9 Things To Make and Sell For Extra Cash From Home

December 15, 2022
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Have you thought about starting your own business? Many people just toy with the idea but do not know what to make and sell. If you’re crafty and looking to channel your creative skills to make money, then selling online can be an excellent way to get started. There are many things to make and sell online.

From selling curated gift boxes to selling jewelry, there are plenty of options you can choose from. If you’re unsure of what to make, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve listed several things you can make and sell in this article, along with how you can start your business and make a healthy profit — even from home! 

Scroll down to get the lowdown.

What can I make that will sell fast?

If you want to sell homemade products that sell fast, you need to start looking into the fashion & beauty category. You don't need to look at stats and numbers to realize that this is the most popular category.

You can sell lip balms, natural cosmetics, natural makeup, and skincare products in the beauty niche. You can even sell custom-made pieces in the fashion category.  Furthermore, if you have the skills to sew, you can start by opening an online clothing store. Here are some of the fast-selling items in the online marketplace that you can try making:

  • Jewelry
  • DIY Bath bombs
  • Organic cosmetics
  • Lip balm
  • Customized Printed T-shirts
  • Creams and lotions
  • Hoodies
  • Painted sneakers
  • Trendy clothing pieces (sew it yourself)

Jewelry

Jewelry making has become a trending business. You can see this by the increasing number of stores popping up online across many social media platforms. If you have a knack for jewelry making or are interested in it, you should start making jewelry. You can make locket necklaces, beaded jewelry, or make simple DIY earrings.

If you do not know how to make jewelry but want to learn how to do it, Skillshare and Udemy offer many free and paid online jewelry-making classes for beginners.

You can attend these classes in your own time and learn the skill. You should start small by making beaded jewelry or wired jewelry to practice what you’ve learned. Then you can try out harder ones like resins and gemstones.

Example: The MorphoStone is a lovely online jewelry brand owned by the 19-year-old Hiral Singh Chahar in New Delhi. She started the Morphostone brand in the middle of an ongoing pandemic in 2020. Her business has blown up in the last year, thanks to her one-of-a-kind, aesthetic-themed jewelry.

Customized Clothes

While Shein, Fashionova, H&M, and Zara have taken over the fashion retail industry, people still love to wear bespoke clothing. If you are good enough with your needle and thread, this is your sign to start making clothes for a living. But where should you start? Well, you can start by making trending women's clothes.

This is a significant first step because women's fashion leans more towards personalization. So, creating customized and trendy clothes can be profitable. 

How do I know what is trending?  Here are a few things you should keep an eye on.

  • You can keep track of your favorite fashion influencers and what they are wearing.
  • Keep checking the products sold by popular clothing brands like Zara, Pretty Little things, H&M, etc.
  • Search Pinterest for inspiration.
  • Follow social media fashion trends to know what's new.

This way, you can know what to sell. Right now, the internet is loving corset tops and satin dresses. After figuring out what clothes you want to make, you need to know where to sell them.

Here are a few tips on where you should sell your customized clothes.

  • You can open an Instagram business page. Upload product images, create Instagram Reels and start selling.
  • Even if you have a successful Instagram business, it is necessary to have a  business website. You can use Shopify, Etsy, or any other e-commerce website builder to create your website.
  • Facebook shops and groups. Like Instagram, Facebook also offers you many ways to sell your handmade items.

NOTE: Having a business website is a must for you, no matter what you sell.

Examples: Many business owners have started their clothing brands from scratch. In  2015, Sarah Staudinger and George Augusto co-founded the LA-based brand Staud. It became an internet phenomenon, even celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Selena Gomez were spotted wearing Staud.

Kendal Jenner in Staud
Image Credit

While not everyone can be the next Ulla Johnson or Staudinger, you can still start making customized clothes for customers. Even if you don't want to create a new brand, it is a great way to make extra cash.

Bath Bombs and Soaps

Bath bombs are a huge hit right now. Moreover, it is one of the best things to make and sell. Why? Because it is easy to make and beginner-friendly.

You aren't creative; you can't sew or paint. How will you sell crafts online? You can make DIY bath bombs that sell like hotcakes.

To make Bath bombs at home, you need some bicarbonate of soda, citric acid, corn flour, Epsom salt, food coloring, oils. You need to be a bit careful while making bath bombs at home. Because the mixture will fizz when you add the water, so mix it in quickly.

Why should you start selling bath bombs? Here are a few reasons why.

  • Easy to make
  • Cheap ingredients
  • High-profit margin
  • Amateur-friendly
  • Create a variety of bath bomb products with different bases
  • Sells fast

Example: Isabel and Caroline Bercaw founded Da Bath Bomb Fizzers when they were just 12 and 10 years old! They started the company in their basement and have surpassed $20 million in revenue since then. 

Sister-preneurs Caroline and Isabel Bercaw started Da Bath Bomb Fizzers  in 2012
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Who said DIY crafts businesses aren't profitable?  If these teenagers can start an online store from their basement, so can you.

Printed T-shirts

The one thing people never get tired of wearing is t-shirts. It is a wardrobe staple for everyone. So, if you are thinking of selling t-shirts, you should give them a go.

Starting a t-shirt business is a great idea because you can explore your creativity and make a profit along the way as well.

However, you need to know who you are selling to. Decide who your target audience will be to help you focus on what type of t-shirts you will sell.

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Example: The Souled Store is an online apparel store. It began as a t-shirt store for pop culture enthusiasts founded by Vedang Patel. From iconic Friends' quotes to Ironman T-shirts, these guys have it all. Now, they have diversified their products and sell socks, dresses, phone cases, and bags.

You can quickly start selling printed T-shirts. There are two ways to go about it. You can hand paint the T-shirts if you have the skill. Or you could cook up the designs and get them printed later.

And don't even worry about a platform to sell. You can create an e-commerce website, sell on Facebook groups, Instagram and even use websites like Etsy.

Personalized Gift Boxes

Starting your own business can be a exciting and fulfilling way to earn a living while doing something you love. One idea for a business that you can easily start from home is to create personalized gift boxes. These are boxes that are filled with a selection of items tailored to a specific person or occasion.

Personalized gift boxes can be a great way to show someone that you care about them and that you took the time to put together a unique and thoughtful gift. You can fill the boxes with items like chocolates, candles, bath products, or even small handmade items that you make yourself.

To create personalized gift boxes, you will need to have a good eye for detail and be able to think creatively about what items to include. You can start by asking the recipient about their interests and preferences, and then selecting items that will be meaningful to them. For example, if the recipient loves to cook, you could include a cookbook, a kitchen gadget, and some high-quality ingredients.

Let's say you are an expert at the art of gift-giving. Then you must know how to do some of these things below

  • You know just what to get your friends and family for Christmas.
  • You know exactly what the gift receiver will adore.
  • You put a lot of thought into choosing and making a gift.

If you are proficient at everything we mentioned above, you should start curating your gift boxes. Many people out there do not know what to gift; a personalized gift box is just what they need.

How do you start building personalized gift boxes?

  1. Choose a name for your business like "Wrapped.co" or "Little Pleasures", etc.
  2. Outline the themes you can work on for gift boxes- Sports fan, Marvel comics fan, Netflix lover, Artist, etc.
  3. Start creating one sample boxes for each theme.
  4. Set up your online business platform. Make some noise, let people know what you are offering.

Making personalized gift boxes is more about curating the items into a box rather than making it yourself. So, you don't need to be incredibly artsy for the job. Nowadays, you can also get it printed or ordered in rather than making the box yourself.

So, all you have to do is curate, box it, and make sure it's aesthetically pleasing. Selling personalized gift boxes can be a successful business idea. For example, take a look at Lindsay Scholz.

Example: Lindsay Scholz created a gift box brand for brides who wanted to have an offbeat flair. Lindsay offered brides two options: ordering pre-assembled boxes or building your own box. Her idea became a massive hit with the independent, modern brides.

Journals

You can also make journals and start selling them other than personalized gift boxes. You might think that journal making is a challenging, arduous process, but it’s not that hard.

Here is everything that you need to make a basic, DIY journal

  • High-quality paper
  • Cardboard (from scrapbook)
  • Staplers

 

Example: Journal Aesthetic handmade is an online Instagram store run by Tashvita. She is a hands-on and talented artist who not only staples together journals but paints the journal covers herself. Her unique ideas and quirky style make her journals a lovely addition to your shelf.

If you are into maintaining your journal or want to start making journals, you can watch this video.

Candles

May it be a sweet scent across the house or to ward off negativity, candles have become a hot commodity in today's market and can be an intelligent way to turn your cents into dollars.

What do you need to make candles?

  • Wax(can be soy wax or beeswax)
  • Wicks(wooden or other)
  • Thermometer
  • Flavors to infuse the scent
  • Molds if needed

You can watch a few videos on YouTube like the one below and get started on making candles at home.

The process can be tricky when you have to measure the right temperature to infuse the scents and pour the wax into the molds. But all in all, it is one of the easiest things to make and sell.

Example: Terra is a homemade candles brand founded by Dianna, based in St. Louis, Missouri. She started making eco-friendly candles, and her business has succeeded. All her candles are hand-poured and crafted with care.

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Snacks and Sweets

While you need to wrack your brain every time you want to make something new, selling snacks isn't as complicated for a craft idea. You only need to know is how to make snacks or sweets, and you are good to go. 

You can sell a variety of food items like

  • Healthy snacks.
  • Roasted nuts
  • Baked goods
  • Healthy sweets

There is a gap in the food market for healthy snacks because there aren't enough brands that sell these kinds of food. We think you can fill that gap.

Healthy snacks sell like hotcakes. If you are into fitness, cooking, or just want to earn extra cash, selling homemade snacks is a profitable idea.

homemade cookies Zingnzest made by Pooja and Kshitiz group

Example: Pooja makes healthy snacks and sweets like laddus, cookies made from wheat, soy sticks, and items made from bajra, jowar, among others. All their products are made from scratch. She now employs 130 women in the Kshitiz group, which sells healthy snacks and food items, has become an enormous success.

Natural Cosmetics

Natural cosmetics are going to be a massive hit in the coming years. As people realize their global responsibility, they are going to shift towards natural cosmetics that are better for the body and nature.

People don't want to use cosmetic brands that harm nature. If you are even remotely interested in selling your cosmetics brand, this is the time to start it.

You don't have to invest much; you can start by selling products such as

  • Lip oils
  • Lip gloss
  • Lip balms

Here is an easy DIY lip gloss you can try making at home.

Later, you can expand and try making more natural cosmetics. You can take cosmetic training courses to learn the basics of the trade.

Example: Charlotte Vøhtz couldn't see her daughter struggling with numerous allergies. She started looking for natural remedies that would suit her skin. She founded Green People in 1994, which became the UK's best organic skincare brand.

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How To Start My Own Craft Business?

Everyone loves some extra cash. Having an additional source of income is always a much welcomed financial boost. Have you been thinking about starting your own craft business? If yes, then you can follow these steps

1. Market Research 

Know which products sell faster. Do proper research about what the target audience wants.

2. Create A Product Line

 Focus on what you are going to sell. After choosing a market niche, choose which product best suits your skill set and goals.

3. Learn How To Make Your Products

You can start by taking the online courses we mentioned before, learn by reading a book, or ask an expert to be your mentor.

4. Study Your Target Audience

Conduct comprehensive research on what your customers need or prefer the product to function or look like.

5. Create An E-Commerce Website

 A website will be an online asset that will be your identity and a selling platform. This is why you’ll want to ensure it runs smoothly and looks legitimate to display your credibility to your potential customers.

6. Start Making Your Products

 Start making products by sourcing the materials and assembling them correctly. Furthermore, you’ll want to ensure your product looks and functions the way it’s supposed to, so quality control is crucial.

7. Sell Your Products

Finally, sell your products through your online store. You can also sell them at trade shows, fairs, or even retail stores.

FAQs: Things to Make and Sell

How do I find popular things to make and sell?

You can do

Etsy shows the popular items on the website. Similarly, you can also use filters to know what sells best on Amazon.

 

What is the easiest thing to make and sell?

The easiest thing to make and sell depends on what your skills are. If you know how to paint, then the best thing is to sell is your art, journals, or paintings.

But if you are good at graphic design, the best thing to sell are t-shirts. However, the easiest thing to make and sell are candles and bath bombs- Minimum ingredients, higher profit margins, and variety!

What things can I make to sell if I am not creative?

You don't have to be Van Gogh to be in business. If you aren't creative, you can still make bath bombs, candles, or lip balms and sell them. It doesn't require as much creativity as jewelry or journal making.

How to sell my handmade goods online?

The best place to sell your handmade goods is Etsy. However, if you want to explore other options, here is a list of Etsy alternatives. You can also use Instagram to increase your reach and get more customers.

How to price my products?

Do not be afraid to set a higher price for your products, especially if you add a personal touch. Keep in mind the listing charges, taxes, etc. Always try to sell products that are easy to make and have high-profit margins. Do not sell products that take days to make, as it will only eat away at your profit and time. 

Conclusion

We hope you’ve got a better idea of what you can make and sell online when you reach this point. There are certainly plenty of business opportunities you can take advantage of and get a healthy profit out of it.

However, running a business has two significant steps, one is rolling out the product, and the second is marketing it. Whether you are selling online or offline, you need to make sure people know about your products.

If they don't know about you, they won't buy from you. And one of the best forms of marketing is video marketing. Here at Offeo, we offer more than 500 templates to jumpstart your video marketing process. 

Whether you’re selling it on YouTube, eCommerce sites, or even Instagram, our designer templates have got you covered. The best part? You don’t even need editing skills to make them, and you can do it all in under 3 minutes!

What are you waiting for? Sign up for Offeo today and experience faster video marketing to make your business’ growth skyrocket!

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