The Best Things To Sell on Etsy To Make Some Money

Here are some ideas for things to sell on Etsy which could earn you some extra money. From soaps to crafts items, the number of things available on Etsy is truly limitless. If you have access to any one of these particular items, you could potentially grow a very profitable Etsy business.

This post will cover the best things to sell on Etsy which could net you some extra cash. Let's find out how to make money with Etsy and dive right in.

What Is Etsy?

Before we list ideas for things to sell on Etsy, it's important to understand what Etsy really is.

Etsy is an online marketplace where users can buy and sell all sorts of stuff. BUT, it isn't just another eBay or Amazon. Etsy differs because all of the items in the store are unique, home made, and/or vintage.

On Etsy's very own website it states that its mission statement is “to reimagine commerce in ways that build a more fulfilling and lasting world. We are building a human, authentic and community-centric global and local marketplace. We are committed to using the power of business to create a better world through our platform, our members, our employees and the communities we serve.”

This means that Etsy is special in that you'll only find unique items on their website. If you're looking to bulk buy something and resell it, you'll fail miserably on Etsy.

And before you say “well… Etsy probably isn't a big platform”, in 2020 Etsy had over 80 million active buyers. If you know what you're doing, you can absolutely make a ton of money on Etsy.

Finally, selling stuff on Etsy is better than doing freelance or gig work on sites like Fiverr because you can automate the revenue more. With freelancing, you earn money on a per-hour or per-month basis… you only make money when you work. Set up a successful Etsy shop though, and you can have money rolling in without you having to do much at all.

Ideas for Things To Sell on Etsy

Ready to share your creations with the world and make money online (and potentially from home)? Here are some of the best ideas for things to sell on Etsy.

Stickers

Stickers are one of the most popular items on Etsy and sell really well. They're cute, easy to carry around, and look awesome on a lot of things. The great thing about stickers is that you really only need a few items to start an online sticker shop:

• Sticker paper
• A cutting machine
• A printer

Also, if you own a business, you can easily tie stickers in with it (you can make stickers in whatever shapes and sizes you want!) Finally, the best news is that people often order stickers in large quantities, which means you only need a few customers to really get your sticker business going.

Top Etsy Sellers for stickers are:

• Annakategifts
• FabledCreative
• JulieFitzGeraldArt

Magnets

Magnets are similar to stickers, except for the fact that they can be moved from place to place. You may be wondering “but how in the world am I supposed to make a magnet?” Don't worry, there are actually tons of places online that teach you how to make magnets or let you print magnets in bulk, like Printify for example.

If you're serious about selling magnets on Etsy, you shouldn't be worrying about how to manufacture the actual magnets, but rather how you're going to create eye-catching and popular designs for your magnets. Remember, Etsy is all about hand-craftedness and personalization.

Journals and Notebooks

Almost everybody needs at least one journal (or at least a notebook). But, what fun is it to just get the same basic black notebook over and over? More and more people have started to realize that they can jazz up their work space simply by getting better stationeries. One site people consistently look to for journals and notebooks is Etsy.

If you have the means to create unique, good-looking journals and notebooks, there is a huge customer base at Etsy waiting for you. The best thing is that usually these are the same people who go through journals/notebooks fast, so you can expect some good repeat business.

Jewelry

Jewelry is and will always be a big deal on Etsy. With prices being lower than big jewelry shops while retaining the same level of uniqueness, handmade Etsy jewelry has a huge audience.

According to Statista, in 2021 the US jewelry market is going to reach $57.96 billion in revenue. That's a HUGE amount of money to be a part of. Some of the best selling jewelry items on Etsy are:

• Bracelets
• Necklaces
• Rings
• Pendants
• Earrings

Jewelry sales also typically peak around holidays and special events like Christmas, Valentine's day, and Mother's Day. If you're planning to sell jewelry on Etsy, be sure to plan around these dates.

Plants

If you love planting and have your own little garden, have I got good news for you. Despite sounding a little funky, there is actually quite a big audience for plants on Etsy. Regardless of whether you grow rare and unique flowers or common house plants, almost anything can sell on Etsy.

Some of the kinds of plants you'll find on Etsy are:

• Ferns
• Grasses
• Bamboos
• Flowers
• Succulents and Cacti
• Fruit and Vegetables

Also, DIY terrarium kits are pretty popular on Etsy. If you have a ‘green thumb' there are many ways for you to make money on Etsy.

Party Supplies

The key with supplies is that you can't just make something which can be found in your local dollar store. It needs to be unique and ideally customizable if it's to do well on Etsy.

That being said, if you can find a way to create customized invitations, heart-felt presents, and/or cool decorations (like custom balloon garland), you could do very well on Etsy.

Things to steer clear of:

• Generic banners
• Normal un-altered latex balloons
• Any kind of generic glitter

Mugs

Mugs are a fantastic Etsy item… only when they're unique and customized. As such, Etsy is a great place for people to go mug-hunting.

If you're good at coming up with funny phrases, inspirational quotes, or just have great graphic design skills, you could create some cool mugs and sell them on Etsy.

A quick caution though, most best-selling mugs on Etsy are actually custom mugs. The top results of most mug searches on Etsy include many options where the customer can send an image over and the vendor can make them a personalized mug. If you're trying to really succeed selling mugs on Etsy, consider adding a custom option.

Candles

Candles are awesome because you can customize them in a million different ways AND the buyers usually come back for more (once the candle they originally bought burns through).

Also, candles are pretty easy to make. You just need some wax, wicks, and mason jars. The key doesn't lie in the actual candle materials but rather in how you customize it. You could:

• Make your candle have unique scents and fragrances
• Add glitter or fun designs in your candle wax
• Include fun stuff in your candles like flowers or shiny rocks

There are tons of ways to customize candles, and THAT is what customers are paying for.

The one caveat is that because candles sell really well, they are one of the most competitive categories on Etsy, meaning tons of people already make candles and sell them for cheap. How you can stand out is by diving into a niche like essential oils, glitter, or kids candles.

Headbands and Wraps

Do you really like to sew or are you really into embroidery? If you said yes to either of those, then creating headbands and wraps might be for you. The great thing about headbands and wraps is that they are so easy to make, yet at the same time can be so customizable and easy to decorate.

All you need is a few pieces of fabric, a sewing machine (optional), and/or a few elastics to create beautiful DIY headbands. Wraps are even easier to make. Typically these will sell better in the fall / winter as people start bundling up, so be sure to prepare for the seasons.

Top Etsy Shops for headbands and wraps are:

• Petitbouddha
• PeachandlavenderCo
• FeathersandFancy

Art

Before, if you wanted to sell your art, you'd need to set up a physical location or lay your art out on the street. Nowadays, there's Etsy!

Etsy provides artists with a more convenient and accessible way to sell art than setting up a physical location (or even setting up their own website). If you're an aspiring artist, one of the quickest ways to grow is by listing your stuff on Etsy.

What's more, if you combine your Etsy efforts with social media marketing, you could turn your small art projects into huge money making machines. All you need to do is have one of your art TikToks go viral, and your business is up and running! Some platforms to check out if you're looking to market your artwork are:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

Blankets

If you love knitting, you'll love this item on the list. Handmade blankets historically sell extremely well because of how unique they are.

Some easy ways to make DIY blankets include:

• Picking out a simple blanket crochet pattern and following a tutorial
• Adding rows of pom poms to recycled blankets
• Embroidering larger patterns onto throw blankets
• Making fleece blankets if you can't sew or don't own a sewing machine
• Arm knitting a large chunky blanket

Crafts

Are you super crafty… and not in the sneaky way? If so, Etsy is a great place for you to explore your passion. There are tons of craft projects and DIY crafts all over Etsy receiving huge amounts of success. From kids crafts to complex hot-glue creations, there's an audience for almost anything on Etsy.

Some craft ideas / crafts to make are:

• Origami
• Wood creations
• Cardboard / carton designs

Craft sales are on the rise and the best way to capitalize on it is through Etsy. Making crafts and listing them on Etsy is a great way to start your own craft business and also potentially make extra money.

Ornaments

Ornaments are great because you literally make them out of anything. Have some old clothespins you're not using? Glue gun them together and boom you have an ornament! Have some old pieces of felt lying around? Cut out shapes and stick them to a popsicle stick and you've got an ornament! Have a walnut and some googly eyes? You can make yourself a reindeer ornament!

The opportunities are truly endless when it comes to ornaments. To get started creating your own DIY ornaments you really only need a few things:

• Hot glue
• Random objects of choice
• Some string or paper clips (or anything else to hang your creation off of)

Ebooks

A lot of bloggers take advantage of ebooks to promote their ideas and make some money, but you don't need to have an online platform to do so. Have a family recipe or unique way of doing something? You can write tutorials and put them into ebooks.

The key to writing an ebook is to be consistent. Set aside a little time every day to write a bit and sooner or later you'll have a book to show for it! The awesome thing about Etsy is that you can just upload a PDF and don't actually need to get the book published in paper format to start selling.

Excel Worksheets

The final item to sell on Etsy is something I've seen plenty of financial bloggers do very well. Excel worksheets are a great way to sell your ideas and methods of organization.

The best thing about worksheets is that you really only need to create them once and you can sell them forever. Unlike something like stickers, with digital worksheets the only cost going into it is your labor. Then, every once in a while you can update your sheets to boost sales.

The most popular worksheets that sell on Etsy are:

• Budget trackers
• Wedding planning spreadsheets
• Bookkeeping templates

The Best Ideas for Things To Sell on Etsy

Selling online can seem like a daunting task, but with Etsy, it becomes that much easier. Regardless of whether you have a hobby making slime or are a well-established Ecommerce website, Etsy has the potential to give you a source of extra income.

This post has covered 15 product ideas for you to try out on Etsy! If you're serious about selling Etsy items, I recommend you start from #1 and experiment with each item until you strike a winner.

So what are you waiting for? With all these ideas for things to sell on Etsy and top selling items you have no excuse not to get started. Who knows, maybe one of these items will help you make money selling stuff from home and jumpstart your new business…