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Do you love crafting? If so, you're probably spending a lot of your leisure time (study time as well, if you're someone like me) indulging in crafting projects.
To most South Asian moms, this is a terrible and indignifying site to see. Speaking from personal experience, there were countless times when my mom would get irritated when she saw me sitting surrounded with paints and glitters rather than textbooks. Their worry is understandable since they just want to make us achieve what's best. But sometimes what they presume is best may not exactly be the best for you.
Okay, enough of my little rant. The point I wanted to get at was that you can turn all that time you spent crafting for pleasure to cash! That will not only bring your crafts a bit more respect from your mom, but will also give you some side income.
So to help you get started, I have compiled a list of the 12 best DIY crafts you can sell online.
1. Cards
Crafty greeting cards, explosion boxes, and other types of cards have risen in popularity. The reason why this serves as a great business sector is that there are special occasions just about everyday! Be it birthdays, new years, Christmas, valentines, mother's day, father's day, weddings, etc. So if you're good at making neat and clean cards, this is a great pool to dip your feet into.
2. Books
Complementary notebooks not only make a great gift but they also add to the personal aesthetic feel. You can start off by getting yourself a stack of plain notebooks and decorating them by hand. Don't try to stick to a set boundary; simply go to town with your creative ideas. This gives them a lot more value and appeal. I personally have yet to see a local online business that has gotten the full potential of this idea so if you venture into this business with a good aim and dedication, you will a very good chance of conquering it.
3. Wall hangers
Dream-catchers are everywhere! There's not a day that goes by without some dream-catcher popping up in my Instagram feed. While it does seem like a great idea, there are already many people working on them. So instead of following the same path (unless you're exceptionally good at making eye-catching dream-catchers), try working on different kinds of wall hangers. For example decorative mirrors, wreaths, fake pots, key hangers, etc.
4. Accessories
Stop with the drop-shipping; it's getting annoying! It's always better to make your own stuff rather than acting as an intermediate if you are someone who's actually into crafting. And, for the record, I've never been dumb enough to actually buy something for a higher price when I could get the same damn thing for a much, much lower price via Ebay or AliExpress. Plus, handcrafted stuff have more value than mass produced imitations. End of 'Mini-Rant No. 2'.
There are numerous accessories that you can DIY like bracelets, necklaces, anklets, earrings, scrunchies, etc. And here;s another idea that popped into my mind just a few seconds ago: you can buy watches and make custom watchbands for them! Turning plain or wristwatches into complementary ones. Below is a picture of a cute DIY elastic strap wristwatch. If you want a tutorial on how to make it, visit the link: Fabric & Elastic Watch Strap Tutorial
5. Polymer clay trinkets
Polymer clay earrings and pendants spiked in popularity during the quarantine period since everyone started experimenting with various crafts. You too can give it a try but don't stop at earrings and pendants; try making different kinds of trinkets like petite containers, doll house furniture, paper weights, tiny figurines, and sorts. The more original your products are the better chances you have at creating a good market for them.
6. Crochet items
Ever heard of Crochet? It's something almost like knitting but with just one hook. Just like knitting all kinds of things, there are so many things that you can make by crocheting. If they are so similar, why am I emphasizing on crocheting and not knitting? Well, crochet is easier to learn, has fewer techniques to master, and simpler to correct if you make a mistake. If you do a bit of googling, you will see that there are endless things for you to crochet such as toys, clothes, rugs, baby items, and more. So get a head start and make some crochet items to sell online.
7. Sewn products
Is your moms sewing machine lying in a corner collecting dust? Well then it's about time you test your sewing skills. Who knows, you might actually have a hidden talent for it. If so, you could turn that into a great business. Most people are afraid of sewing clothes since it looks like a taxing job to do. Add getting the right measurements to that and it may look like an impossible task! But if you skim around the internet, you can find sewing patterns for all sorts of clothes. And even if you're not into sewing clothes, you can try sewing pencil pouches, tote bags, table mats, pillow cases, and stuff like that. The options to sell online are infinite!
8. Candles
Candles are still considered a luxury in most South Asian households, more so the scented ones. But with the rapidly increasing number of youngsters seeking aesthetically pleasing elements to add to their rooms, you won't have much of a tough time getting high demand for it. And there are so many more ways in which candles can be used. For instance, they can be promoted as a great table centerpiece at weddings, get together/prom/graduation parties, and more. So give it a shot while the competition is less. No matter the outcome, candle making can be a pretty fun activity to indulge in!
9. Printed tote bags
Here's another great business for my artsy friends out there. If you have been on online shopping sites simply scrolling through stuff you'd like to buy but you most probably won't (sucks, I know), you may have seen that eco tote bags are a thing. The problem is that the pretty looking ones are rather expensive and the cheaper ones a just plain khaki colored bags. And that problem can be turned into a pretty profitable small business opportunity; Upgrading plain tote bags by printing/painting/stitching a design on them!
10. Picture frames
Plain picture frames are great, but decorated ones take them to another level and can be gifted on special occasions. In fact, a lot of youngsters these days love gifting framed photos to their friends and teachers as a token of remembrance. That's why it is one of the best crafts to sell online. Do some research and try out new ways to design photo frames, because, like I've already mentioned several times, presenting something unique is the best way to catch a potential customers eye.
11. Polaroid pictures
Polaroid pictures rank super high on the room decor aesthetic scale! I'm sure you've seen photos of people hanging clip-on Polaroid pictures with a string of fairy lights in their bedrooms. Heck, you probably have them yourself! Apart from room decor, Polaroid pictures are great additions to scrapbooks among other gifts. All you need for it is a mini photo printer that you could get through AliExpress or similar sites. So yeah, it's a great online craft business idea.
12. Gift baskets
Gift baskets have been trending since the past year partly thanks to the pandemic situation. Since you can't visit your loved ones due to the traveling restrictions, sending over a gift basket is a great way to wish them on special occasions. These baskets can be ones filled with sweet assortments, beauty products, or anything that the intended receiver will love. As a business, you can either stick to preset goodie bags or you can customize them according to the requests you get.
