These top 10 Cricut business ideas will help inspire you to create an income and set your own hours with a handmade business of your own.
Last year, Etsy experienced its biggest growth yet. Not only did the handmade platform sell over 4 billion in handmade products, but it also welcomes a huge influx of new sellers. When you think about it, I’m not terribly surprised.
In America alone last year, 3 million women left the workforce. If you were like me and suddenly found yourself homeschooling, working, and trying to keep everybody’s spirits high while being stressed as hell, you understand why. It just wasn’t possible to keep up with demands.
And that’s why (I believe) so many women became entrepreneurs.
Today, 83% of Etsy sellers are women.
If you feel inspired after pursuing these Cricut business ideas and want to know how to get started creating a handmade business, I invite you to check out my new website, HandmadeBusinessHelp.com. I’ve created loads of free workshops, printables, and resources to help you get started. 😉
In this article, I’m going to help brainstorm several Cricut business ideas to start an Etsy shop with your Cricut. I’ve scoured the internet for the absolute best tutorials that you can use to start a profitable handmade brand!
How do I know which Cricut to buy?
After playing with both the Cricut Explore Air 2 and the Cricut Maker, I really believe that if you can afford the Cricut Maker, you won’t regret it. The Cricut Maker has far more options and versatility. However, if you plan on only using your new Cricut on papercraft and vinyl projects, the Cricut Explore Air 2 will do just fine. Since I haven’t purchased the Cricut Joy yet, I don’t feel like I can give a review or feedback on it. 🙄
Personally, I love having both main cutting machines in my studio. I keep The Explore Air 2 ready to go for papercrafts and vinyl projects with my kids and save the Cricut Maker for leatherwork and fabric cutting. You can learn more and shop all the Cricut tools and machines here.
This handy little chart should simplify their top 3 cutting machines to give you the best idea based on your creative goals:
Top 10 Best Cricut Business Ideas
1.) Personalized Plush Animals For Baby Milestones
Let’s face it. Personalized baby gear is always a hit. I mean, can you imagine bringing this to your next baby shower?! By customizing pre-made stuffed animals, you can simplify the process and streamline your orders and buy your plush animals in bulk.
TastefullyFrugal.com made this adorable tutorial that you can check out by clicking here.
2.) Customized Letterboards
Custom letterboards are great for adding a customizable, rustic look to any decor. Plus, they come in extra handy for events! Photograph this project at your next baby shower, wedding, birthday, holiday, etc., and then use those images to create a successful Etsy business.
Doodlecraftblog.com did an incredible job with this step-by-step tutorial. You can see the full article by clicking here.
3.) Delicate Wood Jewelry w/ Cricut Wood Veneers
Handmade jewelry consistently ranks in the top 3 best-selling handmade items. It’s also the easiest and most versatile to sell at live craft fairs. Jewelry always makes a great gift, is not seasonal, and is easy to get started. This tutorial by DomesticHeights.com walks you through how to create delicate wooden jewelry with your Cricut Maker or Explore. Her tips and SVG files make it an easy project that is unique enough to set you apart in the handmade jewelry business. You can check out her full tutorial here.
4.) Milestone Baby Blanket
We all love the adorable milestone baby pictures floating around social media. But if your house is anything like mine, I lost my daughter’s “4-month” onesie, skipped her “8-month” pictures, and wished there was an easier way to do this….
But that was before I found this adorable tutorial by TastefullyFrugal.com for this baby milestone onesie. I love how this craft not only creates the backdrop for your milestone pictures but also requires far fewer items for new, exhausted moms to keep track of for the first year. You can check out her full tutorial here.
5.) Embossed Leather Earrings
Leather earrings have been having a moment since the first airing of Fixer Upper. When Joanna Gaines showed us all how gorgeous they were without being uncomfortable and heavy, we all wanted a pair. This take on leather earrings by my friend Hillary over at SugarCoatedHousewife.com walks you through so many tips and tricks. She shows you how to make cleaner, more crisp cut lines with leather and screenshots of how to create designs on DesignSpace. The techniques you’ll learn alone absolutely make this tutorial one to check out. See the full tutorial here.
6.) Personalized & Engraved Jewelry
Engraved metal jewelry usually costs a premium. But this tutorial by PineapplePaperco.com takes all the guesswork out and makes me so excited to try it out! With metal blanks so easy to buy in bulk, you can start a profitable Etsy business in just a few days. Her tips and tricks on engraving with a Cricut Maker take all the guesswork out and make the process seem far more simple than I originally thought.
I’m so excited to test out this tutorial by PineapplePaperCo.com this Father’s Day! You can read her full article by clicking here.
7.) Custom Leather Journals
I don’t know about you, but I have a serious soft spot for leather-bound journals. Not only do they feel incredibly high-end, but they are extremely easy to make thanks to this tutorial by DoodleCraftBlog.com
Starting with standard composition books and transforming them into these gorgeous journals make great Cricut business ideas. You could keep them simple without any vinyl details, personalize them for extra value (because personalized items always feel more special) or add your own details. Get creative and enjoy the process! I love the pen holder/ closure that does double-duty and guarantees you are always ready when inspiration strikes. 😉
8.) Glass Etched Mugs
Home decor consistently ranks as one of the highest-selling categories on Etsy. The best part is that customizing blanks with your Cricut is easy peasy! Use this tutorial by DoodleCraftBlog.com to add some personalization to a basic glass tumbler…. or even take your skills to the next level and create beautiful wall hangings, welcome signs, etc.
You can read the full article by clicking here.
9.) Customized Serving Tray
This video tutorial by UnicornDustDesigns walks you through how to create a more personalized serving tray. This project is not only functional but also serves as great home decor and truly warms up the space. Imagine creating an entire line of wooden home decor signs and serving trays to get your creativity rolling with new Cricut business ideas. You can watch the full video tutorial on Youtube by clicking here.
10.) Watercolor Printable Art
I saved one of the best projects for last! This watercolor art tutorial by DoodleCraftBlog.com walks you through how to create whimsical art prints. But the best Cricut business ideas around this project are in its versatility! You could list is a pdf (printable) download as well as ship the physical art. This means your shop and listings will show up in two separate categories and create more exposure to your shop from the start. plus, selling pdf downloads brings in passive income. Meaning, you could literally wake up in the morning with last night’s orders already received, processed, delivered, and being used. You can read the full tutorial to get started here.
I hope that this article was helpful, impactful, and gave you a good jumping-off point. I hope it gave you some new ideas to grow the reach of your handmade brand!
If you are just getting started with your handmade brand or have sold less than 1,000 items, I recommend you reserve a spot in one of my upcoming free workshops!
In this totally free workshop, you’ll learn:
- The top 3 best-selling handmade items you can start making this weekend
- The formula top-selling business owners use to price their handmade creations
- How to do market research and decide if a project is worth selling
- The myths that hold most creative entrepreneurs back
Click here to join me for the next workshop!
