How to Make Money on Etsy Without Making Anything (25 Ways)

Do you like to use Etsy?

It’s a great platform, but it’s also one that prides itself on being unique products that you have to make.

Some of us aren’t that crafty, and that’s fine.

If you’re someone who struggles with making products that are easy to use, and unique, you’re not alone.

You can make money on etsy without making anything, and we’ll go over how you can do this, and what you can do to start!

 

Why Etsy?

Etsy takes less commissions than other sites.

Not to mention, if you have an idea, and the product is still unique, people will buy it from there.

It tends to show up higher in the algorithms rather than other sites.

It does take a little bit of research, which is what you should always be doing before starting.

 

25 Tips to Help You Sell on Etsy Without Making Anything

Here are 25 ways to get started selling on etsy without making anything.

Is it possible?

Yes it is, and you’re about to find out how!

 

1. Make Printable Party Supplies

There are always events happening.

Baby showers, anniversaries, weddings.

All of this can be hard for people to get unique items for.

You’re technically printing so you are making something, but you can sell printable party supplies on Etsy, and also get paid to do.

There are tons of people who make money in this way.

 

2. Buy Templates Online

If you’re someone who isn’t totally savvy, then you can purchase templates online to sell.

There are tons of online templates that are easy to access, and tons of people are definitely going to still buy it.

You can check out free design templates here to find out where you can get printables to sell.

 

3. Clipart Is King

Clipart is something you can stick onto any sort of printable, and then, it can be sold.

This is within Etsy’s guidelines.

As long as the design isn’t copyrighted, you can sell it.

Some people like this means, since it does offer a unique sort of look to it.

If you’re someone who has used clipart in the past, then you probably know why lots of people like it, and why t’s considered one of the best ways to start making money on Etsy without doing anything.

 

4. Consider Buying off Shutterstock

Shutterstock is a stock image site you can use to make money with Etsy.

They offer illustrations, vectors, and pictures.

As long as you buy the rights to this, you can add this to printables.

Tons of people love to do this, since it’s already right there.

They are royalty-free too, so you’re not going to have trouble using these.

Plus, if you buy the copyright, you can use it for everything, and you can offer printables and graphics with this too!

 

5. Create a Mailing List

Email marketing is vital for online sales, and you can definitely get existing customers to buy again.

If you use MailChimp for example, you can make landing pages that are based on the etsy shop page.

Be mindful of this, since you can’t technically add email addresses from those who bought in the past, so having them go through a third-party service if you decide to use this.

A mailing list is good if you want to sell to others without having to make anything in the process.

 

6. Pattern It Up

People love to buy patterns on Etsy.

If you have experience sewing, or you’ve got patterns that you’ve kept, you can upload them too.

You can also purchase some copyright-free sewing, knitting, or crocheting types of patterns that you can add.

Lots of people like to do this, because you’re not technically making anything, you just have to give them this option.

 

7. Consider Social Media Graphics

Have some graphics that you’ve bought in the past that you think people would love to use?

Why not sell them online.

If you’ve bought the rights to it, you can sell royalty-free social media graphics on Etsy.

It’s technically something that people do, because digital items are popular.

You can also set up rules for how someone uses them, including if they are going to make some money from it, you can’t directly use the image and whatnot.

 

8. Digital Planners

Yes, you can buy digital planner templates and sell them.

These are templates you can buy, and then resell on etsy.

They can come with custom designs that you can make yourself or pre-made templates that you can buy and then use.

Canva has a ton of planner templates that you can purchase, and then resell online.

You just have to follow the terms of service, and you can also create custom templates that people will love.

 

9. Sticker Downloads

Have some stickers that you’ve kept on your computer, or maybe have a few designs that you want to sell.

Why not do this on Etsy?

You can set up downloadable stickers, where if someone purchases them, they can then use this.

It’s pretty great, since lots of people don’t want to spend tons of money on this, and you can also sell your own designs, without really having to make or keep any stock!

Check out the following articles right here on Kingged for more ways about Etsy:

• Best Websites like Etsy for Handmade Products
• How to Get Paid and Earn Money Selling Stickers on Etsy
• How to Get Paid and Earn Money Selling Digital Downloads on Etsy
• What to Get Paid and Earn Money Selling on Etsy
• How to Name Your Etsy Shop to Earn Money

 

10. SVG Files

These are scalable vector graphics, and this is a type of vector format.

This is a bit different from JPEGs, because they have specific formulas that are based on lines and points.

People use SVG files for a variety of reasons, and there seven a whole section of  them.

People like to make custom SVG files for printables, websites, and so much more.

You can offer these files for a very low price.

People can buy them and then use them.

Simple as that!

 

11.  Drop Shipping!

Yes, you can actually dropship products on Etsy, and what’s cool about this, you can actually sell ecommerce products without burning through inventory.

If you’re selling, this is a good way to start.

It does require a bit of legwork before you begin, but it’s a viable way to sell lots on Etsy.,

 

12. Do Product Research

This is something that lots of drop shipping and printable companies need to be mindful of.

There may be a demand for a product, and you can take advantage of that.

If there is no demand, you won’t make some money from this.

Etsy is definitely a good place for starting with drop shipping, but you should also look at who else is selling it, what they’re charging, and the profits you can make.

 

13. Be Cautious of Seller Fees

Seller fees are now 6.5% on this, so you’ll want to be mindful of this important figure.

These are the fees that Etsy takes from you, and you’ll have to pay this, or have it taken out of the transactions.

If you’re charging very little, you’ll be making very little, so understand the profit margins that you need to make before you start to sell here.

 

14. Talk on the Forums

If you have a question, post on their forums.

This can also help you join to learn more information.

You can ask questions, or even find topics that are of your concern, and actually join in to talk on Etsy.

This is a great place to start, since lots of people struggle to figure out if their product is worth it, but you can also talk to others in the same community to help you.

 

15. Check Their Blog

If you’re not sure whether something is kosher or not to sell, you can always join the site and read their blogs.

Any news, latest changes, and also any important announcements for the platform are on there.

The blogs also are on social media platforms too, and you can read these by finding the post, and going directly to the blog.

 

16. Use Social Media

You may not be using it directly to sell but following Etsy on these accounts along with some of the sellers that they highlight is great.

This connect you to other people, and this is vital for improving your sales and transactions.

You should make sure that all of the listings on Etsy are written correctly too, and you can also look at the social media of others to get inspiration for this.

 

17. Consider Printable Cards

Printable cards are super popular, and people can just buy them, print it out, and you get a cut.

If you have a fun holiday or birthday card that really shines, consider adding this there.

Some people love funny pet cards, so taking your pet’s face and slapping it on cards is a fun printable that really works.

 

18. Sell Wedding Stationary

The big day is well, big for everyone, and sometimes, people don’t want to spend tons of money on the stationary.

What many couples are doing these days, is they are buying their wedding stationary online.

Whether it’s cards to send out, or even thank-you items or favors, this can be a great way to make some money.

The key factor is you want some wedding stationary that’s really selling to do well with this.

 

19. Lightroom Presets

Lightroom is a hard site to work with, and some newbie photographers may buy specific pre-sets.

What you need to do, is upload the presets that they use, and this of course, can be implemented.

This is a great way to make some extra money, and you are just giving the tools that you use to help them make some easy cash, so there’s no harm in this.

 

20. Digital Announcements

Lots of couples are doing the digital announcement craze, whether it’s wedding RSVPs, or even pregnancy announcements and baby shower invites.

If you have a template and some pretty ideas, you’re in luck.

You can set up a fun template for digital announcements, or even help make them for people.

They then can send them out, and you get paid.

 

21. Post Quality Photos

If you’re someone that is selling drop shipping, always make sure that you’re posting stuff that’s accurate, and the photos are high in resolution.

Bad photos won’t sell it, and you want to make sure that this listing is accurate for a lot of people.

 

22. Fill Out All the Information

This applies to drop shipping mostly, but if you’re selling, always make sure that the listing is written well.

Have all the information, make sure it’s accurate.

If there are common questions from buyers, add them to this.

Make sure that you put it all in there to make it easier for you.

 

23. Be a Responsive Seller

There’s nothing worse than sellers who just ghost you.

If you have a buyer that contacts you, respond immediately.

This leads to better reviews.

If there are questions, comments, or concerns, you can answer them right away.

When you look active, people love that, so definitely be mindful of this when starting out.

 

24. Make Sure That Your Printable is Worthwhile

Some people don’t realize this until it’s too late, but they’ll start a business, and not do research on the product.

Printables are different for every industry.

Not everyone is going to need a digital planner, so make sure that you’re tackling the industries that do.

There is always room for research, so make sure it’s there.

 

25. Print on Demand

If you’re going to print on demand, definitely do so.

This is much easier than printing with actual items.

You just have to promote the shop, print it out, and then there you go, make some sales.

Make sure that you also promote this, since it’s the easiest way.

Printing on demand also reduces stock while growing the business.

 

Conclusion

These are some of the best ways to make money on Etsy without making anything.

Although it does take some effort on your end, making money without creating anything on Etsy is still possible, and is a very popular market to dive into!