PASSIVE INCOME PRODUCTS TO SELL ON ETSY IN 2021
Are you looking for a way to make passive income? This list is for you!
Etsy is not a marketplace only for handmade goods. It also offers a large variety of digital downloads.
I’ve gathered more than 200 digital product ideas to make and sell on Etsy for passive income in 2021.
What are digital products?
Digital products are files that you sell online (images, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, software, graphics, etc.). They don’t have a physical form or substance. Some of them can be printed by the customer after the transaction, for example, PDF tutorials, illustrations, planners, invitations, etc.
The seller creates the products once and hundreds of customers can buy and download them.
Digital downloads are trending in the online space. They are one of the best ways to make passive income. One of its big advantages is that they don’t require a big investment.
What digital downloads can you sell for passive income on Etsy?
Etsy is an amazing marketplace to sell all kinds of digital files to make a passive income. It has a large audience who came to the site with the intent of buying.
This is huge for those who are only starting in the online sphere.
I’ve found lots of ideas, but for transparency and to make it more scannable I’ve grouped them into 13 sections.
You already have a shop and came for inspiration and ideas? Click the categories and it’ll jump you to the list.
- CALENDARS,
- TRACKERS,
- PLANNERS,
- CHECKLISTS AND CHARTS,
- PATTERNS,
- TEMPLATES,
- DIGITAL ART,
- PDF TUTORIALS,
- PARTY PRINTABLES,
- EBOOKS,
- SVG CUT FILES,
- WORKSHEETS,
- SPREADSHEETS.
These are all legit product ideas. People are actually selling these. Some are more in demand, others not so.
I’ve searched Etsy for hours to find as many ideas as I could.
Should I sell digital downloads on Etsy?
You may ask…
Is it worth selling printables on Etsy?
Some say that it’s oversaturated, but you can still make passive income on Etsy.
I’m not saying everyone selling on Etsy will become successful, replace their income and retire early, but you can make money on the side. Assuming your products have value, are helpful, and in most cases beautiful (well designed).
So my answer is, YES, you should definitely try selling printables or any other digital product on Etsy.
But, you need a plan, and you have to do research.
How to set yourself up for success?
Before jumping in and creating dozens of printables, brainstorm, and research a little bit.
Imagine an ‘ideal’ customer. So you can focus and better target their needs. They may end up buying more than one product.
Are you going to create products for someone who loves a specific craft?
Or a mom who is looking for activity sheets for homeschooling?
At the end of this post, I’ve shared an example of starting a new Etsy shop that demonstrates this strategy and walks you through the process.
When you know whom you’re going to create products, it’s time to research to check if your ideas are worth putting in the effort.
Alura is an Etsy research tool. It’s free to sign-up and the first 10 keyword analyses. It’ll provide insight and scores on the products you intend to make.
Like:
- how many favorites it has,
- is it in demand,
- how’s the competition (only a few or lots of people are making these type of products,
- how profitable your idea is.
It’ll also help in keyword research and optimize listings to create winning products.
Here is a video on how it works.
Digital Product ideas to sell on Etsy
Why did I put together this list on a craft blog?
I wanted to help and inspire crafters and those who have a sense of beauty to create digital products and make some money on the side.
Not all of these ideas are for crafters, but you can make each category work for crafting.
I’ve also written an article with passive income ideas for crafters and artists, but it also works for other niches.
So let’s jump in!
Here is the list of digital products you can sell on Etsy!
1. Calendars
- yearly calendar,
- monthly calendar,
- weekly calendar,
- blank calendar,
- inspirational/motivational calendars,
- coloring pages calendar,
- moon calendar,
- perpetual calendar,
2. Trackers
- craft fair tracker,
- inventory tracker,
- order tracker,
- income and expense tracker,
- goal tracker,
- cash tracker,
- habit tracker,
- mood tracker,
- fitness tracker,
- running tracker,
- bill tracker,
- challenge tracker,
- debt payment tracker,
- medication tracker,
- recruitment tracker,
3. Planners
- craft room time planner,
- craft show planner,
- business planner,
- craft project planner,
- finance planner,
- daily sheets,
- weekly planner,
- monthly planner,
- workout planner,
- budget planner,
- wedding planner,
- Goodnotes planner,
- holiday planner,
- event/party planner,
- travel planner,
- life planner,
- camper planner,
- decluttering guide,
4. Checklists and charts
- for cleaning,
- for baby or toddler milestone,
- responsibility chart,
- daily/weekly to-do list,
- for packing,
- for moving,
- morning and bedtime checklist for kids,
- editable checklists,
- for self-care,
- caregiver task checklist,
- for real estate home buyer,
- for business,
- daily responsibilities chart for kids,
- editable grocery list,
- bill payment,
- for housekeeping,
- study checklist,
5. Patterns
- clothes sewing patterns,
- knitting patterns (clothes, accessories),
- crochet patterns (amigurumi, clothes, accessories),
- macrame patterns,
- embroidery patterns,
- needle felting patterns,
- felt animal patterns,
- doll patterns,
- toy patterns,
- book folding patterns,
- cross stitch patterns,
- quilt patterns,
- bag patterns,
- beading patterns,
- sewing pattern for accessories (bows, scrunchies, baby shoes, hats, collar, etc.),
- stained glass schemes,
- paper snowflake patterns,
- quilling patterns,
6. Templates
- tumblers,
- bows,
- mandala templates,
- labels,
- envelope,
- invitation,
- card (business, thank you, birthday, get well soon, etc.),
- graph paper templates,
- gift box,
- pen box,
- paper diorama,
- banners,
- display cards,
- stickers,
- paper flower templates,
- door hangers,
- gift tags,
- bookmarks,
- save the date templates,
- for masks,
- for mugs,
- book (welcome book, accordion book, coupon book, recipe, ebook),
- Pinterest pin templates,
- social media templates (Instagram, Facebook, etc.)
7. Digital Art
- seamless patterns,
- clipart (animals, botanical, wreaths, etc.),
- T-shirt iron-on,
- logo,
- stickers,
- wall art prints,
- signs,
- illustrations,
- coloring pages,
- quotes,
- doodles,
- frames,
- monograms,
- gift tags,
- bookmarks,
- patent prints,
- digital custom maps,
- cards (greeting cards, affirmation cards, birthdays, etc.),
- custom portraits (for people but also pets),
- custom prints (by adding names, date to a design),
- personalized gifts (the customer can choose from various pre-designed elements to create a custom product),
- personalized soundwaves from a song,
8. PDF Tutorial
- amigurumi crochet tutorials,
- knitted accessory tutorial,
- handmade wreath instructions,
- tutorials for watercolor painting,
- paper flower guide,
- how to make a doll,
- felted animal tutorial,
- how to make wire/clay/beaded jewelry,
- quilled card tutorials,
- patchwork designs,
- embroidery tutorials,
- toy making instructions,
- how to make handmade beads,
- tutorial for cake toppers,
- scrapbooking instructions,
- macrame wall hanging tutorials,
- thematic photo album instructions,
- beading instructions and guides,
9. Party Printables
- hats,
- signs,
- invitations,
- party favors,
- games,
- banners,
- photo booth props,
- cupcake toppers,
- labels,
- tags,
- cutlery wraps,
- popcorn boxes,
- water bottle wraps,
- treat boxes,
- snack boxes or holders,
- chocolate and candy wraps,
- thematic iron-on,
10. Ebooks
- books for beginner’s,
- guides,
- pattern collections,
- craft collections,
- how to-s,
- fiction ebooks,
- non-fiction books,
- coloring books,
- recipe books or cookbooks,
- workbooks,
11. SVG cut files
- signs,
- logos,
- clock faces,
- quotes,
- simple graphics,
- earring templates,
- wreath designs,
- monograms,
- paper flower templates,
- scripts,
- mug and T-shirt designs,
- patterns (for example animal pattern),
- silhouettes,
- hand drew ornaments and designs,
- thematic bundles,
12. Worksheets
- handwriting,
- at home learning sheets,
- workbook for kids,
- cutting practice sheets,
- busy book printables,
- tracing sheets,
- alphabet worksheets,
- math bundles,
- color by sum/number sheets,
- mazes,
- how to tell time worksheets,
- thematic activities and worksheets (for example winter, Christmas, Easter, animals, etc.),
- goal setting workbook for adults,
- calligraphy practice sheets,
- pattern art tracing,
- mental health worksheets,
13. Spreadsheets
- for budgeting,
- wedding planning,
- wealth tracking,
- bookkeeping,
- small business tracking,
- inventory management,
- debt payoff,
- pricing calculator,
- Etsy seller sheets,
- social media content schedule,
- tax organization,
- house plant care,
- annual net worth tracker,
- travel planning,
- daily, weekly, monthly expenses tracker,
- reading tracker,
- meal planning,
- recipe cost calculator,
- cooking conversions.
Etsy shop idea walkthrough
If you are a newbie and want to start your shop on Etsy, here is a walk-through.
Step 1 – Define your target audience
I’m a mommy, and I remember the first year with a newborn was overwhelming. So, I want to help others tackle it easier before and after pregnancy.
My target audience: New moms
Step 2 – Brainstorm product ideas
Write down any idea that you think may be helpful for your audience
Product ideas:
- trackers: baby milestones, babies growth during pregnancy,
- checklists: baby stuff to get before birth, what to pack for the hospital,
- art: matching cute/fun T-shirt iron-on for the baby, mom, and dad, nursery art, baby milestone cards, pregnancy announcement
- party printables: everything for a baby shower, gender reveal party, first birthday (a full party planner, games, invitations, party favors, etc.),
- planner: pregnancy journal, nursery room planner, newborn planning kit,
- calendar: baby’s first-year calendar (for boys, girl, gender-neutral), pregnancy calendar (which may include how big the baby is compared to fruit, what body parts are developing in that trimester, etc.), due date countdown calendar,
TIP! For more sales, make them customizable with the baby’s due date or names.
For more digital product ideas use Etsy’s search. Type in keywords like baby, pregnancy, mom, newborn with other keywords like a planner, checklist, art, digital download, calendar, etc.
Write them down in a document.
Step 3 – Make product research
Use Alura and your product ideas sheet.
Analyze and define if there’s a demand for the printables and also if the market is oversaturated.
Step 4 – Create successful products
Use your ‘winning products’ list and create the digital downloads.
Tips and hacks:
- optimize your listings to increase product visibility (here is a guide to maximizing your sales),
- use quality images,
- make your designs pop (your design needs to stand out for the customers to click),
- get free listings to get your shop started (how to get 40 free listings).
Final thoughts about digital product ideas to sell on Etsy
As you could see there are tons of product ideas to sell on Etsy. If you are looking for a side hustle, it is a legit way to make passive income.
You can start from scratch, and most of them don’t require any special skills, services, and tools.
I hope you could find plenty of ideas to start a shop on Etsy or a couple of new products to add to your shop in 2021.
Do you sell digital downloads on Etsy? Leave a comment!
