20+ Etsy Shop Ideas to Try in 2026

Etsy is a marketplace for handmade, vintage, and creative goods, connecting millions of buyers with independent sellers. If you’re deciding what to sell, a profitable shop idea combines a product you can make or reliably source that also has genuine buyer demand on the platform.

In 2025, Etsy’s marketplace logged $10.5 billion in gross merchandise sales and 86.5 million active buyers. For a new seller, that’s millions of potential buyers already on the platform and looking.

This guide walks through 22 popular Etsy shop ideas across handmade, digital, print on demand, personalized, and vintage categories. It also includes a framework for choosing the right one, a breakdown of Etsy fees, and next steps for growing beyond the marketplace.

How to choose a profitable Etsy shop idea

A Shopify Survey of Store Owners from Q4 2025 found that 46% of store owners said their business started as a side project and grew over time, which was the most common reason for them not having a formal business plan. 

If you’re going into the process hoping to start a profitable business, run it through these five criteria:

1. Demand. Search for your product or idea on Etsy. If there are a lot of results, that’s a good thing. Use Google Trends to confirm the category isn’t declining.
2. Competition. Lots of competition isn’t necessarily a barrier, but scan the top listings before committing. If the first page is dominated by well-established shops with thousands of reviews, you might need a tighter niche or distinct angle to stand out.
3. Margin. Factor in materials, your time, Etsy fees (see the fees section below), and shipping. 
4. Repeatability. Think about how easy it is to consistently make or source the products you want to sell. It’s harder to scale one-of-a-kind items. 
5. Shipping viability. Small, lightweight products are cheaper to ship. 

Think about the ability for your idea to scale as well. “I had worked in a very small business. I had run local markets and kind of had an Etsy store selling jewelry and things like that so I was really thinking very small,” says Becca Stern, cofounder of Mustard Made. “I realized that, if I wanted to get out of the day-to-day producing of my products, I needed something that was scalable. 

Consider your Etsy shop name and branding, too. Choose a name that reflects your niche and is easy to remember. Keep your logo, photography style, and color palette consistent across your listings and storefront banner. 

Best Etsy shop ideas at a glance

Handmade crafts to sell on Etsy

Etsy positions itself as a marketplace for handmade, vintage, and custom gifts. Buyers come here specifically because they want something made by a person. Consider these handmade Etsy shop ideas: 

1. Jewelry

Starting a jewelry business on Etsy makes sense because it’s one of the site’s most searched categories. Items are small and ship cheaply, and handmade pieces command strong margins when positioned correctly.

Louisiana-born, New Orleans–based Virginia Wynne started her brand, Virginia Wynne Designs, to sell sterling silver jewelry. She has a Shopify store and an Etsy page that use the same primary images to maintain a consistent brand experience.

Pros

• Small and easy to ship
• Popular item for Etsy shoppers

Cons

• Requires investment in materials
• Crowded niche with lots of competition

2. Candles

The US scented candle market is expected to reach $3.47 billion by 2033, according to a market analysis report by Grand View Research. Candles are versatile in scent, vessel, and niche. Plus, they can be used in a variety of environments inside and outside of the home—think restaurants, spas, and other places of business with a nice ambience.

Pros

• Easy to make candles yourself or outsource from a supplier
• Versatile in ingredients, scents, niche, use cases, target audience, etc.

Cons

• Lots of competition
• Can be expensive to ship heavy candles and ensure they don’t suffer damage or melt

3. Handmade pottery and clay goods

Pottery includes mugs, planters, bowls, and sculptural pieces. Bear in mind you’ll need access to a kiln, clay, glazes, and time to develop technique.

Lorena Haldeman launched her Etsy store brand, HaldeCraft, on Etsy to sell her handmade clay goods. She later opened a complementary Shopify store where she could organize her products in a user-friendly way via categories and subcategories, making it easier for her and her customers. 

Pros

• Flexes your creative muscles
• Opportunity to make completely unique items

Cons

• Requires a specific skill set and equipment
• May be expensive or difficult to ship without damage

4. Woodworking projects

Woodworking projects include anything that you make with wood, such as serving boards, wall shelves, personalized signs, and home décor. 

Infinite Abyss makes a variety of woodworking projects to sell online, including serving trays, wall shelves, and other home goods. To supplement Shopify sales, they have an Etsy store where customers can browse the same items.

Pros

• Can be as simple or as complicated as you like
• Opportunity to upcycle old wood

Cons

• May have a learning curve to master the craft
• May require money for upfront investment in equipment and supplies

5. Handmade soap and bath products

Soap, bath salts, scrubs, and shower steamers are low cost to produce, light to ship, and easy to differentiate through scents, ingredients, and packaging. That said, the ingredients in cosmetic and skin care products may require compliance with FDA regulations in the US, or equivalent bodies elsewhere, so research any labeling requirements before listing.

Soap Cauldron is an Etsy shop known for making soaps in the tradition of the first soap guilds of seventh-century Europe. Each bar is handmade in small batches with only natural botanicals, pure essential, and plant oils.

Pros

• Consumable nature is set up for subscriptions and repeat purchases
• Opportunity for creative scent and ingredient combinations

Cons

• Requires knowledge of safety regulations and proper labeling
• May face challenges with shipping, especially in extreme temperatures

6. Enamel pins

There are many different kinds of enamel pins: textured soft enamel, durable hard enamel, 3D mold, epoxy, and die stuck. To design them, use an editing program like Photoshop or hire a designer to help you.

Pinlord sells enamel pins on Shopify, and on Etsy under the shop name Enamelpinsforever. The pop-culture-inspired pins have illustrated designs with slogans beneath and share a distinct design style, though each gives a nod to a different theme or joke.

Pros

• Many types of pins and unlimited design options
• More niche than more popular categories, which can mean less competition

Cons

• Potential low-quality pin suppliers
• Requires new designs to generate new Etsy customers

7. Art

Wall art was the third-most popular category on Etsy last year, which includes original paintings and prints. You can also sell phone wallpapers and digital downloads. Digital art files have zero fulfillment cost and no inventory risk. For physical pieces, print-on-demand suppliers can handle production and shipping, freeing you up to focus on design.

Pros

• Flexible with lots of product options
• Allows Etsy shop owners use their creativity

Cons

• Lots of competition
• Can be challenging to mix passion with business

8. Crafts supplies and kits

Crafting kits offer a one-stop shop for everything a customer needs to accomplish a specific craft or project. They’re all about convenience for the buyer.

Etsy has a dedicated Craft Supplies category, which can help shoppers find your kit. 

Pros

• Built-in target audience with Etsy
• Can use skills and supplies you already have

Cons

• May need to include instructions, which take time and money to produce

Digital products to sell on Etsy

Once a digital file is created, it can be sold indefinitely at near-zero marginal cost, with no inventory and no shipping. Here are some digital product ideas for your Etsy store:

9. Digital products

Digital products include printable planners, budget trackers, wedding templates, social media graphics, and résumé layouts. Tools like Canva have thousands of templates you can use and customize without needing extensive design skills. 

Once you’ve created a design, you can sell it over and over again. 

Pixie Faire sells digital downloads of doll clothing patterns for popular brands like American Girl and Barbie. It supplements its web sales with an Etsy shop where customers can also purchase the brand’s instantly downloadable templates and patterns.

Pros

• No shipping or fulfillment costs
• Immediate fulfillment

Cons

• Requires regular updating and maintenance
• More at risk from cyberattacks

10. Stickers

You can sell stickers in every niche: books, plants, games, pets, and beyond. They’re cheap and lightweight to ship and designs can be self-made or commissioned from a designer.

“Stickers” was also the most searched keyword on Etsy in 2025 and competition is high. If you’re new to the category, you might need a specific aesthetic or fandom angle to stand out. Testing small batches on Etsy before committing to a large print run will make it less risky. 

Pros

• Easy and affordable shipping 
• Unlimited design options

Cons

• Lots of competition
• Need to constantly come up with new designs

Print-on-demand Etsy shop ideas

Print on demand (POD) lets you sell custom-printed products without holding inventory. You create designs, then a supplier like Printful or Printify handles printing and shipping each order directly to the customer. Most importantly, this model has no upfront inventory costs. Here are some examples:

11. Print on demand (general)

Print-on-demand products include mugs, tote bags, throw pillows, wall art, and more. Printful and Printify both integrate with Etsy directly, which automates order fulfillment. Before choosing a supplier, order samples to check the print quality and shipping times.

Pros

• Completely outsourced fulfillment
• No upfront investment in inventory

Cons

• Little to no control over quality assurance and fulfillment
• May have to pay third-party fees 

12. Phone cases

Depending on your skill set and business goals, you can make phone cases yourself or outsource to a print-on-demand company. 

Floral Neverland sells phone cases on both its Shopify site and Etsy store. Founder Olivia Wang launched what was originally a school project on Etsy, which later evolved into a full-on ecommerce business.

Pros

• Small, lightweight products are easy and affordable to ship
• Can be as creative as you like

Cons

• Requires constant updates for compatibility with new phones

13. Clothing

Clothing on Etsy ranges from handmade garments to print on demand pieces. Print-on-demand clothing like hoodies and t-shirts needs very little upfront investment and the third-party POD companies handle fulfillment automatically. 

Pros

• Make the clothing yourself or purchase it from a supplier
• Flexibility in price point, niche, and more

Cons

• May have to handle returns more frequently than with other products
• Potentially a high learning curve to learn to make clothes yourself

14. Custom embroidery

Custom embroidery can include patches, hats, sweatshirts, and hoops, and you can offer personalized options where shoppers can add their name, a special date, or a monogram. 

Giftmiz is an example of a brand selling custom embroidery on Etsy. They personalize two types of items—baby bins and aprons—and has made more than 2,200 sales in its first year.

Pros

• Highly customizable, allowing for personalized products
• Can cater to various interests through different designs and themes

Cons

• May require significant time to complete orders, especially during busy periods

Personalized and custom gifts to sell on Etsy

Personalized items make up a category of their own on Etsy. And, because a customized item can’t be directly compared to another listing, sellers have more room to price on value rather than compete on cost.

According to eRank, “personalized gifts” was the fourth-most popular search term on Etsy in 2025. There’s even a category called “personalized gift ideas.”

Here are a few examples:

15. Customized goods

Personalized doesn’t necessarily mean monogrammed towels or name-plate necklaces. Look at Conquest Maps, for example. The brand sells customizable push-pin travel maps on their successful Etsy shop and Shopify store.

Pros

• Personalized items are popular on Etsy
• Flexible for almost any niche or product

Cons

• May mean a long fulfillment window
• Can be difficult to manage periods of high demand

16. Curated boxes

Curated boxes bundle themed items, such as locally sourced products, self-care essentials, or baking ingredients, into a single purchase. They’re especially strong as gifts because they solve the “what do I get them?” problem. Build boxes around a specific target market, like new moms, dog owners, or coffee enthusiasts. 

Pros

• Flexible for any niche
• Great way to sell aging inventory

Cons

• Have to constantly source products
• Can be difficult to package

17. Baby products

Baby products include everything from clothing and toys to nursery décor and personalized items, like birth announcement prints, name blankets, and baby milestone cards. Milestone cards are a particularly low-barrier entry point because, as printable digital products or small physical card sets, they’re lightweight and highly giftable.

Safety standards apply to any product used by infants. Check CPSC guidelines for toys and textiles before listing.

Pros

• High consumer demand for baby products

Cons

• Sizing may be tricky for apparel
• Need to pay extra attention to safety precautions and regulations when dealing with children and babies

18. Pet accessories

The global pet care market is projected to reach $386.88 billion by 2030, according to Fortune Business Insights. 

You can sell pet accessories like collars, bandanas, clothing, personalized ID tags, beds, and treats. Edible pet treats have additional regulatory considerations, so check USDA and FDA labeling requirements.

Pros

• Growing industry with sustainable consumer demand

Cons

• Lots of competition
• May have safety and health liability risks, especially for edible items and chew toys

19. Sex toys

The sex toy industry is projected to reach $36.1 billion by 2027, and is a space that’s ready for growth.

Strange Bedfellas got its start on Etsy, selling 3D-printed originally designed sex toys. Since launching, the brand has expanded to its own Shopify store, where it can own the customer relationship more directly.

Before it closed its shop to focus on growing owned channels, its Etsy shop earned more than 7,000 sales.

Pros

• Allows you to be creative
• Lots of room for new brands

Cons

• Requires adherence to specific safety guidelines and regulations
• Must stick to Etsy’s mature content policies

Vintage and secondhand Etsy shop ideas

Etsy explicitly supports the resale of vintage goods, giving secondhand sellers a clear path to listing without the restrictions they’d face on other marketplaces. Consider these categories:

20. Vintage and secondhand goods

The secondhand and resale market is forecast to reach about $367 billion by 2029, and more than 20,000 stores have a combined annual revenue of about $15 billion selling used goods in the US alone. The secondhand apparel market is particularly strong, and is predicted to reach $393 billion by 2030, growing roughly twice as fast as the overall apparel market. 

Etsy defines vintage as items at least 20 years old. Listing a vintage item requires accurate dating and an honest description of the product’s condition. Etsy may also ask sellers to verify the age or authenticity of items, particularly for higher-value pieces.

Pros

• Minimal creativity or skills required
• Good for the environment

Cons

• Requires space for holding inventory
• Must have access to locations where you can source quality used goods

21. Vintage book art

Vintage book art includes upcycled paper craft shops and sellers that transform old books and papers into stunning pieces of art, botanical prints, maps, and illustrated plates. 

Book Folding Australia has earned more than 6,000 sales creating intricate designs by precisely folding book pages. 

Pros

• Unique products with potential for high perceived value
• Appeals to book lovers, eco-conscious shoppers, and vintage enthusiasts

Cons

• Time-intensive to create, which can impact scalability
• May face concerns about using copyrighted material in crafts

22. Furniture and home goods

Etsy’s Home and Living category grew year over year in Q4 2025, according to the Q4 2025 earnings report. However, furniture can be bulky, difficult to produce, and nearly impossible to ship. If you’d rather avoid the high costs of shipping large pieces of furniture, you can still sell items in this category by choosing smaller pieces of home décor, like mirrors, lamps, and soft furnishings. In fact, “home decor” was more popular as a search term on Etsy than “furniture” last year. 

Pros

• Flexible business opportunity that covers a range of products 
• Many possibilities for sourcing products, including DIY and secondhand

Cons

• Larger items may be expensive to ship
• Lots of competition, especially for home goods

Etsy fees to know

Etsy fees can quickly stack up and can impact your margins, particularly if you sell lower-priced items. According to the Etsy Help Center, three standard fees apply to every sale:

1. Listing fee. 20¢ per listing is charged when the listing goes live. Listings renew every four months or upon sale, triggering another 20¢ charge.
2. Transaction fee. This comes to 6.5% of the total order amount, including shipping and gift wrap.
3. Payment processing fee (US). Add 3% + 25¢ per transaction through Etsy Payments. Rates vary by country.

Consider a $30 item with $5 shipping. A US seller will pay 20¢ (listing) + $2.28 (6.5% of $35) + $1.30 (3% + 25¢ of $35), which comes to approximately $3.78 in combined fees before taking into account materials, labor, or shipping costs.

There are also some optional fees.

• Etsy Plus subscription. Get listing credits, customization options, and restock request alerts for $10 per month.
• Etsy Ads (on-site). Set your own budget and pay for cost-per-click advertising within Etsy search results. 
• Offsite Ads. You will automatically be featured in Etsy’s external advertising. If you made less than $10,000 in sales over the previous 365 days, you will pay 15% of the sale price for purchases driven by Etsy’s external ads, or can opt out. If you earn more than $10,000 over the prior 365 days, you’ll pay 12%. 

Etsy’s marketplace generated $2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to the Q4 2025 earnings report. Sellers’ fee contributions represent a large chunk of that revenue, so it’s important to add up the total fees before you price your products.

Moving forward with your own Etsy shop ideas

Selling on Etsy is a great way to start your business or supplement your existing business with an additional sales channel. 

When you’re ready to grow beyond it, Shopify’s Migrate from Etsy guide can walk you through importing your listings, customer data, and order history without starting from scratch. You can keep your Etsy shop open during the transition.