30+ Inspiring Etsy Shop Ideas for Online Sellers (2024)

In recent years, Etsy has grown to become one of the internet's favorite ecommerce marketplaces, and by far the biggest one for anything handmade, vintage, or arts-and-crafts related. There are a multitude of Etsy shops selling all kinds of goods, ranging from various types of handmade jewelry to a plethora of downloadable digital goods, and while that's great for buyers, it can present a challenge for new sellers looking for Etsy shop ideas of their own. If you're a new seller eager to launch your very own Etsy shop and are looking for the best Etsy shop ideas, this article will give you over thirty easy Etsy shop ideas to help you get started, as well as cover all the Etsy basics that every new seller needs to know. Keep reading for a quick overview of the Etsy marketplace from a seller's perspective, a breakdown of the top 10 best-selling Etsy product categories, and 30 Etsy shop ideas to help get you inspired and help you launch your very own Etsy shop!

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Let's Begin with the Basics: What is Etsy?

Before setting out to find the best Etsy shop idea for you, you'll want to understand what Etsy really is, and what makes it different from other ecommerce platforms. For those unfamiliar with Etsy, it may seem like there's not much new under the sun, but that couldn't be further from the truth. This section will give you a brief overview of what Etsy is, go over the benefits of selling on Etsy, and give you a quick rundown of Etsy's top ten most popular product categories.

Overview of the Etsy Marketplace

First and foremost, Etsy is a dedicated ecommerce platform, intended for selling exclusively vintage goods, craft supplies, and handmade items. While there are other marketplaces that offer these things, Etsy has carved out a name for itself as the undisputed leader in this ecommerce niche. This is due, in part, to Etsy's firm policy on what qualifies as vintage, handmade, and craft supplies, helping it cement its reputation in the ecommerce shopper's consciousness as a digital version of traditional craft fairs of yore.

Today, sellers on Etsy offer a variety of products to the platform's nearly 90-million-strong base of active shoppers, with some stores boasting impressive decades-long reputations as Etsy Star Sellers with thousands of sales under their belts. Buyers look to Etsy to find unique things they would be unable to find on the major online retail platforms like Walmart or Amazon, with a significant portion of them returning to trusted sellers to make additional purchases.  

The Benefits of Selling on Etsy

As a seller, there are several benefits to selling on Etsy over other platforms. First, Etsy is a relatively simple platform for new sellers to set up shop on, especially when compared to larger platforms. It's so simple, in fact, that sellers aren't even required to use SKUs for their inventory!

Secondly, Etsy integrates easily with major payment services like PayPal, Apple Pay, and Klarna, meaning that buyers can always buy with confidence, and you can sleep easy knowing that you're protected as a seller, too.

Thirdly, Etsy offers sellers the ability to opt into the Etsy Shipping program, a logistics partnership program that enables sellers on Etsy to more easily ship out their orders. For sellers who prefer to take care of their own logistics, Etsy allows you to utilize any shipping service you wish, provided you meet your processing and delivery times.

Finally, Etsy offers simple marketing tools to help you promote your Etsy shop and products. The first is a simple CPC advertising model known as Etsy Ads, which enables sellers to advertise their listings on the platform. Additionally, all sellers are automatically enrolled in the platform's commission-based offsite ads program, which creates and places ads for your products in strategic ad spots across the web, and charges you a commission only if an item sells.

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Top 10 Best Selling Categories on Etsy

This section will take a look at some of the most popular product categories on Etsy, the ones that buyers continue to flock to year after year. Keep in mind that selling in a best-selling category is a double-edged sword – you'll have a larger pool of potential buyers, but you'll also be competing against more Etsy sellers for their attention!

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1. Handmade Jewelry

When most people think Etsy, "handmade jewelry" is the first thing that comes to mind. An impressively popular category, Handmade Jewelry currently boasts over 16.6 million active listings at time of writing! Handmade jewelry has the benefit of being 100% your own, giving you the chance to be the only seller who's selling a truly unique piece that buyers will love.

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2. Vintage Clothing

For the slightly less crafty sellers looking for a good and relatively easy Etsy shop idea, vintage clothing is another way to offer your buyers something truly unique and one-of-a-kind. Etsy defines "vintage" as anything 20 years or older, making it an accessible Etsy shop idea for practically every seller.

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3. Handmade Home Décor

Our biggest category and by far the largest category on Etsy, home décor is a consistent buyer favorite. With over 22 million active listings, the home décor category include everything from scented candles to decorative throw pillows, making it an excellent starting point for finding your very own Etsy shop ideas.

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4. Art Prints

Another buyer favorite, art prints – both in their physical and digital forms – are a simple and easy Etsy shop idea. An Etsy store selling art prints can offer instant download of your digital art, giclée prints of your own illustrations, screen prints, linocut and wood prints, and much more, making it a great choice for artists looking to sell their art on a variety of media.  

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5. Craft Supplies

Unlike our first four, the Craft Supplies category is a main Etsy category, and as such encompasses a much wider range of products. This category includes everything from jewelry making materials to sewing notions, and provides a wealth of great Etsy shop ideas for the less artistically-inclined.

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6. Handmade Accessories

Covering everything from sunglasses to hair accessories, scarves to personalized keychains, handmade accessories is a category that offers a wide variety of Etsy shop ideas for all kinds of sellers with all levels of creativity. Many Etsy shops in this category start out small with one specialized niche, and slowly build up to offer their buyers a more varied selection of unique handmade accessories.

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7. Handmade Bags & Purses

From fine leather purses to personalized diaper bags, handmade bags and purses is an Etsy category that's open to all kinds of creative types. If you're looking for something smaller, custom bag straps and even luggage tags are a great way to break into this buyer-favorite category.

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8. Personalized Gifts

The personalized gifts category is quite broad, and includes everything from custom portraits to personalized keychains. What makes this category especially attractive for Etsy sellers is its popularity for bulk orders. Oftentimes personalized gifts are often given away to guests as favors at events such as bachelorette parties and birthdays, meaning that even one order can net you both great revenue and plenty of word-of-mouth advertising!

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9. Wedding Accessories

The wedding industry is showing no signs of slowing down, and neither does the steady grown of the Wedding Accessories category on Etsy. Covering bridal hair accessories, wedding party trinkets, centerpieces, and everything in between, this category provides never-ending inspiration for all kinds of Etsy shop ideas.

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10. Custom Pet Gifts

Our four-legged friends have long since become a part of the family, which is why the pets category remains a strong buyer favorite. Although it has a significantly smaller number of listings, the buyers that do hop over to the pets category are more than willing to spend top dollar to pamper their beloved pets.

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Best Etsy Shop Ideas

Now that we've got a better idea of what Etsy's top ten product categories entail, it's time to take that knowledge and translate it to easy Etsy shop ideas for sellers just starting out on their ecommerce journey on the platform. This section will give you thirty of the best Etsy shop ideas for first-time Etsy sellers, with a quick overview of the startup requirements for each one.

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1. Handmade Soaps & Candles

To start a handmade soaps and/or candles Etsy shop, you'll need a variety of supplies to create your products. For handmade soaps, you'll need to source your raw soap making materials, purchase approved colorants, fragrances & essential oils, soap making supplies such as mixing bowls and soap molds, and soap additives like dried flowers or natural exfoliants to make your handmade soaps stand out from the rest.

For handmade candles, you'll need to select and source the type of candle wax and wicks you'll want to work with, purchase fragrances, dyes, and containers to hold the candles themselves, and ensure that you have a safe heat source, thermometer, and candle making tools for the candle making process.

Remember that whether you choose to make candles, soaps, or both, you'll need to take the proper safety precautions and use the necessary safety equipment for each process.

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2. Vintage Clothing

For a slightly less hands-on Etsy shop idea, selling vintage clothing is a wonderful way for sellers to get their foot in the door. If you've sold vintage clothes on secondhand clothing marketplaces like Depop or Poshmark in the past, you know that the two most important things are having a curated collection of pieces to offer your buyers, and ensuring that each piece is given a complete description that's optimized for SEO. Avoid an Etsy shop that looks like the discount bin at your local Goodwill store, and instead take the time to create a curated and cohesive selection of vintage pieces your buyers will love.

The best part is that if you're already selling vintage pieces on marketplaces like Depop, Poshmark, or eBay, you can use ExportYourStore to easily sell your items on Etsy in as little as one hour!

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3. Custom Art Prints

Whether you're an illustrator with years of experience or just starting out, custom art prints offer a large window of opportunity for all kinds of Etsy shops. For most sellers just starting out, digital downloads are a great way to get their foot in the door without dealing with the logistics aspect of order fulfillment.

Depending on the type of art prints you choose, you'll need different types of equipment to get products on your digital shelves. Supplies could include specialized printers or access to a print shop, digital downloads will require little more than a digital illustrator, and screen prints will require a small-scale setup with a few screen-printing essentials like screen-printing inks and a squeegee.

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4. Handmade Jewelry

Like our previous category, handmade jewelry encompasses a wide range of techniques, price ranges, and essential materials you'll want to have on hand. For the Etsy seller just starting out, an entire jewelry maker's setup is probably not in the cards for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean you can't create beautiful and unique handmade jewelry that buyers will love.

Some easy and accessible handmade jewelry Etsy shop ideas include wire wrapping jewelry, beaded jewelry, polymer clay jewelry, and ceramic/terra cotta jewelry. Etsy has a pretty broad definition for what it considers handmade jewelry, and that makes this category even more accessible to sellers who are just starting out.

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5. Pet Accessories

From bespoke dog collars to personalized food bowls, the pet accessories category is open to a wide range of artistic skill and interpretation. No matter where your skillset lies, you'll easily be able to find the perfect Etsy shop idea for the Pet Accessories section by figuring out your creative strong suit and finding a suitable application for it in the Pet Accessories category.

Have a knack for digital art? Custom pet portraits may be the way to go. Handy with small-scale metal engraving? Consider applying your knowledge to custom dog tags and food bowls. The list of possible Etsy shop ideas is endless in the Pet Accessories section, and with people willing to spend top dollar on their furry friends, you're not likely to run into a shortage of buyers regardless of what you offer.

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6. Handmade Home Décor

A consistent customer favorite, handmade home décor is a product category with endless opportunities and ideas for your next Etsy shop. From simple items like rustic picture frames and ornamental flower arrangements, to things that require a more specialized set of skills like hand-painted vases and custom clocks, handmade home décor is a wide-ranging category full of possibilities.

Depending on which way you choose to go, your startup costs can run from practically free to hundreds or even thousands of dollars, so choose your product niche well. Do your research to find out what sells, and don't forget to take into account how many sales you'll need to make in order to break even. As a general rule, higher-priced items will have a higher startup cost when creating inventory for your future Etsy store, while lower-priced items will often require less initial investment to get started. Remember that you can – and should – start small and grow in the direction of your customer's needs with smart scaling and a thought-out business plan.

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7. Vintage Home Décor

Occupying a similar niche as our previous category, vintage home décor requires much less artistic inclination than it does a knack for curating an attractive selection of vintage home décor pieces. Getting started in the vintage home décor category will likely require a non-negligible amount of startup capital, but this depends heavily on the specific types of items you choose to sell. Here, too, the best idea is to start out small and grow to meet your customer's needs.

Start by doing a bit of market research to select your vintage home décor Etsy store's specialty. You could start by selling vintage tea sets picked up at your local thrift stores, or curate a selection of mid-century clocks to offer MCM aficionados. The great thing about this specific subset of home décor is that you can start as big or as small as you want, and with relatively little competition due to the highly-specialized nature of each niche, you're sure to find a loyal buyer following in no time.

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8. Custom Phone Cases

In an age where everyone has nearly identical phones, personalizing your most-used possession is incredibly important for many people. Some buyers look for something a little unique that stands out from the sea of plain phone cases, while others are happy to shell out a little more for a personalized case for their phone.

Depending on the materials you'll use to create your custom phone cases, you'll have different startup needs and costs. You could make leather cases with embossed initials, resin cases accented with decorative elements like pressed flowers, or even fully custom cases with an entire photo embedded in the case.

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9. Handmade Baby Clothes

When plain onesies just won't do, or when the little one needs something extra special for the holidays, custom and handmade baby clothes are the go-to for Etsy shoppers. Handmade baby clothes include everything from bespoke garments made of natural fiber fabrics to personalized embroidered pieces, unique matching twin sets to custom crocheted hats, and so much more.

What you'll need to launch an Etsy shop selling handmade or custom baby clothes will depend on how hands-on and involved you want to be with the creative and production process. For personalized embroidery, for example, you may want to get your hands on a programmable embroidering sewing machine, while unique printed onesies will require a screen-printing setup.

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10. Resin Art

From decorative resin bowls, unique resin jewelry, fun resin coasters, to resin-accented woodwork and so much more, resin art encompasses an expansive variety of products you can sell on your Etsy store. Alternatively, you could also sell resin art supplies as an Etsy seller, and provide materials and tools for resin artists in the Etsy community.

Resin art requires epoxy resin, of course, as well as colorants, molds, decorative additives (such as glitter, for example), and a quality heat gun, as well as the necessary PPE – a respirator and nitrile gloves at a minimum.

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11. Plant & Flower Arrangements

Seasonal wreaths, centerpieces for weddings, aromatherapy bouquets, dried flower décor, and so much more, plant and flower arrangements offer some of the best and most varied Etsy shop ideas for the aspiring Etsy seller. For the most part, they require little more than a knack for creating aesthetically pleasing arrangements and knowing how to present and market them for optimal results.

You'll have little in the way of startup costs and setup for this type of store – source a varied selection of plants and flowers (live, dried, or artificial), and any additional materials you'll need for your Etsy store's specialty, such as glass tubes for showcasing dried flowers or floral foam for creating custom arrangements.

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12. Custom T-Shirts

Always in fashion and always in demand, custom t-shirts are a popular Etsy shop idea among new Etsy sellers. With a variety of subcultures, styles, and designs, custom t-shirts offer a wealth of ideas that can be brought from the drawing board to production lightning fast and with relative ease.

You can screen print your own tees for a true handmade appeal, or outsource your screen printing. Assuming you opt for the true-to-Etsy handmade route, you'll need to source your tee shirts, create a screen printing setup so you can print your designs onto t-shirts, and find your favorite method for the artistic process of actually creating your designs (i.e. hand drawn vs digital).

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13. Handmade Furniture

Certainly an Etsy store idea for the more handy among us, handmade furniture is a less widely-accessible and therefore less competitive selling niche. From custom children's pieces to MCM-inspired handmade wooden furniture, farmhouse-style pieces to custom builds with an industrial edge, the styles and aesthetic choices are endless.

Regardless of the style and type of handmade furniture you'll sell on your Etsy shop, you'll want to get at least a basic woodworking setup together, and improve it as your shop and sales grow. And as always, ensure that you have the appropriate PPE when working on your handmade furniture creations!

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14. Cross Stitch Art Kits & Patterns

Cross stitch is an immensely popular craft thanks to its accessibility and suitability for creating both simple and intricate designs with relative ease. Sellers on Etsy offer a variety of cross stitch kits for cross-stitchers of all levels, from all-in-one kits that include thread, fabric, and an embroidery hoop, to downloadable pattern bundles for more experienced cross-stitchers.

Selling complete kits will require you to not only design your patterns, but also source materials such as thread, fabric, needles, and hoops to create your kits. For digital downloads, you'll simply need a digital method to design your patterns, or a method of digitizing hand-drafted patterns.  

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15. Custom Stationery

Custom stationery is a fun way to write a short thank you message or add a personal touch to a Christmas gift for a loved one, which is why, even in the digital age, it still hasn't lost its charm. From colorful floral designs to embossed patterns, custom stationery comes in all shapes and styles for a variety of uses.

To set up an Etsy shop selling custom stationery, you'll need to create unique and appealing stationery designs that can easily be customized for your customers. Next, you'll need to source the necessary materials and equipment to produce the stationery, including a selection of paper, printing tools and/or embossing or debossing stamps.

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16. Handmade Bags & Purses

From vegan leather to canvas totes, woven beach bags to leather purses, handmade bags and purses offer some of the best Etsy shop ideas for the aspiring Etsy seller. With over 3.8 million products falling into the Bags & Purses category, this product niche is showing no sign of slowing down any time soon.

The materials and skillset you'll need to get your Etsy shop up and running will depend heavily on the type of bags you'll want to sell. Leather purses will require a certain selection of materials and skills, while woven beach bags will require an entirely different set of materials and skills, so research your options to find the one that suits you best!

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17. Craft Supplies

A wide-ranging category suitable for those Etsy sellers who wish to be less involved in the "handmade" aspect of things, craft supplies are always in demand on Etsy's vibrant artsy community. The possibilities are endless, and with them the potential Etsy shop ideas – jewelry making supplies, stamps and inks, fabrics, yarns, beads, paints, charms, and much, much more, all fall under the broad category of Craft Supplies.

You'll want to do your market research here to find the specific niche with the most potential, and then work your way from there to understand what you need to source to get your Etsy shop up and running.  

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18. Handmade Shoes

A fast-dying art, shoemaking is a unique Etsy shop idea. This one will likely require you to have some background in an adjacent field, but even if you don't there are plenty of courses online where you can learn how to hand make shoes from scratch.

Choose your craft – leather shoes, sandals, canvas shoes, espadrilles – and become an expert in it. The world of shoemaking is expansive, and you'd be hard pressed to find a shoemaker who is both an expert cordwainer (leather shoemaker) and espadrille maker. True shoemakers are hard to find these days, so if you manage to gather a small circle of loyal customers, you'll be well on your way to an established Etsy shop.

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19. Custom Phone Accessories

Individuality, personalization, and convenience are the biggest trends in the tech industry, and that's exactly what makes custom phone accessories such a popular Etsy shop idea on the platform today. Phone cases may be the most popular custom phone accessory, but you could also create phone trinkets, pop sockets, coiled cords, earphone cases, phone stands, wireless chargers, and virtually any other type of custom phone accessory – the possibilities are endless.

An understanding of the phone’s specifications (measurements, for instance) is a must for creating custom phone accessories, as well as practical materials, such as phone cases, hot glue guns, foam, a heat gun, and, of course, your own original custom designs.

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20. Handmade Toys

From plushies and wooden toys to baby mobiles and rattles, handmade toys offer another fascinating Etsy shop idea that requires relatively little in the way of startup and setup costs. Do a cursory research of the product category on Etsy and you'll quickly find endless sources of inspiration for your very own Etsy shop.

Once you've decided on what you'll be selling, you'll need to source the necessary materials such as felt, cotton fabric, wood, foam, and anything else you may need to create the type of toys you'll be selling. You'll also need tools such as pinking shears, embroidery floss and needles, scissors, and other essentials. Finally, if you wish to create the patterns for plush toys yourself, you'll need a basic knowledge of pattern making.

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21. Handmade Hair Accessories

Easily customized for a style unique to each creator, handmade hair accessories offer an Etsy shop idea for those whose crafting talents center on the little details.

Handmade hair accessories might be as simple as scrunchies constructed with unique, one-of-a-kind fabrics, or as intricate as hand-carved hairpieces constructed from natural materials such as wood or even foraged antlers, and embellished with various fabrics, flowers, glass beads, and other materials. You'll need to source your base and decorative materials, as well as any other items you may want to include in the custom hair accessories you create, and get started on making your own one-of-a-kind pieces.

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22. Custom Leather Goods

Whether you’re interested in creating and selling wallets, purses, bags, belts, pouches, watch straps, watch bands, and so much more, you'll have no shortage of customers as a custom leather goods maker on Etsy.

Leatherworking requires an assortment of tools, such as an awl, leather punch, leather knife, leather stamping kit, beveler, edging tools, creasing and marking tools, skiving blade, and of course a nice selection of a variety of leathers suitable for the types of goods you'll produce. You'll need supplies such as stitching thread, glue, waxed thread, and rivets, and depending on what you'll be offering on your Etsy shop, you may also need additional supplies such as buckles, snaps, or zipper pulls. A basic knowledge of pattern drafting is also necessary, as you'll need to use your own unique patterns for making your leather pieces.

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23. Handcrafted Candles

From more rustic scented candle tins to elaborate and pillar candles with additives, handcrafted candles are rich in potential and offer a tremendous selection of shapes, colors, fragrances, and design possibilities.

You'll need to buy wax (paraffin, soy, beeswax, etc.), special essential oils for imparting fragrance, and wicks (cotton, wooden, etc.), as well as candle-making supplies, such as glass or metal containers, hot glue, and polishing materials.

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24. DIY Kits

Unique, fun and often inspired by vintage and rustic style, DIY kits have been gaining traction in the Etsy community as of late. From DIY flower crowns, succulent planters, and macramé wall hangings, to wooden spoon whittling kits, DIY kits offer a broad variety of products that can be successfully sold on your Etsy shop.

You'll need to select and source the necessary items and materials that will fit into your chosen DIY kit. Keep in mind that you may need special packaging, depending on the type of kit you are selling. Add value to your DIY kits by including digital PDF instructions or even video tutorials to help your customers complete their projects, and help contribute to the hobby community around your chosen DIY niche.

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25. Custom Mugs

Custom mugs present one of the more popular Etsy shop ideas for those sellers with an affinity for design and a vision for creativity. Before actually creating your designs, you'll want to do a fair amount of market research to see what customers are looking for, and what aspects of the market are already saturated.

Once you've designed your mugs, you'll need to begin the process of producing them. You’ll want to start by sourcing high-quality mugs and print your designs onto them with no-fade, water-resistant, and dishwasher-safe methods.

The necessary tools for creating custom mugs include high-quality blank mugs, sublimation ink & paper, a heat press, and a laser printer. Depending on the specific printing method you choose, you may also need some materials specifically for prepping the mugs for printing, such as masking tape, UV protection spray, and oven wraps.

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26. Personalized Gifts

Personalized gifts are always in demand for special occasions, and they make great gifts for any and all occasions. Ranging from personalized mugs to custom-engraved keepsakes, monogrammed jewelry to matching his and hers keyrings, personalized gifts come in all shapes and sizes.

Depending on the types of custom gifts you decide to offer, you'll need to source the gift items you intend to customize, as well as the supplies required to make your personalized gifts sparkle. Think glue guns, vinyl stencils, paint, engraving machines, custom stamps and more – the possibilities are endless!

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27. Wedding Accessories

An Etsy favorite, the wedding accessories category holds a wealth of potential Etsy store ideas. From bridesmaid and groomsmen accessories to custom bridal veils, personalized keepsakes for guests to centerpieces, the possibilities – and potential for growth – are endless.

Select your wedding accessory category after assessing your skills and conducting the necessary research on potential categories. Once you've chosen the type of wedding accessory you'll sell on your Etsy store, begin sourcing your materials and supplies. Based off buyer feedback and market demand, you'll be able to gradually grow your store to include more types of wedding accessories and wedding-related items.

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28. Handmade Accessories

If you have a love for materials and enjoy the process of bringing something from concept to fruition, an Etsy store specializing in handmade accessories could be just the thing for you to get started on the Etsy seller path! Hair accessories to personalized keychains, cufflinks to neckties, headbands to enamel pins, handmade accessories of all kinds are always in demand on Etsy.

Because of the variety of items that can be included in the handmade accessories category, it's a relatively accessible category for all types and levels of craftsmanship. Whether you opt for leatherworking, creating beautiful pieces out of clay, fabric, or paper, you'll never have a shortage of interested potential buyers on Etsy.

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29. Custom Pet Products

Whether you source plain pet supplies and customize them with monograms, specialize in embroidered bandanas, create bespoke leather dog collars, or make one-of-a-kind pet beds, custom pet products offer an ideal Etsy shop idea for the animal-loving Etsy sellers.

Your supplies and materials will depend on the type of pet product(s) you'll sell, but you'll want to take extra care and do your research to ensure that your materials are pet safe and non-toxic for your four-legged customers.

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30. Handmade Art

Exploring handmade art as an Etsy shop idea can be incredibly rewarding, both in a personal expression sense and in terms of return on investment. From handmade sketches and notecards to abstract art, and beyond, the selection of Etsy shop ideas for the artistic Etsy seller can seem endless.

You'll need to be well-versed in the artistic medium of your choice and, depending on the type of handmade art you choose to offer on your Etsy shop, you may need to source additional tools or supplies to take your creative vision from hobby to an Etsy-worthy product.

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Tips for Opening a Successful Etsy Shop

Countless sellers start out their Etsy journey with the best of intentions, having invested a significant amount of time, thought, and money in the products they're offering for sale on their Etsy store. Despite their best efforts, however, a large portion of these Etsy stores never manage to become profitable, unfortunately. Starting a business on Etsy is more competitive than ever before, with an ever-growing community of sellers flocking to the platform and raising the bar on the ever-growing competition. Luckily, with a bit of planning and by following a few simple tips, you can start your Etsy shop ahead of the curve and maximize your chances of success.

Research Your Niche

The importance of researching your niche before starting your Etsy business cannot be overstated. If you've thought about a certain Etsy shop idea, so have countless other sellers, and they're already on Etsy with established shops. Knowing your competition, accurately identifying your target market, and recognizing opportunities for untapped areas of the market is critical to developing your Etsy shop idea into a successful Etsy shop in practice.

Optimize Your Listings for SEO

Good SEO practices are always important, but they're particularly important when launching a new shop on Etsy. Your new Etsy listings will have a hard time getting views if they're not optimized for SEO, simply because potential buyers will make a purchase through your competitor's listings before they ever get a chance to see yours.

Etsy best SEO practices include utilizing all 13 listing tags for each one of your listings whenever possible, prioritizing the most important keywords at the beginning of each field, taking care to avoid "keyword stuffing", and regularly refreshing your listings to keep them up to date. Setting up your Etsy shop with SEO in mind will pay dividends in your Etsy shop's growth in the future, and enable you to start your Etsy journey a step ahead of the competition.

Choose the Right Pricing Strategy

When starting a new Etsy shop, choosing the right pricing strategy is essential for achieving success and attracting customers. There are several pricing strategies to consider, each with its own advantages and considerations.

One common approach is cost-based pricing, where you calculate the total cost of producing each item, including materials, labor, and overhead, and then add a desired profit margin. This method ensures you cover all expenses and generate a reasonable profit, but it's crucial to research your competitors' pricing and compare it to yours in order to ensure you remain competitive.

Another approach is value-based pricing, which uses your customers' perceived value of the items you sell as a starting point for setting your prices. Pricing based on the perceived value your products provide can help establish a premium image, but can be harder to justify if you're a new Etsy shop just starting out.

Ultimately, the best pricing strategy for your Etsy shop will depend on finding the right balance between covering your costs, remaining competitive in the market, and effectively conveying the value of your items to potential buyers. Regularly monitor your shop's performance and customer feedback to tweak and optimize your pricing strategy as your business grows.

Take Professional Product Photos

Correctly utilizing keywords is important for SEO, but so is taking professional-quality product photos. Plus, photos are the main way to showcase your item in an Etsy listing, so you'll want to ensure that they make an impact. Some key tips to keep in mind when taking product photos for your Etsy shop include taking consistently staged photos from multiple angles, using quality lighting to clearly illuminate your product, and utilizing the highest resolution you can to convey as much detail as possible.

Offer the Right Shipping Methods

Offering the right shipping options can be the difference between making or losing a sale, which is why it's so important to understand what shipping options you can realistically offer your buyers, both in terms of costs and practicality. Additionally, you'll want to take a moment to understand whether purchasing shipping insurance makes sense for your business, or whether it's an unnecessary expense for the average sale amount you make. Finally, you'll want to decide where you want to ship to – domestically or worldwide – and whether there are countries or regions you'd prefer to exclude.

Promote Your Shop

Promoting your listings on Etsy is always important, but when you're just starting out, it's an indispensable tool for getting the word out about your shop faster, and to a more relevant audience. You'll be able to do this with Etsy Ads, a simple PPC advertising program that enables you to target specific keywords in buyer searches and place your listings in promoted spots throughout the search results.

A good listing promotion strategy can help you build your brand on Etsy, and pay dividends in the future as you grow and expand your Etsy shop to new products and categories.

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Final Thoughts

Although it may initially seem counterintuitive, the best Etsy shop ideas are not necessarily unique and original, but those that buyers already look to Etsy for. Etsy has already established itself as a marketplace for handmade, custom, and vintage pieces, so the best approach when looking for an easy Etsy shop idea is to lean into this well-established reputation for your own Etsy shop.

That's not to say that you should sell the exact same thing every other seller in your Etsy product category of choice is selling, of course. Offer a fresh and unique take on something that buyers are already looking for, and you'll never have a shortage of potential buyers.

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FAQs for Selling on Etsy

Setting up a successful shop on any new marketplace can be challenging, and especially so when it's such a specialized marketplace like Etsy. In this section, we've put together a few of the most commonly asked questions from new sellers who are just getting started on Etsy.

Q: What are the best tips for selling on Etsy?

Selling on Etsy can be a rewarding venture, but it requires careful planning and execution to succeed. Here are some of the best tips for selling on Etsy:

• Offer Unique, High-Quality Products: Offer your buyers something new and fresh, and ensure that it's created with the highest quality of materials and craftsmanship.
• Showcase Your Items with Professional-Quality Photography: Invest the time and/or money to take well-lit, quality product images that capture your items from a variety of angles. Appealing photos can have a significant impact on a potential buyer's decision, as well as impact your listing's SEO ranking.
• Create Optimized and Descriptive Product Listings: Take the time to write detailed and engaging product descriptions that provide essential information about your items, including detailed information about the materials used and dimensions. Always use relevant keywords to improve search visibility and optimize your Etsy listings for SEO, and take full advantage of Etsy's product tags.
• Offer Competitive Pricing: Research competitors' pricing to set competitive yet reasonable prices for your products. Consider factors like material costs, time invested, and the perceived value of your products, and price your items in a way that's both competitive and profitable.
• Provide Outstanding Customer Service: Excellent customer service is one of the most important things buyers look for when shopping online, which is why you should always strive to provide exceptional service to your customers, even if that means losing your profit on a certain sale.
• Keep Your Shop Fresh: Regularly update your shop with new products, and listen to buyer feedback to find out what buyers are interested in purchasing. Adding new products and updating older listings keeps things fresh, and has a positive impact on your SEO. New items can help you attract return customers as well as new ones, allowing you to steadily grow your sales.
• Offer Customization: If possible, provide customization options for your products. Personalized items can have a higher perceived value, and buyers are willing to pay a premium for them.
• Use Etsy Ads: Utilize Etsy Ads to promote your listings and increase the visibility of your products in search results and reach a broader audience.

Q: How do I optimize my Etsy listings for SEO?

Employing best SEO practices when creating your Etsy listings is important, because it ensures your listings the best chances of being seen by more relevant potential buyers. Start by using the most relevant keywords towards the beginning of each field (i.e. product title, product description), but take care to avoid unnecessary "keyword stuffing", which could actually hurt your SEO ranking. Next, take full advantage of the listing tags on each one of your listings in order to help your listings appear in the most relevant buyer searches. Finally, ensure that your listings are always regularly updated and refreshed, as this also helps them rank better in buyer searches.

Q: What are the best Etsy shop ideas?

Some of the best Etsy shop ideas are those that are able to offer a fresh take on marketplace favorites. These include:

• Handmade Soaps & Candles
• Vintage Clothing
• Custom Art Prints
• Handmade Jewelry
• Pet Accessories
• Handmade Home Décor
• Vintage Home Décor
• Custom Phone Cases
• Handmade Baby Clothes
• Resin Art
• Plant & Flower Arrangements
• Custom T-Shirts
• Handmade Furniture
• Cross Stitch Art Kits & Patterns
• Custom Stationery
• Handmade Bags & Purses
• Craft Supplies
• Handmade Shoes
• Custom Phone Accessories
• Handmade Toys
• Handmade Hair Accessories
• Custom Leather Goods
• Handcrafted Candles
• DIY Kits
• Custom Mugs
• Personalized Gifts
• Wedding Accessories
• Handmade Accessories
• Custom Pet Products
• Handmade Art

Choose the best Etsy shop idea for you based on your skillset, and make sure to do your market research before setting up your shop.

Q: What tips should I follow when opening an Etsy shop?

When opening an Etsy shop, consider the following tips:

• Start with a fresh or unique take on a product that sets your shop apart from others on the platform.
• Invest time in taking high-quality product images and writing detailed, engaging descriptions that are optimize for SEO to attract potential customers and increase your chances of getting found and noticed in searches.
• Provide excellent customer service, respond to inquiries promptly, and be transparent about your shop policies to build trust with buyers.

Q: How do I make sure my products stand out on Etsy?

You can ensure that your products stand out on Etsy by following a few key tips:

• Take eye-catching photos. Including plenty of well-staged photos in your listings helps them rank better in searches, and help buyers better envision the item you're selling, thereby making them more likely to buy.
• Optimize your listings for SEO. Following good SEO practices when creating Etsy listings for your products is a surefire way to stay a step ahead of the competition. Optimized listings have a better chance of being seen by buyers, and as such a better chance of resulting in a sale.
• Employ product videos to showcase your items. Product videos are a great way to illustrate your item in action, as well as give buyers a sneak peek into your creative process.
• Prioritize good customer reviews. Provide your buyers with excellent service, and the positive feedbacks will quickly come rolling in. Highly rated sellers stand out from the crowd, and enjoy more sales on Etsy than sellers with lower buyer reviews.