What to Sell on Etsy – 25 Etsy Shop Ideas to Make Massive Money

With so many choices of what to sell on Etsy let’s cut to the chase by studying the top sellers on Etsy, and the trending products

Etsy is a powerhouse when it comes to online selling, so it’s no wonder you want to be a part of it! You’re crafty, love beautiful things, and want to make some extra money! So, now the main question is, what to sell on Etsy?

Let’s look into the most successful shops and their products so you’ll know – What to sell on Etsy to make daily sales with your new side gig. Your perfect Etsy shop idea is on this list!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may make a commission at no cost to you. Please read my full disclosure for more info

25 hot products to sell on Etsy

I’ve gone through the top searched for items and then niched down (using EtsyHunt) to the specific keywords that people are searching for the most within the past 12 months. For transparency’s sake, I want you to know that I went through and eliminated any upcoming holiday items, as I wanted an accurate representation of what people want throughout the year.

Digital and Printables Planners

Planners are HUGE right now, as almost everyone wants to be more organized. The great thing about planners is that you can gear them towards different markets. For example – a health-focused planner, a pregnancy planner, a work planner, or a homeschool planner. The possibilities are endless!

Plus, planners can be made digitally, as a low content book, or even just printables. If you wanted to get started right away in this niche, I’d start with making and selling your own printable planners.

Here are the details (according to EtsyHunt).

• 40,752 searches a month over the past year
• Top keyword – planner, digital planner, planner stickers, budget planner, planners, daily planner, printable planner, wedding planner, weekly planner, planner printable.

Learn to make digital planners

If you are ready to jump into the digital planner game, then be sure to check out Faith’s Biz Academy Digital Planner Masterclass course. This course is both Canva and PowerPoint (free versions are available for each software tool)

• Using digital planners is eco-friendly and generates zero waste!
• Digital planners are more portable than hard copy planners.
• With a digital planner, you don’t have to worry about printing. You can simply download the digital planner and use it right away! How convenient!

In the class, you’ll learn…

• The exact steps of converting your existing printable PDF planners to digital ones
• How to create digital planners from scratch (sign and double page)
• How to create note-taking planner pages
• How to create tabs and hyperlinks to different planner pages
• How to import and use digital planner in GoodNotes
• and more!

She also includes two bonuses to help get you started…

• 100+ planner stickers
• Elegant undated digital planner (PLR item – you can sell this in your shop)

I know that digital planners are still new, so if you’re not 100% sure on how you can fit this into your Etsy shop, check out her free digital planner lesson. This will give you a better idea of how they work, how to make one, and see if it’s right for your online store.

So if you’ve been thinking about digital planners for your Etsy shop, this course is your perfect fit! 

Learn to make printable planners: If you want to start making printables right away, you can’t go wrong with learning from the best; Julie & Cody from Gold City Ventures. Their E-Printables Side Hustle Course has generated over $1 million in sales (it’s that popular!). 

If you’re not sure if this is the right Etsy shop idea for you, you can check out their free workshop on Making Passive Income with an Etsy Printables Shop. In it, they lay out everything you need to know to decide if this is the right shop idea for you.

Journals 

Similar to planners, you can create multiple journals with different focuses – travel journals, food journals, etc. Or you can do blank journals and create one-of-a-kind covers with watercolors or personalized designs. Oh, and don’t forget about the bullet journal! (you can even make finance spreads in a bullet journal – squee!). Here are the details on journals…

• 27,826 monthly searches over the past year
• Top keyword – journal, bullet journal, leather journal, journals, personalized journal, gratitude journals, junk journal, journal stickers, travel journal, customer journal.

Stickers

The Cricut machine has made making stickers a very accessible market to get into! You just need an eye for design, a few software programs, and you’re all set!

• 97,436 average monthly searches over the past 12 months
• Top keywords: – planner stickers, customer stickers, anime stickers, laptop stickers, cute stickers, vinyl stickers, bumper stickers, thank you stickers.

Turning a digital product into a physical product isn’t as complicated as you might expect. Here’s a great tutorial on turning a digital design into something that you can easily sell on the Etsy marketplace.

If you’re interested in making & selling stickers, then you have to check out Mim Jenkinson’s free masterclass, Discover The Stickers That Sell On Etsy. 

In her free masterclass, you’ll learn…

• The 3 BIG mistakes new sticker makers and shop owners make that YOU can avoid
• The essential tools and equipment you need to get started
• How YOU can stand out from the crowd and be successful
• The quickest way to YOU can get started with selling stickers!

If you’re not familiar with her, Mim is the founder of The Planner Podcast and The Paper Planner Club, both amazing resources for Etsy sellers. Her multi-six-figure business was built up from her Star Seller status on her Etsy shop. Now she’s expanded into teaching others how they can make a living selling digital products like stickers on Etsy.

If you know that you really want to get started with selling stickers and don’t want to waste any time, you can jump right into her full course, The Sticker Plan.

In there you’ll learn how to make…

• Checklists & tracker stickers
• Sidebar & header stickers
• Flag stickers
• Appointment labels
• Different shapes & edge designs
• Ombre stickers
• Washi tape style stickers
• and bonuses of pre-made sticker kit sheets templates (ready to use)

Check out her free masterclass – Discover The Stickers That Sell On Etsy

Home decor

Yes, this is a huge category, but you can absolutely find a corner to establish yourself. For example, if you’re heavy into Peloton (4,367 searches a month), you can create home gym pieces or accessory holders & organization items. The community around Peloton is almost fanatical (yup, I’ve drunk the kool-aid on Pelo too and bought some stickers on Etsy for my bike).

• 110,000 monthly searches
• Top keywords – rustic home decor, Disney home decor, home decor wall art, home decor bathroom, modern home decor, home decor farmhouse, funny home decor, boho home decor.

Jewelry

Jewelry is one of the most popular categories, especially personalized jewelry. You don’t have to make the jewelry; you can sell the supplies to DIY’ers, sell kits for specific items, or the tools to make jewelry. Besides, handmade jewelry makes a great gift option, and the price point can net you a good profit. You can also bulk buy simple items (i.e., wideband rings), and your focus could be on engraving.  

• 70,994 average monthly searches
• Top keywords – handmade jewelry, jewelry box, jewelry organizer, crystal jewelry, personalized jewelry, carnelian jewelry, gold jewelry, jewelry dish, septum jewelry, Indian jewelry, vintage jewelry.

A great place to brush up on your skills is to check out Craftsy’s jewelry making classes!

If you’re not into making your own jewelry, another good option is flipping antique jewelry. It’s #17 on our list of best items to flip! You can either repair jewelry or work it into something new or take it apart to create a whole new piece.

Earrings

I know we just talked about jewelry, but earrings stand out in that category, especially from a vintage standpoint.  

• 126,451 monthly searches
• Top keywords – vintage, gold earrings, lesbian earrings, stud earrings, statement earrings, clip-on earrings, dangle earrings, silver earrings, pearl earrings, crystal earrings, beaded earrings.

Craft kits

These are the perfect answer for those who are great at the planning piece of crafting, yet their end product looks a little wonky. All you do is gather the supplies, write your descriptions that make it sound like so much fun, and boom!

• 27,689 monthly searches annually
• Top keywords – DIY craft kits, kids crafts, craft kit for adults, craft kids for kids, cross stitch kit, painting kit, embroidery kits, needlepoint kit, sewing kits, craft supplies, craft supply.

Bachelorette party items

Choosing a product where people tend not to care about the price point can lead to a very lucrative Etsy shop. I hate to say it, but people overspend A LOT on these types of events. Now, that doesn’t mean you should overcharge; it just means that you have customers eager to buy. This might also be an excellent niche for party kit packs; selling the essentials all together so it’s easier for your customer.

• 23,647 monthly searches
• Top keywords – party decor, glitter, party favors, bridal party gifts, bachelorette shirts, bachelorette games, engagement party, bachelorette cups, bachelorette sash, bachelorette favors.

Wedding

This is by far one of the most popular categories on Etsy. The search numbers are very high – “wedding gifts” has 48,431 monthly searches! And no wonder, “The market size, measured by revenue, of the Wedding Services industry, is $51.2bn in 2021.” and expected to grow 11% according to IBISWorld. Wouldn’t it be awesome to get a share of that!

This is also a great niche if you’re crafty as you can sell the supplies for the event – garters, something blue, table decorations, bridesmaids gifts, etc. People are obsessed with weddings, and the data proves it! Handmade goods in this category also do especially well, usually items with the bride & groom’s name on it.

• 28,078 monthly searches over the past 12 months
• Top keywords – wedding gifts, wedding decor, wedding favors, wedding invitations, wedding cake topper, wedding guest book, wedding signs, wedding veil, wedding bouquet.

Linen clothing

I admit I was a bit stumped by this one, but I live in a rainy climate. However, I did buy some linen pants for a hot weather vacation. I guess when linen clothing has been around for so long (think ancient Egypt), then you can’t really go wrong.

• 27,732 monthly searches
• Top keywords – women’s clothing, linen dress, plus size clothing, linen fabric, linen tops, fall clothing, linen pants, linen jumpsuit, linen shorts, men’s clothing, linen skirt.

Don’t forget to check out Craftsy’s sewing classes (some are free) to brush up on skills and get some new ideas!

Wall decor

Holy smokes, this category is hot! The best part is that there are many ways to fulfill this need – wall decals, wall tapestries (yup, still popular according to EtsyHunt), wall multimedia art, wooden wall art, digital prints, etc. And then, within each of those, you can choose a theme – boho, rustic, modern, whimsical, kiddo, etc.

• 155,266 monthly searches
• Top keywords – wall art, nursery wall art, printable wall art, minimalist wall art, large wall decor, kids wall decor, bedroom wall decor, macrame wall hanging, boho decor, holiday decor.

Holiday decor

Ummm… I have a confession. I am in love with cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies. I might have bought a blanket, socks, and hot chocolate mug dedicated to this guilty pleasure. And guess what, I found them all on Etsy!

Holiday decor is a huge market, yet if you choose this Etsy idea, be aware that most of your sales will come in only a few months of the year. Aka – you’re going to be running your buns off! So think of branching out into other holidays or a complimentary seasonal item for the spring/summer months. For example, the guy that hangs our Christmas lights on our house also does gutter cleaning in the spring & fall.

• 44,865 average monthly searches
• Top keywords – fireplace decor, winter decor, holiday wreath, rustic holiday decor, Halloween decor, fall decor, holiday stockings, Christmas decor.

Candles

This is another best selling item on Etsy that stumped me. I know people love candles, but what you think smells good might not be what other people think smells good. I would think you’d want to smell it before buying it, but the search numbers don’t lie; this is a very popular Etsy handmade item.

• 83,951 monthly searches
• Top keywords – candles, candle holder, soy candle, scented candle, cozy candle, bubble candles, handmade candle, candle mold, candle making kit, candle jars, taper candles, beeswax candles.

Blankets

This is an excellent category for those that like to knit while doing other things (like watching TV); you can combine two fun activities at one time. Besides, everyone needs blankets, and the market isn’t going away. It’s just a matter of finding what kind of blanket is popular now. Think chunky knit blanket vs. pom pom blanket or baby blanket. Or even plaid blankets with fringe or holiday blankets.

You don’t necessarily need to be the one to make them; you can buy them in bulk. Or you can buy the blanket, and your value-added is in personalizing it with embroidery (think initials or design elements).

• 22,135 monthly searches
• Top keywords – throw blanket, knit blanket, chunky knit blanket, baby blankets, crochet blanket, personalized blanket, picnic blanket, custom blanket, dog blanket.

Crystals

I wasn’t aware that crystals are so popular, but this is a great market for those who don’t want to make anything. You can buy in bulk and market them for specific things (healing crystals). I couldn’t even tell you all the possibilities for this, but with 93K searches, it’s an easy thing to sell on Etsy.

• 93,439 monthly searches over the past year
• Top keywords – crystal necklace, crystal jewelry, crystal bracelet, crystal pendant, crystal beads, Swarovski crystals, crystal point, large crystal, healing crystal.

Self-care

If these past few years have taught us anything, it’s to be kind to ourselves, and the numbers prove it! Self-care is huge right now, and you can do an Etsy shop on this broad category and sell many different products, or you can narrow it down just to self-care bath & body items. This is also an outstanding Etsy category for you to make a gift box or a kit.

• 48,546 monthly searches
• Top keywords – self gift, care package, self care gift box, skincare, self care kit, self-love, self care journal, package for her, self care planner.

Personalized gifts

This was the most searched term on Etsy in 2020 and is holding steady for 2021. People are moving away from generic items, they want their gifts to mean more, and personalization is just the way to do it!

Now we’re not just talking about having your mom’s name added to something. This category could include designing an image and putting it on a coffee mug, a sticker, or whatever kind of custom work you can think of, or doing custom orders from people who want something particular.

• 214,888 monthly searches
• Top keywords – gift for him, gift for her, mothers day gift, bridesmaid gift, wedding gifts, fathers day gifts, gift box, best friend gift, gift for mom, boyfriend gift, housewarming gift.

Keychain

Who knew that this basic item could be so popular! These could fall under the personalized gift category above or be bought for teams, groups, businesses, etc.

• 44,709 monthly searches
• Top keywords – custom keychain, resin keychain, cute keychain, acrylic keychain, photo keychain, AirPodor case keychain.

Plants

I was so impressed with this category as I had no idea you could buy plants on Etsy or that there was such a following for plant type items (plant earrings?). I love it! But there are some special considerations to be aware of before you jump all in on the Etsy best seller!

• 53,133 monthly searches
• Top keywords – plant mom gift, live plants, indoor plants, air plants, plant hanger, plant stickers, cactus plant, prayer plant, plant decor, house plant, plant art, eucalyptus plant, plant earings.

Mugs

Who doesn’t love a good coffee mug! Or maybe tea is more of your thing; either way, this is easy to sell on Etsy. Again, you don’t necessarily have to make the mug. You can do personalizations on it or add dishwasher-safe decals to them based on a group (i.e., Disney, Peloton, popular TV shows, etc.). Just be aware of any copyright considerations you need to be mindful of). I can remember when people started selling Baby Yoda items, and Disney went hard to shut this down as fast as possible.

• 34,288 monthly searches
• Top keywords – coffee mugs, custom mug, personalized mugs, ceramic mugs, mom mugs, beer mugs, dad mug, glass mug, travel mug, camping mug, pottery mug, funny coffee mug, fall mug.

Tote bags

This is an excellent item for those who aren’t crafty. You can buy bags in bulk and then create your designs for them. You can do screenprinting, block stamping, use your Circut, etc.

• 38,154 monthly searches
• Top keyword – canvas tote bags, crochet bag, beach bag, shoulder bag, tote, leather bag, travel bag, custom tote bag, crossbody bag, cute tote bag, reusable tote bag, makeup bag, diaper bag, produce bags.

Pet supplies

People are IN LOVE with their pets, and during 2020, adoptions soared!  So the demand is higher now than ever before. Yet, in looking at the top searched keywords listed below, I was surprised. I would have thought dog coats, cat toys, and collars would be the big hitters, but sadly no. Pet portraits and memorial type items were the biggest. Still, this is a great category, especially if you can establish yourself by having a unique theme or going after a specific market.

• 14,735 monthly searches
• Top keywords – pet portraits, pet memorial, pet gifts, pet urn, pet tag, custom pet ornament, pet ID tag, pet loss gift.

Crochet

Bust time hobbies continue to be popular. Crochet groups are becoming popular, and doing this by yourself with your favorite TV show is always a good time. This is also an easy thing to sell on Etsy from a supply standpoint. You can sell tools, kits, patterns, gift boxes, etc.

• 22,612 monthly searches over the past year
• Top keywords – crochet patterns, crochet top, crochet bag, crochet blanket, crochet animals, crochet hooks, crochet dress, crochet hat, crochet sweater, crochet cardigan, crochet baby blanket.

Get some great ideas on what to crochet (and how to do it right here with Craftsy!

Tapestry

Huh… who would have guessed that “tapestry” would be such a big hitter. Again, it looks like custom items are big, as well as eclectic offerings.

• 48,244 monthly searches
• Top keywords – wall tapestry, custom tapestry, trippy tapestry, college tapestry, star tapestry, hippie tapestry.

Face Masks

Of course, this is a huge item right now. I wanted to include it, as it shows a viable business option if you’re fast with production, sourcing, etc. Hopefully, this won’t be an Etsy top seller for long. The market share will drop, but there will now always be some sort of market for this item. For something like this, excellent customer reviews are essential!

• 119,061 monthly searches
• Top keywords – mask with nose wire, mask chain, holiday face mask, washable mask, custom face mask, cotton face mask, kids mask, cute face mask, designer face mask, face shield.

There are so many things you can sell on Etsy; see here for a complete list of categories. Now that you know the hot items, let’s dig into how to find the best item FOR YOU to make and sell on Etsy. 

How to figure out the best Etsy shop idea for you

Step One – Look to your skills

With so many choices of what to sell on Etsy, it can be a bit overwhelming to choose your Etsy business idea. So let’s do some preliminary planning, and we’re going with a specific strategy to find your best fit; it’s called your Ikigai.  

Ikigai (pronounced “eye-ka-guy”) is the Japanese term for your “reason for being.” Essentially, your purpose in life. An easier way to describe it is based on its circles. They encompass…

1. What do you love?  Brainstorm a bunch of things that you’re interested in. What are your hobbies? List everything; even if you think no one else is in it, I can bet you’ll find it for sale on Etsy. If you’re not interested in something, it would be difficult making a shop around it. You will do better work (and want to work on it) if you’re interested in it.
2. What the world needs – Is there anything you’re passionate about on a community level? Organic skincare products? Teaching kids to grow veggies? No one needs cement pants. So make sure there’s interest.
3. What are you good at?  Take a look at what you wrote above; now go through the list and circle what you’re good at. I know this sounds repetitive, but just because you love drawing, that doesn’t mean you’re good at it (sorry).
4. What will people buy?  Be thinking about this from a business perspective. Sure, you love porcelain pigs with shoes, but how big is the market for it? We’ll go into this more in the next section.

This balance is found at the intersection where your passions and talents converge with the things that the world needs and is willing to pay for. (source). When you find that “thing” the center of your Ikigai, then that’s your Etsy shop idea!  

List out your top 1-3 options that passed the Ikigai test, and now it’s time to research the viability of your Etsy business ideas. Because you need to make money; if no one is buying, that’s a dead business.

Step Two – Understand the marketplace

Our goal is to pick which of your three ideas has the best chance of success with sellability. There are a couple of places that we’re going to look.

Look at Etsy as a customer would – I know this sounds obvious, but go ahead and look up what you want to sell. Are other people selling it? If so, then great, that means there’s a market for it (but we need to find out how big of a market).  Remember just because someone is listing their handmade products for sale, that doesn’t necessarily mean people are buying it in enough quantities to make it viable.

Look at Etsy sales – 
An easy (and free) way to do this is to check out Marketplace Pulse for an updated list of top sellers. (note these will tell you the top shops, but not the top categories or items. You have to piece that info together).

Once you know the top shop, look those shops up and devour everything they are doing. Take notice of…

• Their product mix – what do they sell
• Their positioning – what market are they going after
• Their theme
• Their color scheme
• Their photography – this is an art (take a class to nail this critical piece of the puzzle)
• Their return policy
• Their product descriptions within their Etsy listing
• Their hashtags & keywords
• Their breadth and depth of products
• Their price points
• Their extras – extra fee for gift wrap, or fee free shipping in the US (there are lots of ways to distinguish your Etsy store from the competition! Etsy shoppers want the best value, and offering upgrades is a great strategy.
• Their shipping options

Yet, if you want to fast track your data collection and have all the analysis done for you, then check out EtsyHunt.

EtsyHunt – EtsyHunt is an all-in-one platform for Etsy sellers. It supports Etsy rank & product research. Also, there is a list of Top Etsy shops for better Etsy listing & tag analysis. They even have a handy Chrome extension for you to analyze pages in your current browsing session! So if you’re committed to selling on Etsy, then EtsyHunt is a must-have tool!

Now that you’ve uncovered what you’re good at and love and the viability of an Etsy shop around those ideas, it’s time to decide on your Etsy shop idea (more on this below). And most importantly, How will your Etsy shop be different?  Are these shops positioning themselves as you would? How can you be different, unique, and stand out from the crowd? There are a few main ways to stand out…

1. Differentiate on product – most common
2. Differentiate on price – you don’t want to be the Walmart of Etsy
3. Differentiate on service – here’s an opportunity to shine where many businesses deliver the average customer experience.

I have to talk about the dreaded term that plagues every Etsy shop owner… saturation. That’s when 1,458,000 shops are selling the same thing, and there’s a customer base of only 1/3 of that. You don’t want to be in a saturated market. That’s why you need a unique spin on an item, or be 100 times better than your competition, and have reviews to show that.

But don’t worry, we’ve got 13 genius tips on how to get more sales on Etsy, so you’ll know how to succeed right from the beginning!

Be sure that you are as familiar as possible with the guidelines and best practices of being an Etsy online store owner, be sure to check out the seller handbook for all the current information (and do this before you invest money into supplies or business expenses).

Top Etsy Sellers

Okay, so you’ve spent days thinking about what to sell on Etsy, and you just can’t narrow it down. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered with some of the best Etsy shop ideas to make money. 

There are a few shops that are consistently the top Etsy sellers overall. Knowing this and looking at their shops can help brainstorm ideas, challenge assumptions of the market, and help give you ideas on what great photography & product descriptions look like

1. PlannerKate1

• Stickers & Organization
• 1,775,764 Sales – 5 star rating
• 674 average daily sales
• Pricepoint offered: $.75 – $15.00
• Top 10 product tags: Erin Condron, calendar, planner sticker, life planner, label, planner, agenda, planner stickers, die-cut, kikki k

Here’s how to sell digital products on Etsy, just like PlannerKate1! But remember, she’s been doing this since 2014; your millions will take time!

2. Beadboat1

• Beading Supplies
• 1,263,011 Sales – 5 star rating
• 483 average daily sales
• Pricepoint offered: $.35 – $868.50
• Top 10 product tags: beads, gemstone beads, gemstone, brass, 8mm, 6mm, crystal, 10mm, 4mm, round
  
  

3. CaitlynMinimalist

• Personalized jewelry
• 1,251,000 sales – 5 star rating
• 492 average daily sales
• Pricepoint offered: $5 – $63
• Top 10 product tags: caitlynminimalist, gift for her, personalized jewelry, personalized gift, personalized, gifts for mom, caitlyn minimalist, minimalist earrings, name necklace, custom name
  
  

4. ModParty

• Bridesmaid Gifts, Wedding Favors & Decorations
• 1,121,158 sales – 5 star rating
• 381 average daily sales
• Pricepoint offered: $2 – $51.84
• Top 10 product tags: personalized, gift ideas, bride, gift, bridesmaid, bridal shower gift, custom, bride gift, bachelorette, bride to be
  
  

5. Yakutum

• Jewelry & raw jewelry
• 908,932 sales – 5 star rating
• 193 average daily sales
• Pricepoint offered: $.65 – $2,540.16
• Top 10 product tags: brass, DIY jewelry, raw brass, jewelry supplies, findings, gift for her, brass earring, stud earring, earing, brass findings

Etsy top sellers by category

Let’s go through some of the more popular categories and find the Etsy top sellers.

Accessories

• ThinkPinkBows – Trendy and stylish bows for babies, toddlers, and girls
• BeWellGroup – Washable face masks that look good
• ZenspireDesigns – Stickers

Handmade

• PlannerKate1 – planners and organization
• CaitlynMinimalist – dainty jewelry
• ModParty – wedding and bridesmaid items

Clothing

• EverlyGrayce – Bridesmaid & Groomsmen Gifts, Bachelorette Party Shirts
• Zoeysattic – Original sibling shirts, kids birthday shirts, teacher shirts
• Ppeppiboutique – Graphic tops, face masks

Home & living

• Ilovelotus – Crystals and stones
• SeedVilleUSA – Flower & Vegetable Seeds For All Your Gardening Needs!
• Worldincensestore – Stones and crystals

Craft supplies & tools

• PlannerKate1 – Planners and organization
• Beadboat1 – Charms, beads, and jewelry supplies
• Yakutum – Jewelry

Jewelry

• CaitlynMinimalist – Dainty jewelry
• MignonandMigon – Personalized Initial Necklace Gift Bridesmaid Gift
• GLDNxLayeredAndLong – Name & Initial Necklaces, Personalized Rings & Gifts

Paper & party supplies

• hooraydays – Wedding supplies, tableware, balloons, Christmas
• DesignMyPartyStudio – Printable invitations and party decor
• PoofThereItIsReveals – Gender reveal party supplies

Making extra money with a side hustle

According to Bankrate, “Some 43 percent of households earning at least $80,000 per year have a side gig, compared with 37 percent of households with incomes below $30,000.

While the Motley Fool reports that “Nearly 75% of people with a side hustle make extra cash at least monthly. When you look at the group of those who fall into that category the median monthly income climbs to $300 and the average jumps to $836.”

In my early days of doing side hustles, I focused more on side jobs, rather than creating products. In my first year, I earned almost $3,000!

Can you still make money on Etsy these days?

Etsy is the place to go for the perfect handmade item, specialty, and custom gifts in the online marketplace. Thanks to 2020, more people than ever made purchases and turned into repeat customers. That year Etsy generated $1.7B in revenue… wow! Not only that, their active buyer segment increased 77%, and “habitual buyers” grew by 157%!

With 4.1 million active sellers on Etsy, you need to make sure that you pick the right Etsy store theme and product mix to attract your perfect potential customer. So let’s get to planning your perfect business empire!

How to know what’s trending on Etsy right now

1. Use the Etsy search bar – Go ahead and click into the search bar, and it will auto-populate with “what’s popular now.” This is great data, but be careful if you look at this before a major holiday, as the results will be skewed.
   
2. See what new shops are doing well – Use EtsyHunt and filter data to the top sellers that opened their shop in 2021 (or the current year). Look up each online shop and see what they are selling; this will give you a good idea of what’s currently trending.
   
3. See what tags are being searched for right now – Use EtsyHunt’s keyword tool and go to “hot,” it will tell you what keywords are being searched for in the past day/week/two weeks. Or you can search by month, which can help plan how soon you need to get out next year’s time-sensitive (i.e., holiday) items. For example, “Halloween” was the #70 searched for item in June with 30,000 searches, and it was the #7 searched for item this past July and jumped to #1 in September with 383,390 searches. This means that you’d want your Halloween listings ready to go in early June.

Brush up on your craft skills

There are so many really cute (and useful) things to make and sell on Etsy – but where do you learn how to make these things? You can of course go onto YouTube and watch people, or you go straight to the pros and learn how!

Craftsy is a site that can show you how to make anything and everything craft-related! We’re talking paper crafts, painting & drawing, knitting & sewing, cooking & baking, etc. If you want to know how Crafty can show you.

Skillshare is another platform if you’re interested in learning fine arts , they also have a few craft classes sprinkled in.

What to sell on Etsy if you’re not crafty

It’s okay. Trust me that is 100% okay if you’re not crafty, you can still be a successful Etsy shop owner. For example, consider the shops that sell supplies to those that are crafty – beads, pom poms, boxes, etc. Here are some more ideas of what to sell on Etsy.

Are you a good designer? Print-on-demand items could be your perfect Etsy shop idea! For example, I bought a digital download for my daughter’s birthday, it was a birthday party invitation in her customer colors, font, and designs. It was perfect! (Here are the most popular digital products that are selling like crazy right now!)

Or maybe you’re a whiz at creating digital templates? These are great as a business-to-business Etsy shop idea. New entrepreneurs need logos, social media graphics, etc. Or another B2B idea is doing stock photography to sell online.

Or maybe you have an eye for really cool things; selling vintage items might be the perfect Etsy idea for you. It can be vintage books, clothing, art, jewelry, toys, records, china or porcelain, etc.

Did you know that people sell food on Etsy? While the market share isn’t as big as other categories, food (especially gift baskets of food) this category still does well. Think spices, cakes, cookies, jams, etc.

Before you start selling food, be sure that you read up on all state regulations and best practices when selling food.

At the end of the day

Figuring out what to sell on Etsy can be confusing and frustrating. Yet, the best way to do it is to just start with something. Don’t take too much time thinking and planning, as only experience will help you get good at it. Also, know that you can change to a new Etsy shop idea; you’re not stuck with just being a dog biscuit Etsy seller forever. In fact, you will probably change categories at least a few times until you find the perfect long-term fit for your talents.

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What Etsy shop idea most interests you?