Want to make money on Etsy? The easiest way to start is selling digital downloads like printables and templates, since you make them once and Etsy delivers every order automatically.
You can also sell print-on-demand products, personalized gifts, handmade goods, or vintage finds.
I’ve interviewed a bunch of Etsy sellers on The Side Hustle Show. Rachel Jones averaged over $10,000 a month selling printables, and Heather Johnson grew a print-on-demand shop to $15,000 a month in revenue.
Below are 10 proven ways to make money on Etsy, real examples from each, what it costs to sell, and tips to land your first sales.
| Way to Make Money on Etsy | Startup Cost | Real Example |
|---|---|---|
| Printables | Low | Over $10,000 a month |
| Spreadsheets and templates | Low | $250,000 in two years |
| Mini digital products | Low | $1,000 a month in 116 days |
| Print-on-demand | Low | $15,000 a month in revenue |
| Personalized products | Medium | $80,000 in one year |
1. Sell Printables
Printables are digital files that buyers download and print at home, like planners, checklists, chore charts, and forms.
Rachel Jones started selling printables on Etsy in 2018. When we spoke, she was averaging over $10,000 a month in sales, all while balancing a full-time job and two young kids.
One of her early ideas came from her sister, who had paid a lawyer $250 for a simple form. Rachel found similar forms on Etsy selling for $10 to $50, and she knew there was demand.
It’s what I call the Buy Buttons strategy: go where customers are already spending money. Here’s my full interview on selling printables on Etsy.
Etsy Printables
Create something once, sell it over and over again on autopilot. That’s the dream of a printable digital product business.
This free guide to seasonal product ideas will get your creative juices flowing on what you could sell.
2. Sell Spreadsheets and Templates
Spreadsheets and templates can sell for a lot more than a basic printable, since they save buyers real time.
Emily McDermott went from selling $2 printables to $20 spreadsheet templates, and she became a top 0.1% Etsy seller. She reported earning $250,000 in her first two years.
Popular ideas include budget trackers, wedding planners, business templates, and Canva templates for social media. Here’s how Emily got started selling spreadsheets on Etsy.
3. Sell Mini Digital Products
Don’t think you can compete? Start small.
When skeptics told Cody Berman the Etsy market was too saturated, he started a brand-new shop to prove them wrong. He took it from zero to $1,000 a month in 116 days, with no followers, no email list, and no marketing.
Here’s his playbook for mini digital products.
And he’s not the only one.
Chelsea Shelton, a former teacher, made her first product in Canva: a one-page spring cleaning checklist. She got her first sale within five days and hit 1,000 sales within three months.
When we spoke, her shop brought in $1,000 to $1,200 a month, largely on autopilot. Learn more about selling digital products on Etsy.
Debbie Gartner started even smaller, with a $1 blood pressure chart. Most of her items sell for $1.49 to $10, and she grew her shop to about $4,000 a month two years in.
Here’s how Debbie built her digital product business on Etsy. AI tools can speed things up, too. Here’s how to use AI to create digital products.
4. Sell Print-on-Demand Products
With print-on-demand, you create the design and a production partner like Printify prints and ships each order. You never touch inventory.
Heather Johnson, a former MRI tech, started an Etsy shop selling print-on-demand t-shirts, mugs, and apparel. Two years later, she was averaging $15,000 a month in revenue and $4,000 to $5,000 a month in profit.
Her margins are simple. A shirt that costs her around $8 on Printify sells for $18 on Etsy. Here’s how she grew her print-on-demand shop on Etsy.
Candles work, too. Emily, who works with Cody at Gold City Ventures, has sold more than 22,000 print-on-demand candles through Etsy. That’s over $500,000 in revenue at around 30% margins. Here’s more on her print-on-demand candle business.
5. Sell Personalized Products
Personalized gifts are a huge category on Etsy, since buyers want something they can’t find in a store.
Troy Parker’s shop, Goober Prints, sells fun, customizable shirts. It had a breakout year in 2020, jumping to $80,000 in total sales, up from about $10,000 the year before. He was making $8 in sales for every $1 he spent on Etsy Ads. Here’s the coaching call where we talked about growing an Etsy shop.
Rodney Melton runs MeltonMemorials, an Etsy shop selling custom engraved pet headstones. The shop does over $200,000 a year in sales!
Laser engravers, custom name signs, and family portraits all fit this category.
6. Sell Handmade Goods
Etsy started as a marketplace for handmade crafts, and it’s still a great place to sell them.
Paul Kaster taught himself woodworking from YouTube videos and started making wooden bow ties from reclaimed wood. He priced them at $40 to $50 on Etsy, and while he was still in high school, the business did $40,000 in revenue and $20,000 in profit in a single year.
Jewelry, candles, soap, and crochet are other popular picks. Here’s my list of things to make and sell for more ideas.
7. Sell 3D-Printed Products
A beginner 3D printer can turn into a small Etsy business, especially for jewelry, planters, and desk accessories.
One rule to know: Etsy’s Creativity Standards say 3D-printed items must be based on your own original design. Printing someone else’s model won’t fly.
8. Sell Vintage Items
If you love thrift stores and estate sales, Etsy is a great place to resell your finds. Etsy counts items as vintage once they’re at least 20 years old.
Clothing, home decor, glassware, and old jewelry are all popular.
Vintage buyers often search for a specific era or brand, so clear photos and good keywords matter.
9. Sell Craft Supplies
Etsy also lets you sell supplies to other makers, like beads, fabric, yarn, stickers, and printable patterns.
It’s a smart angle if you already buy supplies in bulk for your own projects. You can even sell natural items you grow or find. Brian Aleksivich sells comfrey root cuttings on Etsy to gardeners.
10. Help Other Etsy Sellers
Not interested in running your own shop? Plenty of sellers will pay for help with product photos, listing descriptions, Etsy SEO, and shop setup.
Experienced sellers also earn money coaching. Several of the guests above now teach other people how to grow their shops. If you have a skill like design or writing, here are some in-demand freelance skills.
What Does It Cost to Sell on Etsy?
Etsy is cheap to start, but the fees add up. Here’s what Etsy charges sellers in the US, according to its fee policy:
- Listing fee: $0.20 per listing.
- Transaction fee: 6.5% of the sale price, plus shipping and gift wrapping.
- Payment processing: 3% + $0.25 per order for US bank accounts.
- Offsite Ads: 15% on sales from Etsy’s ads on other sites, or 12% once your shop passes $10,000 in sales over 12 months. It’s capped at $100 per order.
- Setup fee: Some new sellers pay a one-time fee to open a shop, and the amount varies by location.
On a $10 printable with no shipping, you’d pay about $1.40 in fees and keep about $8.60.
Tips to Get Your First Etsy Sales
- Research before you design. Cody used eRank and EverBee to find products people were already searching for.
- Wait on ads. Cody didn’t spend a dime on ads at first. He ran Etsy Ads only after he had proven products.
- Price for profit. Rachel said products priced at $5 and up are the sweet spot if you plan to run ads.
- List a lot of products. Heather put hundreds of products up for sale, then doubled down on what sold.
- Use free design tools. Canva’s free plan is plenty to start. Here’s how to make money using Canva.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much money can you make on Etsy?
It depends on what you sell and how much time you put in. Most new shops start slow, but guests on my show have built Etsy shops making $1,000 to over $10,000 a month. Cody Berman hit $1,000 a month in 116 days with a brand-new shop.
What sells best on Etsy?
Digital downloads like printables and templates, personalized gifts, and print-on-demand products are all strong sellers. The best niche is one where buyers already spend money and you can offer something better or more specific.
Can you make money on Etsy without making anything?
Yes. You can sell digital products you design once, use a print-on-demand partner like Printify to make and ship physical products, or resell vintage items that are at least 20 years old.
How much does it cost to start an Etsy shop?
Very little. Listings cost $0.20 each, and Etsy takes a 6.5% transaction fee plus payment processing when you make a sale. Some new sellers also pay a one-time setup fee. See what it costs to sell on Etsy above.
Is selling on Etsy still worth it?
Yes, if you pick the right niche. Cody started a new shop specifically to test whether Etsy was too saturated, and it still reached $1,000 a month in under four months.
