50 Handmade Business Ideas You Can Start From Home



50 Handmade Business Ideas You Can Start From Home

There are plenty of home based business ideas out there. But if you’re looking for something that will let you exercise your creativity and work from home with supplies that are easily attainable, then a handmade business might be for you.

Here are 50 handmade business ideas and crafts to sell that you can do right from your own home.



Handmade Business Ideas

Greeting Card Maker

Design your own greeting cards from home using paper, stamps, stencils and your own artistic talents. Then sell your creations online.

Beaded Jewelry Maker

You can also design and create your own jewelry using beads and other supplies you can easily pick up online or at a local craft store.

Dressmaker

If sewing and making larger garments is more up your alley, then you can also create your own line of dresses or other clothing items to sell online.

T-shirt Designer

Even easier, you can sign up for an account with an online service like CafePress or Redbubble and upload designs that you can have printed on t-shirts and other products.



T-shirt Customizer

Or you can get more creative and actually customize t-shirts with names or other items for specific customers.

Scented Candle Maker

Candles are also popular products for people to purchase on sites like Etsy and Amazon. You can purchase some basic supplies and make your own scents and designs right from home. Read about small business candles.

Toiletries Maker

Likewise, you can mix a few basic ingredients, along with scents and other customizable materials, to make handmade soaps, lotions and other hygiene products.

Abstract Painter

If you’re more visually inclined, you can start your own at-home painting studio and sell your original creations online.



Illustrator

Or you could make a living selling illustrations to customers online.

Letterer

People will also pay for artwork that features calligraphy or other artistic lettering. Or you could even offer this as a custom service.

Print Seller

For those who create any sort of visual art, from paintings to illustrations and more, you can also print out copies of your work to sell online at more reasonable prices.

Custom Portrait Artist

You can also offer custom artwork to online customers who want portraits drawn or painted of them or their families.



Graphic Designer

For more tech savvy entrepreneurs, you can also offer a variety of different products that you design using your computer or other tech tools.

Paper Goods Seller

Paper goods like invitations and notecards can also make for popular handmade products that people can purchase online.

Handbag Maker

You can get really creative with different materials and styles by designing your own line of handmade bags and purses.

Hat Designer

Or you could make hats out of yarn, fleece, fabric or other materials.



Scarf Maker

Scarves can also make for great handmade products to sell online.

Hair Accessories Designer

If you want to make a larger variety of products, you can create a line of hair accessories ranging from small pins to decorative headbands.

Tie Dye Artist

Tie dye is a popular method of decorating anything from t-shirts to fabric shoes. You can experiment with different colors and patterns in your home or yard and then sell the products online.

Custom Embroiderer

You can also customize a variety of different fabric based products by starting your own online embroidery business.



Cross Stitch Artist

Cross stitch is a similar artform to embroidery. But it can be a bit more involved. You can sell cross stitch hoops and other pieces of handmade art using this technique.

Knitter/Crocheter

If you’re more of a knitter, you can create a variety of different products to sell, ranging from scarves to large blankets. And you can do the same with crochet.

Plush Toy Maker

Or you can make kids’ toys from fabric, stuffing and a variety of different materials that you can find at regular craft stores.

Clay Sculptor

Sculpting is another popular method of making handmade products. You can buy clay and other materials that don’t require a kiln or any other specialized equipment, so you can make your finished creations right from home.



Studio Photographer

You can also start your own creative business as a photographer, taking pictures in a home studio or even your yard and then selling them online.

Picture Frame Maker

Then you can also sell handmade frames that you create from plastic, wood or other materials. Or you can even have customers send you photos or artwork so that you can create a custom frame around it.

Tech Case Customizer

Tech accessories like phone cases are in high demand right now. So you can purchase plain versions and then decorate them using various supplies.

Basket Weaver

For more old-fashioned entrepreneurs, you can also start your own business by selling baskets online that you weaved by hand.



Gift Basket Service

Or you can start your own store that sells gift baskets with handmade baskets and other products inside.

Yarn Spinner

You can also sell products that people can use to make their own handmade items. With a few pieces of equipment and materials, you can spin your own yarn and then sell it to crafty customers online.

Fiber Artist

Or you can use yarn, wool and other fibers to make woven wall art that you can sell as a finished product.

Quilter

If you’re interested in creating larger handmade products, you can make your own quilts with fabric, fiber and a sewing machine.



Pattern Maker

For seasoned sewers and knitters, you can also create unique patterns that you can sell to other crafters online.

Scrapbooker

If you want to help people preserve special memories, you can start a scrapbooking business where you offer patterns or even custom pages.

Stencil Artist

Or you can design stencils and similar products that scrapbookers can use to make their own creations.

Rubber Stamp Maker

Similarly, you can carve stamps out of rubber and sell them to scrapbookers or other creative minded customers.



Bead Maker

Or you could make beads out of clay, glass or a variety of other materials and sell them to jewelry makers.

Natural Dyer

If you sell any kind of natural fiber or fabric products, you can dye them using items you may already have in your kitchen, like avocado skins and turmeric.

Book Binder

If you want to sell books or journals, you can actually create your own covers and binding using basic materials from any craft store.

Wood Carver

Large wood products like furniture might be a little too involved for many home-based entrepreneurs. But you can carve smaller products like knick knacks out of wood with just a few supplies.

Candy Maker

You can also make your own candy products right in your own kitchen and then package them for sale.

Alterations Service

If you want to start a handmade business that’s more service oriented, you can offer to alter clothing and other items for customers who send their items right to your home.

Ornament Maker

For more festive entrepreneurs, you can also design and craft your own custom holiday ornaments to sell during the season.

Doll Clothing Designer

If you want to make clothing but work with smaller pieces of fabric and other materials, you can make clothing to fit popular dolls and then sell those pieces online.

Pet Accessories Maker

Or you can make clothing and accessories made for dogs, cats and other pets.

Online Gift Shop Operator

If you want to make a variety of different products, you can actually start your very own online gift shop with all of those different categories accounted for.

Ebook Author

For seasoned crafters, you can actually write your very own book with instructions or ideas and then publish it as an ebook online.

Eguide Seller

Or you can create smaller craft related eguides and sell them on your website.

Online Course Creator

For more in-depth instructions, you can make online courses dedicated to your craft of choice.

Handmade Blogger

Or you can start a blog about your handmade business and make money through ads, affiliate links or other methods.

For more, check out these things to make and sell.

Dressmaker Photo via Shutterstock


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Annie Pilon Annie Pilon is a Senior Staff Writer for Small Business Trends, covering entrepreneur profiles, interviews, feature stories, community news and in-depth, expert-based guides. When she’s not writing she can be found exploring all that her home state of Michigan has to offer.

3 Reactions
  1. I’ve read all the possibilities for an online business and have tried to sell my artwork on a few sites specifically for artist…I sold a few paintings but soon realized I couldn’t make a living that way.
    I’m reevaluating my skills and may try a different one or may combine a few artistic creations.

  2. This is the best time to be an artist. Today, it is possible to pursue what you love with the help of the Internet.

  3. Yes I would like to run my own business from home I love designing so I would love to make stencils and bookmark to make my own design and sale but how to go about it at home I make greeting cards I make my own design and then I do all in embroidery like you see in a picture and I also making calendar all in embroidery so I would like to start earning from making stencils and bookmark but my own design and how to sale