51 Incredibly Easy Things to Make and Sell Online for Money

Whether you’re looking to make a bit of extra cash on the side or launch your new business, finding things to make and sell online is definitely one way to go about it.

And you don’t even need to have experience in a certain type of craft, although it definitely doesn’t hurt.

Instead, as you’ll see in the tutorials below, there are plenty of things you can learn how to make from scratch and easily build up your skills from there – along with your income.

What are the best things to make and sell online for pets?

If you’re looking for things to sell to start a business, focusing on pet-related items is always a good idea. After all, did you know that Americans spent $95.7 billion on their pets last year?

This means that there’s a massive market for things in this category.

1. Dog treats

Of that $95.7 billion, $36.9 billion was spent on pet food and treats. This means there’s a huge amount of money up for grabs here – which you could get on board with too by making and selling dog treats online!

It’s perfect if you’re an animal lover and like to spend time in the kitchen. Just ask Kristen Larsen, who started her own dog treat bakery and was earning five-figures per month – on the side of her full time job.

(She was even invited to have her products in the gift bags given out at the Emmy Awards!)

And she’s now created the Diva Dog Bakery course to show you how to do exactly the same thing. 

You can check out our full review of this course here, with it covering everything from recipes that are proven to sell to pricing and payment issues to how to comply with labeling requirements – which, yes, also apply to dog treats.

This means it’s just what you need if you’re looking to start making money from your dog treat business as quickly as possible.

2. Cat vase scratching post

This vase scratching post would be perfect for any cat owner who doesn’t want their cat’s scratching post to not fit into the rest of their decor. Instead, a lot of people would much rather have something that’s functional but that also fits the room.

Given you won’t even see the vase inside, you can buy any cheap one you can find – or even one that’s second hand. The fact that there’ll be different shapes is actually more of a selling point!

From there, a hot glue gun will be your best friend here – go for a glue gun like this one that’s full-size, as getting a smaller one will take you too long to make each piece.

3. Dog leash holder

People are always looking for ways to get more organized and that includes when it comes to their pets. It’s for that reason that this dog treat and leash holder is incredibly simple and effective.

They estimate that it will take less than an half an hour to make each one and you can see why as, really, it’s not that complicated to make – which is just what you need when you’re looking to sell something.

The version in the picture includes these very inexpensive hooks and you’ll also need some mason jars. Given you’re presumably planning to make and sell a bunch of these, you have the benefit of being able to buy in bulk – like this set of 12 mason jars.

4. Dog bow tie

This vintage dog bow tie is incredibly cute and given how easy it is to make, it would be very simple to have a full range of designs to make and sell.

You could even make them seasonal, like if you’re looking for Christmas crafts to sell, or more pastel designs ready for wedding season.

Related: 34 Best Online Jobs for College Students With No Experience

5. Pet bowl stand

To continue the trend of pet owners wanting accessories that also look good in their homes, this pet bowl stand definitely fits – kitten not included, sadly. You could even offer to personalize them by offering to paint each pet’s name on them.

While you’ll need some woodworking experience here, it’s not that difficult. You’ll need a jig saw, with the highest rated jig saw on Amazon actually being impressively cheap.

6. Small pet bed

This little blue pet bed could easily be made in various colors and sizes to be sold to any animal lovers out there.

And when it comes to easy things to make and sell out of wood, this one definitely fits the bill. Making a box, which is what they’ve essentially done here, is one of the simplest things you can do with a sheet of plywood, so shouldn’t take you much time at all.

7. Larger dog bed

For a slightly more substantial-looking dog bed, this larger dog bed could be another opetstion for you if you’re looking for other pet-related things to make and sell.

The handles on the end are a nice touch and you can also paint it however you like, whether it’s slightly rustic like they’ve done in the photo or a more solid color, similar to the previous one.

You could also easily offer a personalization option here, with the dog’s name or another message painted on to the front.

8. Rainbow pet collar

This rainbow pet collar is beautiful to look at – and also very easy to make. In fact, if you’re looking for online jobs for teens, making and selling these could be a great option.

While this multicolored paracord is all you need to get started, you can also consider some of the other color combinations there if you’d like to offer some variety

And while the one in the picture was made for a dog, these would be fine for cats too. Just take note of one of the comments on that page which mentions that the dog buckle isn’t appropriate for cats – instead, you should use one like this.

Related: 28 Best Summer Jobs for Teachers to Earn Extra Money

What are some things to make and sell for kids?

9. Stickers

As more and more people embrace things like planners in their lives, stickers have become a booming business for people looking to make money on Etsy or similar sites.

And they don’t have to just be for kids. In fact, while I’ve put it in this section here, there are plenty of adult-themed stickers that sell like hotcakes online. And by “adult-themed”, I don’t mean like *that*…instead, plenty of people are using stickers as a way to better organize their lives and to add a bit of fun to things like their schedules or meal plans.

It’s for that reason you may want to check out Mim Jenkinson’s course on Making Perfect Planner Stickers from Scratch. 

Mim’s been selling stickers for five years and has taught over 2,500 students how to make and sell their stickers. Her main goal here is to help you to start making successful stickers as quickly as possible – no wasting time trying to figure out what technology you need or producing subpar stickers. And in doing that, she’ll also help you make sure you’re actually making stickers that sell, allowing you to start making money ASAP!

(And by the way, did you know you can also make and sell digital stickers on Etsy these days too?)

10. Printables

There’s basically an unlimited number of types of printables you can make and sell online. And much like stickers, you’re absolutely not limited to making kid-specific printables.

In fact, printables can range from anything like college or work schedules, weekly or monthly planners, meal plans, budgets and more. And for kids, this can extend to chore charts, coloring sheets, homework trackers, sheets to help with their numbers and letters…as you can probably tell, the options are huge.

And so is the earning potential. Tracie Fobes, for example, has made tens of thousands of dollars selling her printables online. She’s now used this experience to launch her Easy Printables course, which goes into:

• Exactly how to use free tools like Canva to design eye-catching, polished printables
• The design tips and tricks that actually work to get people to pay for your products
• How to get people to actually see (and buy!) what you’re selling

Find out more about Easy Printables here.

11. Wooden stacking toy

This wooden stacking toy for kids really is lovely indeed, to use the name of the site that shows you how to do this.

It’s true that it can be a bit fiddly to make, but there’s no doubt that something like this would sell well on sites like Etsy or even at markets in-person, especially for people looking to avoid plastic when it comes to their kids’ toys.

The actual woodworking part of things is pretty minimal here, although you will need a drill – this drill is by far the highest rated one on Amazon (and half price at the time of writing this!)

12. Wooden puzzle for kids

As another great wooden toy to make and sell, this painted puzzle is super simple to create while also leaving you with a world of possibilities when it comes to designs.

That is, you could go with the more abstract design seen in the picture above or things like the alphabet, personalized name options, seasonal ideas or pictures that are typical from your area (especially if you plan to sell these at farmers markets rather than online).

You can find blank wooden puzzles on Amazon (like this one) to paint on but Etsy actually has a much better range in this case. This blank wooden puzzle from Etsy is pretty close to the one in the picture, for example.

13. Baby flower headbands

It’s hardly groundbreaking to say that parents love to dress up their kids and nowhere is that clearer than with the never-ending popularity of headbands. If anything, Instagram has caused an extra boom in people looking for these!

Which is where you come in! These baby flower headbands are beautiful and incredibly easy to make. Just grab your hot glue gun (here’s the glue gun we recommended a bit earlier), your flowers and headbands – and you’re pretty much halfway there!

Etsy is a great source for these. In fact, the person who made the headbands you can see in the picture made them with this grab bag of fabric flowers and this one of elastic strips, helping you save a ton of money by buying them in bulk.

Related: 24 Best Part Time Online Jobs to Make Money From Home

14. Baby swing

Knowing how much these cost new, I’m amazed at how professional this homemade baby swing looks. And if I’m impressed, your customers will surely be too!

You’ll need to do some sewing here, although nothing too complicated and nothing that wouldn’t be too hard to do in bulk, given you’ll be planning to do a bunch of these swing things to make and sell.

It’s also worth noting that another one of these I saw online made their own baby swing that was modeled off a commercially available one that cost $135 (plus postage!). So assuming you’re going to be charging less than that, these are likely to sell really well as your customers realize how much they’re saving.

What handmade items are in demand for your bathroom?

It’s no surprise that when you’re looking for things to make and sell, bathroom items are always going to be an obvious choice. Whether it’s soaps, scrubs or other pieces, a lot of these definitely fall into the category of cheap things to make at home that also sell well.

That said, given you’re planning to sell these, it’s important to be fully aware of the legal requirements involved in doing this, especially when it comes to labels. 

This is why this Soap and Cosmetic Labeling book is such a good investment for any fledgling craft business, as it will save you a ton of time and money down the line if you know what to do upfront.

After all, the last thing you want to do when starting your new business is accidentally breaching some labeling laws and launching an illegal side hustle!

15. Seashell bath bombs

Bath bombs are one of the easiest bathroom items to create but using shapes like these will really help yours to stand out from the crowd.

Of course, you can make them in any shape you like depending on which mold you prefer. One tip though is that while metal molds tend to be more popular, silicone molds are actually easier to use. They let you just pop the finished bath bomb out and are super simple to clean and store.

This set of seven seashell-shaped (…say that seven times fast) molds would be perfect for this.

16. Goldfish in a bag soap

It’s easy to see why these goldfish in a bag soaps would be popular at any market, whether online or offline. They’re super cute and you could easily see kids in particular going crazy for these.

The fish can be bought in bulk in a range of different colors to save money and give you some variety in what you’re selling – in fact, this set of 144 vinyl fish is actually the exact one used in the picture above.

There are also some great tips in the article for how to mix it up a bit, like turning the “water” blue or glittery.

17. Rubber ducky soap

This rubber ducky soap is so cute that I really couldn’t not add another soap to this list, just so I could have this one too.

Like the goldfish in a bag soap, you should buy your rubber duckies in bulk to save money, with this set of 50 mini ducks being the same as the one you can see in the picture.

If you haven’t done much piping while baking before, you may want to do a few practice runs to get the hang of it (pro tip: squeeze from the top). But once you’ve nailed that, this one is going to be very easy for you to do.

Related: 29 Quick Tips on How to Make $300 Fast

18. Exfoliating sugar scrub bars

These sugar scrub bars are a pretty addition to any bathroom, with the added benefit of the scrub not having to be kept in a container – great for cutting back on plastic packaging.

You can mix up the colors and scents as much as you like, depending on which colorants and essential oils you choose to add to each one. Make sure you check about halfway down this article for some good combinations for your oils.

19. Coffee eye cream

Coffee isn’t only good at keeping you awake – it’s also good for helping you look awake, as this coffee eye cream will show you.

For anyone looking for all natural beauty products, this one will definitely appeal to them. You should also aim to keep this in a small glass jar rather than a plastic one, as a lot of customers in this niche will prefer a more sustainable option.

This pack of 12 small glass jars would be perfect for this (and, based on the reviews, are exactly what most people use them for).

20. Sea salt shampoo bar

Sustainable products are huge these days as people prefer to make more earth-conscious choices, particularly where they can avoid plastic packaging. And one area where this has been seen is with the growing popularity of products like this sea salt shampoo bar.

Shampoo bars do exactly what packaged shampoo does, just without the plastic bottle, which is why there’s a massively expanding market for products like these. 

The version in the picture was made with this silicone chrysanthemum mold although you can use any you have on hand (including the seashell molds we mentioned for the bath bombs above).

21. Lip balm

I don’t know about you, but I tend to have at least three different lip balms in circulation at all times in different parts of my life (one in my handbag, one on my desk at work…)

So being able to offer your customers all natural lip balms in this range of colors will definitely be a winner. It also helps that they’re easy to make for all ages, meaning they’re great if, say, you’re looking for how to make money as a 13 year old.

If you’re planning to have various products in your store, you could actually use the same little glass jars for your lip balm that we mentioned earlier for the coffee eye cream to save money. Alternatively, if you’d really like to jazz these up a bit, you can use these gold containers here.

Related: 27 Legitimate Stay at Home Jobs That Pay Well

Most profitable crafts to sell for the kitchen

22. Beeswax wraps

If you haven’t jumped on the beeswax wraps train yet, you really should. They’re a fantastic, sustainable alternative to saran wrap that you can simply wipe down and continue to reuse.

And when it comes to crafts that sell well at flea markets, the market for sustainable products is massively growing. Fortunately, these beeswax wraps are surprisingly easy to make.

You can find pure beeswax here to make these, with other suppliers available if you’re outside of the US.

23. Solid dish soap bar

To continue with the sustainability theme, this dish soap bar is a perfect alternative to dishwashing liquid in a bottle. Not only is it just as effective at keeping your dishes clean, but the more plastic-free, the better!

While the website at the link uses different molds to make these, you could easily double up by using the same silicone chrysanthemum mold we mentioned for the shampoo bar above. Just make sure you – or your customers – don’t mix up the finished products.

24. Copper salt and pepper shakers

These copper salt and pepper shakers are probably the easiest things to make and sell that you’ll ever find. 

Literally all you need is these Ikea shakers and some contact paper to wrap them in. While the copper look is beautiful, I’m also a big fan of this chrome rose gold contact paper to really turn those shakers into statement pieces – although you could always do both to offer a range of options!

25. Whiteboard calendar

This whiteboard calendar is a great idea, especially for any household where you struggle sometimes to keep track of everyone’s comings and goings.

This is a really good example of an item that you can offer as a personalized piece, with people submitting their family name when they order one from you. From there, it’s crazy easy to create individualized items as this is made with a Cricut, which allows you to easily adapt any design.

This also gives you the freedom to make a bunch of different options, like a smaller weekly calendar, a list of things to do for the week or month, a weekly meal plan or even a board for assigning chores for the week.

Related: 41 Ways to Make $1,000 Fast (That Actually Work)

26. Mustache mugs

These mustache mugs look so professionally done, you’ll be shocked once you see how they do it. (Edit: Sorry for how much this sounds like a clickbait Buzzfeed headline…)

That is, it literally just involves cutting out the stencil and coloring in the design with a Sharpie (specifically, she recommends using this type of Sharpie with a brush tip).

Of course, you can use any design or color you like, although sticking to some sort of theme generally works well.

27. Gold-dipped mugs

These aren’t really gold dipped, but they sure look like it. In fact, once you see how to make these mugs, you’ll be amazed at how simple they are given how effective the overall look is.

Literally all you need is some gold spray paint, some mugs (these are the ones from the picture above) and some clear gloss spay paint, like this. And of course, you could always mix it up with different colored paint or even different colored mugs.

Plus it’s so easy to do that if you’re looking for ways to make money as a kid, making and selling these could work.

What can I craft to make money for people to wear?

28. T-shirts

Making and selling clothes is hardly a new idea, but it’s also got a few extra hurdles. First you have to design the clothes, then source the materials, then have them made in different sizes, then have them shipped…unless you’re H&M, it can be more trouble than it’s worth.

This is why services like Printify are so good. All you have to do is upload your design and Printify takes care of the rest.

That is, once you’ve made your design, you can select if you want it available on any of the products that Printify offers, including shirts, bags, shoes, phone cases and more.

From there, when someone buys one of your products, Printify produces and ships the item to the customer. You can then simply wait for the money to land in your account – that’s it!

Click here to find out more about Printify.

29. Wire rings

These wire rings make for great statement pieces and you can easily make and sell a full product line just by making a few changes to each one.

You’ll need some pliers for these and if you don’t have some already, grab these long-nose pliers to make things easier on yourself. From there, find some copper wire (or any other type, really!) and your favorite beads – and your ring-making business can grow from there!

Related: Make $200 a Day Online: 17 Ways That Are Proven To Work

30. Fruit hair clips

While these fruit hair clips are mainly for smaller kids, there’s no reason why you couldn’t take the idea and make some that are oriented towards an older age group.

Remember that hot glue gun you got for some of the earlier options of things to make and sell? Well, you’re going to be using it again here. You’ll also need some hair clips – this colorful pack of 100 hair clips is remarkably cheap and perfect for the different colored fruit you’ll make here.

The fruit itself is probably the easiest part but you can always mix it up with things like animals, other food (ice cream would be easy, for example) or literally anything else that’s vaguely spherical.

31. Map pendant

This map pendant is beautiful and so easy to customize with different designs. It’s also surprisingly easy to make, with the necklace itself made from a combination of this pendant and this chain.

In fact, it would be incredibly easy to offer personalized options to your customers here. You could market this as being the location of where they met their partner, where their first child was born, where they themselves grew up and so much more.

And the author of the instructions (who sold these herself on Etsy) for making this notes you could go even further, by including anything from book clippings to dictionary definitions, bible verses, clippings from sheet music, photos, phrases and more in the necklace.

32. Wire-wrapped gem pendant

This video shows you how to make a pendant that would go amazingly well with the wire rings we mentioned a bit earlier. In fact, a lot of the materials used are exactly the same, meaning it would be very simple to sell both pieces at once.

The tutorial is also really good at breaking down the wire wrapping process for anyone who’s new to this. It takes you through every step extremely clearly, so you’ll have it down pat in no time at all.

33. Cufflinks

When it comes to things to make and sell, resin is becoming increasingly popular as a material to use – mainly because it can basically be used to make anything.

These cufflinks are no exception, with the finished product looking incredibly professional. And if you haven’t done anything like this before, this resin starter kit will have you well on your way.

Related: 43 Amazing Under the Table Jobs that Pay Cash

34. Flannel fringe scarf

With flannel having come back into fashion in recent years, this flannel fringe scarf should be on your list of things to make and sell that people can wear.

There’s a tiny bit of sewing involved – literally only hemming the material to finish the scarf off – so if you can use a sewing needle, you can make this. You’re also free to mix up the material, including steering clear of flannel altogether, if you prefer!

35. Fake leather earrings

These fake leather earrings are so easy to make but look so good. And as you can probably guess, you’ve basically got an unlimited array of designs available here depending on whether you want to mix up the shape, the material… or both!

While you can use scissors to cut these, it’s worth considering the advice in that article to use a Cricut instead if you plan to make a bunch of them. This will make it much faster and you’ll get a sharper, cleaner line. Although they’re not the cheapest thing around, it will pay for itself before you know it.

And if you like the gold in the photo, you can get a pack of different gold leather sheets to build up your product range. That said, there are a ton of other leather styles out there, so take a look to see what you (and your customers!) may prefer.

36. Polymer clay earrings

Much like resin, polymer clay is a super versatile material when it comes to making jewelry.

It’s also very cheap to buy – just check out how inexpensive this massive polymer clay starter kit is.

And this video will show you just what to do from there to turn this into earrings. They may not be as “perfect” as some others you’ll see but, honestly, the fact they look handmade and so unique is what gives them their charm.

37. Tassel earrings

These tassel earrings are so in fashion – and so, so easy to make. I’m actually slightly annoyed that I paid for a similar pair recently when I read the instructions at that link.

The gradient effect of the earrings in the picture is really beautiful, although you could always stick to one color if you prefer. Google will have a ton of inspiration for what you can do here.

Related: 41 Easy Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month

38. Laser cut earrings

Another day, another pair of earrings…but I had to add these laser cut earrings to this list as they’re seriously beautiful – and not even actually laser cut by you

You may also be interested in: 35 Most Profitable Cricut Business Ideas to Make Money

Yes, you don’t have to own a laser cutter to make these. Instead, the creator of these earrings made these simply by cutting up a larger panel of laser cut wood, saving you a ton of time (and expense!) when compared to having to buy a laser cutter yourself.

(That said, if you are willing to spend a bit more to produce some really unique pieces, some people have learned how to make money with a 3D printer to print off earrings to sell!)

What are some things to make and sell for profit for the home?

39. Geometric Candle Holder

This geometric candle holder looks amazing and would work just as well marketed to the wedding crowd as the home decor audience. It also helps that they’re crazy cheap to make, which is especially good if you’re asked to make a bunch of them as wedding centerpieces.

You’ll need that hot glue gun again as well as a can of spray paint to finish it off – while you can use yellow gold like in the picture, I’m a big fan of this metallic rose gold spray paint for crafts like this.

40. Hurricane lantern

This hurricane lantern not only looks great but it’s actually made from five picture frames! So no need to worry, as there’s definitely no welding or anything needed here.

And in fact, it’s a case of the cheaper the better in this case, especially if you plan to make and sell a bunch of them. This set of 10 black picture frames would absolutely do the trick, for instance, by letting you make two lanterns just from one pack.

41. Live, laugh, love mason jars

We all know mason jars have become the decor of the moment for Instagrammers, but it’s true that they can look pretty amazing.

Just take this set of live, laugh, love mason jars. Seeing them all lined up on a shelf or as part of a centerpiece, there’s no doubt that they make a statement.

And when it comes to making and selling them, you can be as creative as you want. For example, the matte look in the picture comes from using this glass paint, although there are plenty of other colors available in that range.

Related: 37 of the Highest Paying Online Jobs

42. Photo mason jars

To continue with the mason jar trend, these photo mason jars not only tick that box, but they also feed into the growing demand for personalized pieces.

That is, you could easily offer a service where your customers send in the photos they want added to the jar based on some pre-set designs. It would then be up to you to simply print and add the photos to each mason jar.

The website owner uses an HP Sprocket to print these photos which is very simple to use. While this does mean a small initial outlay to purchase this device, it should be able to pay for itself very quickly.

43. Ocean clock

If you’re looking for more expensive things to make and sell using the resin you got to make the cufflinks we mentioned a bit earlier, this clock is, frankly, spectacular.

And this tutorial shows you every single step, including how to get the ocean effect, which is probably going to be the hardest part for most of us. This means that while this isn’t going to be for absolute beginners, it’s more than feasible for you to make – and quite easy to see how this would easily be able to be sold online or in markets.

44. Braided doormat

This braided doormat looks great and is amazingly easy to make. In fact, once you have the weaving technique down pat, it really won’t take much time at all for you to start churning these out to sell.

Using white rope can look really elegant, although I do wonder how long it would stay clean at my place. In any case, you should consider getting these different colored nylon ropes to make these, so you can offer your customers some options.

45. Rope coasters

A lot of online stores do really well when they center their products around a theme. So if you’d like to offer various rope-related items alongside that braided doormat we just mentioned, these rope coasters would be perfect for that.

You’ll need a different type of rope to make these from the one we just mentioned – although if you prefer sticking to a white theme compared to the more natural color in the photo, this is the exact rope you should use.

Related: 41 Ways to Make $100 a Day That Actually Work

46. Hanging lounge chair

And to continue the white, beachy, semi-ropey theme… this hanging lounge chair looks incredible and would be so relaxing to have, whether your customers are looking to have it outside for the summer months or bring it inside when the weather isn’t as good and hang it from the ceiling.

As the tutorial shows you, it’s pretty easy to make. There’s a small amount of drilling involved and the tiniest amount of sewing but, otherwise, it’s really straightforward and doesn’t take long at all – which is exactly what you want when looking for things to make and sell.

What are some other crafts to make and sell for money?

47. Tote bag

This tote bag is one of the simplest sewing projects you’ll ever do and can easily be personalized or jazzed up with different fabrics. Once you get the hang of it, you can also add things like pockets inside (for keys, phones etc.), a zip on the top and more.

The steps are very clear how to do this but if you’d like some extra guidance, there’s also a video in the article that will help.

48. Leather tassel keyring

This leather tassel keyring is a quick and easy craft you could make and sell for money, perhaps as part of a range of keyrings or alongside other, related products. And as you can see from the picture above, they’re very Instagrammable – always a selling point these days!

This fake silver leather would be perfect for making this, although there’s also a “dark gold” version at that link that I love. Of course, there are hundreds of other colors you could use for these so see what tickles your fancy!

49. Monogrammed keychain

We’ve mentioned it before but it’s worth repeating: personalization is huge on places like Etsy these days and these monogrammed keyrings definitely fit into that category.

They’re made using polymer clay and if that rings a bell, it’s because we mentioned it a bit earlier as it can be used to make earrings. Here, however, they’re using this liquid polymer clay which is great to use if you have a mold as it can simply be poured in, baked and you’re basically done!

The one in the picture is made using this silicone alphabet mold – although you absolutely don’t have to stick to letters.

50. Greeting cards

As you’ll see a bit further down in this article, I did some research into what sells the best on Etsy in 2021 and one of the categories they mentioned was “connection-related items” – that is, things that help you reconnect with people after the events of 2020. And they specifically mentioned greeting cards as one product that’s expected to explode in popularity this year.

So these greeting cards are perfect for that, with the one in the picture being just one example of the range of designs offered at that link. And as you’ll see, none of them are your usual, flat card. Instead, they literally pop out at you – with the added bonus of each one being unique, given how they’re made!

With things like pages from old books combined with hand painting, no one card is going to be the same as another, and it’s this handmade touch that customers will undoubtedly love.

51. Chai latte candle

Now, this probably could have gone in the section on what handmade items are in demand for your bathroom or maybe things to make and sell for profit for the home – but I couldn’t decide and also desperately wanted to include it in this list given how it looks. So it ended up here!

That is, this chai latte candle looks incredibly real and would look amazing basically anywhere around the house, especially as fall decor. It’s also why I have no doubt that it would sell like hotcakes if, say, you’re looking to make quick cash for the holidays.

It’s also surprisingly easy to make. While there’s a bit of time needed for the wax to harden at certain steps, in terms of the time you actually need to work on this, it’s barely any at all.

And if you’re interested in how to start a candle making business, our article on just that will show you what to do!

What is the best place to sell crafts online?

While making and selling things in-person at markets can be a good strategy, selling things online is also a great option. 

In particular, it opens your products up to a much wider range of customers – basically the entire internet – who can look you up at any time, not only on, say, Sunday mornings when the market is open.

The best places to sell crafts online include:

• Etsy – Etsy is easily the best online marketplace for people to sell things they’ve made. With almost 40 million active buyers per year in all sorts of categories, there’s a massive potential audience here for your product.
• Shopify – Shopify lets you create your own store on a range of platforms, including Amazon, Facebook and even on your own site. Having your own site can actually be a really good strategy if you’re looking to take your new craft business more seriously – click here for a step-by-step guide to launching your site in less than 20 minutes.
• Amazon Handmade – Amazon Handmade gives creators access to Amazon’s millions of customers. For a fairly reasonable commission, you can sell your handmade pieces on Amazon’s platform.
• Printify – Printify is great for those who want to design some products to sell but not necessarily produce it themselves. This could include creating designs for shirts, bags, shoes or even mobile phone cases, as all you have to do is upload the design and Printify will produce the item for you when someone buys it.
• ArtFire – ArtFire is similar to Etsy in terms of it being an online platform entirely devoted to selling creators’ pieces. While it’s slightly smaller than Etsy, you do have the option of selling items for free on there.
• iCraft – iCraft is exclusively for people to sell handmade items and lets you list as many pieces as you want for only $5.
• Aftcra – If you’re in the US, Aftcra could be a way to go as you can sell all sorts of handmade goods on there. Listings are free although there is a 7% fee when you sell something. Also keep in mind that they have a $10 minimum price for each piece you sell. 

What crafts are trending for 2021?

This study looked at the most popular Etsy categories last year worldwide based on share of sellers. Using this information, we can get a pretty good idea of the hottest selling crafts – or at least which categories they’re in.

And the study found that these include:

1. Home and living (25%)
2. Art and collectibles (21%)
3. Jewelry (15%)
4. Clothing (11%)
5. Accessories (8%)
6. Bath and beauty (6%)
7. Toys and games (4%)
8. Bags and purses (3%)
9. Weddings (2%)
10. Books, movies and music (2%)

This suggests that the best things to sell online to make money are those found in the more popular categories above.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider selling in some of the other categories. After all, the fact there are less sellers in some of them could mean that the smaller group of sellers are each making more money!

Related: 25 Best Selling Items on OfferUp in 2023 (to Make Great Money)

And that’s especially when you combine it with the information in the next section…

What sells the best on Etsy in 2021?

Every now and then, Etsy releases its Marketplace Insights. These give us some idea of Etsy’s statistics from the previous period and they also offer some predictions – which we can pretty strongly assume come from the data they can see about their own platform.

This means that, based on this edition of their Market Insights, they predict that the following items should be on your list of things to make and sell on Etsy:

• Connection-related items: Given the events of 2020, it’s expected that people will be looking to reconnect with loved ones and with the world at large. This means Etsy expects things such as greeting cards and specially designed envelopes to be popular, as well as travel-related items.
• Sky blue pieces: They’ve picked sky blue as their color of the year for 2021 because of its “positive associations with openness, possibility, freedom, health, vitality, and hope”. This could extend to clothes, accessories or home decor.
• Everyday things: Their team noted many of the bestsellers in 2020 were “practical things with charm”, like ceramic mugs, natural cleaning supplies, and colorful face masks. And there seems to be every reason that this will continue into 2021.
• Personalization: Given that “personalized gift” was the most-searched term on Etsy in 2020, it’s clear that personalization is massive. This means that you could have serious success if you can market your pieces as allowing for people to put their names or other specific details on them.

Final thoughts on the best things to make and sell

As you can see from this list, there’s an almost unlimited list of things to make and sell for money online.

You could easily turn your crafting business into a stay-at-home mom job (or stay-at-home dad job!) or even just a weekend job to have an extra income stream on the side of your main work.

And there are plenty of people who’ve started out by making and selling things online and have managed to scale this up to earn serious money. Just consider these seven people who make $10,000 a month from their side hustles.

Which means that there’s absolutely no reason why you couldn’t do the same!