10 BEST Ways To Monetize Your Crochet Hobby
Are you a crocheter who is interested in taking your hobby up a notch and turning it into a BUSINESS?! If YES - well, you are in the right place! Here are 10 BEST Ways to monetize your crochet hobby!
I started off exactly the same way as you... crocheting like crazy, creating freehand pieces and then... stashing them all away in my closet (where no one would ever see them).
Then... I decided to look into how I could begin to monetize my crochet hobby. What could I do with all of this stuff I've made... and maybe how can make a bit of money off this - to offset my yarn buying addiction of course.
Here are some of the ways that you can start to monetize your crochet - ALL of which I have either done before, or am currently actively doing!
1. Sell Finished Products - At Markets!
This is one of the first things that I tried! I figured that I could crochet up a storm, and then sell my handmade crafts at local markets!
Pros:
- This is a great way to start because the barrier to entry is quite low - you can find table fees for $50 or less even sometimes!
- You get to meet lots of local community members and make connections with them!
- This is a great way to put your business and name out there
- There is instant payoff - the items you sell you get paid for right away
Cons:
- There is an upfront investment - table set up, yarn, supplies, Square (or some other method of taking payment), etc
- You have to crochet the same thing quite a few times (sometimes this really got to me!)
- You never know what will be a successful item and a bestseller, and which items might flop
Overall, I think that selling at markets is one of the most rewarding ways to begin your crochet business, and it allows for instant feedback from your community! If you listen to the customers that you encounter - you can improve your stall and selection of products after every market!
2. Sell Finished Products - Online!
There are TONS of places you could sell your finished products online :
- Etsy (a classic haha)
- Facebook marketplace (great way to sell to locals)
- Ebay
- Your own Website (Run through Shopify or another platform!)
- Amazon
- Folksy
- Instagram (You could start just with your personal account selling to friends/family and then start an account strictly dedicated to your crochet business later)
Pros:
- Way larger reach - Online marketplaces have a wider audience than just your local market
- Opportunity to connect with new people all around the world and grow a global following for your small business
Cons:
- Way more competition! You are now competing with businesses from all around the world.
- Shipping costs/supplies.
3. Offer Crochet Classes
Share your expertise with others by offering crochet classes. Teach beginners the basics or host advanced workshops for seasoned crocheters looking to enhance their skills.
This is an amazing way to connect with other crocheters locally - and start buiding your online community with those people too!
- START BY: researching some small local businesses (coffee shops, cafes, bubble tea shops, libraries, etc) where you could host your crochet lesson - and contacting them to see if they would be interested in letting you host your event there. Then once you have found a location, you can begin advertising and planning the project and supplies you will need to run your session!
(The reason that I am suggesting this specific revenue stream is because I have actually had shops reach out to me directly after seeing my social media - inviting me to run a beginners crochet class in their shop! So this is totally attainable and easy to start up!)
4. Create Crochet Patterns
(And Sell them Digitally)!
Design and sell your own crochet patterns!
This is an great way to reach a broader audience and generate passive income from your designs!
If you would like to know what are all of the different places where you could sell your crochet patterns - check out my other blog post: 7 WEBSITES Where to Sell Your Crochet Patterns.
Again.. this is such a rewarding way to build community among crocheters. You can also get instant feedback on your designs - and earn a passive income. Once your pattern is tested and completed, it's on there forever... earning money WHILE YOU SLEEP.
5. Collaborate with Yarn Companies
If you have a social media presence, or a blog/website/youtube etc you can reach out yarn companies and see if they would be willing to collaborate with you!
- This usually entails receiving free yarn to either review, or use in your next project - therefore advertising/raising awareness about the brand. Or sometimes can be a paid opportunity to promote a specific new yarn, or maybe utilizing the company's yarn in your next crochet pattern.
6. Start a Blog/Website - Collect ad Revenue Using Google Ads
Starting your own website or crochet blog can be sooo rewarding!
Unlike your social media accounts (which are hosted on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc., and are ultimately owned by those companies) your website is your OWN. YOU own it, and have complete control over it!
When you do set up your own site/blog you can also set up Google AdSense on that site - which will begin showing other other ads on your website, and pay you for visitors to your site, and clicks on their ads.
As your website grows in popularity, and you continue to post new content often - you will generate more and more money passively through Google AdSense for the traffic on your site.
7. Affiliate Marketing (on your blog, website, etc)
Again... contingent on having your own website! But, if you do decide to start up your own site/blog - every article, free pattern, paid pattern, etc that you post on your website can include your affiliate links.
- An affiliate link - is a link to a product that YOU recommend. And if someone purchases that product through your specific link, you will earn a small commission on it!
So.. let's say that you LOVE this crochet stitch dictionary that you have found... post about it on your website, and use your affiliate link to direct people to where they can buy this book. Then, anytime someone purchases it, you will earn a percentage of that sale!
8. Start a Youtube Channel
Yes.... I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE THINKING!
BUT... this could be in ANY format that you would like! It doesn't have to show your face.. it doesn't have to be anything that you don't want it to be.
You can start a channel making stitch tutorials, actual tutorials, rating yarns, rating crochet accessories, talking about drama in the fiber arts world, interviewing other fiber artists, etc etc etc! It could be anything!
This income stream is a bit more difficult to start - because for the first 6 - 12 months (depending on how long it takes to get monetized) you might not make any money! .... BUT you have to keep posting quality content!
Eventually, when you do get monetized, YouTube is another form of passive income (meaning you make money in your sleeeeep!).
9. Become a Crochet Pattern Tech Editor
Many crochet pattern designers I know will pay someone to tech edit their pattern before it goes out to their tester group!
YOU could be that person!
Now, to become a tech editor there are courses out there that you could take, they are online, inexpensive and fairly quick! Then from there, it's really flexible! You can set your own price and hours, and this will be yet another income stream using your crochet skills and knowledge!
The only downside of this is that it is not a passive income stream - you get paid by the hour, or by the pattern. So as soon as your stop working and tech editing pattern, no more money will come in.
10. Offer Custom Orders
This one is another great way to earn some extra money with crochet - especially if you love making super unique and personalized crochet items!
This one is completely up to you and your customers! Sometimes people are looking for someone to finish a really old incomplete project for them, sometimes people want something super niche for a gift, the possibilities are endless!
If you have a social media account for your crochet creations - this would be a great place to start posting and advertising that you are available for custom work! You can also put some local ads on facebook marketplace - and especially around gifting season and holidays people are looking for unique handmade items for gifts!
And there you have it folks, these are 10 BEST Ways to Monetize Your Crochet Hobby!
By implementing these strategies, you can effectively monetize your crochet skills and build a successful business around your passion for crafting! Remember to stay creative, adaptable, and always strive for excellence in your crochet endeavors :)
Do you have any other ideas for income streams using crochet? Comment them below!
