Ten Projects to Sell with a Cricut: Ultimate Money-Making Guide
One of the newest money-making trends is the Cricut machine, where you can customize many items and sell them online. However, with many options available online, it can be difficult to pinpoint which item is best for selling. We often find ourselves taking up a new hobby that can turn into a profitable business. Items created with your Cricut are perfect for selling online.
If you are looking to make money selling Cricut projects, you need to look for ones that are high in demand. These could be wall art, leather jewelry, and customizable accessories. Additionally, you will need to sell projects on sites that are not overcrowded with competitors.
This article can be used as an excellent guide to figure out which Cricut project is best to sell and where to sell it. With the following tips provided, you will be on your way to making money online in no time.
Selling Online
With popular online shops, more people are turning their hobbies into a full-time business. Many have slowly gained massive revenue due to high demand, and some have gone as far as quitting their nine to five jobs.
The Cricut is an incredible tool that caters to personalized items. By using it, you can customize for any occasion and charge a pretty penny for it.
Suppose you are planning on setting up an online shop using your Cricut. In that case, it is best to follow the guidelines provided in this article. Many businesses have opened and failed. This is due to a lack of information when opening.
By avoiding mistakes that are common in the online business world and follow our guidance, then your Cricut business is sure to take off.
Cricut Projects Worth Selling
Although the possibilities are almost endless with the Cricut, there may be some projects that are not worth selling. To better guide you on this endeavor, we have researched various worthwhile projects for your Cricut.
Without further ado, below is the list of what you can make with your Cricut that is sure to bring great profit:
- Canvas Wall Art: This is becoming very popular as more people are looking to purchase original art pieces for their homes. It can be as simple as taking popular quotes and putting them on canvas.
This does not infringe on copyright claims as you are not using an image in your art. However, if you decide to go down this route, make sure the quote is correct and that the author is attributed.
- Personalized Tools: Whether it’s someone’s name engraved on a hammer or a toolset, this is sure to be a perfect project for sale. This is a great idea around the holidays when people want to give their loved ones a more personalized gift.
Although this may not be profitable all year round, it is still a good idea to offer this service for your business.
- Custom Rustic Signs: This is another excellent idea. These would be great for home decor, weddings, and holiday presents for people who appreciate the rustic decor.
- Custom Key Chains: This is another small project in high demand and does not cost too much. The great thing about this is that it will be profitable all year. However, be sure not to make this the only product you sell online since it might not be profitable. Probably an add on item to the variety of products you sell.
- Reusable Shopping Bags: This is a great idea, especially when more and more states are banning plastic bags in stores. As we move towards using reusable shopping bags, consumers will want to find a way to stand out from the crowd.
- Customized Shirts: This is perfect for any occasion, whether for a bridal party, Disney Trip, or a family reunion. Consumers love to get their hands on customized t-shirts.
Customized shirts make for a great year-round project. However, make sure that if you plan to use any images on the shirts that you do not use any copyrighted material.
- Wall Decals: This is entirely separate from the wall canvas that was mentioned earlier. The decals are great for sticking on your wall and consist of either a beautiful design or a motivational quote.
This project is also trendy in baby nurseries because it is a temporary decoration. Either way, no matter which route you decide to take with decals, they will bring profit all year.
- Cake Toppers: For some reason, a lovely cake topper is hard to come by these days, but hopefully, that is something that your business can change. Profits for this particular project will not always be steady. However, you can still make a large sum of money if you design a cake topper that is both beautiful and affordable.
Making cake toppers that are very original and pleasing to the eye is a great idea. If you sell them for any occasion, then you are sure to gain a handsome profit.
- Leather Jewelry: Not many retail stores sell leather jewelry, which is an excellent way for you to stand out from the rest of the competition. If your business takes off, you can create an online shop wholly dedicated to leather jewelry.
- Greeting Cards: It may seem a bit cheesy, but greeting cards are not entirely out of style just yet, and there is still a demand for them. I’m sure we’re all tired of the same greeting cards, so a personalized greeting card service would be a great way to make some money with your Cricut.
Selling greeting cards online with beautiful patterns and a sense of originality would make a significant profit. Your company will be able to stand out from the rest of your online competitors.
With these tips, you will be able to increase your profits in your online shop. The projects listed above will give you a sense of which work best and which customers to cater to. This will allow you to breakdown your niche and find out which idea best fits your business plan.
Overcrowded Projects
With constant online businesses opening up, some niches are becoming overcrowded and are causing new businesses to miss out on new profits.
This is why you must stay away from overcrowded niches, especially if you are looking to profit during your first few months. Here are a few overcrowded niches, according to Cutting For Business.
- Planner Stickers: These stickers are available everywhere from Amazon to retail stores. According to Cutting for Business, there are 348,000 listings on Esty for the sale of planner stickers.
- Tumblers: As tempting as this may be, you should try and stay away from this project as it has been overdone. And it is being done everywhere.
Although custom tumblers are in high demand, some people have already established their businesses with a steady stream of profits.
It may be very tempting to want to sell these kinds of projects online; however, if you are looking to gain profits in your first year, then it is best to venture out a bit.
Although, if you are very passionate about these particular items, then you may consider selling a limited quantity. This way, you are not completely vested and avoid a massive financial hit because you ordered too many supplies.
What is a Cricut?
The Cricut machine is used mainly for DIY projects. You can make customized products and die cuts that can be used for scrapbooking, making gifts, or making items to be sold online.
According to the Cricut website, the machines make intricate cuts that cannot be made by hand.
To use the machine, you will need to download a software called Design Space to your computer. Then connect the computer to your Cricut using a Bluetooth connection. Once you have a design in mind, you will need to import it to the software.
Once you have loaded your material to the design mat, you will start the machine. The tiny blade in the Cricut will begin cutting the material.
The Cricut machine is not inexpensive, and just like in any business, an initial investment must be made.
While writing this article, Cricut Explore Air 2 costs $229.99 (this is only for the machine itself.) You can also take advantage of the bundle, which is on sale for $227.02 but regularly costs $289.99.
The great thing about these machines is that there’s a variety of options to choose from. The Cricut Joy is much smaller, and the bundle, which brings all the essentials, costs about $238.93. Another great alternative is Brother Scanncut2, which is available on Amazon and costs about $350.
Making Money with a Cricut
In times of uncertainty, we tend to find ourselves looking for an additional stream of income. We hope for something that does not involve too much time and energy but provides enough money. If you ever find yourself wanting to make money on the side, this is a great way to begin. You’ll turn your hobby into a stream of income.
You need to ask yourself why it is that you want to do this. Once you have come to terms, define what your ultimate goal is. You can begin making the necessary arrangements to open your business and start making money.
Understand the Legal Ramifications
Like any business, you should really consider the legal ramifications and take the time to do research before you begin working. The last thing you want to do is end up paying a ton of legal fees.
Here are a few things you need to consider before you begin selling online.
- The Cricut Angel Policy: This applies if you plan to use images from the Cricut Image Library.
Under this policy, you will not be permitted to use licensed content from Disney or Marvel. Additionally, you will need to include copyright notices with all of your projects.
For a more detailed breakdown of the policy, check out the Cricut Angel Policy.
- Personal vs. Commercial Use: If you plan on using an image not in the Cricut Image Library and prefer to use a photo from another site, you will need to purchase the image. If you find a picture, make sure you read the terms of use as some pictures do not have a commercial license.
Make sure to avoid downloading photos from Google Images. If you use those images, you may be violating copyright laws.
- Licensed Images: Licensed images are very tempting to use because they include pictures of famous Disney characters or other pretty logos. You cannot legally use these images due to copyright.
You may come across the images from competitors yet avoid the temptation to use them, as those images violate copyright laws.
Having a better understanding of the legal aspects, you can now take your first steps towards creating your online business.
The vital thing to take away from all this legal talk is to read the terms of use and make sure that you are not violating copyright agreements.
Once sure of these things, you can use images with confidence, knowing you are not infringing on a copyright.
Find Your Niche
Like any business, you need to decide who your target market is. With that being said, you must choose a project not only that you want to sell, but that will be passionate about. This way, you’ll make sure to find a project that you are really good at and that your customer base will appreciate.
When trying to figure out which niche you want to be in, you need to ask yourself a series of questions to see which is best for you.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself:
- What do you enjoy making on the Cricut?
- What item is more profitable and does not require a lot of supplies?
- What do people need that will be useful years from now?
By asking yourself these questions, you will readily come up with which niche best fits your business.
In figuring this out, you’d want to avoid taking up an overcrowded one to prevent entering a saturated environment.
Once you have the niche down, you can begin your business and marketing to your clients.
Tips for Running a Cricut Business
This is a business like no other, and you must run it correctly to maximize your profits.
With the tips provided below, you will have the necessary tools to make your business successful. Here are a few tips for running a Cricut business:
- Be Creative: Make sure that you create something that sets you apart from your competition. By doing something unique, your customers will be able to differentiate between your work and your competitors
- Be Consistent: No matter your niche, you want to make sure that you’re consistent with your work. A great product consistently made is sure to gain traction with buyers and send more business your way.
- Quality Control: If you want to sell a product based on quality, then perform quality control checks to ensure there are no faulty pieces.
As a business owner, you must take these tips into consideration when setting up your business.
Invest in Cricut Accessories
Although the Cricut machine is quite the investment, you’ll want to purchase the accessories needed to create projects on the Cricut. If you bought the bundle, then you will have some useful accessories on hand. However, this list does not account for the additional supplies needed to create your projects.
Here are a few must-have accessories for your Cricut that will set you up for success:
- The Deep-Cut Blade: According to Jennifer Maker this blade is perfect for cutting through thick materials. This must-have item will help expand the number of projects you sell by not limiting the type of materials you use.
- Scoring Stylus: With this tool, you’ll create intricate designs on paper projects. This is perfect if you are selling greeting cards or any other paper-related item online.
- Cutting Mats: Although you’ll receive a cutting mat if you purchase the Cricut with the bundle, there are still other cutting mats that you should buy. If you plan on doing more extensive projects, you should consider buying a cutting mat that is 12×24.
- Cricut Pens: These are great for paper projects. The various colors of pens will give you enough options for your projects.
- Aluminum Foil: Finally, an item that is not expensive! So why aluminum foil? This household item will allow you to keep your blades clean and sharp. Using foil will decrease your frequency of having to purchase new blades, which can be costly.
With these must-have accessories, your shop will have all the tools needed for success.
One of the worst things that can happen is having a shortage of supplies and not being able to finish a project.
How to Use a Cricut?
When it comes to your Cricut, you want to make sure that you can use it properly.
This is why you should practice doing projects you want to sell before you sell them online.
Luckily, there are many tutorials on blogs on YouTube that will teach you how to use your Cricut. If you are looking for a more detailed class, you can access online Cricut classes on Skill Share. These classes can be taken from the comfort of your own home.
Where to Sell
Now that you are a business owner with projects to sell, its time to begin selling them online.
Choosing where to sell online may feel a bit overwhelming because there are so many options. On top of that, those sites may be overcrowded with competitors. This leads to a decreased chance of you selling your projects.
Here a few options as to where you can sell your projects:
- Sheepbuy: This site is a marketplace that does not charge any selling commissions or hidden fees. All transactions are strictly between buyers and sellers via PayPal. They have a free tier you can start with, and if you want to sell more products, they have inexpensive monthly plans starting from $2.99 and up.
- Amazon: This retail giant may be the first option on your list of where to sell online. However, Amazon does charge selling commission, as well as other fees. Also, being Amazon has been around for some time; there may be high competition and could be overcrowded.
- Etsy: This is a great option for indie brands to sell their products. And it may be the number one place where people go to buy items that are more original than those from larger brands.
Although this is a great option, you should keep in mind that this is the place where all indie brands sell their products. It may be more difficult for you to grow in this competitive market.
With these shops, you will be able to sell your projects. However, be sure to choose wisely as some sites may be more profitable than others in terms of competition and fees.
Final Thoughts
Setting up a business for the first time can be somewhat overwhelming and stressful. As an entrepreneur, it is necessary to take extra risks to run a successful business. However, with the guidelines provided in this article, you will be on a great path to make some profit in your first years.
Remember to take the necessary steps to stand out from your competitors when creating your online business. With the increase of online marketplaces, you should take the leap to establish yourself online.
There is no better feeling than knowing that you are making money by merely doing something you love.
Learn more on where you can sell your old sewing patterns.
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Sources:
http://www.learn.cricut.com/what-cricut/how-does-it-work
https://cricut.com/en_us/machines/cricut-explore-air-2.html
https://cricut.com/en_us/legal#angel-policy
https://cuttingforbusiness.com/top-4-overcrowded-silhouette-cameo-and-cricut-business-niches/