Selling Homemade Items On Your E-Commerce Store
Don't keep it to yourself if you have a skill, hobby, or craft you're passionate about and enjoy. Turn it into an e-commerce business, and turn your passion into profit. In this substack, I'll go over some of the best homemade products you can sell on your e-commerce site—including some unexpected ones.
Crafty products
Crafty products are an excellent option for you to consider. They're fun, easy to make, and easy to ship. If you have any crafting skills, you can use them by making several crafty products that your customers will love.
Primitive crafts are trendy right now—and they're also easy to make. You can buy craft supplies in bulk at wholesale prices and then resell them on your e-commerce store. With the right supplies, it only takes a few hours of work each week before you'll have enough inventory space filled up so that it's time for another trip out shopping again.
When selling handmade crafts, you want to ensure that your products are unique and high quality. But how do you choose the suitable crafts to sell on your e-commerce site?
Here are some things to consider:
How much personal experience do you have making crafts?
Is there a market for this particular craft? Find out by doing some research online or talking with other sellers in your niche about whether or not there's demand for their products.
Does this craft require special tools that customers might want to buy separately? For example, if you're selling hand-painted pottery, you may need to provide paints for people who want to paint their creations later down the road (and make money from doing so).
Jewelry and accessories
If you want to add value to your brand and make some extra money, jewelry and accessories are a great place to start. Jewelry is one of the most popular categories in e-commerce stores, and it can be sold across various price points. The options are endless, whether you're selling high-end pieces or affordable jewelry for everyday wear.
In addition to being accessible for customers to shop for themselves, selling jewelry also allows you to offer new styles that aren't always available in stores. You can sell modern designs and vintage pieces from different eras for women and men alike—allowing shoppers who want something exciting but not overly trendy to find precisely what they're looking for with your store's selection.
Selling handmade jewelry on your e-commerce site is a great way to showcase your work and let customers know that it's available for purchase. Here's how:
Create a product page for each piece of jewelry you want to sell.
Add any relevant information to the page, such as dimensions, materials used, and whether it's made of recycled materials or not.
Add photos of your piece in different lighting conditions so that customers can see how it looks both indoors and outside under natural light.
Candles and wax melts
Candles are a popular gift and a great way to make money. You can even use them to advertise your brand. Candles can be made from natural or recycled materials, including waxes made from vegetable oils.
First, it's essential to ensure that your products' scents stay consistent. You want customers to trust that the product they purchase will smell like the one they tried in-store.
Second, you must ensure that your packaging is attractive and eye-catching. Customers want something they'll want to display in their homes or offices, so ensure your packaging is designed with this in mind.
Third, sell candle and wax melt refills, so customers don't have to buy new candles every time they use them up. This will save them money in the long run and encourage repeat business from existing customers who love your products enough to buy them once and again.
Make sure to find a supplier who will let you order in bulk. Once they arrive, make sure to check the quality of the product before selling it.
Homemade soaps and skincare products
Homemade soaps and skincare products are some of the easiest to create but also one of the most versatile. Whether you're creating a bar for yourself or a friend, there are so many things you can do with your creations.
Soaps are easy to make and can be made in various shapes and sizes – from bars to loaves
You can choose from a range of different ingredients depending on what type of soap you want to create – this includes cocoa butter, shea butter, clay powders (like bentonite), essential oils (such as lavender), natural dyes like beetroot juice which turns red when exposed to oxygen or potassium nitrate to turn brownish/blackish depending on how much is used. The possibilities are endless.
Although scented soaps have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years now; they remain popular today because they offer such great benefits that other products don't have when it comes down to skincare maintenance.
Personalized items
Why do shoppers love personalized items?
It all comes down to one simple fact: People like feeling special. And there's no better way to make someone feel extra-special than by giving them something customized with their name on it.
Bath bombs
Bath bombs are a great product to sell on your online store because everyone and anyone can use them. From the busy mom looking for an escape from her kids to the stressed-out college student looking for some relaxation after a long day of classes.
These colorful little bombs are sure to make anyone feel refreshed and relaxed. Bath bombs are made with baking soda, citric acid, Epsom salts (or sea salt), and essential oils that create fizzing bubbles when water drops. Adding food coloring will also give your bath bombs different colors making them more appealing to customers who love color.
Bath bombs can be made with many different ingredients depending on what scent you want them to have or what kind of effect you want on the skin. Some examples include:
Shea butter–shea butter has been used for centuries as it has many benefits, such as moisturizing dry skin without clogging pores, making it perfect for those with acne-prone skin.
Aloe vera gel– this ingredient is known for its ability to soothe sunburns but also helps reduce inflammation due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Essential oils– thesecan give off strong scents that may not always be desired, so it's crucial not only to consider what type of scent would go well together but also if people would even like that scent at all before committing yourself too much money upfront (I'm looking at you, lavender lovers).
Bath bombs are also relatively inexpensive to make, easy to ship, and have a decent shelf life (meaning there is less work involved with inventory management).
To get started selling bath bombs on your e-commerce site, first decide what type of product you want to sell: Fizzie or melts.
Fizzies are made from sodium bicarbonate and citric acid; they contain no fragrance oil and leave no scent in the water after they dissolve.
Melts are made from sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, and fragrance oil; they leave a scent in the water after they dissolve.
Both bath bombs come in various shapes and sizes but can also be customized with different colors or designs if desired.
Whether you choose fizzies or melts will depend on how much time you want to spend making them versus how much money you want to make selling them.
Pricing your bath bombs is a delicate balance between maximizing profit and ensuring that you don't price yourself out of the market.
It's important to consider the following when pricing your bath bombs:
-How much does it cost to make each bath bomb?
-How much do other companies charge for their bath bombs?
-What is the average selling price for a competitor's product?
-What's the target customer demographic for this particular product?
Pet supplies
Pet supplies are another amazing DIY product you can sell on your e-commerce store. Popular pet supplies include dog and cat food, toys, leashes, collars, and beds. You can also try selling dog houses if you know your customers will be interested.
This category of products is vast, so there are many different types of items that would fit into it:
Treats: You could create treats that are made from all-natural ingredients like peanut butter and honey or even try making them with fruits and vegetables like carrots or bananas.
Toys: Handcrafted toys are items that are unique and sell well with pet owners.
Beds: Dogs and cats need somewhere warm and cozy to sleep at night—and their owners want something comfortable too. Make sure the bed is soft enough so that it doesn't hurt their backs when they're resting.
Wooden items
Wooden items are one of the best DIY products to sell in your e-commerce store. This is because they're versatile and can be used in many different ways. Reclaimed wood, for example, makes a great base material to work with when making these types of items:
Wooden signs
Wooden furniture pieces that can be painted or stained
Carved wooden figurines, decorative wall art
Chocolates and candy
Chocolates and candy are great products to sell on your e-commerce store. They make excellent gifts, are easy to ship and store, and can be made in bulk.
First, it's important to find a supplier that will provide you with quality ingredients at a price that works for your business and resources. Some suppliers may require an upfront fee or investment, while others may have different payment terms. You should also consider the type of packaging they offer, as well as how quickly they can ship their products.
You should also make sure that the supplier is FDA-approved and follows all food safety regulations. This will help ensure that you're meeting all state and federal health codes if any issues arise later down the line.
Chocolates are a treat that people love to buy for themselves and others, so if you sell them on your site, you can expect repeat customers.
But before you start selling chocolates online, it helps to know what types of chocolates people buy the most.
Here are the most popular types of chocolates sold online:
Dark chocolate truffles
Milk chocolate truffles
Dark chocolate bars with nuts or dried fruit (no caramel)
Milk chocolate bars with nuts or dried fruit (no caramel)
Artwork
Artwork is one of the most popular DIY products to sell online. In addition, you can sell your artwork in various formats, including digital, canvas, metal, and wood.
Decide which type of product will work best for you. Several options include paper art (like greeting cards), framed wall hangings, or canvas wraps that can function as DIY products if they meet current consumer demand.
Further, take some time to research what kind of art buyers want right now so that when it comes time for production, you'll know precisely what types sell best with consumers—and why.
Pillows
There are a lot of benefits to selling handmade pillows in your e-commerce store. People love handmade goods and are willing to pay more for them. When you make your pillows, you can control the quality of materials used, as well as the design and feel of the product. With these tips, you can sell handmade pillows like a pro.
Find a supplier that can provide quality materials
If you want to sell pillows made from high-quality materials, start by finding a supplier who has experience working with those materials. This will help ensure that your customers get exactly what they expect when they buy from you.
Pick out fabrics based on what customers want
When choosing fabric for pillows, think about what kind of look and feel you want to achieve with your designs before choosing a specific fabric. If you're looking for something classic and timeless, try silk or cotton; if you want something more contemporary, consider linen or wool blends instead.
To summarize
With all the different crafts, chocolates, and candies to choose from, there's no doubt that you'll find something on this list that fits your niche and sells. Just remember to focus on maintaining a high quality of your items so that your customers will keep coming back for more.