Editor’s Note
This article explores resin and polymer clay as accessible materials for creating detailed, sellable jewelry, highlighting their versatility for crafting everything from lightweight sculpted pieces to embedded, glass-like designs.
If you love making small, detailed pieces, resin and polymer clay jewelry could be a perfect craft to make and sell.
These materials let you create everything from delicate floral earrings to bold, abstract pendants without needing expensive metals or gemstones. With polymer clay, you can sculpt lightweight, colorful pieces, while resin lets you embed dried flowers, gold flakes, or even tiny illustrations for a glass-like effect.
High-quality, durable stringing materials are essential, especially if you’re making stretch bracelets. And if you want to create a premium feel, consider using gemstone beads, freshwater pearls, or high-quality glass instead of plastic.
Packaging is also important. Simple, eco-friendly wrapping can make your products feel luxurious without adding much cost.
Epoxy resin is a strong adhesive-style material you can use to create handicrafts. It comes in two parts—the resin and a hardener—that you mix and pour into a mold. It becomes solid once cured.
Resin projects can be as simple as keychains and paperweights or as complex as wall art and jewelry. They’re a lucrative way to make money crafting, especially if you use a 3D-printed mold to create customized products.
Try searching for specific craft terms (e.g., “crochet plushies” or “resin earrings”) to see if interest is rising or falling, and compare different craft ideas to see which one has the most long-term potential.
You can make and sell almost anything from home. Consider the requirements of each craft and the properties of your space. For example, some crafts may require proper ventilation (paints, solvents), a laundry sink or tub (dyeing), a large working space (loom weaving or rugs), or a stove or oven (candles, polymer clay).
One trend that’s still going strong is rug making, using a hooking or tufting method. Whether you hook by hand with a punch needle or use a mechanical/electric tufting gun, you can create unique rugs, mats, or textile wall art based on your custom designs.
Top creators can fetch hundreds of dollars for one two-by-three-foot rug. It can be a lucrative craft business if you find your niche.
Woven textile art is part of a rising interest in midcentury home décor. To weave, you’ll need to learn a variety of weaving techniques on a loom. If you’re just getting started, the most accessible approach is to use a simple wooden frame loom. You can find frame looms in a variety of sizes at most craft stores.
If you have the means and space to operate a floor loom, its more complex approach to weaving will expand the types of crafts you can make and sell. Both frame and floor looms are great for creating tapestries or woven wall hangings, which you can make with a variety of fibers. But to weave products like hand towels, throw blankets, or reusable napkins, it’s wise to invest in a floor loom and quality yarn.
Macramé is a knotted technique popularized in the Victorian era and revived in the 1970s. Unlike weaving, macramé doesn’t require expensive tools or a loom, although many artists…
