How to Sell Your Sewing Projects on Etsy

Do you love sewing for yourself and your family and friends? Is everyone always telling you that you should start selling your sewing projects? If you’re ready to use your sewing skills to make a little extra money, Etsy is the perfect platform to build your shop. Etsy offers a marketplace of handmade items, unique vintage finds and crafting supplies to a large audience. This means you will have the opportunity to market to the huge crowd of shoppers on Etsy who are in search of handmade goods.

An Etsy shop is easy to set up — so you can get started selling your sewing projects fast. Below is a step-by-step guide to get you off on the right foot while setting up your shop and selling your sewing.

Things to Know Before You Set Up an Etsy

The first step before you can start putting together your Etsy shop is to figure out what you are going to sell.

Think about the sewing projects you’ve made in the past. Were there specific projects that you had a lot of fun making? Quick-to-sew projects that are useful and fun? Perhaps there was an item you made that everyone around you commented on and told you to start selling. These are great places to start when deciding what type of products to make and sell on Etsy.

To get you started brainstorming, we’ve compiled a list of a few fun and easy things to sew and sell on Etsy.

Top 10 Sewing Projects that Sell Well

Etsy has several categories where you can capitalize on your sewing talents and creativity. Choosing which products will sell the fastest and bring in the most revenue can be a daunting task, so we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 sewing projects that sell well on Etsy and at price points that are most desirable to online shoppers.

Here are the top 10 sewing projects you can make and start selling today!

1. Bags and purses
2. Coasters
3. Quilts
4. Tablecloths and table runners
5. Curtains
6. Pattern weights
7. Pincushions
8. Kitchen towels
9. Throw pillows
10. Aprons

As you can see from this list, some of these items are easy things to sew and sell on Etsy and others are better suited for more advanced sewers. One of the more popular things to sew and sell on Etsy are quilts, so if you are fortunate to have a quilting machine or are looking to get started in quilting, there is no time like the present.

Calculate Time and Materials

Once you’ve decided what you’re going to sell, you need to figure out how much you’re going to sell it for! It’s important not to just wing this. Spend the time to calculate out how much time and materials go into each project and price out exactly how much it costs you to make the item.

Start by calculating how much the materials used in each project cost you to purchase. For example, if you’re selling tablecloths made from four yards of fabric, calculate the cost of the fabric as well as the thread, sewing machine needles, and any other supplies you use in the process.

Next, sew a few of each item you plan to sell and keep track of the average time it takes you to make each one. Decide what hourly rate you feel that your time is worth and multiply this by the number of hours each project takes to complete. Add this to your cost of materials.

Don’t forget to account for Etsy’s fees in your pricing — the specifics of their fees may change over time, so check with Etsy for the updated fee schedule.

Once you have the total price — including materials, time, and platform fees — add 10–20% to that amount if possible. How much you can add, if any, will depend on the market; check out other sellers that are offering similar items and try not to price yourself much higher or lower than your competitors.

Create Your Etsy Listings

Finally, with your sewing projects decided on and your pricing nailed down, it’s time to start setting up your Etsy listings!

Start by getting great photos of each of your products. The photos are one of the most important aspects of any listing; good photos can be the difference between getting the click from a potential customer or having them just scroll on by. Try to get interesting, styled photos that clearly show the product. It’s also best to include several different angles so that your customers can be 100% confident in what they will receive.

With your photos done, you need to write a title and description for your listing. Make sure to include keywords that your potential customers would be searching for. Try to write a very detailed description that covers all the questions a potential buyer might have; if they’re left with unanswered questions, they’re likely to leave and find another product.

Opening and Marketing Your Etsy Shop

With your eye-catching photos and in-depth descriptions, you’re ready to open your shop and start getting orders!

Launch your shop but remember to practice patience. It can take some time before the search engine picks up your listings so that new customers can find them.

Learning a bit about marketing can help you to bring more business to your shop. Start with word-of-mouth marketing by telling all your family and friends about your new business. This can help you get the ball rolling and bring a few orders and reviews to your shop.

Finally, when you start getting orders, make sure to keep the focus on maintaining happy customer relationships. You want your customers to feel cared for and appreciated so that they will keep coming back, tell their friends about your shop, and leave you some glowing reviews!