If you are strapped for cash or just need just a little bit of spending money to get you through the week, consider making your own DIY household products and selling them for profit online. In this guide, we’ll go over some unique objects that you can make from scratch out of everyday household materials. Why waste household products that you might throw away anyway when you could start making money today. After that, we’ll go over which market places you should sell them in and whom they will benefit the most. Let’s dive in.
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Types
Popular
DIY Bath Bombs
What They Are: If you are looking for a proven commodity that sells like hotcakes, you’ll want to try your hand at making bath bombs. You’ve probably seen them at your local Bed Bath and Beyond coming in a variety of shapes, sizes, and fragrances. They are fun for people to toss in the water and adds fragrance and color to the common bath time experience.
How To Make It: Mix together baking soda, Epsom salt, corn starch, and citric acid together in a bowl before adding the glitter or flower fragrances for the creative twist. You’ll need about two and a half tablespoons of coconut oil, water, food coloring, and plastic molds to shape your bath bombs in. If you can’t find some of these in your house, you can always stop by your local crafts store.
Easy
What They Are: Probably the easiest DIY product you can make and sell for profit, these mugs are great to sell if you have some graphic design skills and can make some interesting sharpie “mug art” that is customizable for whomever you are selling the mug or mugs to.
How To Make It: You might have some white mugs collecting dust somewhere but if not, they can be easily purchased at thrift and dollar stores. From here, you’ll want to choose an oil-based sharpie and start decorating your mug. But first, get inspired by what others have made and sold on Etsy. Once you’ve chosen your design and decorated the mug, bake it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit in order to set the sharpie design into the mug before selling for profit.
Cheap
Boutique-Style Hair Bow
What They Are: These are fantastic customizable pieces to sell to younger crowds, especially if you use a design that is unique and has figures from popular culture on it (take this Elsa Frozen Hairbow). Making these has the potential scrape in quite a good profit while using relatively few materials found around the house or at a crafts store.
How To Make It: You’ll need a 1.5″ ribbon, .5″ grosgrain ribbon, fishing thread, measuring tape, alligator clip, and a hot glue gun. You’ll want to layer the .5″ ribbon that has the unique design ver the 1.5″ ribbon and form the ribbon shape. Use the fishing line to secure the shape and add an alligator clip. From here, you’ll add hot glue to hold the clip in place. Once you’ve made multiple, you can start selling this product on multiple online platforms. Passionate designers can even consider making a Shopify store and branding these ribbons.
Expensive
No-Knit Cowl
What They Are: Perfect in time for the winter weather, these no-knit cowl’s look like designer pieces that were modeled on the runway during New York Fashion Week but are extremely simple to make neck warmers in reality.
How To Make It: All you need is a 22″ X 60″ piece of fleece (or other warm material) fabric, a button or pin, snaps, needle and thread, and a sewing machine. Most likely the snaps are the only thing you don’t have lying around the house but these can be obtained for cheap from a local craft supplies store. Fold the fabric into a long tube and sew halfway along with the fabric. Sew on the button and snap before sewing on the hole in the back of the fabric closed (you might find it easier to follow along here). Try customizing different designs and colors. These are wonderful to sell now as the weather gets colder.
Cute
Miniature Succulent Pots
What They Are: These aren’t only cute to look at when you’ve got a baby succulent growing inside but are also great table decorations for a variety of events like weddings and birthday celebrations. Additionally, since succulents themselves are easy to maintain, more and more people have been jumping on the bandwagon to use them as decorations or just around the house in general.
How To Make It: You can buy mini ceramic pots for about a dollar at your local art store, spray paint, and miniature succulents which run for about three dollars each. The spray paint will probably be your greatest cost at $7 but you’ll be using it on multiple pots that you make. This is a really hard one here: spray paint the pot and then plant the succulent. At around four dollars a succulent (plus whatever fraction of spray paint you are using), you can easily turn a profit by selling each succulent for about $12 online.
Crafts
Colored Pencil Coaster
What They Are: These colored pencil coasters make for a unique item for the living room of any house. In addition to being one of the easiest products to make and sell on this list, you can also get your kids involved as they are easy to make and fun to put together.
How To Make It: Does your kid have extra colored pencils lying around the house they never used? If so, then this will be a great project. All you’ll need to purchase if you don’t already have them, are four-inch round cork disks, mod podge dishwasher safe sealant, a foam brush, a craft saw or miter saw, and some sandpaper. You’ll start by cutting the colored pencils into multiple sections before gluing them onto the cork with the mod podge. Afterward, smoothen out the edges and tops of the colored pencils with sandpaper and you are good to go.
Rustic
Mason Jar Soap Dispenser
Source: Etsy
What They Are: This is a great idea for college students that might have a few rustic mason jars lying around from one too many a fun night. Or you may have just seen Tom Hardy’s performance in Lawless and were inspired by the simplistic lifestyles of early twentieth century bootleggers.
How To Make It: All you will need is a mason jar, a pump-action soap bottle, glue, and spraypaint. Empty the soap bottle and trace the opening in the center of the mason jar lid. Put the lid onto the mason jar upside down and hammer a pointed object into the traced ring. This will punctuate the lid enough to the point that you’ll just take some pliers and remove any metal that is left from the ring. You’ll want this hold to be large enough so the pump can snuggly fit inside. Now you just need to spraypaint the lid of your jar and viola a rustic soap dispenser worthy of a nineteenth-century bootlegger.
Small
Matchbox Suitcases
Source: Etsy
What They Are: One of the most unique ideas in this group, matchbox suitcases make for a very unique gift so they are quite easy to sell to the right niche seeking miniature-sized versions of normal things.
How To Make It: All you need is a matchbox, some brown paper, and a dark brown card. Fold your brown paper around the matchbox and glue pieces of the brown card onto the box into a suitcase-like design. With these being so light, the shipping costs won’t be very expensive plus you can make a large amount of them with not much material.
Creative
Cereal Box Notepads
What They Are: Creative and simple to make, these are great if you are considering selling multiple items for teachers and the education niche.
How To Make It: All you need to do is flatten a cereal box, decide how big you want the notepad to be and cut it accordingly. Then you can attach the paper via staples and just like that you have created a very cool notepad. Instead of throwing away that cereal box into recycling, recycle it for profit by making multiple notepads out of them and selling them for profit online.
Spiritual
DIY Dreamcatcher
What They Are: Probably one of the more popular objects on this list, next to bath bombs, of course, are Native American Dreamcatchers. Dreamcatchers are protective charms that originated from the Ojibwe Nation indigenous to the northern reaches of the United States and some parts of Canada.
How To Make It: This is an ideal thing to make for people that have lots of patience and enjoy working in a small meticulous fashion. But the end result is well worth it as there is a huge market out there ready to purchase the next unique dreamcatcher that is different from the rest.
Material / Medium
Wood
Coat Rack
Source: Etsy
Wooden coat racks are the perfect addition to any room that needs a touch of rustic charm. Couple these with your mason jar soap dispensers and you’ve got a place built for that cabin lifestyle. Even better make them at the same time and sell them as part of your “rustic” package. If you are a fan of chopping wood and really working with your hands, creating a wooden coat rack is a great idea.
Paper
Greeting Cards
Even if you have normal 8X10” paper lying around, it is best to use cardstock paper if you plan on selling your greeting cards for birthdays, weddings, and other events online. If you want to jump up to the next level, consider using watercolors and painting these greeting cards in unique designs that haven’t been seen out there on the market yet.
Metal
Metal Roses
While it might sound like an expensive task, making these roses is actually quite cheap. You’ll need 22 gauge sheet metal, a hammer, tin snips, drill, chisel, file, and welding torch (a friend that can you help you weld is optimal). Another great product to make and sell if you are good with your hands, all you need to do is trace the design of the rose onto the metal sheet, cut the design out, and bend the layers of the flower up. In order to hold the flower onto the metal “stem”, you’ll want to weld it on so it remains in place.
Paracord
Survival Paracord Bracelets
Unlike most fabrics, paracord has a variety of uses that make it the ideal material for adventuring in the great outdoors. Paracord bracelets can be used for campers for a variety of uses like tying up a gear, making shelter, and using as a tourniquet. Thanks to the material in paracord (nylon kermantile with a tensile strength of 550 pounds), having a paracord bracelet allows it to have a variety of uses. You can check out some interesting designs here for some quick inspiration.
Fabric
DIY Chapstick Holder Keychain
Source: Etsy
Winter is indeed coming and you’ll want to have your chapstick on hand so your lips don’t start cracking up due to the cold. This chapstick holder keychain will make it extremely convenient to moisten your lips. Just don’t lose your keys! All you’ll need is some cotton fabric, sewable fusible adhesive (adhesive that sticks when you iron it), and key fob hardware. Check out the details here for more instructions on how to make this cool and very useful product.
With a Cricut
Giant Paper Flowers
If you do have access to a Cricut, then one of the most interesting (and profitable for that matter) products you can make are giant paper flowers. Oversized paper flowers make a bold statement for wedding receptions, baby showers, graduation parties and other events where the decorations are central to the festivities. All you need to do is trace flower designs on a few large sheets of cardstock paper and cut them in order to make a bouquet. Check out this article for more detailed instructions.
Crochet
Winter Boot Cuffs
These are a great piece of fashion for boot wearers all around the country, especially as the winter weather quickly descends upon us. If you are very serious about crochet and have the time to make a lot of them, boot cuffs are a great way to make some serious profit. Additionally, customizing the designs is a great way to diversify your offerings on the online outlets.
Quilting
Electronic Cord Organizers
Source: Etsy
If you really want to target the tech crowd out there, try making unique quilted cord organizers. These are great for people on the go who don’t always remember to fold up there cords. As a result, this can lead to frayed wiring that can damage the cord and stop it from working. Add some cool designs to your quilted works to make them stand out even more.
Knitting
Knitted and Designed Beanies
Source: Etsy
If you live in someplace like Brooklyn and are looking to make a fashion statement, these will certainly do the trick. A staple of the street-worn, modern hipster look, if you enjoy knitting and have the ability to craft interesting new designs, you will have people lining up around the block (or bodega) to take a selfie shot for Instagram is one of these.
3D Printer
Customized Earbuds
If you’ve got great design skills, then you might want to try your hand at 3D printing customizable earbuds for some extra cash. With many people complaining about Apple Airpod’s inability to stay in the ear while moving, you can put your design skills to the test in order to craft a unique-looking earbud that fits your customer’s ear. This is a great idea for college students and engineers that have access to a 3D printer they can design, print, and refine the earbuds in. Check out this article for some other products you can use a 3D printer for.
Photoshop
Printable planners, journals, and workbooks
Say you are a minimalist and really don’t have access to anything but your laptop, some coffee, and…well that’s about all you’ll need in order to design some unique printable planners, journals, and workbooks. One of the most common ways to make passive income, if you have a specific niche in this area and an eye for design, you can make a decent amount of money selling your designs online. Check out this article for more details and ideas you can use with your photoshop skills.
Pallets
Wine Pallet
Nothing says rustic chic better than a wooden wine pallet. Like the wooden rack and mason jar before, putting these three together into a kit will result in your own niche with several interested buyers.
Who Is It For?
Kids
Slime
Probably one of the more fun things to do in elementary school science class on Fridays was to play with this gooey viscous substance. If you are still a kid at heart, what better way to bolster that passion than to make your own customized slime and sell it for profit online? All you need to do is mix water, glue, and borax solution into a mixing bowl and just like that you’ve got instant slime. Create different colors by adding food coloring to different batches, bottle them up, and start selling your product to moms and elementary schools all over the world.
Teens
Vintage Washi Tape Alarm Clock
While most teens these days will use their smartphone alarms to wake up in the morning, there still are subsets out there in the country that prefer the traditional method of using an alarm clock. Plus for teens that can’t wake up from their phone’s digital alarm, analog alternatives are the best methods. To make these, you’ll take some Washi tape, a traditional Japanese paper, and stick it onto the alarm clock in a variety of unique designs. Alarm clocks and tape can be purchased at your local art supplier.
Pets
DIY Personalized Dog Bowls
Source: Etsy
If pets are a big part of your life, then you most likely have a few unused dog bowls lying around collecting dust. Instead of throwing them away, you can etch interesting designs into them before selling them online to other pet owners.
Fishing
Fishing Rod Holder
Source: Etsy
It seems that there is a throughline in this article in the rustic-chic wooden niche. We covered the mason jars, wine racks, and coat racks. Now we are getting into true cabin territory with the wooden fishing rod holder. Again, if you have access to quality wood, you can make these relatively simple structures for little to no cost. All you need will be the wood and your building materials. Follow the steps here to learn how to make this unique item.
Outdoors
Wooden Crossbow
If you know a lot about the outdoors and are something of a hunter yourself, then you might be interested in making wooden crossbows to sell for profit. This is the ideal activity for someone that has a knack for woodworking and has a penchant for testing the product after it has been made.
Sports Teams
Rubber Band Tennis Dampener
A necessary accessory for very competitive tennis players, you might be thinking these are what big companies like Wilson, Head, and Prince specialize in. However, since the main ingredient in these shock absorbers is rubber what is stopping you from making your own? “But how?”. you might ask. Well, you can use your own rubber bands lying around the house, tie them to your racket and see how well they work yourself. Once you realize that you are getting the same result, you can start to customize your own by dipping them in paint and selling them to sports teams whose apparel matches the color of the rubber band.
Events and Holidays
Christmas
Customized Christmas Ornaments
Source: Etsy
You’ll want to definitely niche down in this department. One very interesting way of creating your own ornaments is to repurpose your old ornaments from last year. You can spray-paint your ornament all one color and then add a unique design to each. One interesting way of doing this could be to leverage the college sports niche. Add the logo of the college to the ornament, package them up into multiple ornaments, and start selling online.
Valentine’s Day
Lipstick Decorations
This is really one of those free for all situations where you have old lipstick lying around the house and unique objects that you can do some fancy artwork on. One idea is using cardstock paper to make customizable Valentine’s Day cards on. After the design process, lightly heat the product to set the lipstick in. This will add that “professional finish” quality once you start to sell them.
Birthdays
Cupcake Letterboards
These are a fun and unique way to celebrate your birthday. All you need are some toothpicks, cardstock, scissors, and tape. What’s great is that you can customize these for different niches so while the “birthday” niche is great, perhaps you want to be even more specific and sell “dinosaur birthday letterboards” or “superhero birthday letterboards”. The sky is the limit on this one.
Halloween
Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkins
Source: Etsy
For people that aren’t fans of dealing with live pumpkins that have the potential to rot, there is always the option for toilet paper roll pumpkins. Now it might sound a bit absurd but these are actually great alternatives to get you into the Halloween and fall spirit. All you need to do is cut out some fabric material, cover the toilet paper roll with it and tie it on top. Add your own custom unique designs before selling them on a marketplace like Etsy or your local flea market.
Easter
Customized Sock Bunnies
While these are quite common to make come Easter, creating Sock Bunnies for a particular niche, again like a specific sports team, can be an income generator by selling them online and in thrift stores.
Mother’s Day
Fresh Rose-Infused Bath Bombs
Source: Etsy
A wonderful gift for mothers who need to relax all over the world, these bath bombs will do just the trick. There is a pretty simple method for making these that include baking soda, Epsom salt, citric acid, and dried rose petals. In another bowl, mix together rose oil, coconut oil, water, and food coloring before whisking the ingredients together and molding them into the typical ball shape. These are great to sell on Amazon.
Father’s Day
DIY Beer Caddy
What’s better than sipping on a cold one in the late stages of July? Well, having your own beer caddy of course. If you enjoy working on small wooden projects, then this will be right up your alley. Attach a bottle opener on the side for an even more convenient beer opening experience. This is an item that is ideal to sell on Amazon or Etsy.
Sell where?
Etsy
The best kind of products that thrive on Etsy is those one-of-a-kind, unique products that don’t really fit the mold on other online platforms like Amazon. It is also a great place to sell vintage and retro items that might not be considered pop-culture by today’s standards but are ripe for a comeback. Your customers here are typically super niched down so consider selling your miniature matchbox suitcases here.
Flea market
Top-selling flea market include antiques, baby/toddler clothing, and electronics. Since you probably can’t make your own electronics here, focus on making those physical items that will be a hit here. Sharpie mugs and Washi Tape Alarm clocks, for example, might have a better chance of selling here. Remember, the keyword here is unique so the more your item stands out, the better.
Farmer’s Market
This is the ideal place to start selling your homemade beauty products and crafted items. We are talking about your DIY bath bombs, boot cuffs, and metal roses. It is best to make sure you have the items branded and packaged professionally to add even more authority amongst the browsing customers.
