We are all looking for ways to make extra money with a side hustle, especially these days. If you love crafting as a hobby, you could turn your crafts into a way that makes you some extra income either part time or even full time. The great thing about starting your own business is you can go at your own pace, so you can put in as much time and effort as you want or are able to.

My sister, Hannah, has created a side hustle with her Cricut Explore Machine. What she loves about using her machine, is that making extra money can be done from her home while being a mum to three. Using Cricut as a side hustle can be a creative and profitable endeavour.

The machines are versatile cutting tools that can be used for a wide range of DIY and crafting projects. Hannah explains why she uses Cricut, how she turned her machine into a side business, and gives her advice so you could potentially start making your extra income:  

What type of products do you create and sell as part of your side hustle?

I sell quite a few different products. Mainly clothing but I also do personalized mugs, glasses, and keyrings. Recently I have started to do coasters as well. I generally make these personalized products as these are the most popular. They are normally ordered by people who want to gift them for birthdays, weddings, Christmas, and any other special occasions. Cricut gives you a very professional looking product, so I feel good about selling the products made by my Cricut machine.

What platforms do you sell your products on?

Facebook would be my main platform, but word of mouth works well too. As a busy mum of three, I have limited it to a couple as it is easy to keep track of. With the youngest being 8 months, I’m always kept on my toes. Eventually I will expand to Instagram, Pinterest, and maybe Esty.

How long have you been selling and why did you start selling?

I’ve been selling for two and half years now. I started to sell because I wanted to make extra money. It also allowed me to be more creative, gave me something to do, and I get enjoyment with creating stuff. Equally, reading feedback from previous customers gives that nice warmth feeling. If I’m honest that feeling does outweigh the money.

What challenges have you faced?

I have software glitches at times. Experimenting with new materials, especially when you are trying to keep up with trends, can be a challenge. Poor quality materials are also another issue I have faced. Especially when you have had an order and you’ve run out of materials and delivery takes a while.

I have invested time and money into creating a lot of things that are gathering dust. I’ve now learned to list things for sale after I’ve created a couple of products to see how they do. I also take a deposit for bespoke pieces, as at times people have requested an order, so I started creating their product to then have no contact a week or so later.

Lastly, pricing has been a struggle as you don’t want to rip people off, but you don’t want to under sale yourself either. It is also a competitive market, so you don’t want to make your prices cheaper, but you want to remain fair.

How do you balance your crafting side hustle with family life?

Normally I do it when both girls are at school and the youngest is napping, or I do it in the evening when all three have gone to sleep. It has been difficult to adjust with having a third child, but I find that I still do it because it gives me some down time.

Have you experienced any memorable or unique interactions with customers while selling your crafts?

Recently I had an order to make jumpers for the whole family’s annual Legoland family day out. It was a birthday celebration for their son. I explained to the customer that I can’t do Lego’s logo due to copyright, and I couldn’t make the writing colourful as again that could be classed as copyright. The customer was happy to have plain jumpers with ‘Legoland 2023’ in black across the jumper, with their names down the sleeve.

It was a huge hit! Their son loves the jumper so much he wears it on a weekly basis as he gets sensory overload with clothing such as material, labels etc. They received loads of compliments on their day out, and it was just nice feedback to hear.

Have you faced any legal or copyright related challenges?

Before I started selling, I did all my research. So, any fonts and images I use will have a commercial license which allows me to sell the finished items. Also never sell items that contain images that are copyrighted such as brand names or logos.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering starting a crafting side hustle of their own?

Do IT! Find something you enjoy if you haven’t already, research your market, take photos and upload them to your personal social page or a business one and see what happens. I know there is a lot more you can do like Etsy or creating your website. But even starting off basic, what have you got to lose?

If this article has inspired you to start making some extra income, remember that it requires careful planning, including pricing your products appropriately, promoting, and managing orders efficiently. It’s also important to continuously refine your skills and stay up to date with current design trends to attract customers.