0.40 to $0.80 each
- Sells for: about $10 each, or $24 for three.
- Etsy note: personalize with an initial or a color match. Plain envelope, single stamp. Photograph one on a set of real keys so it is obvious what it is.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
41. How to Make an Origami Heart Bookmark
A folded paper corner bookmark shaped like a heart, and there is no lighter listing in any Etsy shop anywhere. Use a heavier patterned paper than standard origami stock so it survives being slid on and off a page for a year. Sharp creases are everything: run a bone folder or the back of a spoon along every fold. Sell them in sets of five in coordinating papers and price the set, never the single.
- Supplies: patterned cardstock or heavy origami paper, bone folder, scissors
- Approx cost: about $0.20 to $0.50 each
- Sells for: about $5 each, or $18 for a set of five.
- Etsy note: personalize by paper theme, book genre or school colors. Envelope postage. Photograph a set tucked into the corners of real books on a shelf.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
42. Easy DIY Air Dry Clay Jewelry Trinket
Small air dry clay pieces you shape, dry and paint, which is about as flexible as a listing gets: one process, endless shapes, any color a buyer asks for. Roll the clay evenly, because a thick patch dries slower than a thin one and that is where cracks come from. Seal it properly once painted so it can be wiped. Once your shapes are cut, a whole batch dries overnight while you do nothing at all.
- Supplies: air dry clay, rolling pin, cutters, fine sandpaper, acrylic paint, sealer
- Approx cost: about $1 to $2 each
- Sells for: about $14 to $20, or $34 for a set of three.
- Etsy note: personalize by shape and color, and stamp an initial into the clay before it dries. Wrap in tissue in a small box. Photograph a set on a neutral linen background.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
43. DIY Air Dry Clay Decoupage Jewelry Dish
A shallow clay dish with a decoupaged pattern inside, which is the item that sells to people buying a small nice thing for somebody else. Napkin decoupage gives you a pattern range you could never paint by hand, so your listing can offer a dozen designs from one process. Dry the dish fully, and I mean fully, before you decoupage, because trapped moisture will lift the paper later. Seal the inside so a ring does not catch.
- Supplies: air dry clay, bowl to shape over, decorative napkins, decoupage medium, sealer
- Approx cost: about $1.50 to $3 each
- Sells for: about $18 to $26.
- Etsy note: personalize by pattern choice and add a name in gold around the rim. Pack in a rigid box, since a thin clay edge can chip. Photograph it holding real rings on a nightstand.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
FAQ
What crafts sell best on Etsy?
Personalized pieces that are made to order. Personalized Sharpie mugs sell for about $18 to $28 each, or $40 and up for a matching pair, and photo resin coasters sell for about $38 to $55 for a set of four with the buyer’s own photos. Both are made after the order comes in, so there’s no shelf of inventory waiting around, and the buyer’s name or photo is what they’re really paying for.
Does personalizing a handmade item raise what it sells for?
Yes, and by more than the extra few minutes it takes. A leather tassel keychain sells for about $14 to $20, or $22 with an initial charm added. Yarn dog keychains sell for about $12 to $18, and more when they’re made to match the buyer’s own dog from a photo. A name, an initial or the right coat color turns a generic listing into a made-for-me gift.
Which handmade items survive shipping well?
Flat, light and hard to crush. Origami heart bookmarks sell for $5 each or $18 for a set of five and go out in an envelope. Cloth napkins sell for about $48 to $70 for a set of four and fold to nothing. Skip anything bulky or fragile until you have your packing sorted out.
Should you list singles or sets in an Etsy shop?
List both, because the set is where the order value lives. Tile coasters sell for about $28 to $38 for a set of four, more with custom photos. A shell ring dish sells for about $16 to $24 on its own and about $85 for a set of six for a bridal party. The bridal set is the listing that gets found.
What makes a good first Etsy listing?
Something you can make again in an evening once the order comes in. Photo bookmarks sell for $9 each or $28 for a set of four. Daisy bead rings sell for $8 each or $20 for a set of three. Quick to remake means you can list confidently and restock the same week.
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