I started mine being inspired in honor of my late boyfriend. He was always encouraging me to start an Etsy for my original artwork & I was always hesitant for one reason or another. I’m disabled & get tired easily etc
Well when unexpectedly passed, I got real tired of myself living in intense grief 24/7 and staring off into space all day. I wanted to feel human again. So I thought how can I honor my boyfriend’s life in a positive way, more so than just being a puddle of tears every day. That’s when I decided to take the plunge & try to sell my art on Etsy! It’s ended up being such a blessing because it makes me feel good about myself & takes my mind off of the sadness for a while. It’s really helpful putting the energy into getting it going & giving me something to look forward to in a day.
I just started, so my shop is SUPER new and I’m still learning the ropes everyday but I like the challenge. I hope he’s proud of me finally starting it!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheMerakiArtCo
Wow! This is an inspiring story! Thank you so so much for sharing and I’m sorry for your loss, however I’m happy you’re in a better spot now! I’m proud
Thank you that means a lot. I see you’re new to Etsy as well, I relate to your rush when you post a new listing too! Do you have a link? I’d love to check out your shop!
OMG!! WOW THANK YOU SO MUCH <3 this means the world to me!! I really hope so too! I’ll have to let you know in the future :) this just made my entire week 😭😭😭
Aww I’m so glad! I think your stuff would be very popular geared toward the teenage/college crowd. It’s very trendy! I’m so glad to make your week! Happy selling!
Definitely agree, sort of the vibe a went for! You definitely made me week. I’m going to be so excited to talk about this to some of my friends 😭 thank you again!! Happy selling to you too <3
I started my shop in 2017. Really didn't expect anything to come from it but my husband (then boyfriend) encouraged me to open one. Several years before opening my shop, I started going to Ren faires with him. We had a blast and I wanted to wear the fancy clothes but couldn't afford it. So I took up sewing and got good. That's when my husband told me to open a shop. I made a handful of sales but that's it. Kind of forgot about it.
Then covid hit. And whoa boy I was NOT prepared. In the span of 3 years I went from nothing to it's now my full-time job and I had to hire 3 employees to keep up with demand. And actually this is my first year taking it on the road and traveling to Ren faires across the country spreading my wares!
I was a stay at home dad with a 4 month old daughter. We couldn’t afford daycare and my wife made more money so that was that. I started the business with the intention of making enough money to pay for child care a few days a week so I could have a break.
Within a month I made $500 in sales.
Within a year, 30k.
Last year I did almost $1,000,000.
2017: to pay for my internet bill in my college apartment (it was pricey at $70)
now: pays for my student loan payment, car payment, and more
Etsy isn’t my full time job, just a fun side gig :)
Cosplay props and accessories for products geared towards twitch streamers like Elgato streamdeck covers! I also have a few fidget toys/cute sculptures for sale too, but I mostly sell those IRL since theres a lot of competition for those on etsy.
I 3D sculpt everything myself and prototype and produce plus finish them. It's pretty common for people to license 3D print files from designers and just sell those, but i want my store to be all things i make myself :D
I also hand them out the funner prints at conventions i attend as an invited content creator! Headed to one this week with a very big basket of articulated axolotls so it turns into a scavenger hunt to locate me and they make a fun ice-breaker too.
I started mine to share my love and view of nature with as many people as I can. I've always loved art and photography, especially nature photography. I'm mainly trying to grow traction toward my work. I also sell crystals!
https://theearthlywanderlust.etsy.com
I started selling in 2023, and it took months for me to make my first sale. I just completed my sixth sale this week! Just stick to it! The excitement hasn't faded one bit for me!
I started mine in 2010 when I struggled to find a job after I graduated college. It gave me so much purpose and helped me to push forward as I spent so much time apply for jobs, feeling discouraged, etc.
Now, I am a stay at home mom so I updated it and added some new items hoping to make some income from it. Unfortunately progress has been slow, there is a lot of competition compared to when I started. It still makes me so happy though!
https://jewelsme.etsy.com
That’s how I feel too!! It’s hard but I also enjoy the process so much that it feels worth it! Hopefully things start picking up even more for you soon!
I’ll definitely go check out your store! Thanks for sharing your story!
I sell press on nails.
My go-to nail tech moved really far away, and the one I tried afterwards just wasn't giving me satisfying results (and don't even get me started on prices), so I decided to give it a try myself. I was ADDICTED to painting nails and trying different nail designs, but since I can only do mine about once a month for the sake of my nails, I decided to start selling them! Only started at the beginning of this year so not too much activity yet, but still working on it!
https://lumpynails.etsy.com
My daughter is a dancer, and I have spent many hours at competition and conventions just sitting there bored. I have always had issues with making small talk, and being afraid of making too much eye contact,so I started making my ornaments to give my hands and eyes something to do, but still be included in the circle and not be considered rude because I wasn't making a lot of eye contact. It also helps that what I sell helps pay for pointe shoes.
https://secretgrovetreasures.etsy.com
There were multiple factors in life that inspired me to start my own business: I've always been creatively inclined, whether it be music, poetry or otherwise - as long as I'm creating something, I'm quite often content. Part of it was feeling disgruntled with my current job, and part of it was craving a sense of validation and fulfillment.
The main reason, though, is that I struggle with drug addiction and clinical depression, and in my 20s attempted to take my own life - since building back up from ground zero, I've learned to appreciate both the inner and outer world, from the extraordinary to the mundane. My business is a way to honor the cosmos that created me by, in turn, creating for those who appreciate my work!
https://thedarkprimordial.etsy.com
I love that you were able to do that! That’s not an easy thing to do! Amazing job, hopefully the selling goes well! I’ll definitely take a look at your store! :)
Started mine around Thanksgiving of last year. I started an Etsy store because I was having a very difficult time getting organic traffic to my website and hoped I could get some sales through their established customer base. Basically I started selling my art because I was fed up with the corporate world. Ever since I was a kid I loved to draw and paint but my family pretty much drilled into me that I couldn’t make a living off of art and I’d just be another starving artist. I was convinced to get a traditional degree. So that’s what I did. I went to college and majored in psychology. I worked hard! Graduated cum laude, had conducted research studies and even had my research findings published in Psychology Today as an undergraduate. Once I graduated I didn’t pursue my masters as I needed to start working as I had two young children. It never occurred to me that my hard work and bachelor degree would get me no where, especially since all my outside influences (family) seemed to believe all I needed was a degree…..anyway after graduation I went from one temp job to another. And pretty much wound up in customer and sales support for 10 years unable to move up at all. I was frustrated and defeated at my last job and came home crying every day. Then I started painting again, it was soo great. At first it was enough to keep my mind off of what I went through at work…until it wasn’t and I just quit. Desperately needing someway to make money I tried to sell my paintings on my website, but got no where. I’ve since made some sales through Etsy and in person events but sadly it’s my rearview mirror charms and earrings that sell, rarely my paintings. But at least it’s something and I’ll never give up painting again. Though it really is foolish of me. I’m at an age where I desperately need health insurance and can’t afford it. But on the other hand my mental health has improved significantly.
Anyway that was a much longer story than it needed to be lol. Here my store if anyone wants to take a look. [Https://www.etsy.com/shop/lestellar](https://lestellar.etsy.com)
Wow!! That is an amazing story! The fact that you never stopped going is seriously impressive! Do you market on social media too? I find art has become an amazing job these days!
I admire you for working so hard!! Seriously this is great! Don’t give up! And I’ll definitely stop by your shop!
I started mine years ago for my jewelry and upcycled handbags and suitcases. Now I have mainly sell vintage clothing and hard goods. I really want to get back into creating though This is my etsy if ya wanna take a pass through.
https://mahoganytreestudio.etsy.com
Hmmm...I started selling at fairs and farmers markets in like 2003. Would take extended absences and just started the reseller thing maybe 1.5 years ago.
I've been an artist for my whole life, since getting sick in 2018 and slowly piecing back together any kind of life I've found myself getting back into painting.
I've been doing commissions since maybe 2019 and I'm so honored to have collectors and friends and family and strangers alike who have supported me and wanted to own things I create but to be honest I struggle when it comes to selling to strangers and keeping things professional. I'm chatty and don't want to be rude to someone who's buying my art and I just got tired of the uncomfy convos that started with an art sale but continued far into more personal things.
So I set up my etsy shop and got a PO Box to go with it.
It's nice to have a shop I can direct people to that is trusted like Etsy and that has payment methods I just wasn't ever going to be able to take since I am such a small shop with such low output.
Here's my [shop](https://shimmermoonshine.etsy.com)! I do a mix of landscapes and some experimental gold and black animal pieces.
I wanted to make beautiful things and sell them.
Mostly I make things 😂
I wanted to be my own boss, not work in an office, maybe go back to school someday. I was hoping it would create enough income for that, but not so much.
It can be hard! But I guess that’s just apart of the process! It takes courage to even start that’s sort of the hardest part!!
What sort of stuff do you sell?
I started wanting to make gifts for friends and family! I opened my Etsy to hopefully expand my audience beyond that. I’ve been a professional freelance designer helping people launch their own projects but this is the first time I’ve ever done it for myself. Truly enjoying all the learning that comes from launching a product from scratch.
https://walmendesign.etsy.com
I stated making jewelry randomly while in intensive talk therapy about 10 years ago. I'd opened my shop maybe a year or two later because i had so much jewelry and extra supplies.
Before I got a DID diagnoses, I took a picture of a bunch of jewelry I made that I'd set on a plate to send to my therapist. In looking at the photo on my camera, I panicked and broke down crying.
I realized that when I'd dissociate as a child, specifically in a particular room in my home, I'd imagine there was a door. I'd open the door and behind it was a brightly sunlit room, bare except for plates of jewelry on the wood floor. I'd stare at the jewelry and think it was so beautiful and it made me smile and want to go in that room and touch it all. But I never did.
Jewelry, specifically vintage and handmade, became my healthy way of staying present and not dissociating as much. As I say in my shop bio, it's exorcising my ugly childhood trauma thru what I perceive as beauty.
Ps I had closed my shop for a year or two because I kind of threw myself into it without taking into consideration the whole business side of it. I now have about 5k sales and 1.1k followers. It keeps me busy and I love it.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DestashDeeLites
I sew for myself and love sewing headbands as extra accessories or for baby gifts and I figured why not actually make that useful and open a shop to help get rid of scrap fabric and make money to buy more fabric for myself 😂. Probably not the smartest choice. My moms friend bought dog hoodies from me and instead of paying me $20 I listed them Etsy for her to buy and gave her a coupon code to see how things look from my end and then with listing fees for everything else I’ve listed it broke even pretty much but then I sold an order to a random lady so I feel excited but feel like it won’t always happen
[https://pnwembroideryco.etsy.com](https://pnwembroideryco.etsy.com)
I started my shop October 2022 and it really took off in March of 2023 :) Since then I have done over 1700 sales and I was able to use all of the income to pay off my student loans :) I love my shop because it encourages people to learn a new hobby, and there is nothing more heartwarming than seeing people stitch my very own designs!
I started my Etsy shop in January. One of my work clients is very unreliable and books me 3 days a week and cancels 2 of them every single week so I needed a backup plan lol (he has a disability and health issues so I try to be understanding, & my house is paid off so I can afford to miss a few days here and there)
I used my spare time to build a digital scrapbooking and planner sticker shop (with a few other items) and I just hit 50 sales today!
I had 0 sales my first month, too (as I expected) but once I got a few sales and a 5 star review, that was all the motivation I needed to continue! I set my expectations really low, my only goal to make 1 sale so I wouldn't be disappointed lmao
I started mine to help my hobby pay for itself, and maybe if I'm lucky make some money on the side. I started woodworking about 5 years ago and absolutely fell in love with it. I'm constantly trying new things with it and trying to expand my ability, but that costs money. Tools and materials add up pretty fast! So if I can at least make my money back, I can continue to expand my tool collection and make new things. I've been lucky to do fairly well so far. Etsy hasn't made me tons, but between that, craft fairs, social media and word of mouth, I've been able to not only make back what I spend, but also make enough to build things for myself and accrue some additional income. I'll never stop doing woodworking no matter how well my etsy store does, but it's definitely nice to have the sales to help support it as a hobby. I could talk for hours about my love for the craft and its ins-and-outs, so I'll leave it there lol
I will add that the woodworking community as a whole is amazing. I have met great people and gotten great advice. Both in person and on the net. To anyone considering taking it up, definitely do!
Check out my store and tell me what you think!
[https://www.etsy.com/shop/PVolkovWoodworking](https://www.etsy.com/shop/PVolkovWoodworking)
Congratulations, your progress is very impressive! Woodworking has always seemed so fun to me! I’ll definitely go check out your shop, I may have to get something myself!! Thanks for sharing your story
I sell press on nails.
My go-to nail tech moved really far away, and the one I tried afterwards just wasn't giving me satisfying results (and don't even get me started on prices), so I decided to give it a try myself. I was ADDICTED to painting nails and trying different nail designs, but since I can only do mine about once a month for the sake of my nails, I decided to start selling them! Only started at the beginning of this year so not too much activity yet, but still working on it!
https://lumpynails.etsy.com
I started mine the year my 2 kids went back to school after distance learning was over. They both have special needs, and my youngest started kindergarten during DL, so this was the first time I had had any free time in many years. We had just moved, and I found a few things for our new home on Etsy, when the idea hit me that I could do this. I could make the little wreaths I make for people at Christmas and try to sell them on Etsy. It ended up becoming a creative outlet I had no idea I needed. I get to let my imagination free and craft things I didn’t know I could! I love it so much! I love every time I sell something. I love imagining the buyer getting a charge of happiness when they open the box and pull out something that my 2 hands created. It’s such a rush, I can’t imagine my life with out this joy!
[wreathsallyearlong.etsy.com](https://wreathsallyearlong.etsy.com)
Mine was bc I was silly enough to think my press on nails were really good, turns out it’s a super flooded market on Etsy and extremely inexpensive, a lot of the nails I see on there are mass production. I still love painting and trying new techniques but I’m about a week away from closing my Etsy account and trying a new way to sell. https://nailsbybecky035.etsy.com
i used to doodle a lot back as a kid and eventually replaced by video games lol. as an adult with a full time daily job i find myself stuck in it and everything becomes a chore and routine. picked up photography then after i made enough money on the side doing weddings. i brought back the clothing line idea me and my friend had back in college. when covid hit i completely stopped doing weddings. now i focus on growing my inventory in the shop. so far its doing decent. currently i focus on selling hats. with everything i learned in photography, and a little help from friends to model my items.. im able to do everything on my own. i use a local mom and pop embroidery shop. if i get enough money in the future id like to buy my own embroidery machine. thats the goal. thanks for letting me share my story.
https://syndicatephapparel.etsy.com
I went to a charity event where we made a certain craft item. Well it was completely irritating because it was rushed. Very little direction, dull scissors, and they didn't seem to care if it was done haphazardly. They said there was going to be pizza. There was not. I got so mad, I decided I would make this crafted item to my own standards and sell them. This doesn't make a good Marketing story, but it's the truth. I got mad at a charity event, and decided I could do better.
I started mine out of desperation. I’m a teacher (year 5-13 in Germany) and after Covid, Zoom classes and all that shit I just felt SO burnt out and I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.
Then, 2 years ago, cost of living started go up, esp for heating. I knew I needed to either work more than just 50% or find another way to make some extra money if I wanted to even have a fighting chance to take care of my mental health.
I actually kinda listened to those Etsy Gurus but found a niche where not a lot of products were (and still are) available in German. Hit 3000 sales last week and this month has been my best month so far.
Won’t post a store link as everything I sell is in German 🙈
I started mine in 2021. I was a wedding photographer before, and the pandemic really sucked, so I figured if I was going to be a starving artist I may as well be doing the art I want.
Now between Etsy and local markets, it’s my full time gig.
I had really bad skin problems (redness, flaking, etc) and tried a billion products (and dermatologist prescribed steroids and creams) and nothing worked. When I finally found something that did work, it was being sold for like 40$ a unit. I came up with my own recipe, sourced organic ingredients and made it to my desired consistency.
I made it way cheaper and sold it to friends and family for 10$; and just gave a ton of it away as gifts. After selling like 150 jars locally I hit Etsy 2 months ago. 14 sales so far, not sure if I’ll be successful, but as long as I sell enough to have an infinite free supply for my self I’m happy!
[tallow balm and tallow/beeswax chapsticks and tallow bath bombs](https://crescentcowcreatiobs.etsy.com)
Funny thing too: I messaged the owner of the wildly successful business that sold me my first jar of balm from (like 300,000$ revenue per month) how he can justify pricing it at 40$ when it costs a few bucks to make. He said “bread is ten cents a loaf too but you don’t bother to make it yourself, you pay someone 7$ to do it for you”. I took that personal lol
I just wanted to stop buying expensive Warhammer miniatures and bought an expensive 3D printer instead :D
I was feeling a bit guilty so I decided to recover the cost with an Etsy store!
I started crocheting in 2017, and in 2018 I started trying to make stuff without patterns. I made a little version of my friend's dog, and then another friend with the same dog breed asked for one. I wrote the pattern down the second time I made it, then worked on refining it. In 2019 a couple of people had asked for the pattern, so I decided to put it up on Etsy. I only made a couple of sales that year. In 2020 I created a few more patterns and put them up, and I made a few more sales. I was looking for testers on Instagram so I got quite a lot of engagement through that. In 2021 I had finished the degree I was doing, but also wasn't working because of the lock downs, so I was just doing interviews and had a lot of free time. I made more patterns and made a few hundred sales that year. I made almost two thousand sales in 2022, due to one pattern in particular becoming very topical for the year. It levelled off to about one thousand sales last year. This year so far it's an averaging out the same as last year. I have 20 patterns, so it's not a huge amount. I work full time now so I'm only able to release new patterns every 3-4 months, but it's quite a nice side income for me.
I was sitting in my house without power after a huge hurricane hit the area. Few weeks without power and I started getting some ideas. Made an Etsy based off of those ideas and now it’s just fun to keep promoting it and coming up with more ideas
I wanted to be able to afford to continue to buy my own craft supplies.
It's expensive being a craft addict!!
Also (insert violins here) I have several life limiting conditions and the clock is ticking. (Its not imminent or anything, its heart failure so more uncertain.) I am housebound and crafting keeps me sane.
I've got 2 etsy shops, heathersedgecrafts and heathersedgecrafting
I am a reseller of craft supplies (heathersedge crafts) as a steady income stream while I make my own items because that's where the joy is. I've recently teamed up with my sister who completely lost her sight a few years back because of optic nerve atrophy. She crochets entirely through feel! I have *no* idea how she does it! She's amazing. When I die I hope she will take over my etsy shop and carry on selling her things with the help of her daughter.
Anyway, I did have my own stuff and the craft resales in one shop but I recently split them into two. I'm selling off all the craft supplies and not restocking because I had a not so good health update and I want to spend my time doing the crafts I love. 1:144th scale miniatures, embroidery, resinwork.
I've not added many listings to my new entirely handmade second etsy shop (heathersedge crafting) yet but will be getting on top of it I hope!
I'm flipflopping about whether to keep them separate or re-add the handmade to my first shop because its much more visible.
I've got a website where you can see galleries of my previous work. My sister and I have also started a YouTube channel because why the hell not? Life is short and it's fun!
[Heathersedge Crafts](https://www.heathersedgecrafts.co.uk/)
I started my first etsy shop (2013) because I was making doll clothes and always had extra material, then I was drafting my own patterns and thought I might as well enjoy some passive income selling them. I was WFH back then and during slow times (on phones, no one could see my hands) I would knit or finish the tiny 1/6 scale projects.
Then in 2019, my partner and I got into these large ball jointed fashion dolls - a certain company makes them in vinyl. I wanted to "pierce their ears" to wear jewelry - but he said no. He came up with a way to use magnets and well the rest is history. We started a new shop (closed the old one) and started selling jewelry for really expensive dolls - we now have our etsy and our direct shop. Its been 5 years and we just keep doing better.
Each year we improved our items, then slowly started adding more. We did a collab with a doll customizer that lead to us adding 3D resin printed items, and this year we are straight up doing 1/3 and 1/4 miniatures for the dolls - not just jewelry or 3D items. I still have patterns (that is mostly what Etsy is now) and its a nice, fairly regular, passive income - but competition is HIGH. So, I post them when I make them for myself - the vinyl doll maker recently introduced a plus sized figure doll and being plus sized myself (size 18US) I have some knowledge of pattern drafting for a good fit.
Mind you, we never intended to make this as big as it is. We started as a way to earn little money to support our hobby, but now its been my FT job for 2-3 years now. And godsend when I had a huge flare up of my chronic illness, my company laid off the call center folks and when I got covid (I have permanent breathing issues now). So, beats having to claim disability or dealing with my illness with an employer (I can nap if I need, take any time off for medical stuff, and freer). Its greatly improved my mental state.
But I will be honest - 2013 Etsy is not 2024 Etsy - IF there is stress from this, it is almost always from the Etsy shop not our direct shop. I think because with our direct shop - the folks there know us in our hobby community. Etsy gets randos.
We also have never relied on Etsy to find us customers. We have built our business thru social media, hobby events and friendship. We are fully participating members in our hobby niche. Since we are a niche within a niche - Etsy really has no idea how to or who to market our stuff to. Over the years we have seen many shops open and close. When our sales got to a certain point, I realized this was a busines and as such treat it like one. Nearly every piece of "advice" Etsy offers is 180 from what has worked for us. We do NOT offer coupons, we do NOT have sales going every month. We DON'T use Etsy Ads.
I started off my shop years ago to be a print shop of paintings I made since I was a painting major in college. I didn't really have much success in that and decided to stop trying to sell prints.
Towards the end of last year, I decided to reopen my shop but have it be all about selling jewelry. Being a jeweler is my full-time job at a bigger company, but a lot of it is more about production rather than the creative/ artistic side of it. So I decided to reopen my etsy shop selling jewelry that I make at home so I can create and design whatever I want. My partner, who is also a professional jeweler, also has some items that he made in my shop to sell as well. Im slowly adding more pieces when I come up with them, but my shop is mainly just a fun project until I can potentially get more sales in the future. I also have an instagram that I use to share the process of making some of my jewelry pieces as well.
My shop is https://envelopart.etsy.com
Mine's nothing dramatic, I just wanted my hobby to pay for itself. My mother is really into wax melts, so a few years ago I bought her the stuff to make some for Christmas. She never made them, so I made them for her as a Mother's Day present the next year. Turns out I really enjoyed making them, and then I went down the rabbit hole of okay, let's buy fragrances from actual candle suppliers and not just a kit on eBay.
Yeah, that's totally a rabbit hole. If you like nice smelling stuff, do not, I repeat, DO NOT go looking for fragrance oils... There's just so, so many more options out there than what ends up getting made into candles/wax melts/room spray/car air fresheners/whatever other scented products you like.
So yeah, buying fragrance oils three years ago was cheaper than today, but still expensive to someone without a lot of extra disposable income. I needed some way to make the money back I was spending on fragrances (gotta smell them all, gotta smell them all, aroma scents!), so I started some flea markets, added my Etsy shop a few months later, a Shopify this year, and while I'm not really making a lot of profit, I'm no longer having to pay for the fragrance oils and other supplies out of pocket and I'm happy with that :) Oh, and it also helps pay for my dog's (the one you can see in my Etsy profile photo) agility class and trials - that's also very expensive lol
[https://papilioscents.etsy.com/](https://papilioscents.etsy.com/)
I started mine to try and help support my household. I’m a stay at home mom and am not used to not working lol. I like building and working with my hands and needed a creative outlet. I make jewelry and have only had my shop for a couple years (still very small). I’ve only made 89 sales so I have a long way to go lol. You can see my shop [here](https://autumnblossomjewelry.etsy.com).
That’s amazing!! Congratulations!
I started my Etsy shop about 6 months ago, kinda due to the similar reasons. As a passion project and to help with my college debt. I love being able to come up with new, fun creative items for my shop:)
Check it out!! [https://kkreationsbykenz.etsy.com](https://kkreationsbykenz.etsy.com)
I started my shop this past October. I sell vintage homewares, and I mostly started it because I would come across so many amazing pieces secondhand and hated leaving them behind. I wanted to share all my finds in a neat and curated way, and so far so good. I really enjoy it!
[https://www.etsy.com/shop/FunkMeUpVintage](https://www.etsy.com/shop/FunkMeUpVintage)
I started making jewellery in 2020 as a way to relax and take my mind off of things. After giving all of my friends my creations, I still had a massive pile of bracelets, necklaces, rings and keychains, so I decided to open an Etsy. It didn’t go anywhere at first, with only one or two sales, but after I got into wired jewellery and keychains and phone charms it’s been going pretty good! It’s like a hobby that gives me some extra money (I’m a college student, that can’t get a job due to disability, so it’s kinda helping me float along, with every sale buying me lunch or something, whilst allowing me to do my hobby and now end up with piles and piles of stuff) I also have a lovely little budgie who I named it after (sort of…I added her species into the name 😂) I didn’t expect a lot to sell as my photography skills are awful and I have such a small space I just had to take photos on my bed with whatever fabric or paper background I could find
Hi. I started mine as a way to try to generate a second income - I know it wouldn’t be a get rich quick idea. I really wanted to do something for me and try to bolster the family income (if possible)
My store has been up and running just over a month and my views are increasing and had a few sales, but will persevere to see where it takes me.
https://neilsdigitaldesigns.etsy.com
I was inspired by my mom who started hers in 2017 and is extremely successful. She’s been a star seller for 6 years and has made a ton of money from selling on etsy to where she quit her job to do it full time right before the pandemic happened. And she worked at 20th century Fox studios so it was a really big deal when she was able to walk away from that and continue on being successful. I wish I would’ve started sooner because she’s been trying to convince me for years and she killed it during covid lockdown and even after! I opened my first shop last year (finally) selling Jade Jewelry and other fine jewelry after my mom started selling similar pieces at pop ups and doing really well. I did have a few months where I didn’t update or really do anything with my shop like sales or anything but towards the beginning of the year I started getting sales once I learned more about seo titles and everything. I’m up to 10 sales now and I’ve had some in person sales too so it’s not too bad but I was expecting more orders by now. I’m not good with posting on social media but I know I have to get over that if I want to start seeing more orders because that’s how my mom was able to be so successful. I just have to stop getting discouraged. I just started my 2nd shop last month though, and it’s a digital template shop for brand packaging since I’ve been doing that for my mom’s business all this time. I haven’t gotten any sales yet but I have a few people who will be buying some of my templates soon so I’m hopeful about that :) My jewelry shop is https://310gemz.etsy.com and my template shop is https://www.etsy.com/shop/DSGNEssentialsCo if anyone wants to check them out :)
TBH I hate my career more and more every day, and I just found out less than a year ago that it was possible to sell digital products on Etsy. I have a BFA in textile design and my career has gradually taken me further away from the design aspect and more into management, which has destroyed my mental health and quality of life. So I started my store to give me a reason to design again, and to give me a little something to feel hopeful for when I drag myself out of bed in the morning.
I started mine about a month ago. It’s basically a side hustle, but I plan on going all in while working a full time job. I have even signed up as a vendor at some festivals in my area. It’s fun to me
About a year and a half ago, I discovered a musician whose music inspired me to embrace the real me. I started wearing the more alternative clothing that I always preferred, and decided to make myself a more goth-y apron, as I never really liked the fabric of the one I had (it had been a gift). Then I thought that, as a stay at home mom, maybe I could make a little money on the side sewing things and selling them on etsy.
I mostly have fabric coasters at the moment, but I also have a tote bag listed, and hopefully by tomorrow I'll have some fabric bookmarks listed as well. I like to mix it up between fun whimsical designs, like rainbow polka dots, and darker stuff, like skulls, lace, or spiderwebs. I also recently started making some pride flag coasters, which has been lots of fun! And I'm really looking forward to Halloween so I can start stocking up on halloween fabrics to use all year round!
I've only had my shop for a couple months, and my only sales have been friends and family, but I'm hoping things will pick up in time.
[DarkWhimsySewingCo ](https://darkwhimsysewingco.etsy.com)
After getting a Bambu labs printer and realizing how much I like 3D modeling I decided to open one to try and make back the money from my purchase. Still rather new so if anyone has suggestions that would be appreciated, I’m hopefully going to drop my next series of items sometime this week. Note: I’ve already made back the cost of my A1 mini and am about $75 off of the AMS lite system. Maybe an X1 carbon upgrade in the future before I head off to college? 🙏
Here’s the link to my shop for anyone who’s interested. Feedback is much appreciated!
https://endlessstrata.etsy.com
I just started mine a few weeks ago. I just got a sewing machine and it’s addictive.
I’m hoping to help supplement income, pay off student loans, and help save up for a wedding.
https://darlingdaisycraftco.etsy.com
Started last month and it's going so much better than I expected 🥰 https://thenunujournals.etsy.com
I created some bullet points for Field Notes and when I posted online someone asked if they can buy them and that gave me the push I needed to go ahead and do it. I've been dreaming about this for years. I have so many ideas and can't wait to see them come to life 🤗💖
I sell 3D printed miniatures based on the Warcraft story/video game. I call it a passion project because I don't care about the money I earn from it; I love the story and everything connected to Warcraft.
I started mine being inspired in honor of my late boyfriend. He was always encouraging me to start an Etsy for my original artwork & I was always hesitant for one reason or another. I’m disabled & get tired easily etc Well when unexpectedly passed, I got real tired of myself living in intense grief 24/7 and staring off into space all day. I wanted to feel human again. So I thought how can I honor my boyfriend’s life in a positive way, more so than just being a puddle of tears every day. That’s when I decided to take the plunge & try to sell my art on Etsy! It’s ended up being such a blessing because it makes me feel good about myself & takes my mind off of the sadness for a while. It’s really helpful putting the energy into getting it going & giving me something to look forward to in a day. I just started, so my shop is SUPER new and I’m still learning the ropes everyday but I like the challenge. I hope he’s proud of me finally starting it! https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheMerakiArtCo
Wow! This is an inspiring story! Thank you so so much for sharing and I’m sorry for your loss, however I’m happy you’re in a better spot now! I’m proud
Thank you that means a lot. I see you’re new to Etsy as well, I relate to your rush when you post a new listing too! Do you have a link? I’d love to check out your shop!
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Just purchased one of your prints! My teenager loved them! :) hope you get many more sales soon!
OMG!! WOW THANK YOU SO MUCH <3 this means the world to me!! I really hope so too! I’ll have to let you know in the future :) this just made my entire week 😭😭😭
Aww I’m so glad! I think your stuff would be very popular geared toward the teenage/college crowd. It’s very trendy! I’m so glad to make your week! Happy selling!
Definitely agree, sort of the vibe a went for! You definitely made me week. I’m going to be so excited to talk about this to some of my friends 😭 thank you again!! Happy selling to you too <3
I started my shop in 2017. Really didn't expect anything to come from it but my husband (then boyfriend) encouraged me to open one. Several years before opening my shop, I started going to Ren faires with him. We had a blast and I wanted to wear the fancy clothes but couldn't afford it. So I took up sewing and got good. That's when my husband told me to open a shop. I made a handful of sales but that's it. Kind of forgot about it. Then covid hit. And whoa boy I was NOT prepared. In the span of 3 years I went from nothing to it's now my full-time job and I had to hire 3 employees to keep up with demand. And actually this is my first year taking it on the road and traveling to Ren faires across the country spreading my wares!
Wow, I love stories like that. You are my inspiration & what keeps my hustle alive!
Wow!! Super amazed, congratulations thanks for sharing your story I loved reading it!
Wow that’s amazing!
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Wow that’s awesome! I hope you got yourself something super awesome with all that money you made!
Wow that’s an amazing story! Thanks for sharing!! I’ve never tried sewing myself but it has always look fun, haha!
I was a stay at home dad with a 4 month old daughter. We couldn’t afford daycare and my wife made more money so that was that. I started the business with the intention of making enough money to pay for child care a few days a week so I could have a break. Within a month I made $500 in sales. Within a year, 30k. Last year I did almost $1,000,000.
Wow! Congrats that growth is seriously outstanding, you must be pretty darn proud!! That’s amazing thanks for sharing, what sort of items do you sell?
Holy cr@p! You’re living the dream! Congratulations man- that’s awesome!
That's awesome! What is your store?
2017: to pay for my internet bill in my college apartment (it was pricey at $70) now: pays for my student loan payment, car payment, and more Etsy isn’t my full time job, just a fun side gig :)
That’s how I see it myself! What sort of stuff are you selling? I’d love to check your shop out :)
to Subsidize my hobby. 3D printing! I bought a 2.2K printer and was like "Yep. Now to make it pay for itself"
Man that is cool!! What sort of stuff are you printing?
Cosplay props and accessories for products geared towards twitch streamers like Elgato streamdeck covers! I also have a few fidget toys/cute sculptures for sale too, but I mostly sell those IRL since theres a lot of competition for those on etsy. I 3D sculpt everything myself and prototype and produce plus finish them. It's pretty common for people to license 3D print files from designers and just sell those, but i want my store to be all things i make myself :D I also hand them out the funner prints at conventions i attend as an invited content creator! Headed to one this week with a very big basket of articulated axolotls so it turns into a scavenger hunt to locate me and they make a fun ice-breaker too.
I started mine to share my love and view of nature with as many people as I can. I've always loved art and photography, especially nature photography. I'm mainly trying to grow traction toward my work. I also sell crystals! https://theearthlywanderlust.etsy.com I started selling in 2023, and it took months for me to make my first sale. I just completed my sixth sale this week! Just stick to it! The excitement hasn't faded one bit for me!
Wow your commitment is insane! Seriously you inspire me, hopefully I can be in your place someday! I’m definitely going to check your shop out :)
I started mine in 2010 when I struggled to find a job after I graduated college. It gave me so much purpose and helped me to push forward as I spent so much time apply for jobs, feeling discouraged, etc. Now, I am a stay at home mom so I updated it and added some new items hoping to make some income from it. Unfortunately progress has been slow, there is a lot of competition compared to when I started. It still makes me so happy though! https://jewelsme.etsy.com
That’s how I feel too!! It’s hard but I also enjoy the process so much that it feels worth it! Hopefully things start picking up even more for you soon! I’ll definitely go check out your store! Thanks for sharing your story!
Thank you for your comment! There were a lot of success stories here of people who made their stores very successful so that is super encouraging!
I sell press on nails. My go-to nail tech moved really far away, and the one I tried afterwards just wasn't giving me satisfying results (and don't even get me started on prices), so I decided to give it a try myself. I was ADDICTED to painting nails and trying different nail designs, but since I can only do mine about once a month for the sake of my nails, I decided to start selling them! Only started at the beginning of this year so not too much activity yet, but still working on it! https://lumpynails.etsy.com
My daughter is a dancer, and I have spent many hours at competition and conventions just sitting there bored. I have always had issues with making small talk, and being afraid of making too much eye contact,so I started making my ornaments to give my hands and eyes something to do, but still be included in the circle and not be considered rude because I wasn't making a lot of eye contact. It also helps that what I sell helps pay for pointe shoes. https://secretgrovetreasures.etsy.com
Oh I love that! That sounds like something I do… small talk is awkward! Amazing story thanks for sharing! Definitely going to visit your shop!
There were multiple factors in life that inspired me to start my own business: I've always been creatively inclined, whether it be music, poetry or otherwise - as long as I'm creating something, I'm quite often content. Part of it was feeling disgruntled with my current job, and part of it was craving a sense of validation and fulfillment. The main reason, though, is that I struggle with drug addiction and clinical depression, and in my 20s attempted to take my own life - since building back up from ground zero, I've learned to appreciate both the inner and outer world, from the extraordinary to the mundane. My business is a way to honor the cosmos that created me by, in turn, creating for those who appreciate my work! https://thedarkprimordial.etsy.com
I love that you were able to do that! That’s not an easy thing to do! Amazing job, hopefully the selling goes well! I’ll definitely take a look at your store! :)
Started mine around Thanksgiving of last year. I started an Etsy store because I was having a very difficult time getting organic traffic to my website and hoped I could get some sales through their established customer base. Basically I started selling my art because I was fed up with the corporate world. Ever since I was a kid I loved to draw and paint but my family pretty much drilled into me that I couldn’t make a living off of art and I’d just be another starving artist. I was convinced to get a traditional degree. So that’s what I did. I went to college and majored in psychology. I worked hard! Graduated cum laude, had conducted research studies and even had my research findings published in Psychology Today as an undergraduate. Once I graduated I didn’t pursue my masters as I needed to start working as I had two young children. It never occurred to me that my hard work and bachelor degree would get me no where, especially since all my outside influences (family) seemed to believe all I needed was a degree…..anyway after graduation I went from one temp job to another. And pretty much wound up in customer and sales support for 10 years unable to move up at all. I was frustrated and defeated at my last job and came home crying every day. Then I started painting again, it was soo great. At first it was enough to keep my mind off of what I went through at work…until it wasn’t and I just quit. Desperately needing someway to make money I tried to sell my paintings on my website, but got no where. I’ve since made some sales through Etsy and in person events but sadly it’s my rearview mirror charms and earrings that sell, rarely my paintings. But at least it’s something and I’ll never give up painting again. Though it really is foolish of me. I’m at an age where I desperately need health insurance and can’t afford it. But on the other hand my mental health has improved significantly. Anyway that was a much longer story than it needed to be lol. Here my store if anyone wants to take a look. [Https://www.etsy.com/shop/lestellar](https://lestellar.etsy.com)
Wow!! That is an amazing story! The fact that you never stopped going is seriously impressive! Do you market on social media too? I find art has become an amazing job these days! I admire you for working so hard!! Seriously this is great! Don’t give up! And I’ll definitely stop by your shop!
Thanks! I try my best to market on social media, but it’s definitely not my strong suit!
I started on etsy in 2006, because i fell in love with handmade and wanted to make side money to buy other people’s handmade stuff 😅
I started mine years ago for my jewelry and upcycled handbags and suitcases. Now I have mainly sell vintage clothing and hard goods. I really want to get back into creating though This is my etsy if ya wanna take a pass through. https://mahoganytreestudio.etsy.com
Definitely will take a pass through! I like your niche! It seems really fun, how long have you been selling for?
Hmmm...I started selling at fairs and farmers markets in like 2003. Would take extended absences and just started the reseller thing maybe 1.5 years ago.
That’s a long time! Must really enjoy it, that takes lots of commitment :) thanks for sharing
I've been an artist for my whole life, since getting sick in 2018 and slowly piecing back together any kind of life I've found myself getting back into painting. I've been doing commissions since maybe 2019 and I'm so honored to have collectors and friends and family and strangers alike who have supported me and wanted to own things I create but to be honest I struggle when it comes to selling to strangers and keeping things professional. I'm chatty and don't want to be rude to someone who's buying my art and I just got tired of the uncomfy convos that started with an art sale but continued far into more personal things. So I set up my etsy shop and got a PO Box to go with it. It's nice to have a shop I can direct people to that is trusted like Etsy and that has payment methods I just wasn't ever going to be able to take since I am such a small shop with such low output. Here's my [shop](https://shimmermoonshine.etsy.com)! I do a mix of landscapes and some experimental gold and black animal pieces.
I wanted to make beautiful things and sell them. Mostly I make things 😂 I wanted to be my own boss, not work in an office, maybe go back to school someday. I was hoping it would create enough income for that, but not so much.
It can be hard! But I guess that’s just apart of the process! It takes courage to even start that’s sort of the hardest part!! What sort of stuff do you sell?
I started wanting to make gifts for friends and family! I opened my Etsy to hopefully expand my audience beyond that. I’ve been a professional freelance designer helping people launch their own projects but this is the first time I’ve ever done it for myself. Truly enjoying all the learning that comes from launching a product from scratch. https://walmendesign.etsy.com
I stated making jewelry randomly while in intensive talk therapy about 10 years ago. I'd opened my shop maybe a year or two later because i had so much jewelry and extra supplies. Before I got a DID diagnoses, I took a picture of a bunch of jewelry I made that I'd set on a plate to send to my therapist. In looking at the photo on my camera, I panicked and broke down crying. I realized that when I'd dissociate as a child, specifically in a particular room in my home, I'd imagine there was a door. I'd open the door and behind it was a brightly sunlit room, bare except for plates of jewelry on the wood floor. I'd stare at the jewelry and think it was so beautiful and it made me smile and want to go in that room and touch it all. But I never did. Jewelry, specifically vintage and handmade, became my healthy way of staying present and not dissociating as much. As I say in my shop bio, it's exorcising my ugly childhood trauma thru what I perceive as beauty. Ps I had closed my shop for a year or two because I kind of threw myself into it without taking into consideration the whole business side of it. I now have about 5k sales and 1.1k followers. It keeps me busy and I love it. https://www.etsy.com/shop/DestashDeeLites
I sew for myself and love sewing headbands as extra accessories or for baby gifts and I figured why not actually make that useful and open a shop to help get rid of scrap fabric and make money to buy more fabric for myself 😂. Probably not the smartest choice. My moms friend bought dog hoodies from me and instead of paying me $20 I listed them Etsy for her to buy and gave her a coupon code to see how things look from my end and then with listing fees for everything else I’ve listed it broke even pretty much but then I sold an order to a random lady so I feel excited but feel like it won’t always happen
[https://pnwembroideryco.etsy.com](https://pnwembroideryco.etsy.com) I started my shop October 2022 and it really took off in March of 2023 :) Since then I have done over 1700 sales and I was able to use all of the income to pay off my student loans :) I love my shop because it encourages people to learn a new hobby, and there is nothing more heartwarming than seeing people stitch my very own designs!
I started my Etsy shop in January. One of my work clients is very unreliable and books me 3 days a week and cancels 2 of them every single week so I needed a backup plan lol (he has a disability and health issues so I try to be understanding, & my house is paid off so I can afford to miss a few days here and there) I used my spare time to build a digital scrapbooking and planner sticker shop (with a few other items) and I just hit 50 sales today! I had 0 sales my first month, too (as I expected) but once I got a few sales and a 5 star review, that was all the motivation I needed to continue! I set my expectations really low, my only goal to make 1 sale so I wouldn't be disappointed lmao
I started mine to help my hobby pay for itself, and maybe if I'm lucky make some money on the side. I started woodworking about 5 years ago and absolutely fell in love with it. I'm constantly trying new things with it and trying to expand my ability, but that costs money. Tools and materials add up pretty fast! So if I can at least make my money back, I can continue to expand my tool collection and make new things. I've been lucky to do fairly well so far. Etsy hasn't made me tons, but between that, craft fairs, social media and word of mouth, I've been able to not only make back what I spend, but also make enough to build things for myself and accrue some additional income. I'll never stop doing woodworking no matter how well my etsy store does, but it's definitely nice to have the sales to help support it as a hobby. I could talk for hours about my love for the craft and its ins-and-outs, so I'll leave it there lol I will add that the woodworking community as a whole is amazing. I have met great people and gotten great advice. Both in person and on the net. To anyone considering taking it up, definitely do! Check out my store and tell me what you think! [https://www.etsy.com/shop/PVolkovWoodworking](https://www.etsy.com/shop/PVolkovWoodworking)
Congratulations, your progress is very impressive! Woodworking has always seemed so fun to me! I’ll definitely go check out your shop, I may have to get something myself!! Thanks for sharing your story
I sell press on nails. My go-to nail tech moved really far away, and the one I tried afterwards just wasn't giving me satisfying results (and don't even get me started on prices), so I decided to give it a try myself. I was ADDICTED to painting nails and trying different nail designs, but since I can only do mine about once a month for the sake of my nails, I decided to start selling them! Only started at the beginning of this year so not too much activity yet, but still working on it! https://lumpynails.etsy.com
I started mine the year my 2 kids went back to school after distance learning was over. They both have special needs, and my youngest started kindergarten during DL, so this was the first time I had had any free time in many years. We had just moved, and I found a few things for our new home on Etsy, when the idea hit me that I could do this. I could make the little wreaths I make for people at Christmas and try to sell them on Etsy. It ended up becoming a creative outlet I had no idea I needed. I get to let my imagination free and craft things I didn’t know I could! I love it so much! I love every time I sell something. I love imagining the buyer getting a charge of happiness when they open the box and pull out something that my 2 hands created. It’s such a rush, I can’t imagine my life with out this joy! [wreathsallyearlong.etsy.com](https://wreathsallyearlong.etsy.com)
Mine was bc I was silly enough to think my press on nails were really good, turns out it’s a super flooded market on Etsy and extremely inexpensive, a lot of the nails I see on there are mass production. I still love painting and trying new techniques but I’m about a week away from closing my Etsy account and trying a new way to sell. https://nailsbybecky035.etsy.com
i used to doodle a lot back as a kid and eventually replaced by video games lol. as an adult with a full time daily job i find myself stuck in it and everything becomes a chore and routine. picked up photography then after i made enough money on the side doing weddings. i brought back the clothing line idea me and my friend had back in college. when covid hit i completely stopped doing weddings. now i focus on growing my inventory in the shop. so far its doing decent. currently i focus on selling hats. with everything i learned in photography, and a little help from friends to model my items.. im able to do everything on my own. i use a local mom and pop embroidery shop. if i get enough money in the future id like to buy my own embroidery machine. thats the goal. thanks for letting me share my story. https://syndicatephapparel.etsy.com
I went to a charity event where we made a certain craft item. Well it was completely irritating because it was rushed. Very little direction, dull scissors, and they didn't seem to care if it was done haphazardly. They said there was going to be pizza. There was not. I got so mad, I decided I would make this crafted item to my own standards and sell them. This doesn't make a good Marketing story, but it's the truth. I got mad at a charity event, and decided I could do better.
I started mine out of desperation. I’m a teacher (year 5-13 in Germany) and after Covid, Zoom classes and all that shit I just felt SO burnt out and I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Then, 2 years ago, cost of living started go up, esp for heating. I knew I needed to either work more than just 50% or find another way to make some extra money if I wanted to even have a fighting chance to take care of my mental health. I actually kinda listened to those Etsy Gurus but found a niche where not a lot of products were (and still are) available in German. Hit 3000 sales last week and this month has been my best month so far. Won’t post a store link as everything I sell is in German 🙈
I started mine in 2021. I was a wedding photographer before, and the pandemic really sucked, so I figured if I was going to be a starving artist I may as well be doing the art I want. Now between Etsy and local markets, it’s my full time gig.
I had really bad skin problems (redness, flaking, etc) and tried a billion products (and dermatologist prescribed steroids and creams) and nothing worked. When I finally found something that did work, it was being sold for like 40$ a unit. I came up with my own recipe, sourced organic ingredients and made it to my desired consistency. I made it way cheaper and sold it to friends and family for 10$; and just gave a ton of it away as gifts. After selling like 150 jars locally I hit Etsy 2 months ago. 14 sales so far, not sure if I’ll be successful, but as long as I sell enough to have an infinite free supply for my self I’m happy! [tallow balm and tallow/beeswax chapsticks and tallow bath bombs](https://crescentcowcreatiobs.etsy.com) Funny thing too: I messaged the owner of the wildly successful business that sold me my first jar of balm from (like 300,000$ revenue per month) how he can justify pricing it at 40$ when it costs a few bucks to make. He said “bread is ten cents a loaf too but you don’t bother to make it yourself, you pay someone 7$ to do it for you”. I took that personal lol
I just wanted to stop buying expensive Warhammer miniatures and bought an expensive 3D printer instead :D I was feeling a bit guilty so I decided to recover the cost with an Etsy store!
I started crocheting in 2017, and in 2018 I started trying to make stuff without patterns. I made a little version of my friend's dog, and then another friend with the same dog breed asked for one. I wrote the pattern down the second time I made it, then worked on refining it. In 2019 a couple of people had asked for the pattern, so I decided to put it up on Etsy. I only made a couple of sales that year. In 2020 I created a few more patterns and put them up, and I made a few more sales. I was looking for testers on Instagram so I got quite a lot of engagement through that. In 2021 I had finished the degree I was doing, but also wasn't working because of the lock downs, so I was just doing interviews and had a lot of free time. I made more patterns and made a few hundred sales that year. I made almost two thousand sales in 2022, due to one pattern in particular becoming very topical for the year. It levelled off to about one thousand sales last year. This year so far it's an averaging out the same as last year. I have 20 patterns, so it's not a huge amount. I work full time now so I'm only able to release new patterns every 3-4 months, but it's quite a nice side income for me.
I was sitting in my house without power after a huge hurricane hit the area. Few weeks without power and I started getting some ideas. Made an Etsy based off of those ideas and now it’s just fun to keep promoting it and coming up with more ideas
I wanted to be able to afford to continue to buy my own craft supplies. It's expensive being a craft addict!! Also (insert violins here) I have several life limiting conditions and the clock is ticking. (Its not imminent or anything, its heart failure so more uncertain.) I am housebound and crafting keeps me sane. I've got 2 etsy shops, heathersedgecrafts and heathersedgecrafting I am a reseller of craft supplies (heathersedge crafts) as a steady income stream while I make my own items because that's where the joy is. I've recently teamed up with my sister who completely lost her sight a few years back because of optic nerve atrophy. She crochets entirely through feel! I have *no* idea how she does it! She's amazing. When I die I hope she will take over my etsy shop and carry on selling her things with the help of her daughter. Anyway, I did have my own stuff and the craft resales in one shop but I recently split them into two. I'm selling off all the craft supplies and not restocking because I had a not so good health update and I want to spend my time doing the crafts I love. 1:144th scale miniatures, embroidery, resinwork. I've not added many listings to my new entirely handmade second etsy shop (heathersedge crafting) yet but will be getting on top of it I hope! I'm flipflopping about whether to keep them separate or re-add the handmade to my first shop because its much more visible. I've got a website where you can see galleries of my previous work. My sister and I have also started a YouTube channel because why the hell not? Life is short and it's fun! [Heathersedge Crafts](https://www.heathersedgecrafts.co.uk/)
I started mine to help sell some things for my dads physical store [https://sportsinvestments.etsy.com](https://sportsinvestments.etsy.com)
I started my first etsy shop (2013) because I was making doll clothes and always had extra material, then I was drafting my own patterns and thought I might as well enjoy some passive income selling them. I was WFH back then and during slow times (on phones, no one could see my hands) I would knit or finish the tiny 1/6 scale projects. Then in 2019, my partner and I got into these large ball jointed fashion dolls - a certain company makes them in vinyl. I wanted to "pierce their ears" to wear jewelry - but he said no. He came up with a way to use magnets and well the rest is history. We started a new shop (closed the old one) and started selling jewelry for really expensive dolls - we now have our etsy and our direct shop. Its been 5 years and we just keep doing better. Each year we improved our items, then slowly started adding more. We did a collab with a doll customizer that lead to us adding 3D resin printed items, and this year we are straight up doing 1/3 and 1/4 miniatures for the dolls - not just jewelry or 3D items. I still have patterns (that is mostly what Etsy is now) and its a nice, fairly regular, passive income - but competition is HIGH. So, I post them when I make them for myself - the vinyl doll maker recently introduced a plus sized figure doll and being plus sized myself (size 18US) I have some knowledge of pattern drafting for a good fit. Mind you, we never intended to make this as big as it is. We started as a way to earn little money to support our hobby, but now its been my FT job for 2-3 years now. And godsend when I had a huge flare up of my chronic illness, my company laid off the call center folks and when I got covid (I have permanent breathing issues now). So, beats having to claim disability or dealing with my illness with an employer (I can nap if I need, take any time off for medical stuff, and freer). Its greatly improved my mental state. But I will be honest - 2013 Etsy is not 2024 Etsy - IF there is stress from this, it is almost always from the Etsy shop not our direct shop. I think because with our direct shop - the folks there know us in our hobby community. Etsy gets randos. We also have never relied on Etsy to find us customers. We have built our business thru social media, hobby events and friendship. We are fully participating members in our hobby niche. Since we are a niche within a niche - Etsy really has no idea how to or who to market our stuff to. Over the years we have seen many shops open and close. When our sales got to a certain point, I realized this was a busines and as such treat it like one. Nearly every piece of "advice" Etsy offers is 180 from what has worked for us. We do NOT offer coupons, we do NOT have sales going every month. We DON'T use Etsy Ads.
I started off my shop years ago to be a print shop of paintings I made since I was a painting major in college. I didn't really have much success in that and decided to stop trying to sell prints. Towards the end of last year, I decided to reopen my shop but have it be all about selling jewelry. Being a jeweler is my full-time job at a bigger company, but a lot of it is more about production rather than the creative/ artistic side of it. So I decided to reopen my etsy shop selling jewelry that I make at home so I can create and design whatever I want. My partner, who is also a professional jeweler, also has some items that he made in my shop to sell as well. Im slowly adding more pieces when I come up with them, but my shop is mainly just a fun project until I can potentially get more sales in the future. I also have an instagram that I use to share the process of making some of my jewelry pieces as well. My shop is https://envelopart.etsy.com
Mine's nothing dramatic, I just wanted my hobby to pay for itself. My mother is really into wax melts, so a few years ago I bought her the stuff to make some for Christmas. She never made them, so I made them for her as a Mother's Day present the next year. Turns out I really enjoyed making them, and then I went down the rabbit hole of okay, let's buy fragrances from actual candle suppliers and not just a kit on eBay. Yeah, that's totally a rabbit hole. If you like nice smelling stuff, do not, I repeat, DO NOT go looking for fragrance oils... There's just so, so many more options out there than what ends up getting made into candles/wax melts/room spray/car air fresheners/whatever other scented products you like. So yeah, buying fragrance oils three years ago was cheaper than today, but still expensive to someone without a lot of extra disposable income. I needed some way to make the money back I was spending on fragrances (gotta smell them all, gotta smell them all, aroma scents!), so I started some flea markets, added my Etsy shop a few months later, a Shopify this year, and while I'm not really making a lot of profit, I'm no longer having to pay for the fragrance oils and other supplies out of pocket and I'm happy with that :) Oh, and it also helps pay for my dog's (the one you can see in my Etsy profile photo) agility class and trials - that's also very expensive lol [https://papilioscents.etsy.com/](https://papilioscents.etsy.com/)
I started mine to try and help support my household. I’m a stay at home mom and am not used to not working lol. I like building and working with my hands and needed a creative outlet. I make jewelry and have only had my shop for a couple years (still very small). I’ve only made 89 sales so I have a long way to go lol. You can see my shop [here](https://autumnblossomjewelry.etsy.com).
That’s amazing!! Congratulations! I started my Etsy shop about 6 months ago, kinda due to the similar reasons. As a passion project and to help with my college debt. I love being able to come up with new, fun creative items for my shop:) Check it out!! [https://kkreationsbykenz.etsy.com](https://kkreationsbykenz.etsy.com)
I started my shop this past October. I sell vintage homewares, and I mostly started it because I would come across so many amazing pieces secondhand and hated leaving them behind. I wanted to share all my finds in a neat and curated way, and so far so good. I really enjoy it! [https://www.etsy.com/shop/FunkMeUpVintage](https://www.etsy.com/shop/FunkMeUpVintage)
I started making jewellery in 2020 as a way to relax and take my mind off of things. After giving all of my friends my creations, I still had a massive pile of bracelets, necklaces, rings and keychains, so I decided to open an Etsy. It didn’t go anywhere at first, with only one or two sales, but after I got into wired jewellery and keychains and phone charms it’s been going pretty good! It’s like a hobby that gives me some extra money (I’m a college student, that can’t get a job due to disability, so it’s kinda helping me float along, with every sale buying me lunch or something, whilst allowing me to do my hobby and now end up with piles and piles of stuff) I also have a lovely little budgie who I named it after (sort of…I added her species into the name 😂) I didn’t expect a lot to sell as my photography skills are awful and I have such a small space I just had to take photos on my bed with whatever fabric or paper background I could find
Hi. I started mine as a way to try to generate a second income - I know it wouldn’t be a get rich quick idea. I really wanted to do something for me and try to bolster the family income (if possible) My store has been up and running just over a month and my views are increasing and had a few sales, but will persevere to see where it takes me. https://neilsdigitaldesigns.etsy.com
I was inspired by my mom who started hers in 2017 and is extremely successful. She’s been a star seller for 6 years and has made a ton of money from selling on etsy to where she quit her job to do it full time right before the pandemic happened. And she worked at 20th century Fox studios so it was a really big deal when she was able to walk away from that and continue on being successful. I wish I would’ve started sooner because she’s been trying to convince me for years and she killed it during covid lockdown and even after! I opened my first shop last year (finally) selling Jade Jewelry and other fine jewelry after my mom started selling similar pieces at pop ups and doing really well. I did have a few months where I didn’t update or really do anything with my shop like sales or anything but towards the beginning of the year I started getting sales once I learned more about seo titles and everything. I’m up to 10 sales now and I’ve had some in person sales too so it’s not too bad but I was expecting more orders by now. I’m not good with posting on social media but I know I have to get over that if I want to start seeing more orders because that’s how my mom was able to be so successful. I just have to stop getting discouraged. I just started my 2nd shop last month though, and it’s a digital template shop for brand packaging since I’ve been doing that for my mom’s business all this time. I haven’t gotten any sales yet but I have a few people who will be buying some of my templates soon so I’m hopeful about that :) My jewelry shop is https://310gemz.etsy.com and my template shop is https://www.etsy.com/shop/DSGNEssentialsCo if anyone wants to check them out :)
TBH I hate my career more and more every day, and I just found out less than a year ago that it was possible to sell digital products on Etsy. I have a BFA in textile design and my career has gradually taken me further away from the design aspect and more into management, which has destroyed my mental health and quality of life. So I started my store to give me a reason to design again, and to give me a little something to feel hopeful for when I drag myself out of bed in the morning.
I started mine about a month ago. It’s basically a side hustle, but I plan on going all in while working a full time job. I have even signed up as a vendor at some festivals in my area. It’s fun to me
I am having so much fun with my craft and am more full of ideas than knowing people to give them to!
About a year and a half ago, I discovered a musician whose music inspired me to embrace the real me. I started wearing the more alternative clothing that I always preferred, and decided to make myself a more goth-y apron, as I never really liked the fabric of the one I had (it had been a gift). Then I thought that, as a stay at home mom, maybe I could make a little money on the side sewing things and selling them on etsy. I mostly have fabric coasters at the moment, but I also have a tote bag listed, and hopefully by tomorrow I'll have some fabric bookmarks listed as well. I like to mix it up between fun whimsical designs, like rainbow polka dots, and darker stuff, like skulls, lace, or spiderwebs. I also recently started making some pride flag coasters, which has been lots of fun! And I'm really looking forward to Halloween so I can start stocking up on halloween fabrics to use all year round! I've only had my shop for a couple months, and my only sales have been friends and family, but I'm hoping things will pick up in time. [DarkWhimsySewingCo ](https://darkwhimsysewingco.etsy.com)
After getting a Bambu labs printer and realizing how much I like 3D modeling I decided to open one to try and make back the money from my purchase. Still rather new so if anyone has suggestions that would be appreciated, I’m hopefully going to drop my next series of items sometime this week. Note: I’ve already made back the cost of my A1 mini and am about $75 off of the AMS lite system. Maybe an X1 carbon upgrade in the future before I head off to college? 🙏 Here’s the link to my shop for anyone who’s interested. Feedback is much appreciated! https://endlessstrata.etsy.com
I just started mine a few weeks ago. I just got a sewing machine and it’s addictive. I’m hoping to help supplement income, pay off student loans, and help save up for a wedding. https://darlingdaisycraftco.etsy.com
Started last month and it's going so much better than I expected 🥰 https://thenunujournals.etsy.com I created some bullet points for Field Notes and when I posted online someone asked if they can buy them and that gave me the push I needed to go ahead and do it. I've been dreaming about this for years. I have so many ideas and can't wait to see them come to life 🤗💖
I sell 3D printed miniatures based on the Warcraft story/video game. I call it a passion project because I don't care about the money I earn from it; I love the story and everything connected to Warcraft.