You've been doing a craft hobby for a while now, but did you know there are ways to monetize your passion to earn extra income?
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The presence of digital platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook has made it a breeze for crafting hobbyists like you to turn your lovely craft into a profitable venture.
With these platforms, you can make direct sales and even go beyond by offering online tutorials, affiliate programs, and subscription services.
The possibilities are endless, from handmade jewelry and custom artwork to DIY home decor and personalized gifts. Many crafts, including yours, can be transformed into craft hobbies that make money.
In this article, we'll explore the top money-making craft hobbies for 2024, offering ideas, examples, and tips to help you turn your creative talents into a profitable business.
Why Monetize Your Craft Hobby?
You should monetize your craft hobby simply because it's a smart way to earn extra income.
After all, engaging in it costs you money. For example, if your craft hobby is baking, you need to spend some money purchasing baking ingredients and baking equipment if you don't already have them.
It only makes sense that while you spend a specific amount of money doing the craft hobby you love, you can recuperate that money back when you monetize it.
Another reason is validation. Nothing beats knowing that people consider your craft hobby good enough to want to spend their hard-earned cash on.
If anything, this implies that you are skilled at what you do, and it is appreciated not just by yourself but by others who deem it worthy to want to make a purchase.
Case Studies of Successful Crafters in the Past
Check out the case studies of two excellent female crafters who have made their mark and brought massive success to themselves simply because they were able to maximize the full potential of their craft hobbies:
Jane Field
Jane Field began her online gift company called Jonny's Sister in 2014 after she quit her overseas sales job with nothing else to turn to. Today, she has a successful gifts business with over ten apprentices under her. She recommends that other people wanting to set up a craft business ask for help when needed.
In her words: “You simply cannot be great at everything – it is much better to concentrate on what you are good at, rather than spreading yourself too thinly.”
Ayesha Curry
Ayesha Curry has made remarkable achievements as a crafter. Her journey from a DIY enthusiast to a successful entrepreneur inspires others who wish to follow in her footsteps.
Known for selling home fittings, apparels, recipes and sharing self-care tips on her blog called Sweet July and YouTube channel, Ayesha leveraged her passion for cooking and crafting into a multifaceted career. In 2016, she released her first cookbook, The Seasoned Life, which became a bestseller, launching her into the culinary spotlight.
Meanwhile, a survey conducted by Etsy revealed that 76% of their sellers consider their shops businesses, not just hobbies. Furthermore, many sellers have reported that their craft businesses provide significant financial support, with some even transitioning from traditional jobs to full-time crafting careers.
4 Ways to Make Money Through Your Craft Hobby
Now before we get into what craft hobbies can make you money, you need to know how you are going to do that. That's why we have done some research and put together a list of the best ways you can monetize your craft hobbies. Let's check them out.
1. Sell Your Products Directly
Direct sales involves selling your finished products directly to your customers without an intermediary. You can sell the products through your online store or on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. If you do not have an online store, you can easily build one using WordPress.
As you create your online store, employ the services of Pretty Links to build captivating product displays with attractive images. You can place the displays on your store's homepage or blog so that they become the first thing buyers see, enticing them to hit the “Buy Now” button as fast as possible.
One good thing about direct sales is that it can help you clear your inventory of creations. However, remember it is pretty labor intensive as you'll have to meet constant customer demands.
Nonetheless, you can make it work by making sure your price tag accurately reflects the hard work and creativity you have put in while you source for alternative means to earn extra income.
2. Make Money Through Online Courses
Creating online courses is a unique way to monetize your craft hobby. However, it requires a significant upfront investment of time, effort, and possibly money. You need to plan, record, edit, and package the course content and develop marketing strategies to attract students.
However, your efforts, time, and investment will be worth it once you successfully create quality content and get the courses up and running using CourseCure by WishList Member, which is a course builder that lets you create top-notch courses for your users.
If you are out of ideas or need to know the best ones to run with regarding your courses, you can take a cue from these profitable ideas to get you started.
3. Create a Subscription Services
Subscription services are recurring delivery services where subscribers receive a new craft box or kit regularly, such as monthly or quarterly. This kit typically contains all the materials and instructions your subscribers need for their craft hobby.
When preparing craft subscription boxes for your subscribers, avoid a one-size-fits-all approach, as this could discourage some subscribers from purchasing them, especially if they need materials and resources that align with their current crafting needs.
For example, you can tailor your subscription services so that there is something for everyone, from craft beginners down to experts who have been at it for a long time. You can also prepare interactive video lessons and downloadable resources and include them in your subscription service.
This way, your subscription offering stands out, and your subscribers will be motivated to patronize even more as they see the extra benefits they stand to gain. For more inspiration, check out our article on subscription business ideas.
4. Make Commissions Via Affiliate Marketing
Have you ever thought about how bloggers make a living simply by writing about their hobby or passion? Well, if their site isn't bogged down with annoying ads, they're probably using affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where individuals (affiliates) promote a company's products or services and earn a commission for each sale generated through their unique affiliate link. It's a popular way for businesses to increase sales and for affiliates to earn money by recommending products they believe in.
Whether you write a blog about your hobby or create an online course or membership site, you can make money as an affiliate marketer. When crafting, consider the products you use and see if any major brands have an affiliate program.
For example, if your craft involves power tools, you could join the CPO DeWALT affiliate program and earn a commission each time someone makes a purchase via your link.
Tools like Pretty Links or ThirstyAffiliates can help you organize, brand, and shorten your affiliate links to make them more appealing and trustworthy to your site's visitors.
7 Best Craft Hobbies That Make Money
If you are a craft beginner and are looking to choose from a list of craft hobbies that make money, below are some that will surely tickle your fancy:
1. Embroidery
Embroidery is simply the art of using traditional hand-stitching methods or modern machines to design fabrics with threads or yarns and enhance their beauty by adding materials like beads, sequins, and pearls.
Successful crafters in this niche make money primarily by selling their finished products on online marketplaces like eBay, Etsy, and Amazon. However, they also make money through teaching and workshops, partnerships with fashion brands, and content creation.
As an embroidery crafter, you could decide to sell your finished product, such as a unique and beautifully designed embroidery cloth, online.
You could also share your knowledge with others by setting up an online class to provide valuable tips and information or reaching out to select fashion brands you feel would love your designs and patterns to partner and collaborate with them.
Hopebroidery Box is a clear example of a successful subscription service with unique offerings for craft beginners looking to delve into embroidery.
They've monetized their craft hobby by setting up a subscription service where their members receive embroidery kits, access to courses and a book with insights into the craft.
If you decide to build your own embroidery craft business, you can replicate this with your unique products, such as home decor, holiday ornaments, and much more, to stand out.
2. Dressmaking
Dressmaking is one of the best craft hobbies for making money, and for good reason. Virtually everyone wants to wear clothing that never goes out of style yet remains simple and minimalistic.
If you are skilled in this craft, you can make money by producing bespoke wear, selling ready-to-wear collections, performing freelance and contract work with fashion houses and film theaters, and selling sewing patterns and supplies.
An excellent example of a business focused on dressmaking as a craft is Love and Confuse. They sell handmade clothes with minimal fashion in mind, allowing customers to define their clothes rather than otherwise, expressing their unique personalities.
You could follow this route by creating your own dressmaking business, working for fashion organizations and brands, or, if you are a master at what you do, getting paid to share your knowledge via online courses.
3. Jewelry Making
Jewelry making is a delicate craft that requires specialized skill sets to yield the best possible results. It involves designing, creating, and assembling wearable decorative items such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, and brooches.
If jewelry making is your craft hobby, you can monetize it by selling directly on your site. It's a unique way to monetize your craft by offering diverse jewelry products, from handmade jewelry to jewelry supplies, stones, and designs.
Jewellers Academy is an excellent example of a successful business outfit offering diverse courses to its customers. What makes this business intriguing is that Jessica Rose, the founder, has a podcast section where she shares her latest tips and gives practical advice on launching and growing a jewelry business.
This is a great way to keep customers engaged and get them coming back for more. They would gain new insights to better themselves and have more reasons to make more purchases, ultimately boosting sales and profits for her. You can learn from this business and think of ways to set up your own with elements of your creativity and unique knowledge.
4. Woodwork
Woodworking is a hobby that involves creating items from wood using various tools and techniques. The craft hobby can range from simple projects like making shelves or picture frames to complex creations like furniture, sculptures, and intricate wood carvings.
Woodwork is quite viable as a craft hobby, as proven by some woodwork craft businesses that have made a name for themselves. A good example is Old World Kitchen. Look at how they successfully use branding to carve out a niche (pun intended) and make their business stand out.
They specialize in making handmade kitchen and dining utensils that can be passed down from generation to generation, ultimately withstanding the test of time. And that’s the beauty of hand-crafted items – they’re high-quality, beautiful objects that you simply won’t find in IKEA. Branding is an effective way you can differentiate your products from cheap, factory-produced alternatives.
Before you know, you are making custom orders, selling finished items, and offering repair services, ultimately turning your craft hobby into a serious business.
5. Pottery
Pottery is the art or craft of creating objects from clay and other ceramic materials through various shaping techniques, such as hand-building, wheel-throwing, or molding. These objects are typically fired at high temperatures in a kiln, which hardens the clay and transforms it into a durable, solid form.
If pottery is your passionate craft hobby, it is only fitting that you know the best ways to monetize it as compensation for the considerable amount of delicate skill needed to excel in it.
Businesses like The Ceramic School are thriving in this craft simply because they were able to curate a list of offerings and present them in a creative way that converted customers, making sales in the process.
You could set up a website and offer subscription services to your customers, create and deliver custom collections for specific customers, create quality courses to provide top-notch information or set up a YouTube channel to share your story and the history or culture behind your collections.
You could also create your own business or take on a feature from them, such as providing online pottery workshops, and build on that, ultimately setting up an income stream for yourself.
6. Upholstery
Upholstery is the art of covering furniture with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather to create a comfortable surface for people to sit or lie on. This process can be applied to various furniture items, including chairs, sofas, ottomans, and headboards.
The craft involves restoring old furniture and creating new pieces, requiring skills in sewing, fabric selection, and furniture construction.
Upholstery is quite different from most craft hobbies because it often requires special training for one to excel at it. It can sometimes be complicated compared to others, which you can learn by yourself or start without doing much.
Kim's Upholstery is a reliable online platform offering classes, workshops, libraries, and videos.
The business outfit gives out freebies such as videos, PDFs, leather resources, and tips, using them as lead magnets to draw customers and maintain a personal relationship with them by collecting their contact details, ultimately increasing the chances of return purchases.
Kim also offers online classes and workshops, diversifying her monetization options and providing more opportunities for more sales. You could check out her online classes and freebies to gain ideas and insights on starting your own business and developing products you would like to offer.
7. Photography
Photography is one of the best craft hobbies for making money and among the easiest to learn. It only requires a few tools or equipment, making it all the more fun.
As a craft beginner, you can practice your photography skills by being creative with your angles and trying new things with your camera. Alternatively, you can register for a course to learn more about your craft. For example, you could register for the Beginners Photography Course at the School of Photography.
However, if you are a photography craft expert, you could sell your pictures by putting them behind a paywall. Take a cue from Sourced Co. They are a successful photography business that offers a stock photo membership for customers who want access to unique stock images for their business ideas.
They also offer a stock shop where customers can get single images for as low as $8. These services can serve as a source of inspiration for you, giving you ideas about how best to turn your craft hobby into a profitable venture.
Conclusion
Turning craft hobbies into lucrative ventures has never been more accessible. From selling finished products online and in local markets to offering custom orders, teaching workshops, and creating digital content, there are numerous ways to monetize your passion.
Subscription services, creating online courses and affiliate marketing provide additional revenue streams that diversify your income and reduce the pressure of constant production. These channels allow you to explore new creative avenues, engage with a broader audience, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Now is the perfect time to take the first step towards monetizing your craft hobby. Choose a craft that resonates with you, whether pottery, woodworking, jewelry making, or another creative outlet, and explore one of the suggested channels. Start small, learn from the experience, and gradually expand your efforts.
Finally, share this blog with fellow crafting hobbyists and your social media peers, inspiring them to explore the exciting possibilities of turning their hobbies into profitable ventures. Let's build a community of passionate crafters who support and uplift each other!
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