Top Selling Craft Ideas and Most Profitable DIY Projects

Some crafts are a joy to make and a terrible way to spend a Saturday if you are trying to earn from them. That is the whole reason this list exists. These are the most profitable crafts to sell, and every one of them shows you roughly what the supplies cost, what it sells for and what is actually left over for you. I have spent more making something than it would have cost me to go and buy it, and I’m sure some of you guys can relate to that, so I would rather hand you the numbers than a pretty picture. You’ll find quick makes you can batch by the dozen, a few higher-ticket pieces that are worth the hours, and some that surprise people every single time. Perfect for a market stall, a holiday rush, or a side income you want to grow on purpose. Working with almost no supply budget? Start with the cheap crafts to make and sell.

Table of Contents

Why These Crafts?

Top-Selling Craft Ideas

The most profitable crafts to sell are the ones where a few dollars of supplies carry a real retail price, and the gap is bigger than most people expect. No-sew denim placemats cost about $2 to $4 for a set of four and sell for about $45 to $60. Made-to-measure roman shades run about $12 to $20 a window and sell for about $85 to $140. Margin comes from perceived value, not from expensive materials.

1. DIY Confetti Tray

Save This Post!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new posts from us every week!
A pale wooden tray scattered with bright paper confetti and sealed under glassy resin, one of the most profitable crafts.

A plain wooden or acrylic tray scattered with confetti and sealed under resin, and it is one of the better profit stories on this page because the tray is the only real cost and everything on top of it costs almost nothing. Pour in a warm, still room and pop the bubbles with a heat gun or a lighter passed quickly over the surface. Trays sell as housewarming and wedding gifts all year, and a bigger tray carries a much bigger price for barely more work.

  • Supplies: plain tray, paper confetti, two-part epoxy resin, mixing cups, heat gun, gloves
  • Approx cost: about $12 to $18 per tray
  • Sells for: about $48 to $70.
  • Margin: roughly $34 to $52 per tray, about 30 minutes of hands-on work plus a 24 hour cure.

Get the full tutorial at Delineate Your Dwelling.

2. No-Sew Denim Placemats

No sew denim placemat project made from recycled jeans for the table with supplies most crafters own

Old jeans cut into placemats with the back pockets left on to hold cutlery, and the raw material is free, which is why this one belongs on a page about profit. A set of four is an afternoon. Cut through the thickest seams with a rotary cutter rather than scissors, and fray the edges deliberately so it reads as a design choice. Denim washes forever, which is a genuinely good line for a listing and happens to be true.

  • Supplies: old jeans, rotary cutter, fabric glue or fusible tape, cutting mat
  • Approx cost: about $2 to $4 for a set of four, less if the jeans were already yours
  • Sells for: about $45 to $60 per set of four.
  • Margin: roughly $42 to $56 per set, about two hours for four.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

3. Personalized Sharpie Mugs

A white ceramic mug hand-lettered in black oil-based marker on a kitchen counter, one of the top selling crafts for profit.

On a page about profit, this is the clearest math on the list. A plain mug, an oil-based paint marker, twenty minutes and a bake. Nothing else on this page turns four dollars into twenty-five as reliably, and the personalization is what lets you charge the top of the range instead of competing with a shelf of mass-produced mugs. Use oil-based markers only, wipe the surface with alcohol first, and let the mug cool inside the oven.

  • 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.
  • Margin: roughly $15 to $24 per mug, about 20 minutes of drawing plus a 30 minute bake you are not standing over.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

4. DIY Cactus Ring Holder

A little green clay cactus painted in two shades, sitting in a small pot of sand with gold rings hooked over its arms.

A small clay cactus in a pot that holds rings, and the supply cost is so low against the sale price that it is worth making in batches of ten. Score and slip where the arms join the body or they will pop off as the clay dries, which is the one failure everybody hits the first time. Paint in two greens rather than one so it does not read as a blob. It sells to anyone who takes rings off at a sink, which is everyone.

  • Supplies: air dry or polymer clay, small pot, craft paint, sealer, sand or pebbles
  • Approx cost: about $2 to $3.50 each
  • Sells for: about $22 to $30.
  • Margin: roughly $19 to $27 each, about 25 minutes of making plus drying time.

Get the full tutorial at Collectively Christine.

5. Homemade Citronella Candles

Citronella candle poured at home for a bug repelling patio accessory for anyone who loves this hobby

Candles are the classic high-margin handmade product and citronella adds a reason to buy in summer rather than just a reason to like. Soy wax, a wick, citronella oil, and a container that is doing half your marketing for you: a galvanized bucket, a jar, a tin. Pour at the right temperature and cure them for a week before selling, because a candle that tunnels on first burn is the review that sinks a listing.

  • Supplies: soy wax flakes, wicks, citronella essential oil, containers, thermometer, pouring pot
  • Approx cost: about $4 to $6 per candle
  • Sells for: about $22 to $32, or $60 for a set of three.
  • Margin: roughly $17 to $27 per candle, about 15 minutes of hands-on time per candle in a batch of six, plus a week’s cure.

Get the full tutorial at Don't Waste the Crumbs.

6. Tiny Terrariums

Tiny terrarium layered with moss and stone inside a small glass jar that makes a genuinely thoughtful handmade gift idea

Small glass vessels planted with moss, a succulent or an air plant, and the profit here comes from the fact that the plant is the smallest cost in the whole build. Layer properly: pebbles, charcoal, soil, plant, top dressing. The charcoal layer is the one people skip and it is what keeps the thing from going sour. Air plant versions need no soil at all, which makes them lighter to ship and faster to assemble.

  • Supplies: glass vessel, pebbles, activated charcoal, potting soil, moss or small plant, tweezers
  • Approx cost: about $6 to $10 each
  • Sells for: about $28 to $45.
  • Margin: roughly $20 to $35 each, about 15 minutes to plant once your components are laid out.

Get the full tutorial at Brown Paper Bag.

7. DIY Gold Foil Painted Pots

Three terracotta pots painted white with a torn band of real gold leaf around the rim, grouped on a sunlit windowsill.

Plain terracotta pots painted and gold foiled, which is one of the biggest visual upgrades per dollar anywhere on this page. The gold foil is what buyers are paying for, so use real leaf and adhesive size rather than gold paint, because the two do not look remotely alike in a photograph. Tape a clean line. Seal the outside so it survives watering. Make them in three sizes and sell them as a nesting set.

  • Supplies: terracotta pots, acrylic paint, gold leaf sheets, leaf adhesive size, soft brush, sealer
  • Approx cost: about $4 to $7 per pot
  • Sells for: about $22 to $32 each, or $70 for a set of three.
  • Margin: roughly $18 to $25 per pot, about 20 minutes of work plus drying between coats.

Get the full tutorial at Making Joy and Pretty Things.

8. Crocheted Cup Cozy

A crocheted cotton cup cozy in cream, buttoned around a takeaway coffee cup on a wooden table, a craft that makes money.

A cup cozy is a proven craft fair earner and the numbers are the reason: a small amount of cotton yarn, about 40 minutes, and a price people pay without thinking about it. One skein makes roughly eight of them, which is where the margin actually lives. Work it in cotton rather than acrylic because cotton handles heat and washing properly. Batch the whole skein in one sitting and then add buttons in a second pass.

  • Supplies: worsted cotton yarn, crochet hook, button, yarn needle
  • Approx cost: about $1 to $1.75 each
  • Sells for: about $14 to $20, or two for $26.
  • Margin: roughly $12 to $18 each, about 40 minutes each, less once the pattern is memorized.

Get the full tutorial at One Dog Woof.

9. DIY Vinyl Cups

A stainless steel tumbler wrapped in a cut white vinyl monogram, one of the highest margin crafts to sell by hand.

This is one of the highest-margin items on the entire list, and the reason is simple: a tumbler and a few square inches of vinyl become a personalized product worth four times the parts. If you own a cutting machine, this is the fastest path to profit on this page. Use permanent outdoor vinyl, weed carefully, and apply with transfer tape to a clean, alcohol-wiped cup. Tell every buyer it is hand wash only and put it in the listing.

  • Supplies: plastic or stainless tumbler, permanent adhesive vinyl, transfer tape, weeding tool, cutting machine
  • Approx cost: about $5 to $9 per cup
  • Sells for: about $28 to $42 personalized.
  • Margin: roughly $22 to $34 per cup, about 15 minutes each once the design file exists.

Get the full tutorial at My Crazy Good Life.

10. Textured Heart Canvas Art

A square canvas with a thick white heart built up in modeling paste, its ridges catching the light in a sunlit room.

Painting is my core passion, and textured canvas art is the project where a small amount of material turns into a real price, because people buy art by the look of it rather than by the cost of the paste underneath. Build the texture with a modeling paste or a joint compound and a palette knife, let it dry completely, then paint over it. Rushing the drying is how you get cracks. Bigger canvases carry much bigger prices for the same hour.

  • Supplies: stretched canvas, modeling paste or lightweight joint compound, palette knife, acrylic paint
  • Approx cost: about $8 to $14 per canvas
  • Sells for: about $55 to $95 depending on size.
  • Margin: roughly $45 to $80 per piece, about 45 minutes of hands-on work spread over two days of drying.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

11. Macrame Bracelets

A stack of knotted waxed cord bracelets in cream and rust with small brass beads, laid across a linen cloth in daylight.

Cord costs pennies and a finished macrame bracelet sells for real money, which is the entire reason this one has stayed on the list. Once you know the square knot you can make one in fifteen minutes in front of the television, and the fifteenth one is faster than the first. Use waxed cord so the knots hold. Add a sliding closure instead of a clasp and you remove sizing from every order you will ever take.

  • Supplies: waxed macrame cord, beads, scissors, clipboard or tape to anchor, lighter
  • Approx cost: about $0.60 to $1.20 each
  • Sells for: about $14 to $20, or $36 for a set of three.
  • Margin: roughly $13 to $19 each, about 15 minutes each once you have the knot.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

12. Glass Pendant Necklace

Glass pendant filled with a small design and strung on a necklace that makes a genuinely thoughtful handmade gift idea

A printed image sealed under a glass cabochon in a pendant tray, which is small jewelry with a genuinely strong markup and postage that costs almost nothing. Print your images at high resolution and seal them before you glue, or the adhesive will wick in and cloud the paper. Use a clear-drying jewelry glue, not hot glue. One sheet of printed images makes dozens of pendants, which is where the per-piece cost collapses.

  • Supplies: pendant trays, glass cabochons, printed images, clear jewelry glue, chain, sealer
  • Approx cost: about $1.50 to $2.50 each
  • Sells for: about $18 to $26.
  • Margin: roughly $16 to $24 each, about 10 minutes each in a batch.

Get the full tutorial at Slapdash Mom.

13. DIY Keychain From Wooden Hearts

A small stained wooden heart keychain with a name stamped into the grain, hanging from a silver ring against pale wood.

Wooden heart blanks, a stain or a paint, a stamped word and a keyring. Bulk blanks cost cents each, which makes this a genuine batch earner rather than a one-off. Sand the blank before you stain or the finish will blotch. Stamp into raw wood with a letter set and a mallet rather than printing on top, because a stamped impression will not wear off in a pocket and a printed one will within a month.

  • Supplies: wooden heart blanks, wood stain or paint, metal letter stamps, mallet, keyrings, sealer
  • Approx cost: about $0.80 to $1.50 each
  • Sells for: about $12 to $18, or $30 for a set of three.
  • Margin: roughly $11 to $16 each, about 10 minutes each in a batch of twenty.

Get the full tutorial at Cherished Bliss.

14. Marble Hexagon Coasters

Four white marble hexagon coasters with gold-dipped edges, stacked on a dark tabletop beside a glass of iced water.

Marble hexagon tiles with a painted or gold-dipped edge and felt on the back, which is one of the cleanest cost-to-price ratios on this page because the tiles come by the sheet. Peel them off the mesh backing and you have a stack of blanks for a couple of dollars. Tape the dip line and use two thin coats of paint, not one thick one. Sell in sets of four with a stacking tie, never as singles.

  • Supplies: marble mosaic tile sheet, gold or colored paint, painter’s tape, sealer, felt pads
  • Approx cost: about $3 to $5 per set of four
  • Sells for: about $28 to $40 per set of four.
  • Margin: roughly $24 to $36 per set, about 25 minutes per set plus drying.

Get the full tutorial at Homey Oh My.

15. How to Make Fabric Koozies

A cotton fabric koozie in a blue print, snug around a cold canned drink and resting on a picnic table in the sun.

My sewing sits at the beginner to intermediate end, and a koozie is well inside that, which is exactly why it belongs on a page about profit. It is three pieces, two seams and a length of insulated batting, and it sells at events where people are already holding a cold drink. Use the proper insulating batting rather than plain fleece or it does nothing and everyone will notice. Batch cut twenty at once.

  • Supplies: cotton fabric, insulated batting, thread, rotary cutter
  • Approx cost: about $1.50 to $2.50 each
  • Sells for: about $10 each, or $25 for three.
  • Margin: roughly $8 to $16 each, about 12 minutes each once you are cutting in batches.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

16. Citrus Print Tea Towels

Tea towel printed with a citrus pattern for a bright kitchen accent that looks far more expensive than it is

Plain flour sack towels printed with citrus halves, which is a genuinely good margin because the towels come in multipacks and the paint lasts for dozens of prints. Cut the fruit, blot it dry, and blot it again, because a wet lemon prints as a smear. Heat set the paint so the towel survives a wash. A set of two in a ribbon is a $30 gift that took you about fifteen minutes of actual work.

  • Supplies: flour sack towels, fabric paint, real citrus fruit, paper towels, iron
  • Approx cost: about $2.50 to $4 per towel
  • Sells for: about $16 each, or $30 for a set of two.
  • Margin: roughly $12 to $24 per set, about 15 minutes per pair plus drying and setting.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

17. DIY Lace Earrings

A pair of stiffened white lace earrings hanging from gold wires against a plain grey background so the pattern shows.

Lace stiffened, cut and hung from earring wires, which weighs nothing and sells for a jewelry price. That gap is the whole point of the item. Stiffen the lace properly with fabric stiffener or a thin coat of resin, because soft lace earrings lose their shape in a week and come back to you. Cut the pair from the same section of lace so they match. A yard of lace makes a very large number of earrings.

  • Supplies: lace, fabric stiffener or thin resin, sharp scissors, earring wires, jump rings
  • Approx cost: about $0.50 to $1.20 per pair
  • Sells for: about $14 to $22 per pair.
  • Margin: roughly $13 to $21 per pair, about 10 minutes a pair plus stiffening time.

Get the full tutorial at Mod Podge Rocks.

18. DIY Jute Rope Tray

Tray wrapped in jute rope for a natural textured serving piece that makes a genuinely thoughtful handmade gift idea

I get picked for decor committees because people have worked out I will go overboard and never stop, and a coiled jute tray is the sort of thing I would make eight of for one table. It is rope, glue and patience, and the finished piece sells at a decor price that has nothing to do with the cost of the rope. Keep the coil tension even and glue in short sections. A rushed coil goes oval and you cannot straighten it later.

  • Supplies: jute rope, hot glue gun and sticks, scissors, optional paint for a dipped edge
  • Approx cost: about $5 to $8 per tray
  • Sells for: about $32 to $48.
  • Margin: roughly $25 to $42 per tray, about 45 minutes of coiling.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

19. Lemon Peppercorn Body Scrub Bars

Solid lemon peppercorn sugar scrub bars stacked on a dish, a handmade bath and body product that sells well

Solid scrub bars have to cure, so this is not a one-hour project, but bath and body is one of the highest-margin categories a handmade seller can be in and these earn their slot here. A single batch pours a dozen bars from ingredients that cost a few dollars total. Weigh everything rather than measuring by volume, because bath products are a chemistry problem and eyeballing it gives you a bar that crumbles.

  • Supplies: melt and pour base or shea and cocoa butter, sugar or salt, lemon essential oil, cracked peppercorns, molds, kitchen scale
  • Approx cost: about $1.25 to $2 per bar in a batch of twelve
  • Sells for: about $12 to $16 each, or $30 for three.
  • Margin: roughly $10 to $14 per bar, about 45 minutes for a batch of twelve plus an overnight set.

Get the full tutorial at Burkatron.

20. Burned Ikea Cork Trivets

A round cork trivet with a geometric design burned into its surface in fine brown lines, resting on a white kitchen counter.

Plain cork trivets with a design burned into them, and the numbers work because the blank costs a couple of dollars and the finished piece sells like a designed object. You need a wood burning tool, which is the only barrier, and once you own one it pays for itself inside a dozen trivets. Burn slowly and keep the tip moving, because cork scorches fast and a hesitation mark is permanent. Practice on the back first.

  • Supplies: cork trivets, wood burning tool, pencil, ruler, fine sandpaper
  • Approx cost: about $2 to $3 each
  • Sells for: about $18 to $26, or $34 for a pair.
  • Margin: roughly $15 to $23 each, about 25 minutes each depending on the design.

Get the full tutorial at Where the Smiles Have Been.

21. DIY Coffee Cup Candles

A floral thrifted teacup filled with poured cream soy wax and a centered cotton wick, sitting on a saucer by a window.

Candles poured into thrifted teacups, which is a very good margin because the container is the expensive-looking part and it costs almost nothing at a charity shop. Use a wick sized to the cup’s diameter, glue it down properly, and pour at the right temperature so you do not get a sinkhole. Mix and match the cups deliberately rather than apologizing for it, and sell them as a set of three mismatched cups. People love that.

  • Supplies: thrifted teacups or mugs, soy wax flakes, wicks and wick stickers, fragrance oil, thermometer
  • Approx cost: about $3.50 to $6 per candle
  • Sells for: about $24 to $34 each, or $65 for a set of three.
  • Margin: roughly $20 to $28 per candle, about 15 minutes each in a batch of six plus a cure week.

Get the full tutorial at Sweet Cayenne.

22. Easy DIY Air Dry Clay Jewelry Tray

Easy DIY Air Dry Clay Jewelry Tray, A block of air dry clay costs a few dollars and makes several trays

A block of air dry clay costs a few dollars and makes several trays, and each one sells for many times what the clay cost. That is the whole argument for putting it on this page. Roll to an even thickness, drape over a bowl to shape, and let it dry slowly away from a heat source, because fast drying is what cracks a tray. Sand the edge smooth when it is bone dry, seal it, and it will hold up for years.

  • Supplies: air dry clay, rolling pin, bowl to shape over, fine sandpaper, acrylic paint, sealer
  • Approx cost: about $1.50 to $3 per tray
  • Sells for: about $24 to $34.
  • Margin: roughly $21 to $31 per tray, about 20 minutes of shaping plus two days of drying.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

23. Easy Air Dry Clay Ring Holder

Easy Air Dry Clay Ring Holder, One of the best cost-to-price ratios anywhere on the site. A ring holder uses a golf ball of

One of the best cost-to-price ratios anywhere on the site. A ring holder uses a golf ball of clay and sells like a small piece of design. Build the cone in stages rather than all at once so it does not slump under its own weight, and hollow the base slightly so it dries evenly. Paint two colors and gold the tip. It sells to anyone who takes rings off at a sink, and it ships in a small box.

  • Supplies: air dry clay, sculpting tool, fine sandpaper, acrylic paint, gold paint pen, sealer
  • Approx cost: about $1 to $2 each
  • Sells for: about $20 to $28.
  • Margin: roughly $18 to $26 each, about 20 minutes of making plus drying.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

24. DIY Air Dry Clay Jewelry Organizer Using Pebbles

DIY Air Dry Clay Jewelry Organizer Using Pebbles, Clay and pebbles, and the pebbles are free if you have been anywhere with

Clay and pebbles, and the pebbles are free if you have been anywhere with a path. Near-free supplies against a solid sale price is exactly what this page is for. Press the pebbles in while the clay is still soft and push them in further than looks necessary, because clay shrinks slightly as it dries and a shallow-set pebble will pop out later. Seal the whole thing so the stones stay put for good.

  • Supplies: air dry clay, small smooth pebbles, rolling pin, acrylic paint, strong sealer
  • Approx cost: about $1 to $2 each
  • Sells for: about $22 to $30.
  • Margin: roughly $20 to $28 each, about 25 minutes plus drying.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

25. DIY Air Dry Clay Egg Tray

DIY Air Dry Clay Egg Tray, A clay tray with pressed hollows for eggs, which is a repeatable batch item with a stated cost

A clay tray with pressed hollows for eggs, which is a repeatable batch item with a stated cost and a price that surprises people. Press the hollows with a real egg wrapped in cling film so it releases cleanly, and make them slightly deeper than feels right because the clay relaxes as it dries. Seal it properly. This sells hard in spring and then keeps selling as a trinket tray the rest of the year.

  • Supplies: air dry clay, rolling pin, an egg for pressing, fine sandpaper, paint, food-safe sealer
  • Approx cost: about $1.50 to $3 each
  • Sells for: about $26 to $36.
  • Margin: roughly $23 to $33 each, about 25 minutes plus two days of drying.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

26. Easy Beaded Bracelet Tutorial

Easy Beaded Bracelet Tutorial, Beaded bracelets batch cheaply and price well, which is the short version of why every craft

Beaded bracelets batch cheaply and price well, which is the short version of why every craft fair table has them. A tube of beads makes a lot of bracelets and each one takes minutes. Where sellers lose money is variety: pick three palettes and make ten of each rather than forty different ones, because a coordinated display sells and a jumble does not. Finish the knot with glue and hide it in a bead.

  • Supplies: glass or acrylic beads, stretch cord, scissors, jewelry glue
  • Approx cost: about $0.70 to $1.30 each
  • Sells for: about $12 to $18, or $30 for three.
  • Margin: roughly $11 to $17 each, about 8 minutes each.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

27. How to Make a Cherry Bracelet

How to Make a Cherry Bracelet, Tiny cherries strung into a bracelet, and novelty fruit jewelry has been selling steadily for

Tiny cherries strung into a bracelet, and novelty fruit jewelry has been selling steadily for a few years now with no sign of stopping. Bead cost is tiny and the markup is strong. Space the cherries evenly with seed beads between so they sit up rather than clumping, and use a good elastic, because a snapped cord scattering cherries across a floor is the one review nobody recovers from. Make them in red and in yellow.

  • Supplies: cherry charms or beads, seed beads, stretch cord, scissors, glue
  • Approx cost: about $0.80 to $1.50 each
  • Sells for: about $14 to $20.
  • Margin: roughly $13 to $19 each, about 10 minutes each.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

28. Easy Grape Bracelet Tutorial

Easy Grape Bracelet Tutorial, The same margin profile as the cherry bracelet with a different look, which means you get a

The same margin profile as the cherry bracelet with a different look, which means you get a second listing out of a process you already know. Cluster the grape beads tightly so the bunch reads as a bunch, and anchor each cluster with a knot rather than trusting the tension. Sell the cherry and the grape together as a pair and you have moved two bracelets in one transaction, which is the whole trick on a fair table.

  • Supplies: grape-cluster beads or small round beads, seed beads, stretch cord, glue
  • Approx cost: about $0.80 to $1.50 each
  • Sells for: about $14 to $20, or $26 paired with the cherry one.
  • Margin: roughly $13 to $19 each, about 12 minutes each.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

29. DIY Denim Flower Bracelet Tutorial

DIY Denim Flower Bracelet Tutorial, Denim from a pair of jeans you were going to throw out, turned into a flower bracelet

Denim from a pair of jeans you were going to throw out, turned into a flower bracelet with a real sale price. Free raw material against a jewelry price is the best margin arithmetic on this page. Seal the cut edges with a fray stopper so the petals hold their shape, and use the lighter worn patches from the knees, because the contrast between light and dark denim is what makes the flower read from a distance.

  • Supplies: old denim, fray stopper, fabric glue, button or bead center, bracelet band or elastic
  • Approx cost: under $1 each
  • Sells for: about $16 to $24.
  • Margin: roughly $15 to $23 each, about 20 minutes each.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

30. Beautiful Statement Braided Fabric Bracelet

Beautiful Statement Braided Fabric Bracelet, The best price per hour in the whole jewelry set, because it is made from

The best price per hour in the whole jewelry set, because it is made from scraps and it looks like a piece you would find in a boutique. Statement size is doing the work: a bigger braid carries a bigger price for the same twenty minutes. Use jersey or knit strips rather than woven cotton so the braid sits soft against a wrist, and finish the ends into a proper metal clamp rather than knotting them.

  • Supplies: jersey fabric scraps, ribbon clamps, jump rings, clasp, fabric glue, pliers
  • Approx cost: about $1 to $2 each
  • Sells for: about $24 to $34.
  • Margin: roughly $22 to $32 each, about 20 minutes each.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

31. Easy DIY Woven Yarn Mug Cozy

Easy DIY Woven Yarn Mug Cozy, A woven yarn cozy is a proven fair earner with a known yarn cost, and it needs no hook and no

A woven yarn cozy is a proven fair earner with a known yarn cost, and it needs no hook and no needles, which means you can teach somebody to make it in ten minutes and have two people producing stock. Keep the weave tight, because a loose one gaps around the mug and looks unfinished. One skein makes six or seven. Pick colors that suit a season and they sell out in a weekend at the right table.

  • Supplies: worsted yarn, cardboard loom or mug to wrap around, yarn needle, button
  • Approx cost: about $1 to $1.75 each
  • Sells for: about $14 to $20.
  • Margin: roughly $12 to $18 each, about 30 minutes each.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

32. Punch Needle Embroidery for Beginners

Punch Needle Embroidery for Beginners, Punch needle pieces sell as wall art, and wall art prices are a different league from

Punch needle pieces sell as wall art, and wall art prices are a different league from craft prices. That is the reason this one belongs on a page about profit rather than on an easy-projects page. The material cost is yarn and monks cloth. Keep your loops consistent in height, because uneven loops are the only thing that makes a punch needle piece look amateur. Frame it in an embroidery hoop and it is finished and ready to hang.

  • Supplies: punch needle tool, monks cloth, yarn, embroidery hoop, fabric glue
  • Approx cost: about $5 to $9 per finished piece
  • Sells for: about $45 to $70 depending on size.
  • Margin: roughly $38 to $62 per piece, about two to three hours for a hoop-size design.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

33. Easy T-Shirt Name Embroidery Hack

Easy T-Shirt Name Embroidery Hack, Name embroidery is really a service rather than a product, which is why the margin is so

Name embroidery is really a service rather than a product, which is why the margin is so good: the material cost is a length of floss and the buyer often supplies the shirt. Use a water-soluble stabilizer so the stitches do not pull the knit out of shape, and write the name out first rather than freehanding it. Offer it as an add-on to anything else you sell and watch your average order value go up.

  • Supplies: plain t-shirt, embroidery floss, needle, water-soluble stabilizer, hoop
  • Approx cost: about $0.50 in floss, or $6 to $10 if you supply the shirt
  • Sells for: about $18 to $25 as an add-on service, or $35 to $45 with the shirt included.
  • Margin: roughly $17 to $30, about 30 minutes for a short name.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

34. Easy Christmas Sweater Embroidery Hack

Easy Christmas Sweater Embroidery Hack, A thrifted sweater plus embroidery, and the margin is very high because a two dollar

A thrifted sweater plus embroidery, and the margin is very high because a two dollar sweater becomes a seasonal piece people compete over. This one has a hard selling window, so make your stock in October and list it in early November. Use a stabilizer behind the knit, and stitch loosely enough that the sweater still stretches, or the embroidery will pucker the first time somebody pulls it over their head.

  • Supplies: thrifted sweater, embroidery floss or yarn, tapestry needle, stabilizer
  • Approx cost: about $3 to $6 per sweater
  • Sells for: about $40 to $60 in season.
  • Margin: roughly $34 to $55 per sweater, about an hour of stitching.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

35. Batik Fabric Painting With Acrylic and Glue

Batik Fabric Painting With Acrylic and Glue, Washable school glue as a resist and acrylic paint for color

Washable school glue as a resist and acrylic paint for color, which gets you a batik look without wax or a dye bath. If you are buying paint for this, buy decent paint. Bargain acrylics carry less pigment and more filler, so you end up doing three coats and it still looks thin. Painted yardage sells as finished goods: cushion fronts, tote panels, wall hangings, each with a stated cost and a real price.

  • Supplies: cotton fabric, washable school glue, acrylic paint, fabric medium, brushes
  • Approx cost: about $4 to $8 per piece of finished yardage
  • Sells for: about $35 to $55 made into a cushion cover or a hanging.
  • Margin: roughly $28 to $48 per piece, about 90 minutes of painting spread over a drying day.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

36. DIY Blueberry Scrub

DIY Blueberry Scrub, Body scrubs have a documented per-jar cost and a standard retail price, and the gap between the two is

Body scrubs have a documented per-jar cost and a standard retail price, and the gap between the two is why bath and body is one of the best categories a small seller can be in. Sugar, oil, color, scent, a jar, a label. Weigh your batch so every jar is identical, and use a preservative-free recipe only if you are honest about the shelf life in the listing. Label with the date you made it.

  • Supplies: granulated sugar, carrier oil, blueberry fragrance, jars with lids, labels, kitchen scale
  • Approx cost: about $2 to $3.50 per jar
  • Sells for: about $16 to $22 per jar, or $40 for a set of three.
  • Margin: roughly $13 to $19 per jar, about 30 minutes for a batch of eight.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

37. DIY Coffee Scrub

DIY Coffee Scrub, The same cost and price treatment as the blueberry scrub with a completely different buyer

The same cost and price treatment as the blueberry scrub with a completely different buyer, which is the cheapest way to double a bath and body listing. Used coffee grounds are free, so this one’s material cost is almost entirely the jar. Dry the grounds thoroughly before you mix or the scrub will go off in a week. Coffee scrub photographs beautifully against a white jar, and photographs are what sell bath products.

  • Supplies: dried coffee grounds, sugar, carrier oil, jars with lids, labels
  • Approx cost: about $1.75 to $3 per jar
  • Sells for: about $16 to $22 per jar.
  • Margin: roughly $13 to $20 per jar, about 30 minutes for a batch of eight plus drying the grounds.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

38. DIY Nail Polish Marbled Jewelry Purse

DIY Nail Polish Marbled Jewelry Purse, Nail polish swirled on water and lifted onto a small hard-sided purse

Nail polish swirled on water and lifted onto a small hard-sided purse, and no two come out the same, which is genuine scarcity rather than marketing. A low supply cost against a bag price is a strong margin. Work fast, because polish skins over on the water within about thirty seconds, and work by an open window. Seal it afterwards or the marbling will scuff off inside a handbag within a month.

  • Supplies: small hard-shell purse or clutch, several nail polishes, bowl of room-temperature water, toothpick, clear sealer
  • Approx cost: about $6 to $10 each
  • Sells for: about $34 to $48.
  • Margin: roughly $26 to $40 each, about 25 minutes plus drying.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

39. Easy DIY Beaded Planter Lantern Tutorial

Easy DIY Beaded Planter Lantern Tutorial, A higher-ticket item with a countable bead cost, which is a useful thing to have

A higher-ticket item with a countable bead cost, which is a useful thing to have on a table full of fifteen dollar items, because it gives people something to aspire to and it raises the perceived value of everything around it. Thread on a wire rather than a cord so the shape holds, and plan the bead pattern before you start, because unthreading two hundred beads to fix a mistake is an evening you will not get back.

  • Supplies: beads, craft wire, planter or glass insert, pliers, battery tea light or candle
  • Approx cost: about $8 to $14 each
  • Sells for: about $45 to $65.
  • Margin: roughly $35 to $55 each, about 90 minutes.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

40. Tiny DIY Beaded Vine Desk Plant

Tiny DIY Beaded Vine Desk Plant, Faux desk plants sell steadily all year and cost cents in wire and beads

Faux desk plants sell steadily all year and cost cents in wire and beads, which is the definition of what belongs on this page. The pitch writes itself: it never needs water and it never dies, which is the honest reason people buy fake plants and nobody says out loud. Twist the wire tightly at each leaf so the vine holds a shape, and pot it in a little clay pot with a pebble on top so it looks planted.

  • Supplies: green seed beads, craft wire, small pot, air dry clay or floral foam, pebble
  • Approx cost: about $1.50 to $3 each
  • Sells for: about $18 to $26.
  • Margin: roughly $15 to $23 each, about 40 minutes each.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

41. DIY Beaded Plant Tutorial

DIY Beaded Plant Tutorial, A second beaded plant at the same margin, and it batches better than the vine because the leaf

A second beaded plant at the same margin, and it batches better than the vine because the leaf units are repeated. Make thirty leaves in one sitting while you are watching something, then assemble ten plants in a second sitting. Splitting the work like that is what turns a fiddly craft into actual production. Vary the pot color and you have ten listings from one process, which is how you fill a table without learning ten skills.

  • Supplies: seed beads, craft wire, small pots, air dry clay or floral foam, pebbles, pliers
  • Approx cost: about $2 to $3.50 each
  • Sells for: about $20 to $28.
  • Margin: roughly $17 to $25 each, about 45 minutes each, less when you batch the leaves.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

42. Easy DIY Beaded Wind Chime

A beaded wind chime of glass beads and small brass bells on coated wire, hung at staggered lengths from a driftwood branch.

A higher price point from inexpensive materials, which is exactly the trade this page is about. Beads, cord, a ring and something that makes a sound. Use fishing line or coated wire rather than cotton cord, because a wind chime lives outside and cotton rots through in one season. Hang the strands at staggered lengths so they actually chime against each other instead of hanging there looking decorative and silent.

  • Supplies: beads, coated wire or fishing line, metal ring or driftwood, small bells or metal pieces
  • Approx cost: about $5 to $9 each
  • Sells for: about $34 to $48.
  • Margin: roughly $27 to $42 each, about an hour each.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

43. DIY Flip Flops Makeover Tutorial

DIY Flip Flops Makeover Tutorial, A plain pair of flip flops plus ribbon or fabric trim, and the margin is genuinely good

A plain pair of flip flops plus ribbon or fabric trim, and the margin is genuinely good because the base pair costs a few dollars and the finished pair sells like a boutique sandal. It is a summer earner with a short window, so make your stock in May. Knot the fabric tightly against the strap and work all the way around, because a gap in the wrapping is the first thing a buyer’s eye lands on.

  • Supplies: plain flip flops, fabric strips or ribbon, scissors, strong fabric glue
  • Approx cost: about $5 to $8 per pair
  • Sells for: about $26 to $38.
  • Margin: roughly $20 to $32 per pair, about 45 minutes a pair.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

44. DIY Roman Shades

DIY Roman Shades, This is the clearest margin story on the whole site. About twelve dollars of supplies against what a

This is the clearest margin story on the whole site. About twelve dollars of supplies against what a window blind actually costs in a shop, and custom sizing is the part nobody can compete with, because a buyer with an odd window has no other option. Measure twice and then measure again, since a shade cut short is a shade thrown away. Made to order means you never hold stock, which is the other half of the profit.

  • Supplies: fabric, inexpensive mini blind to cannibalize for the mechanism, fabric glue, measuring tape
  • Approx cost: about $12 to $20 per window
  • Sells for: about $85 to $140 made to measure.
  • Margin: roughly $70 to $120 per shade, about two hours per window.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

FAQ

Which crafts make the most money?

The ones a buyer reads as furniture, clothing or art rather than as a craft. Roman shades sell for about $85 to $140 a window against $12 to $20 of fabric. A textured heart canvas costs about $8 to $14 and sells for about $55 to $95 depending on size. Punch needle hoops run about $5 to $9 and go for about $45 to $70.

What sells best at craft fairs?

Small repeatable makes that people buy without deliberating, backed by one or two higher-ticket pieces that pull them to the table. Macrame bracelets cost about 60 cents to $1.20 and sell for about $14 to $20, or $36 for a set of three. The set is what turns a $14 sale into a $36 one.

Does a low supply cost mean a low sale price?

No, and that is the whole point of this list. Air dry clay ring holders cost about $1 to $2 each and sell for about $20 to $28. Denim flower bracelets cost under $1 and sell for about $16 to $24. What you are pricing is the finished look and the time you saved someone, never the raw material.

Which crafts have the best return for the hours?

Anything where the skill is visible and the work is quick. An easy t-shirt name embroidery hack costs about 50 cents in floss as an add-on service and brings about $18 to $25, or $35 to $45 when you supply the shirt. A Christmas sweater embroidery hack costs about $3 to $6 and sells for about $40 to $60 in season.

Do handmade sets sell better than single items?

Usually, because a set answers the gifting question for the buyer. Citronella candles are about $4 to $6 each and sell for about $22 to $32, or $60 for a set of three. Gold foil painted pots run about $4 to $7 and go for about $70 for a set of three.

Where to Next

Top selling craft list of ideas for DIY projects to make and sell

Stephanie Hicks | DIY JOY

icon

Stephanie

Since I lover experiments, I’ve alwaysnloved to create, paint, as well as cook and style food. I feel in love with DIY as soon as I discovered it and could not have been more excited when I learned I could share projects with people around the world. Taking photos is a passion of mine, as is design and painting with oils. I love holidays and celebrations, crafting cute little gifts and serving up at least one new recipe I am excited about.

Read More About Me

You May Also Like