Ever thought about turning your creativity into a stream of income?
If you’re wondering if selling printables online is worth it, let me tell you – it absolutely is!
Whether you’re looking to start a side hustle or build a full-time business, printables are a low-cost, high-reward opportunity that anyone can dive into, even if you’re not a professional designer.
In this post, I’ll show you how easy it is to create and sell printables, why this is the perfect side hustle, and how you can get started today! So, let’s get into it!
What Are Printables?
First things first – what exactly are printables? Simply put, printables are digital files that people can download and print themselves.
They can be anything from planners and to-do lists to party invitations and educational worksheets.
And the best part? Once you’ve created them, you can sell the same file over and over again. It’s like having an endless stock of products that never need replenishing!
Some popular examples include:
- Planners and calendars: Monthly or weekly planners are a big hit, especially when customizable.
- Savings challenges and trackers: This one’s my favorite! I even offer savings trackers on my Etsy shop.
- Wall art: Printable quotes, nursery art, or cute graphics are always in demand.
- Party decor and invitations: Think birthday banners, invitations, cupcake toppers, etc.
- Worksheets and Classroom Decor: Perfect for teachers, homeschoolers, or parents looking for educational content.
The list is endless, and the beauty is that there’s a printable for just about any niche!
How to make money with printables:
There are two main ways to turn your printable designs into a reliable income stream: selling them directly on platforms like Etsy or your own online store, and giving them away for free to generate income through display ads on your blog.
I use both these methods on my own blogs.
1. Selling Printables on Etsy or Your Own Online Store
One of the most popular ways to make money with printables is by selling them on platforms like Etsy.
Etsy is a marketplace full of customers actively looking for unique, handmade digital products like printables. You can sell anything from planners, meal trackers, and budget worksheets to party invitations and classroom decor.
Once you design a printable, you can upload it to Etsy, and after that, it becomes passive income. Each time someone purchases your design, they instantly receive the digital file, so there’s no need for you to handle inventory or shipping.
To get started, all you need is a few designs and an Etsy shop.
Tools like Canva make creating beautiful, functional printables easy, even if you’re not a graphic design expert. From there, promote your shop on social media or to friends and family, and watch as sales start to roll in. Over time, as your shop grows, you can expand to offer seasonal items, bundles, or niche products, such as wedding printables or classroom decor.
If you’d prefer more control over your sales, consider setting up your own online store using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. While this requires a bit more setup and marketing effort, having your own store gives you more control over your brand, pricing, and customer relationships.
2. Making Money with Display Ads by Offering Free Printables
Another smart way to make money with printables is by giving them away for free on your blog and monetizing your traffic through display ads. (This is my favourite way to make money online.)
This strategy works by drawing visitors to your blog with free printable downloads and then earning ad revenue based on the number of people who view your pages.
It’s a great way to generate passive income, especially if you’re passionate about sharing helpful resources with your audience.
To make this method work, you’ll need a blog in a niche that naturally attracts people looking for printables – like education, organization, or party planning.
You can create blog posts with related tips or advice, and at the end of each post, offer a free printable download as a bonus for your readers.
As your blog traffic grows, you can apply to ad networks like Google AdSense or Journey by Mediavine to start earning revenue every time someone visits your site.
Giving away free printables also helps you build an email list, as many people are happy to trade their email address for a useful freebie. With that list, you can nurture relationships and eventually offer paid products like premium printables, courses, or bundles, creating even more ways to generate income.
Why Selling Printables is the Perfect Side Hustle
Why do I think selling printables is the perfect side hustle? Let me count the ways!
- Low cost: You don’t need to buy materials, handle shipping, or even leave your house! All you need is a computer, design software (even free tools like Canva will do), and a bit of creativity.
- Passive income potential: You create it once, and you can sell it over and over again with zero inventory concerns. This means you can make money while you sleep. (Who doesn’t want that?)
- Endless possibilities: There’s literally a printable for every niche, so you can tap into what you love. Are you into budgeting? Try creating savings trackers (like I do!). Are you a teacher? Make educational worksheets. Love parties? Create birthday banners and invitations.
- Flexibility: You can work on it anytime, anywhere, and scale it at your own pace. What starts as a side hustle can easily grow into a full-time business without having to quit your day job.
Over 100 Printables you can create
Here’s a list of 100 printable ideas you can create to start your business or add to your existing shop:
Planners & Organizers
- Daily planners
- Weekly planners
- Monthly planners
- Yearly planners
- Habit trackers
- Fitness planners
- Meal planners
- Budget planners
- Wedding planners
- Travel planners
- Reading trackers
- Gratitude journals
- Goal-setting planners
- Project management planners
- Cleaning schedules
- Time-blocking planners
- Social media planners
- Editorial calendars
- Self-care planners
- Sleep trackers
Financial & Budgeting
- Expense trackers
- Bill payment checklists
- Savings trackers
- Debt snowball trackers
- Monthly budget templates
- Weekly spending logs
- Cash envelope templates
- Emergency fund trackers
- Sinking fund trackers
- Income and expense trackers
- No-spend challenge printables
- Grocery budgeting worksheets
- Holiday budgeting printables
- Retirement savings planners
- 52-week money-saving challenges
Educational Printables
- Alphabet tracing worksheets
- Sight word flashcards
- Number tracing worksheets
- Math problem worksheets
- Coloring pages
- Phonics worksheets
- Shape recognition worksheets
- Science experiment sheets
- Spelling practice sheets
- Handwriting practice sheets
- Preschool activity packs
- Vocabulary flashcards
- Reading comprehension worksheets
- Story prompt printables
- Time-telling worksheets
Classroom Decor
- Alphabet posters
- Number posters
- Growth mindset posters
- Classroom rules posters
- Welcome banners
- Desk name tags
- Birthday charts
- Calendar sets
- Reward charts
- Bulletin board borders
- Classroom jobs charts
- Student of the week templates
- Classroom seating plans
- Behavior charts
- Quiet time signs
Event & Party Printables
- Birthday invitations
- Wedding invitations
- Save-the-date cards
- Baby shower invitations
- Bridal shower invitations
- Party favor tags
- Thank-you cards
- Party banners
- Food tent labels
- Drink labels
- Scavenger hunt lists
- Escape room game printables
- Baby milestone signs
- Party games (bingo, charades, etc.)
- Event seating charts
Home & Family
- Family chore charts
- Home inventory checklists
- Weekly meal planners
- Recipe cards
- Pantry organization labels
- Spice jar labels
- Fridge/freezer inventory trackers
- Family budget worksheets
- Family photo albums (printable inserts)
- Moving checklists
- House cleaning checklists
- Password trackers
- Important contact lists
- Pet care trackers
- Gardening planners
Holiday & Seasonal
- Christmas gift tags
- Thanksgiving meal planners
- Halloween party printables
- Easter egg hunt signs
- Valentine’s Day cards
Additional Printable Ideas
- Vision board templates
- Home maintenance checklists
- Family game night printables
- Birthday party planning guides
- Daily gratitude prompts
- Pet care schedules
- Meditation journals
- DIY home project planners
- Mood trackers
- Essential oil blends recipes
- Monthly reflection sheets
- Gardening logs
- Mindfulness coloring pages
- Study schedules
- College application checklists
- Seasonal bucket lists
How to Get Started Selling Printables
If you’re ready to take the plunge, here’s a simple step-by-step guide to get started.
Step 1: Decide on Your Niche
Choosing a niche will help you stand out in a crowded market.
Think about what you’re passionate about or what people frequently need. Is it budgeting, homeschool worksheets, or cute planner stickers? Niching down not only makes your products easier to market but also helps build a loyal customer base.
Pro tip: You can research popular Etsy categories or Pinterest trends to see what’s in demand.
Step 2: Create Your First Printable
The idea of creating something from scratch might sound daunting, but trust me, it’s easier than you think. Tools like Canva (which is super user-friendly) or Adobe Illustrator (if you’re more advanced) make design a breeze. You can even use Microsoft Word for simple designs and just save it as a pdf file.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Stick to clean, functional designs, especially when you’re starting.
- Choose colors and fonts that are easy on the eyes.
- Test-print your design to ensure it looks good on paper.
Step 3: Set Up Your Etsy Shop or Website
Now that you’ve created a killer printable, it’s time to set up shop!
Etsy is a fantastic platform to start with because it’s user-friendly, and people go there specifically to buy digital products. Plus, the Etsy marketplace can help drive traffic to your listings, especially if you optimize your keywords.
If you want more control over your pricing and branding, consider setting up your own website with platforms like Shopify or WordPress.
I personally prefer a WordPress website with the Woocommerce store plugin, to save money. Woocommerce is a free plugin. I use it on my online store CreatingXtra.co.za and on DemoCrafter.com .
The advantage of having your own site? You keep more of the profit (no Etsy fees)! The only drawback is that you have to drive all the traffic to your store.
Want more info on how to open an Etsy shop? Check out How I started my Etsy shop. You can also find an update here after my 1st year selling on Etsy.
Best-Selling Printables to Make Money With
If you’re wondering what types of printables sell best, here are a few categories that are guaranteed to make you money:
- Planners and calendars: These are always in demand, and customers love a beautifully designed, functional planner. Plus, people are always looking for fresh designs for the new year. (By the way, I have a 2025 planner that you can download for free – grab it while it’s hot!)
- Savings challenges and budgeting trackers: These are evergreen products that help people get their finances in order. I not only sell savings challenges, but I create a lot of free ones to drive traffic to my blog. (So I monetize by selling Savings Challenges on Etsy and by giving some away on my blog and earning money with display ads.)
- Educational worksheets: Perfect for teachers, homeschoolers, and parents looking to keep their kids engaged.
- Party printables: Invitations, banners, cupcake toppers – these are popular for birthdays, baby showers, weddings, and holidays.
How to Promote Your Printables
Creating a beautiful printable is just the first step; now you need to promote it.
Here are a few simple ways to drive traffic and get those sales rolling in:
- Pinterest: This platform is your secret weapon. Pinterest is essentially a visual search engine, so you can showcase your printables to people who are actively searching for ideas. Create eye-catching pins and link them to your Etsy shop or blog.
- Social Media: Share your products on Instagram, Facebook, or even TikTok. Join relevant Facebook groups where your target audience hangs out (e.g., homeschooling groups if you sell worksheets).
- Email Marketing: Offer a free printable in exchange for an email subscription. Once people are on your list, you can promote your Etsy shop or your latest product launches directly.
Tips to Make Your Printables Stand Out
- Good design matters: Even if you’re not a professional designer, you can still create polished, professional-looking printables using tools like Canva.
- Offer extra value: Bundles sell! For example, create a “complete budgeting kit” that includes a savings tracker, expense tracker, and debt payoff sheet. This will help you stand out and charge higher prices.
- Free downloads: Don’t be afraid to give away a freebie or two. This builds trust, drives traffic, and can lead to more sales. People love trying before they buy!
Start Your Printable Journey Today!
So, what are you waiting for? Printables are an easy, fun, and profitable way to dip your toes into the world of online business.
Whether you’re looking to make a little extra cash on the side or scale it into a full-time gig, the potential is huge.
Feeling inspired? Head over to my Etsy store to see some of my best-selling printables, or download a free savings challenge printable to get a taste of what I offer!
