If you run a craft business, the holiday season can be huge for sales. There are plenty of Christmas crafts to make that can help you drive sales and secure profits during this time of year. Here are some items to consider if you’re looking for ways to earn extra money leading up to Christmas.
Why the Christmas Holiday Season is the Perfect Time to Sell Crafts
People often spend a lot of money buying things for Christmas. In fact, Americans spent nearly $1,000 each on gifts and other holiday items in 2020. So finding the right Christmas crafts to sell can help you tap into a market with plenty of willing spenders.
Consumers budget for this extra spending all year. And many are more likely to spend on items that are for others or those that contribute to experiences for their families. So selling Christmas crafts can increase earnings and relevancy for your craft business.
52 Fabulous Christmas Crafts to Sell in 2021
If you’re ready to tap into this market of holiday shoppers, you need to find the right Christmas crafts. This will depend on your skill set and the customers you already target. But you also need to consider the items that people are interested in. These are some of the very best Christmas craft ideas in demand in 2021.
1. Christmas Tree Ornaments
Everyone with a Christmas tree needs ornaments to cover it with. Purchase bulbs and paint them with intricate designs. Burn messages into small pieces of wood. Or even knit or crochet small trinkets that can be hung on a tree.
2. Homemade Christmas Decorations
DIY Christmas decorations can encompass almost anything. Think pillow covers made of festive fabric, crocheted figurines, or hand-painted signs.
3. Home Decor Mini Trees
Christmas trees don’t have to be large and bulky. Make small trees out of cones and pieces of felt or garland. You can even paint them or use unique materials like feathers.
4. Holiday Garlands
Garlands can be hung over mantles or staircase railings. Make them out of greenery, felt, tinsel, or even old Christmas ornaments.
5. Personalized Festive Cards
Businesses that sell paper goods can offer personalized cards over the holiday. Give customers the ability to add names of family members or even photos. Another great option is creating holiday greetings for businesses.
6. Kids’ Christmas DIY Craft Sets
The holidays are often a time for family crafts. Instead of focusing on your own Christmas crafts to sell, offer the materials for your customers to make their own. Think clothespin reindeer ornaments or handprint ornament sets.
7. Unique Homemade Ornaments
To make your Christmas ornaments stand out, offer personalization or one-of-a-kind options. For example, you might add a family name or photo to each one.
8. Wreaths Made from Old Sheet Music
For music fans, fold old sheet music and attach it to a wreath base. This can be one of the most popular Christmas crafts to make and sell to music lovers.
9. DIY Christmas Gift Baskets
Gift baskets are especially popular among corporate gifters and acquaintances over the holidays. Put together a whole selection of unique food items or Christmas crafts that fit into a theme.
10. Personalized Holiday Season Gift Tags
Gift tags are the finishing touch for many holiday gifts. Offer ones with unique designs, or offer to personalize them with the giver and recipient’s names.
11. Bulb Wreaths
A bulb wreath includes a wreath base, with several bulb ornaments attached. Scour secondhand stores for unique designs, and fill in the rest with smaller bulb ornaments from bulk sets.
12. Painted Mason Jars
Paint a unique holiday scene on a mason jar and sell it as festive decor. You can even paint them to look like popular characters like Santa or his elves.
13. Holiday Candles
If you have a candle business, add festive scents like cinnamon, pine, and cranberry. Then add labels with fun Christmas scenes.
14 Unique Advent Calendars
Advent calendars count down the days from December 1 to Christmas. Create a piece of art with cutouts or a wooden shelf with boxes to fit various gifts.
15 Christmas Bath Bombs
Bath bombs usually include some combination of baking soda and citric acid. So you can toss them into bath water and watch them fizz, adding scent and color. Include red and green designs or Christmas scents to make them festive.
16. Wine Cork Christmas Tree Ornaments
If you have extra wine corks lying around, use them to make and sell designs that can hang on the Christmas tree. For example, use several to create a wreath shape, or use them as a base for reindeer.
17. A DIY Holiday Garland Set
Instead of trying to make and sell finished garland, gather supplies and include them in a kit. For example, you might include the base and then some felt leaves that people can attach for their own holiday crafts.
18. Holiday Coloring Pages
If you have some illustration skills, create some holiday designs that people can color. Sell these as finished pages or even downloadable designs that people can print.
19. Gingerbread Kits
Those looking for food-based Christmas crafts to make often gravitate toward gingerbread houses. Put together everything people need and package them together. If you’d prefer not to sell food, opt for other materials like wood covered in soft felt or fabric.
20. Gift Bags
Gift givers often package their items in festive bags. Create your own designs and assemble them to provide a reusable option for buyers.
21. Gift Boxes
Alternatively, you can add holiday designs to boxes in various sizes.
22. Wrapping Paper
You can also add fun holiday designs to printed wrapping paper. Make these in small batches with a stencil, or have them printed in bulk.
23. Christmas Quilt Kits
Quilts are more involved DIY projects. But if you don’t want to spend tons of time and money on your product ideas, gather fabric and other supplies to sell kits instead.
24. Christmas Lanterns
Lanterns provide a cozy vibe for a home at Christmas. There are tons of ideas within this category; use mason jars, antique glassware, or craft your own containers from scratch.
25. Snow Globes
Snow globes generally include a plastic or glass exterior filled with a Christmas scene, liquid, and fake snow. For an easy Christmas craft, use a mason jar and antique figurines.
26. Nutcrackers
Woodworkers can craft nutcrackers from scratch to make and sell something really special for the holidays. If you’re looking for something easier, find old nutcrackers or pieces that you can put together with a glue gun and repaint.
27. Santa Figurine
Santa is an incredibly popular holiday symbol. Craft his likeness out of wood or make a model out of clay and then paint it.
28. Serving Trays
Serving trays are essential for holiday get-togethers. And they can serve as decorations as well. Find plain trays and paint them, or craft your own using wood or clay.
29. Hand-Painted Glassware
Along those same lines, find plain glassware and add holiday scenes like a Christmas tree or ornament.
30. Star Tree Toppers
Every Christmas tree needs a topper. Craft a star out of wire and tinsel, or use your skills with woodworking or ceramics to make something a bit more sturdy.
31. Stuffed Toys
Those with sewing skills can use fabric and stuffing to create popular Christmas characters like Santa, snowmen, and reindeer.
32. Hot Cocoa Mugs
If you already make and sell ceramic mugs, create some with holiday designs that people can use to enjoy a festive cup of hot chocolate or peppermint coffee.
33. Cookie Cutters
Baking is a popular activity throughout the holidays. If you work with metal, bend small pieces into festive shapes to make and sell cookie cutters.
34. Silk Poinsettias
Poinsettias are the quintessential Christmas flower. Use silk or other fabrics to craft these decorations that can be used year after year.
35. Santa Hats
Santa hats can be made using a variety of DIY crafts. For example, you can stitch fabric together or knit or crochet them.
36. Matching Family Pajamas
Clothing brands can cash in on pajamas with fun holiday designs. Make a variety of sizes for the whole family to really maximize profit.
37. Personalized Picture Frames
Families love displaying family memories this season. Offer frames with festive designs made from materials like wood or acrylic. There are many ways to personalize these, like including names or years. This can increase purchases and help you turn a profit.
38. Photo Albums
Similarly, bookbinders can put together photo albums or scrapbooks and offer personalizations via commission.
39. Paper Snowflake Templates
Paper snowflakes are some of the most popular easy Christmas crafts to make each year. You may not turn a huge profit selling these directly, since people often like making their own. Instead, sell printable templates online.
40. Holiday Placemats
Help customers dress up their holiday tables by adding cut holiday designs to placemats. You can use a variety of materials like vinyl or polyester for the base. Then paint or print your own designs on them.
41. Wine Charms
Wine charms are tiny trinkets that go around the stem of a wine glass to indicate who each one belongs to. These are fairly easy Christmas crafts that you can sell in sets.
42. “Ugly” Christmas Sweaters
If you’re looking for funny Christmas crafts to make and sell, consider the ugly sweater trend. You can either knit your own or pin extra decorations to existing sweaters for an easier DIY.
43. Red and Green Scarves
Knitters could also focus on smaller accessories like scarves. Add red, green, and other holiday elements to make them extra festive.
44. Jingle Bell Jewelry
Jewelry can fall under the category of easy Christmas crafts. Include trinkets like small bells to appeal to holiday shoppers and bring in some extra money.
45. Christmas Record Coasters
You can find tons of old Christmas records at secondhand stores. Use the centers to create coasters that you can sell for profit.
46. Miniature Festive Houses
Lots of people put up “Christmas villages” in their home during the holidays. Make tiny houses out of wood or similar materials and paint them to look like a festive neighborhood.
47. Holiday Photo Booth Props
Photobooth props can be easy DIY crafts to make and sell. Use paper, felt, or plastic to create two-dimensional accessories like santa hats and reindeer antlers. Then customers can use them to create memorable photos at their holiday parties.
48. Christmas Cookie Mix-in-a-Jar
If you want to sell food items over the holidays that are easy to ship, mix all the ingredients for cookies into a mason jar. Include the recipe and a bit of holiday decor like ribbons to make it extra festive.
49. Hot Cocoa-in-a-Jar
Do the same with hot cocoa mix and marshmallows. This can be an easy way to package beverages to sell for profit.
50. Illuminated Sign
Include festive messages like “Let it snow” or “Merry & bright” on a wooden or plastic sign. Then add lightbulbs to the letters to make it really stand out.
51. Door Mat
Purchase plain doormats and paint messages on them for those looking for a festive way to welcome guests to their home.
52. Wreaths
You can make wreaths from actual greenery. But they won’t last very long and may be difficult to ship. Opt for felt, fabric, or tinsel for something easier to sell for profit.
What is the easiest craft to make and sell?
The easiest crafts to make and sell are usually those where you simply customize an existing item. For example, you could paint bulb ornaments with designs to make them more festive. Alternatively, adding messages to placemats or photo frames can be done quickly as Christmas ornaments to make and sell.
What homemade crafts sell the best?
People purchase homemade crafts because they’re special and unique and there are many things to make and sell for profit. So over the holidays, items that sell the best include personalized items and gift sets. In fact, 2020 saw an 83 percent increase in Etsy searches related to “care package” over the holidays.
Where can I sell my Christmas crafts?
There are several outlets where you can sell the Christmas crafts you make. And these are some of the options when it comes to choosing where to sell crafts online:
- Etsy
- Craft fairs
- Christmas market
- Retail stores
- Your own ecommerce website
Image: Depositphotos
This article, “52 Easy Christmas Crafts to Make and Sell” was first published on Small Business Trends
