7 Easy Things to Make and Sell to Earn Extra Money for Christmas Shopping

We’re bringing one of my favorite subjects to the Christmas in July table today…how to make some extra money. More specifically easy things to make and sell so you have more money to spend on Christmas gifts!

‘Cause everybody wants more money!
Am I right?!

I mean, seriously. Christmas is EXPENSIVE! Between the decorations, the food and all the gifts, the average family can easily spend up to $1,000 or more…every year!

It’s crazy…

IF you’re a consumer!

But…

If you’re a business owner, maker or side hustler…NOW is the time to cash in on all that money!

And there is TONS of it to be made…if you know what to sell!

The key here is timing…

Right now is the time to get started. Yes…in July!

Because, you need time to get everything planned, organized and executed before you start selling! You don’t want to come out of the gate without knowing what you’re doing…do you?

PLUS…

You want to cash in on those early-bird shoppers and the ones that shop year round, too.

So, how do you get started?

Step One

What are you going to sell?

If you already have an idea of your own, that’s great! If not, read on for a few ideas of easy things to make and sell for Christmas.

Step Two

Are there laws and regulations that I have to abide by?

Very likely! You need to go visit your local government office and find out what laws and regulations there are on whatever you choose to sell. There’s also proper business licensing and naming requirements in many places.

Step Three

Get some supplies and practice your craft!

You do not want to sell junky products that are going to cause customer complaint. This could get you in a whole lotta trouble. So, make sure whatever you are selling is good quality.

Step Four

Where are you going to sell your wares? Offline…online? What’s better?

The truth?

Both! In order to really make money during the holiday season, you pretty much have to be selling both online and offline. You want your future customers to see you everywhere!

Consider opening an Etsy shop AND sign up for your local craft shows and markets in order to get the most exposure for your new side gig.

Okay, so now that we’ve got that out of the way…

Let’s talk about all these easy things to make and sell so you can get to spending that extra money!

 

7 Easy Things to Make and Sell to Earn Extra Money for Christmas Shopping

Baked Goods

Do you know anyone who doesn’t eat too many baked goods during the holiday season?

I sure don’t!

And the best part about it…for you, anyway…is that many people simply don’t have time to make all of the yummy goodies that they want to eat.

So, what does a person do when they don’t have time to bake?

They head to a local bakery or the grocery store to buy them, of course!

If you love to spend time in the kitchen, the holidays are the perfect time of year to start your home bakery business.

And think about starting before Halloween!

People need cakes, cookies and candy to serve their family and friends!

Halloween

Think candy for Halloween! Maybe some of those yummy chocolate candy pops, homemade candy corn, candy bark or get fancy and come up with a new spin on popcorn balls!

Thanksgiving

Right after Halloween, is Thanksgiving, of course! And what do people need for Thanksgiving?

They need pies, people!

Lots and lots of pies…pumpkin, cherry, apple, etc. You get the gist.

Make some pies! People love pie.

That is how Martha Stewart got started after all…

Christmas

And that brings us to Christmas…the collection of it all.

We need candy, we need cake, we need pie, we need cheesecake and…

“Then he slunk to the ice box. He took the Whos’ feast. He took the who pudding, he took the roast beast, he emptied the ice box as quick as a flash. Why, the Grinch even took the last can of who hash.” – The Grinch Movie

What I’m saying here is…

We eat a lot of food at Christmas! And those who don’t have time to make it or bake it?

They buy it!

So, if you need to make some extra cash for Christmas shopping…then, food is a quick way to do it!

Just be sure to look into your local laws and regulations before selling food! The laws vary from state to state and town to town…make sure you have the proper licensing required for whatever you intend to sell.

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Canned Goods and Preserves

Personally, canned goods and homemade preserves are right up there on the top of the list of things that I like to receive for a gift. And many other people feel the same way!

There is nothing better than snapping open a can of homemade pickles or strawberry preserves in the dead of winter!

If you’re interested in selling canned goods, consider pickles, relishes, jelly and jams. They’re easy to make, the ingredients are minimal and if you start in the summertime, you can get the best prices on all of your fruits and vegetables! Plus, they’re at the freshest point.

So, if you love to spend your summer and fall canning all of your yummy garden harvest, why not start a business doing just that?

But, don’t forget to check out your local laws and regulations on selling canned goods and preserves!

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Cards and Paper Goods

Believe it or not, there are still lots of good people out there that send Christmas cards every year. And lots more that use Christmas planners, shopping lists and some who even send family newsletters!

Do you have an eye for design or do you like to doodle?

Create your own line of Christmas greeting cards and sell them on Etsy!

Learn how you can get 40 FREE listings when you open a new shop on Etsy!

But, wait, you can do even more…

If you’re starting a line of greeting cards, why not create note cards, notepads, note books, planners and to do lists that match? These things make great Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers!

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Children’s Clothing

Christmas is all about the kids, right?

And how many times have you trudged through the stores searching for “just the right thing” for your daughter to wear to the Christmas pageant or your son to wear to church on Christmas Eve?

Only to find nothing…

Crappy material…ugly styles…inappropriate cuts…

The quality of clothing is getting worse and worse every time you hit the stores!

Which is why…

Handmade children’s clothing is becoming more and more popular!

So, if you’re a seamstress trying to think of easy things to make and sell, clothing for kids should be near the top of your list!

Especially specialty clothing for events during the holidays! It’s a small niche that is severely unfulfilled.

Think holiday dresses, cute little suits and decorative accessories to match.

Oh and PAJAMAS!

I buy my girls special pajamas every year for Christmas. They open them after church on Christmas eve and look forward to it every year.

But, holy cow is it hard to find cute Christmas pajamas for teenagers! There’s lots and lots of them for young children, but after that…they’re far and few between.

Think about that…

A lot of people buy special Christmas pajamas. And the availability for teens is sort of null…

New market for you?

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Decorations

According to gobakingrates.com, the average American spent around $58 on holiday decorations during the 2017 season.

And with roughly 327 million people living in the United States, that’s around a total of $18.9 billion dollars spent on just Christmas decorations!

Isn’t that crazy?!

Get in on that action, my friend! That’s A LOT of money to be spread around…why shouldn’t you get some of it?

Here’s some ideas: 10 Free Printable Christmas Decorations That Aren’t All Wall Art!

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Doll Clothes

Oh yes…doll clothes!

When my girls were little, they had lots and lots of dolls. And of course, all of their dolls had to have a whole wardrobe of their own, right?!

Well, let me tell you something…

The selection of quality doll clothes is thin. And for those kiddos that love to play with their American girl dolls…well, the cost can be a bit much for Mom and Dad.

Plus, the variety is a little slim…

But, if you’re a good seamstress, you can sell doll clothes in all the popular sizes and designs!

Consider selling at craft shows, local fairs and you should absolutely open an Etsy store for your handmade doll clothes!

Related reading: How to Sell on Etsy: Opening Your First Shop

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Toys

Along the same line of doll clothes, is toys. People spend TONS of money on toys every year for Christmas gifts.

And like I mentioned above in the clothing section…

Handmade is back! And it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

As Americans, we are sick and tired of spending our hard-earned money on junk toys from…well, not to single anyone out, so let’s just say…elsewhere in the world.

Not only are these toys total junk that generally breaks with a few hours of play, but…

These toys are actually POISONING our children (and pets, too)!

So, if you like to tinker around with toys, why not consider making some safe and healthy toys for America’s youth to play with?!

Seems like a worthy cause to me!

Related Reading: 70+ Homemade Toys You Can Make for Your Kids from Happy Hooligans

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I hope you’ve enjoyed checking out this list of easy things to make and sell! And hopefully, you found a little something to help you earn some extra money for Christmas shopping, too!

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You might also like:

• 21+ Things To Make and Sell From Home So You Can Quit Your Day Job
• 50 Things to Sell to Make Money Without Ever Leaving Your House
• 72 Craft Business Ideas You Don’t Want To Miss

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Thanks for reading!