When I was about ten years old, a neighborhood friend and I were hanging around outside one day during summer break when we discovered mint leaves in my background.
For some reason we got pretty excited about this discovery and thought we should go door-to-door and try to sell it.
The first woman who answered the door said to us, clearly annoyed, "No thank you. I have mint in my own backyard."
And thus our business idea was ended.
Fortunately, it's much easier today for kids with an entrepreneurial spirit and a little time on their hands to make some extra money, or even start their own business.
Not only can you easily find tons of fun crafts for kids online, but there are many lucrative ways to sell them. My daughter put her artistic skills to work a few years ago and ran an Etsy shop for a while.
But Etsy's not the only way for a little entrepreneur to sell their cool crafts. Kids can also take advantage of local craft fairs, flea markets, and garage sales. Some schools even have a school market day fundraiser.
What can a kid make and sell?
Lots of things! And they even have to be "crafts" (meaning physical products). If your kid likes to design things, they can even make and sell digital products online. The beauty of that is that the work is done once, but the product can be sold an infinite number of times!
Here's a list of 37 easy crafts that kids can make and sell.
Then at the end of the list I spend some time talking about how kids can make and sell digital printables.
Crafts that Kids can sell
Wood Slice Rudolph Ornaments
Christmas ornaments are always a great idea for a craft that will sell.
These udolph ornaments with wood slices are easy for kids to make and so adorable they'll fly off the shelves!
Homemade Peppermint Lip Balm with Printable Labels
This festive lip balm makes a practical gift for the holidays. The best part is that the instructions come with free printable labels.
Harry Potter Potion Ornaments
These Harry Potter potion ornaments are super cool and very easy to make and sell. Kids can even customize the potions. They'll be a hit with any true wizard fan.
Mermaid Fin Hair Clip Craft
Add some fun and sparkle to your little one's hair with this easy-to-follow mermaid fin hair clip tutorial.
This craft is perfect for kids, and can be easily customized in lots of creative ways with different colors and sequins. Sell them at local craft fairs for a sparkling addition to any child's wardrobe.
Christmas Unicorn Gift Bags
These beautiful gift bags, make of icicle ornaments and tinsel garland, are sure to be a big hit!
Fruit Painted Kindness Rocks
Using some creative play on words, you can add a bit of cheer to someone’s day with these simple fruit painted kindness rocks.
Painted Pumpkin Mason Jar Crafts
These Pumpkin Mason Jars are a really cute idea. Turn them into lanterns or use them as hostess gifts filled with candy.
Snowman with Tea Light Ornament
These adorable snowmen make perfect Christmas tree ornaments, then you can leave them up through January. Easy craft for older kids to make on their own.
Holiday Spiced Apple Cider
This spiced apple cider mix will fill your entire home with the aroma of Christmas!
Just a few ingredients, a mason jar and these FREE printable labels and you have an easy craft any kid could make and sell.
Perler Bead Christmas Ornament Frames
Both my husband and I spent hours doing Perler beads alongside our kids when they were younger. It's the perfect craft for someone like me who enjoys following an existing pattern instead of making something up myself. (Which if totally fine!)
This frame is both easy and inexpensive to make.
Pom Pom Rug
These Pom Pom rugs are so easy to make and inexpensive too. They can be made in any colours for a fun room decor gift idea.
Shrinky Dink Keychains from Coloring Pages
What do you do when your coloring page is done? Make something!
Here’s a tutorial to turn those pages into Shrinky Dink keychains.
Painted Strawberry Rocks
These painted strawberry rocks are not only cute and easy for kids to make, but they help deter birds in your strawberry patch too!
Painted Ceramic Mugs
These custom mugs are easy to make and perfect for kids of all ages.
Sugar Scrub Soap Cubes
These easy to make sugar scrubs require few ingredients and make and is easily customizable
Vanilla Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub
Sugar scrubs are both easy and inexpensive to make. This recipe contains limes, which are a natural preservative and allow the scrub to be stored for a few weeks.
Hot Chocolate Stirrers
Making hot chocolate sticks couldn’t be any easier with this recipe. Customize with your favourite toppings and flavored chocolate. They look amazing wrapped in cellophane.
Includes a video tutorial.
Pine Cone Christmas Tree Decorations
Do the kids love collecting nature treasures when you’re out and about?
This easy craft turns pine cones into unique ornaments - and they can make a whole forest of them!
Friendship Bracelets with Buttons
These embroidery floss bracelets cost less than a dollar each to make.
Create them together in colors of your choice using our free instructional pattern.
Snowman Wooden Slice Christmas Decorations
One of our favorite things to with our kids during the holidays is getting in the spirit by making festive Christmas ornaments together.
How to Paint a Canvas Tote Bag
Everyone could always use more tote bags. This tutorial shows you have easy it is to make your own customized bag using a Silhouette Cameo and some fabric paint.
Decoupage Soap
This decoupage soap craft is easy to make for a gift idea or wedding favor. The Mod Podge keeps the design from washing off when you suds up.
Hot Chocolate Bombs Recipe
These Hot Chocolate Bombs make the perfect gift for the holidays. They are super fun to make and even more fun to enjoy.
Painted Wooden Bead Necklace
With rich jewel tones and glamorous gold embellishments this painted wooden bead necklace DIY jewelry idea makes a fabulous gift or handmade craft to sell.
Free, easy tote bag pattern to sew
Instead of painting an existing tote bag, kids can also sew their own bag using this free pattern. An adult size and a child size are both included.
Paper Doll Chain Garland
Use paper bags from the grocery store to make these "gingerbread man" garlands.
Includes a step-by-step tutorial and a free downloadable template.
Popsicle Stick Unicorn Craft
These popsicle stick unicorns are easy to make in bulk. Kids can sell them as Christmas ornaments or to be used as little puppets.
Homemade Cinnamon Ornaments
All you need is 2 ingredients to make these super simple and easy Homemade Cinnamon Ornaments.
A great DIY holiday craft or fun Christmas gift for both kids and adults to make and customize.
Easy DIY Leather Tassel Keychain
These leather tassel keychains are so easy that kids can make them, and so chic you'll want to wear one yourself.
DIY Lavender and Epsom Salts Bath Soak
This lovely Lavender and Epsom Salt bath soak is so easy to make and smells great.
T-Shirt Yarn Wrapped Bangles
Sometimes the easiest things is to take perfectly useful items that just need to be refreshed.
This upcycled jewelry is made with t-shirt yarn and bangles.
Snowflake Apple Cinnamon Dough Ornaments
These homemade apple cinnamon dough ornaments are super easy for kids to make this holiday season. They'll will sell easily to anyone who wants to add that cinnamon smell to their home.
Coffee Filter Flowers
These coffee filters flowers are so delicate and beautiful you won’t believe they started as plain old coffee filters. They make perfect gifts and are great for a table setting.
DIY Marbled Nail Polish Mugs
Easy DIY marbled nail polish mugs make great gifts. A simple craft done in a few minutes that looks like it took hours of work!
How To Make Oyster Shell Ornaments
These beautiful natural sea shell Christmas ornaments are quick and easy to make. Use sea shells you found at the beach, or get a bag from the craft store or dollar store.
Don't forget that kids don't have to create and sell physical products.
The great thing about digital products is that once they're made; you're done. When you see that you got an order, you don't have to do anything but smile about the fact that you just made some money while you were watching Netflix.
Just to give you some ideas for printable products, my Etsy shop sells:
- Valentine's Day cards
- Coloring Pages (color by number worksheets sell the best)
- Printable Christmas puzzles
- Personalized pages (which do take a little time when I get an order, but not nearly as much as, say, knitting a hat)
(by far my best seller)
If your child's interested in making digital printables but doesn't know where to start, they can watch this video on how to create printables for free using Google Slides:
How to Sell on Etsy as a Minor
As I mentioned earlier, one of my daughters had an Etsy shop for about a year, until she got tired of it. (She made homemade stress balls, her biggest sell, and crocheted amigurumi animals.)
Etsy's Terms of Use state that all Etsy account owners must be a minimum of 18 years old, and that minors between the ages of 13 to 17 are allowed to use Etsy with the permission and direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian.
We set up a separate bank account to link to her Etsy shop. It wasn't difficult or anything, but just understand that, as a parent, you do need to agree -- and take the time -- to set up everything with your information.
I do recommend that if your child sets up an Etsy shop, you sell at least a few variations on the same thing (for example, 5-6 different handmade tote bags), and also that you can learn a little a little bit about SEO. Otherwise they could have a great shop full of great products, but no one would ever find them!
Leave a Reply