If you enjoy making handmade crafts and wish to sell them online, luck is your way!
With more people seeking unique, environmentally friendly, and handcrafted items more than ever before, the demand for your items is high.
There are some wonderful benefits to selling online, such as being able to sell to customers around the globe, working flexible hours, and earning a nice income doing what you enjoy.
But let’s keep it real for a moment—it is challenging. The endless stream of competition makes it difficult, and determining how to draw attention to your products can be challenging.
Even pricing is hard to navigate sometimes.
The good news? You don’t have to figure it out alone.
Platforms like Etsy, and Amazon Handmade simplify selling.
With the proper techniques, your passion can easily turn into a growing business.
This guide is here to help!
It contains helpful tips about selecting the right platform, advertising and marketing, pricing your products, and customer retention.
By the end of this guide, you will have all the information you need in order to launch your handcrafted business.
Where Do You Sell Your Handmade Crafts Online?
Choosing the appropriate platform is essential when beginning any kind of business as it highly influences your marketing efforts, fees towards the platform, and sales.
To aid you in finding the most appropriate platform suitable for your business, here is a simple breakdown that details some of the most popular online selling platforms:
1. Etsy – The First Marketplace Custom Built for Crafts
Best For: Anyone needing instant traffic for their crafts
Why you’ll love it: Etsy is one of the go-to platforms for customers searching for custom and vintage items.
Customers who visit the site are actively searching for one of a kind handcrafted items they can proudly showcase, so making sales will be easy.
Costs: Must pay $0.20 for each listing and 6.5% as a transaction fee.
Best part: Effortless account creation, established community of avid craft lovers.
Downside: High levels of competition alongside additional fees that can become costly.
2. Shopify – Your Affiliate Store
Best for: Sellers who want full control over their brand.
Why you’ll love it: Unlike Etsy, Shopify lets you create your own store with no competition right next to you. You design it, set your prices, and keep more of your profits. Isn’t that great?
Costs: Monthly charge (fee starts at 29 dollars)+service hours costs.
Best part: Fully customizable, perfect for growing your business.
Downside: You’ll have to drive your own traffic, which means marketing is a must.
3. Amazon Handmade – Huge Audience, High Standards
Best for: Skilled crafters making sophisticated, upscale customized items.
Why you’ll love it: Selling on Amazon gives you access to millions of buyers. Plus, Amazon can handle shipping for you!
Costs: 15% referral fee per sale.
Best part: Huge customer base, strong trust factor.
Downside: Strict approval process and limited control over branding.
4. Facebook Marketplace and Instagram Shops – Sell Through Social Media
Best for: Casual sellers and small businesses with an active social media presence.
Why you’ll love it: Excellent for fast sales, you can sell to your followers at no cost (most of the time).
Costs: Mostly no-cost (except with Facebook’s check out system).
Best part: No fees, products are easy to share, and direct buyer engagement is a plus.
Downside: Has low scalability limits – local sales are good, but expanding gets tougher.
5. Your Own Website – Total Control Over Your Brand
Best for: Crafters that desire their own space without the rules of the platform.
Why you’ll love it: You own the website so you can set the rules, and there are no surprising changes like with Etsy or Amazon.
Costs: Domain + hosting fees ($5 – $15 monthly) + advertising.
Best part: No competition on your page, no marketplace-related fees.
Downside: Visitors require more advertisement and SEO investment.
So, Which One is Right for You?
Looking for a headstart and an audience? → Etsy
Looking to take control of your store and the branding? → Shopify or your own website
Looking for a great audience to capture? → Amazon Handmade
Looking to sell more as a hobby or locally? → Facebook & Instagram
Looking for a budget friendly website or domain? → Own website with Platforms like Olitt
Note: You can choose more than one option. Many successful sellers use a combination of platforms to increase sales.
Crafting a Strong Online Brand to Sell Handmade Crafts
A good brand will enable you to stand out, attract buyers, sell to them, and earn their repeated business.
A brand isn’t only a logo; it is also how consumers feel about the tangible and intangible components of your work.
1. The Importance of Branding
Your shop’s brand is not just an image; it can capture the emotions and identity of the shop.
This builds a narrative around it, offers credibility, and makes it easier for customers to recall the products.
Also, consumers will relate to the brand and its owner in a deeper way, in turn, prompting them to purchase and repeat.
2. Main Aspects of a Powerful Brand
Logo – Ensure that it’s simple, creative, and aligned with your skillset. Great logos provide immediate recognition.
Packaging – Thoughtful packaging such as custom labels, tags, and eco-friendly materials makes your goods feel unique and adds value to them.
Store Theme – On the Etsy store or the website, ensure that colors, fonts, and images are consistently applied to appear cohesive and more professional.
3. Explain Your Narrative
People enjoy purchasing from real artisans instead of emotionless corporations.
You should explain:
What motivated you to get started?
How do you go about making your products?
What are the values that guide your craft?
Customers feel engaged and not just viewed as a dollar sign, which transforms them into devoted customers.
4. Enhance Trust and Devotion
A brand that appears polished offers assurance of the quality and therefore, brand devotion is a likely outcome.
When offering trust, consumers are more prone to recommend, give out positive feedback, and repurchase.
Optimizing Your Product Listings for More Sales
In order for more people to discover and purchase your handmade crafts, there is a need to optimize your product listings.
This means that you need to make good descriptions, use relevant keywords, provide excellent images, and obtain customer reviews.
Let’s analyze this:
Your marketing product description should include more than just bullet points; it should relate a narrative.
Here’s how:
Example: Instead of “handmade ceramic mug,” try
“Being a coffee or tea lover myself, I fashioned this eco-friendly clay mug with a smooth hand glaze for ceramic lovers out there who enjoy scrumptious warm cozy mornings.”
Try putting out products differently. You get noticed more and will result in better sales.
For example, “Handmade Necklace” can be transformed into “Handmade Beaded Necklace – Unique Boho Jewelry Gift”
Show Off with High-Quality Photos and Videos
Your visuals must be able to create an enticing experience to customers as if they are using the product!
Include sharp images taken from multiple angels.
Change your images files to use keywords such as “handmade-wooden-box.jpg”.
Try a short video showing how the product looks and feels in real life.
Encourage Customer Reviews
Reviews build trust and boost your product’s visibility.
Ask happy customers to leave reviews (many platforms send reminders for you).
Respond to feedback—a friendly reply to a review shows buyers you care.
Highlight great testimonials on your website or social media.
Bottom Line: A well-optimized listing helps more people find your crafts and makes them excited to buy. The better your listing, the more sales you’ll make!
Marketing and Driving Traffic to Your Shop
It’s surely great to sell handmade crafts online, but without the right marketing, your beautiful creations might go unnoticed.
Here’s how to attract more customers and boost your sales.
1. Social Media
Instagram – Share high-quality photos and videos of your crafts. Use hashtags, engage with followers, and try Reels and Stories to connect with potential buyers. Running giveaways can also help grow your audience.
Pinterest – People love DIY and handmade crafts on Pinterest! Pin your product photos with catchy descriptions and link them to your store. Organize your boards into themes like “Handmade Jewelry” or “Home Décor” to attract buyers.
Facebook – Join craft-related groups, post behind-the-scenes content, and share happy customer reviews to build trust. Facebook Marketplace is also a great place to list your items.
2. Content Marketing
People love learning about handmade crafts! Creating valuable content can bring more visitors to your shop.
Write a blog – Share your crafting journey, inspirations, or how your products are made.
Make DIY tutorials – Teaching people simple crafts can bring them to your website—and they may end up buying from you!
3. Paid Ads
If you want quick results, running ads can help:
Facebook Ads – Target people who love handmade items and drive them to your shop.
Google Ads – Use keywords like “buy handmade candles” or “customized jewelry” so your store appears in searches.
4. Partnering with Influencers
Collabing with craft influencers can get your products in front of a bigger audience.
Find influencers who match your brand and offer them a free product in exchange for a review, a social media post, or a giveaway.
5. Email Marketing
Once someone buys from you, stay in touch!
Send newsletters with updates, new products, and special discounts.
Offer exclusive deals to your subscribers—like early access to new designs.
Real-Life Success Stories
1. Liv Portillo – DBL Jewelry
Liv Portillo started DBL Jewelry with just $40, focusing on customized jewelry pieces.
Strategy: She utilized TikTok to showcase behind-the-scenes content of her jewelry-making process. This authentic approach resonated with viewers, leading to a significant increase in followers and sales.
Outcome: Her engaging content propelled DBL Jewelry to generate $1.2 million in revenue.
2. Cheryl Maclean – Candle Shack
Former beautician Cheryl Maclean turned her candle-making side hustle into a thriving business.
Strategy: Starting from home, Cheryl and her husband Duncan followed YouTube tutorials to craft candles. Their dedication led to a substantial order from a Dutch company, marking a turning point for their venture.
Outcome: Candle Shack evolved into a £13 million enterprise, employing 80 staff and providing candle-making supplies to other artisans.
3. Alexis Bittar – Jewelry Designer
Alexis Bittar is renowned for his innovative jewelry designs.
Strategy: He relaunched his brand using comedic social media skits, creating the “Bittarverse,” a series of mockumentary-style videos featuring fictional characters.
Outcome: This creative approach revitalized his brand’s presence on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, showcasing the power of storytelling in fashion marketing.
4. Bryce Sherring – Goldsmith
With over 40 years of experience, Bryce handcrafted his daughter’s engagement ring in collaboration with her fiancé.
Strategy: The process was documented and shared on TikTok, highlighting the craftsmanship involved in creating the ring.
Outcome: The video garnered over 2.7 million views, showcasing the appeal of personalized, handcrafted jewelry.
Pricing Your Handmade Crafts
Pricing handmade crafts can feel overwhelming. You don’t want to charge too much and scare off buyers, but you also need to make a profit.
So, how do you find that sweet spot? Here’s a simple guide to help you price your crafts fairly and confidently.
1. Know Your Costs (Because Your Time Matters!)
Before setting a price, make sure you’re not selling yourself short. Consider:
✔️ Materials – How much do you spend on supplies? (Fabric, paint, beads, etc.)
✔️ Time – How long does it take to make each item? Your time is valuable!
✔️ Extras – Think about packaging, marketing, and even shipping.
✔️ Platform Fees – If you sell on Etsy, Amazon Handmade, or Shopify, they take a cut. Factor it in!
2. A Simple Pricing Formula That Works
Here’s an easy way to price your crafts:
(Material Cost + Your Hourly Wage) × 2 or 3 = Selling Price
This ensures you’re making a profit while staying competitive.
Many crafters mark up their prices by 100% to 250%, depending on the product and market.
3. Check the Market Without Copying Others
Look at similar handmade items on Etsy, eBay, and Instagram.
See what buyers are willing to pay, but don’t just go for the lowest price.
Cheap prices can make your products seem lower quality.
4. Charge More by Adding Value
You don’t have to compete on price alone! People will pay more for:
Quality – Use better materials and highlight what makes your crafts special.
Uniqueness – Customization, limited editions, or a personal touch make a difference.
Branding – A strong brand and story can make your crafts more desirable.
Final Tip: Test and Adjust
Start with a price, see how customers respond, and adjust if needed. If you’re selling out fast, you might be pricing too low!
Conclusion
To successfully sell handmade crafts online, prioritize creating a smooth experience for your customers.
From efficient shipping to excellent customer service, every step matters.
Keep customers happy by providing clear shipping details, handling refunds professionally, and adding a personal touch to your interactions.
As your business grows, look into wholesale opportunities, collaborations, and product expansion to reach new audiences.
Use automation tools to save time and consider outsourcing tasks like shipping or customer support when needed.
Avoid pricing mistakes, poor SEO, relying on one platform, or inconsistent branding.
Instead, focus on continuous improvement and reinvesting in your business.
Success won’t happen overnight, but with patience and smart strategies, you can turn your passion into a profitable and sustainable business.
Start today, sell and experiment online, and watch your handmade crafts business flourish!