75 Most Profitable Crafts to Sell to Make Money
Looking for a way to make some extra cash this year? With the holidays coming up, I am realizing I don’t have anything extra in my budget for gifts, not even for supplies to make my favorite kind of present, the DIY variety! Some of my friends have been making money selling their top items for Etsy shops for several years, and I used to think this way somehow impossible for me, even though crafting is absolutely my favorite past time. I am just not quite as artistic as my BFF, and not nearly as tech-savvy as some of the other. Last month, I finally sat down and looked at the best crafts to sell online, though, and it turns out most of the top sellers on Etsy are completely doable my even DIY novices. I made a list of the top 75 ideas for cheap crafts to make and sell so you could see for yourself. For the most popular things to make and sell, choose easy things to make that people can give as gifts, especially at Christmas, but ones that will guarantee you sales year-round. Also, be thinking about light or small items that you can ship for a low cost. People expect to pay for some postage, but being able to offer affordable or free shipping is something extra you can offer to boost sales in your Ebay shop or Etsy store.
With only a few supplies required and minimal expense, you can craft your way into that extra money you want to have. With some cool dollar store craft ideas, a trip to the local Dollar Tree should have you in business in no time. Gear up early to be ready for the holiday shoppers who are sure to love the 75 crafty creations as much as we do. Complete with easy to follow step by step tutorials, these no-fail ideas are the best around. Check out this fun list of crafts to make and sell and see for yourself, profitable crafts you can make without spending too much money on supplies or shipping. Happy crafting! Start with these 75 ideas but also be sure to check out our original list of most profitable crafts to sell for even more inspiration.
Crafts to Make and Sell
1. DIY Confetti Tray
I love confetti and this DIY vanity tray is such a simple material but it instantly adds a little more fun to any project, party or space that you use it in. Today, I tried out a brand new product and paired it with confetti. First of all, have you all seen Mod Podge Dimensional Magic Glue before? The stuff is pretty amazing and it appears like there are about 2 million different things you can use it for, mod podge crafts and crafts with glitter simply rock! I keep wanting to try and make a few buttons using it. I bought two bottles of it and have been waiting for just the right project and was really excited with how this project turned out when I was all done with it. I just painted my a Mod Podge layer on my tray, then sprinkled it on my tray with some extra glitter for flair, crushed it down with my hand and applied a generous coating on top. When it dried it looked amazing. When it comes to hot craft ideas to sell, this colorful decor project combines some top trends together, plus it is cheap and easy to make.
2. DIY Mini Mountain Photo Holders
These mini mountain DIY photo holders are a super cute way to display your own snaps, creations, or the sweet momentos you pick up on your merry way. Not to mention they’re perfect for the upcoming holidays! You can Have a few dotted along a shelf or one by your bed to create an interesting way of showing off your paper goods, especially those that aren’t quite big enough for your walls but love regardless. Just use modeling clay and nail polish to create this stunning effect. If you need a cute DIY idea for photos, this handmade frame just may be the statement you are looking for. An awesome DIY Christmas gift idea, we highly recommend making lots of these for your Etsy shop as they are light and don’t cost much to ship. A creative but non specific unisex gift, this is a top seller due to the limitless number of uses for it and pretty much anyone can use a photo or paper holder like this one their desk or bookcase.
Check out all of these money making crafts on YouTube then come back to visit the links to our favorite DIY blogs, where you will find complete step-by-step instructions.
3. Mod Podge Clipboard
I love clipboards, you can have a mini desk anywhere you might be with one. When I saw this DIY Mod Podge clipboard idea on Pinterest, I went crazy. I decided to make a complete wall grouping for her dorm room. I love using napkins for my Mod Podge, but you can use any paper or cloth product, it will work out sensationally. When it comes to cool crafts to sell, these inexpensive clipboards are a top pick because you can offer tons of different variations of this without having to order a ton of different expensive supplies. Try out lots and then remake your top designs and best selling Etsy items.
Crafts to Sell For Profit
4. DIY Small Storage Boxes
I was coming DIY projects online and I saw these perfect DIY small storage boxes are just what I needed for my office. So, I found these cute acrylic boxes and knew I wanted to do something different and fun to them. I usually gravitate towards color but because the containers were clear I wanted the contents to pop more than the container. My office has lots of wood accents so I wanted to create a wood lid to match. I LOVE how these small storage boxes turned out! You can leave the lid plain or paint them! AND the best part? No wood cutting. Even if you don’t love to put things away, this cheap DIY organizing idea is so cute, you might find yourself inspired to start arranging and storing things like your favorite influencers once you have a set of these cute handmade boxes. These make cute items to sell as stocking stuffers since they are small, and for shipping, the little ones fit in regular padded envelopes, so big shipping boxes are not required.
5. DIY Gem Stone Bobby Pins
Do you need a great idea for broken jewelry? Listen to this, I thought of this very simple DIY when my vintage 1950s necklace broke. I didn’t want to throw it away, but couldn’t wear it anymore. I’m so thrilled they turned out as WAY adorable bobby pins! I seriously LOVE them and want to wear them all the time. I mean, I am pretty obsessed with any kind of hair accessory so these are right up my alley. This DIY is so incredibly simple. Make them for yourself or give them out to friends, either way, they are worth a try! When it comes to cool gift ideas for teens, creative DIY hair accessories and DIY bath bombs are our top picks. Accordingly, making and selling these is also a super idea.
6. DIY Fruity Zipper Purses
This zipper pouch sewing tutorial makes little custom bags that are so cute and functional, we just can’t have enough of them in our lives. I like to use them for change, makeup, jewelry, keys, a phone, or even love letters from my honey. They are so simple to sew, this one involves a zipper and requires an intermediate level of sewing skill. Once you get this one down though, you can pump them out all day long and they make great gifts for everyone. A cute but easy DIY sewing gift you can give to almost anyone. Perfect for a DIY Christmas gift idea, but great for year-round gift giving.
Top Etsy Craft Ideas
7. DIY Plastic Animal Planters
I needed a few small gifts to give the teachers at my kid’s school and I saw these fabulous DIY animal planters on Pinterest. I had all the small cuttings I needed to fill them from my back garden and found these cute planters at Michael’s craft store. Michael’s always has everything I need for all my DIY projects and you will always have a guaranteed 40% off coupon available on their website, you can access it on your phone while you are standing in line. It’s a great place to create your dreams and save money as well. DIY planters always sell well online and on Etsy, especially creative little ones like this. For garden crafts to make and sell, be sure to add this adorable animal planter to the mix of offerings.
8. Dishwasher Safe Painted Dishes
I really wanted to make some DIY hand-painted dishes and I recently discovered Pebeo porcelain paints and now I want to paint all the dishes! I was going to try a dipping method but then I found the Pebeo paint pen, and instead decided to doodle around with a bunch of different ideas. I kept the dishes all to coppery gold and black paint so that they still coordinate with each other and are easy to mix and match. Plates and DIY glassware make super wedding gift ideas, among other things, so you can be assured people will buy these items year-round. They style easily for cute photos you can promote on your Instagram and social platforms for an extra traffic boost and more sales. Offer all sorts of variations on these by adding your own creative designs to the mix. We recommend offering dishes and even full sets that go with a variety of decor styles and tastes, from modern to farmhouse.
9. Rock Photo Holders
I have so many photos in boxes and albums and I never get to enjoy them because I have to set aside a complete day to look through them, then I get hit with emotional overload by all the memories I am reliving at once. I wanted to make some easy DIY photo holders so I could select a few and display them for a while, then switch them out every so often. These come together so quickly and are relatively inexpensive to make. You can find a bag of smooth river rocks at the craft store and some copper wire at the hardware store, or pretty much anywhere! Paint the rocks solid colors or mix it up with patterns. You could even just keep them unpainted for a more rustic feel. These little photo holders would be such a cute gift for dad or Grandpa for Father’s day gift idea and of course a thoughtful easy gift for Mom. Wouldn’t they look adorable sitting on an office desk? Make a big profit on these little guys because the rocks are free and the wire is super cheap. The only cost you have going into this one is your time, and it does not even take much of that to make this cool top-selling craft idea. One of the most profitable crafts to sell, that is for sure.
10. DIY Cactus Ring Holder
This DIY cactus ring holder is so easy to make and pretty cheap too! I’m a huge DIYer because I love making things myself. You get a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing you made it. I used white oven bake clay, acrylic paint, Polyform Sculpty Glaze, and Sculpty Bake & Bond. This clay making is totally addictive, you will not be able to get enough of the hours of fun you will be having with this stuff. If you already sell handmade rings or DIY jewelry in your shop, what better item to add to your wares for sale than ring holders? Cactus crafts and decor decorated with cacti is super trendy right now, so take advantage of that fact and start selling this cactus motif ring holders for something that is proven to sell.
11. DIY Homemade Citronella Candles
Candles and lights are super popular items to make and sell for profit because people love giving them as gifts. There is a reason just about every store you can think of has a rack of scented candles for sale right near the cash register, and so should yours. DIY candles are inexpensive to make and can sell for high prices with a good markup, especially when you use good combinations of fragrances and essential oils and natural products like beeswax. This candle making tutorial features a bug repellant candle with citronella oil, which can be purchased cheap in bulk, as can the little metal buckets you put the candles in. Whether you are trying to offer gifts for him or her, this is a mulitpurpose easy DIY idea to sell to just about anyone.
12. DIY Unicorn String Artwork
This cute and colorful string art project idea features a unicorn. One of the top selling items to put on Etsy is DIY wall decor and DIY string art is one of the most economical bang for buck choices that even the non-artists can do. Check out this list of string art ideas for even more top ideas to sell and make money with crafts. When I started looking for DIY crafts to make money, I wanted to find something I would really enjoy making. This string art tutorial really spoke to me, as did the creativity all string art did, as I can make so many different things without spending much on the supplies. These DIYs do take some time, but DIY art ideas and string art sell really well for high prices, great margins. For teen crafts to make and sell, this is definitely my #1 choice.
13. Tiny Terrariums
DIY Terrariums are fun to make and everyone loves them, but this teeny tiny terrarium is just so unexpected and amazing. Learn how to make tiny terrariums to sell for money and ship them to customers for almost nothing, since they weigh less than an ounce and ship in a regular flat envelope.
14. DIY Gold Foil Painted Pots
Everyone needs some plants in their life, and in turn, needs some of these handpainted planters to put them in. Creative crafts made with pots are great crafts to sell since tbey don’t require tons of artistic talent or painting skills to be able to do them, even if you are looking for crafts a beginner can make and sell.
15. Tissue Paper Flamingo
We love paper crafting, so paper crafts to make and sell like this cute tissue paper and pom pom flamingo screamed “make me” and maybe not “sell me” because I had to keep the first one, of course, but after that I realized other people who love having a trendy pink flamingo in their room as much as me. Paper crafts are my favorite because even when I don’t have any money to spend of crafts I can find or buy a little bit of paper. I really enjoy and have had a lot of luck upcycling and repurposing paper for this DIY paper project as well as others. You’d be surprised where you can find perfectly good paper that is yours for the taking if you just start looking. Things made with leftover wallpaper scraps are also great things to sell as these ideas can also be made for free, then paper flower tutorials are always one of my go-to paper things to make and sell. They don’t take a ton of time to make and cost very little or can be made with free supplies.
