How can I make my hobby profitable? Many of us want to do more of what we love and actually earn an income from it. Today I’m sharing a list of popular money making hobbies. This can be a great way to make extra money in your spare time.
Whether you’re looking for hobbies that make money for stay-at-home moms or money-making hobbies for retirees, many of the ideas on this list can be a fun way to earn money online.
Just a few years ago, I started this blog as a hobby when I was in school. I love writing and helping others – and within a short time, I never would’ve imagined that I could be earning money from a hobby.
It may sound like a pipe-dream, but there’s lots of frugal hobbies that make money in 2023.
Whether it’s profitable craft hobbies or wood hobbies that make money, I hope you’ll find an idea on this list that gets you inspired.
Related Posts:
- 35 ways to make money without a job
- 31 things you can sell to make money right now
- How to make $100 a day: 42 legit ways
1. Blogging
If you enjoy writing and sharing stories about your personal life, tutorials, reviews or tips, starting a blog can be a great hobby that makes money.
There are several different ways you can make money from blogging. The most popular ways include using display ads, affiliate marketing, or paid sponsorships.
Below is a screenshot of how much money I made in ONE month just from display ads on my blog. This is mainly passive income too!
When I first started this blog, I had NO idea how to make money blogging. I was just doing it as a hobby while I was in school.
But now I make over $10,000 every month from my small blog! This comes from display ads, affiliates, and selling my own digital products.
You don’t need experience or to be a tech-wizard to get started. You just need to choose a topic that you enjoy writing about and have a willingness to learn.
Popular topics include lifestyle, family, food and recipes, personal finance and budgeting, frugal living, home decor and interior design, mental health and wellness, fitness, and travel.
Blogging is my favorite way to earn money online because:
- The start-up costs are low (You can start a professional blog for as little as $2.95/month. That’s the cost of a getting a latte from Starbucks each month)
- You can blog from anywhere in the world (you just need a WiFi connection)
- There’s no tech knowledge required (I learned everything about blogging from scratch)
While it can take time to grow your blog into a significant source of income, some people are earning six-figures or seven-figures from their blogs.
Many people have been able to quit their 9-5 job to blog full time like I did. This is one of the best hobbies to turn into a business.
How to set up your blog in minutes:
If this sounds like something you’re interested in, here’s an easy step-by-step guide on how to start a profitable blog.
For my fellow Canadians, check out this post on how to start a blog in Canada that makes money.
If you need some more guidance, I recommend signing up for my FREE course that will teach you how to launch a successful blog in just 5 days. Join below!
Read Next: How to become a blogger and make money
2. Bake homemade dog treats
Did you know that the global pet care market was valued at $150.67 billion in 2021?
People LOVE to spend money on their pets and treat them as part of the family.
You can make and extra $500-$2,500+ per month selling homemade dog treats!
Many pet treats are really bad for dogs and are often filled with unhealthy fillers. This is why the demand for healthy and delicious dog treats is high and continues to grow.
My friend Kristin from Diva Dog Bakery, was tired of the boring treats and cookies she saw at big-box stores and wanted to create a gourmet dog treat that would be fun to bake at home.
Kristin started recipe testing in her kitchen and came up with an all-natural treat that looked great and her dogs loved. That’s when her dog bakery business, Diva Dog Bakery, was born!
It didn’t take long before her dog treat bakery project turned into a booming side hustle business, bringing in thousands of dollars a month! This is one of my favorite high value hobbies.
FREE Workshop for beginners:
If this sounds like a fun opportunity for you, consider checking out her free workshop here.
She’ll teach you how to start your own dog bakery business from home. And don’t worry – there’s no baking experience required!
PRO TIP: While you can sell homemade dog treats year round, the most popular time to sell dog treats is during the summer months at local farmer’s markets or craft fairs.
Now can be a smart time to enroll in the course and learn how to get your bakery up and running from your own kitchen.
The best part is – you DON’T need any baking experience to get started. Kristin will show you how to easily make dog treats using ingredients you already have.
Some people choose to create dog treats for special occasions, like dog birthday cakes. It’s up to you!
If you’re ready to get started, you can try a free homemade dog treat recipe from the Diva Dog Bakery course here.
Read Next: How to start a dog treat business from home
3. Sell printables on Etsy
My friend Julie from Gold City Ventures makes thousands of dollars every month by selling printables on Etsy!
Etsy is a global online marketplace where people can sell their products, such as printables.
Printables are a type of digital products that customers can download and print at home.
Examples of printables include:
- Chore chart checklists
- Wedding invitations
- Meal planners
- Calendars
- To-do lists
- Coloring pages for kids
If you’re interested in learning more about how to sell printables on Etsy, I recommend checking out Julie’s free workshop.
Some of the students in Julie’s course are earning $2,000 – $4,000+ per month from selling printables.
You can also check out her comprehensive course, E-Printable Side Hustle.
In her course, she’ll walk you through the entire process on how to make printables, set up your Etsy account, and make passive income.
4. Sharing your opinion
What is an easy hobby to get into? Taking surveys. There’s no special skills required and it’s FREE to do. This is a great money-making hobby from home.
We spend a lot of time on our phones or the computer, so why not can get paid for it! Companies want to pay you cash to get your opinion on their products or services.
The questions are easy to answer and most surveys take about 5-15 minutes to complete.
You’ll get virtual points for each survey you complete, which can be redeemed for cash or gift cards.
PRO TIP:
Earn the most money when you sign up for several survey websites. Then you’ll get to choose the surveys which pay the most money. Save time and earn more cash!
The best legit survey sites include:
Survey Junkie – One of the largest surveys for money sites.
Toulna Influencers – The easiest way to get rewarded for sharing your opinion.
Swagbucks – Get a free $5 bonus when you sign up today.
Branded Surveys – 4.3/5 Trust Pilot score with over 50,000 reviews.
Inbox Dollars (Daily Rewards is the Canandian version of Inbox Dollars).
With paid online surveys, you can make $500 fast in a month. This is one of the easiest hobbies that make money online and can be done in your free time.
Start out with Survey Junkie. This is one of the best paid survey sites that actually pay you. It’s available in the United States and Canada.
They are an online community with over 10 million members dedicated to making their voice heard.
How to make money with Survey Junkie:
- Take Surveys: Sign up here to create your free account. This process takes only a few minutes to complete. Then you’ll be matched with surveys.
- Earn Rewards: Complete surveys and you’ll earn virtual points.
- Get Paid: You can redeem virtual points for PayPal cash payments or e-gift cards. Make sure to verify your email so you can start making money right away!
Read Next: 12 best survey sites that pay cash online
5. Get paid to share pins on Pinterest
Do you like using Pinterest? Why not get paid to share pins on the platform!
As a Pinterest virtual assistant, you’ll get paid to create pins for blogs and online business owners. Pinterest virtual assistants are in high demand right now as Pinterest continues to grow in popularity.
According Kristin, the mastermind behind Become a Pinterest VA Today, an absolute beginner can earn around $25-$30 per hour.
Some Pinterest VAs and Pinterest Managers can earn up to $100 per hour. If you’re interested in learning more, then check out this free workshop.
When I first started blogging, I didn’t know anything about Pinterest. I started using Canva (a free graphic design software) to learn how to make click-worthy pins.
You don’t need any graphic design experience. Canva makes it easy with their pre-made templates.
Kristin even offers a comprehensive course, Become a Pinterest VA, which shows you everything you need to know to launch your Pinterest Virtual Assistant business from scratch and make up to $5,000+ per month.
So far, she’s helped over 4,000 students learn how to become a Pinterest VA. Below is a testimonial from one of her happy students.
You can start by finding potential clients on freelance websites such as Upwork or Fiverr.
6. Correcting grammar mistakes
Do you find yourself constantly noticing grammar errors when reading something?
If you have an eagle eye for spotting typos and spelling mistakes, you may want to consider becoming a proofreader.
As an online proofreader, you can make money from home or anywhere that has an internet connection. Online businesses, bloggers, and freelance writers are always looking to hire proofreaders to proofread their work.
If you like reading, this can be a profitable hobby that you can do from home.
Free Proofreading Workshop for Beginners:
If this sounds like a good fit for you, I recommend checking out this free workshop: How to Turn Your Proofreading Hobby into a Profitable Business.
In this workshop, Caitlin, the mastermind behind Proofread Anywhere, will teach you the skills you need to start your proofreading side hustle.
Check out Mindi’s proofreading success story below. She enrolled in Caitlin’s program and now makes more money proofreading than she did when working for a large company!
7. Make money selling your used stuff
My husband and I just recently decluttered our apartment.
We had some old stuff like books, golf clubs, video games, and furniture that we didn’t need anymore and decided to sell it on Facebook Marketplace.
In just one week, I made $700 selling stuff on Facebook Marketplace!
If you have some stuff that you don’t need anymore, you can make money selling it on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, ebay, Etsy or Craigslist. This is one of my favorite hobbies that make money.
My friends Rob and Melissa actually do this for a living. They started selling old stuff and now look for items at fleamarkets, garage sales, and thrift stores to buy and sell for a profit.
Within a year, they were able to turn their hobby into a six-figure business – bringing in over $130,000!
PRO TIP:
Rob from Flea Market Flipper says that he likes to focus exclusively on high profit items.
This allows him to spend less time flipping and more time doing the things he loves (like quality time with his family).
He says that it takes the same amount of time to list a $10 item as it does a $500 item.
Rob recently made $9,100 in ONE day by flipping two items. He teaches his students, in Flipper University exactly how to find and sell higher profit items.
There’s a good chance that you already have items in your garage or storage that are worth lots of money!
Check out this free list of 47 household items you can sell to make $100 this week.
Read Next: The 18 best items to flip for profit
8. Driving
If you enjoy driving, there are a few great ways that you can make money from it.
My favorite option is becoming a Dasher with DoorDash. This is a popular app for delivering food.
You can sign up to become as Dasher and get paid to deliver orders to customers in your spare time.
Once you accept an order through the app, you’ll go to the restaurant, pick up the order, and deliver it to the customer. All directions for the delivery are inside the DoorDash app.
You’ll get paid $23 per hour while on a delivery. This is one of the best money-making hobbies for guys.
9. Grocery shopping
If you enjoy grocery shopping, Instacart will pay you to shop and deliver goods to other people.
This can be a fun hobby that makes money. You just need your phone to get started.
As an Instacart Shopper, you’ll get paid to shop and get groceries for others. There are no set hours or days, which means you can shop as much or as little as you want, anytime you want.
To get started, head to shoppers.instacart.com to create your free account.
10. Watching entertaining videos
If you enjoy watching entertaining videos online, you can get paid for it.
Companies, such as Swagbucks, are willing to pay you with free gift cards for things you already do online. This includes watching videos, surfing the internet, playing games, and shopping online.
This can be a great way to earn gift cards to your favorite retailers like Amazon or Walmart without much effort.
Prefer to get paid in cash? Simply redeem your virtual points to get cash back from PayPal. This is one of the easiest hobbies to make money.
Plus, when you sign up today, they’ll give you a free $5 bonus.
You can click here to get started making money with Swagbucks. Make sure to verify your email so you can start making money right away.
11. Social Media
Think about how much time you spend scrolling through Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok or Twitter. Why not use social media to make money in your spare time?
Virtual assistants are in HIGH demand right now for social media management. This is because online business owners and bloggers want to hire VAs to help increase their exposure on social media.
My friend Gina Horkey, the mastermind behind FullyBookedVA, started her VA business part-time in 2014.
Within 6 months, she was earning over $4,000 per month and was able to quit her 9-5 job to pursure her VA business full-time in less than a year.
For the past 7+ years, she’s helped thousands of people build thriving virtual assistant and freelance writing businesses.
Thanks to her teachings, some of her students are earning upwards of $10,000+ per month.
No matter what your current skillset or income goals are, Gina can help you create a secure and stable future as a VA. Not sure where to start? Check out this list of 275+ in-demand servcices.
Read Next: How to become a virtual assistant (with no experience)
12. Podcasting
Podcasting is similiar to blogging or starting your own YouTube channel, except the content is in audio format instead of text or video.
If you’re not ready to start your own podcast, but love the idea of working with audio, then consider becoming a podcast assistant instead.
As a podcast virtual assistant (also known as a podcast producer), you’ll get paid to offer technical, administrative, or marketing support to podcast owners remotely. This is one of the best hobbies that make money.
How much money can you make as a Podcast assistant?
Most Podcast assistant earn an average income of $30 to $50 per hour (or more), depending on your skills and experience.
If you’re ready to create your own podcast, there are several ways you can make money from podcasting. The most popular ways include affiliate marketing, sponsored content, ads, or selling your own products.
With affiliate marketing for example, you can invite guests to speak on your podcast that sell a products (such as a course or e-book) and promote these products to your audience as an affiliate.
13. Graphic design
If you enjoy making graphic designs and logos, you can make money by selling your designs online.
If you’re not quite ready to start your own website, consider using Spreadshirt.
This is an online marketplace that allows you to customize and design products and sell your graphics through free user-created shops. This is one of the best hobbies that make money.
Simply create and upload your design on their marketplace to start making extra cash. There’s no shop involved and no shop management necessary.
Spreadshirt will sell and market your products, and you earn the money!
Other sites where you can sell your graphic designs include:
14. Dog walking and pet sitting
If you love hanging out with dogs, pet sitting through Rover might be your perfect side gig. This online network connects dog walkers and sitters to dog owners in your area.
The best part is, you get to set your own rates, so you can make sure you’re charging a fair price.
Read Next: 7 easy ways to make money working with dogs
15. Selling on Amazon
If you enjoy shopping on Amazon, consider selling items through the Amazon FBA program. You can buy items for a discount and resell them for a profit on Amazon.
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can turn your reselling hobby into a profitable business, check out Jessica’s online traning, Amazon Bootcamp.
16. Investing
Many people are now investing as a money-making hobby. Thanks for apps such as Acorns, you can get started by investing your spare change.
This can be a great option for beginners, plus you’ll get a free $5 welcome bonus just for signing up.
Every time you make a purchase, Acorns will automatically round it up to the nearest dollar and invest that change towards your future. Your spare change can quickly add up and every nickel and dime counts.
If you want to get into real estate investing, then check out Realty Mogul.
To invest, Realty Mogul uses crowdfunding to pool funds with other investors in order to buy properties. You can start investing today with as little as $500.
Other real estate investing platforms to consider include Fundrise and Happy Nest.
Read Next: Fundrise vs. Realty Mogul – Which Real Estate Investing Platform is Right for You?
17. Get paid to lose weight with HealthyWage
Have you started a new health and fitness routine? For some people, a great way to stay motivated on their weight loss journey is to have the chance to win a cash prize!
With HealthyWage, you can do just that! Make a bet, lose the weight you say you’re going to lose, and get paid. You could win up to $10,000!
I’ve recently lost 20 pounds in the past year by doing at-home workouts. My mental health has improved, I’m more productive, and I feel great knowing that I’m doing something good for my body.
How to make money with HealthyWage:
- Head to the HealthyWage Prize Calculator to enter how much weight you want to lose, how long you’ll take, and how much you’d like to bet.
- Sign up and make your bet – You could win up to $10,000 if you reach your weight loss goal in the time you specificed.
- Lose the weight – I like using Beach Body and OnePeleton for at-home workouts. If you need low impact workouts that are highly-effective, I recommend P.Volve. To stay on track with your diet, consider using a meal plan service such as Chef’s Plate.
- Win money! If you reach your weight loss goal, you’ll win your prize. It’s that simple!
18. Create a YouTube channel
If you want to become an influencer, but aren’t interested in blogging, then consider starting a YouTube channel. This can be a hobby that makes you famous!
It’s free to create your own channel and you have the potential to earn money through advertising, sponsored video content, or affiliate marketing.
This can be a great way to make money from your hobby and share your passion with others.
I use YouTube all the time to learn how to do new hairstyles, skin care routines, makeup artist tutorials, cleaning hacks, easy recipes for dinner, and so on.
19. Arts & Crafts
Many of us are spending more time at home, which makes this the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and get crafty. If you enjoy doing arts & crafts, this can be a great hobby that makes money for stay-at-home moms.
What crafts make the most money? There are many types of crafts that you can create and sell online.
Popular options include Cricut designs, jewelry, art, sewing hair scrunchies, bath & body products, wedding-related products, and so on.
There are a few ways you can open your own shop online. The first step is to create a business PayPal account so you can receive payments.
Then, you can choose which platform works best for your own online store.
If you already have a blog, you can download the WordPress plugin, WooCommerce and activate it on your site. This makes it easy to list products and sell items through your blog.
For those who are looking for an all-in-one option, I recommend Shopify. This platform has everything you need to set up and launch your online shop.
I’ve been using Shopify for the past year to run the Mint Notion Shop and love how easy it is to use. Especially since I’m not super tech-savvy.
Another option is to use Etsy. This is an online marketplace where you can list and sell your hand-made items or crafts. Many people choose this platform because it’s simple and easy to use.
20. Fixing things and being handy
Do you enjoy fixing things? I wish I was good at fixing things. Instead I just usually hire someone to make it easier for me.
In my neighborhood Facebook group, I always see people looking to hire people to help them with handyman work.
If you’re handy, you could make extra money by helping others with special services.
This includes painting, assembling furniture, mounting a TV on the wall, hanging a mirror or painting on the wall, installing lights and so on.
Websites, like Handy.com can help you find work as a handyman in your neighborhood. You can earn up to $45/hour/job as a handyman. The top pros on Handy make over $1,000 a week! This can be a great way to make extra money by helping people with their everyday to-dos.
21. Become a photographer
If you have a passion for taking photos, this is one of the best hobbies that make money.
Whether you decide to work with clients or sell your photos online, there is always a demand for beautiful photos.
Flat lays, lifestyle photos, and landscapes are popular on stock photo websites.
SmugMug is the most popular site to sell your photos. In just 15-minutes, you can set up your photography business on SmugMug.
They provide all the marketing tools you need to make money from your side hustle. Plus, you get to set your own prices.
Other ways to make money with photography is to take photos for individuals and families. Once you start getting more clients, you can use word-of-mouth advertising or create a Facebook and Instagram page for your photography business.
Some people even start a photography blog to showcase their work, share photography tips with others, or create a course that teaches others how to become a better photographer.
22. Shopping online
If you consider shopping as one of your hobbies, then I recommend signing up for Rakuten.
It’s free to join and you can earn up to 20% cash back when shopping online. Rakuten will even apply coupons automatically at checkout, so you’ll always know you’re getting the best deal.
Plus for a limited time, you’ll receive a $10 welcome bonus just for signing up.
I use Rakuten all the time when shopping online and have been able to earn over a thousand dollars through them. Pretty awesome right?
How to claim your free $10:
- Start here to sign up for Rakuten. (It’s free to join)
- Find your store on Rakuten next time you need to buy something. It’s connected to over 2,000 stores, including Amazon, Target, and Walmart. You’ll need to spend at least $25 on your first purchase within 90 days.
- Your Rakuten account will be credited with reward points. Get this cash sent to a PayPal account or choose to receive a Big Fat Check from Rakten. It’s up to you!
For Canadian shoppers, you can click here to sign up for Rakuten (free $5 welcome bonus).
23. Playing video games
If you’re a big gamer, you can use Twitch to live stream yourself playing video games to your fans.
Some gamers also set up a YouTube channel to stream and share videos of themselves playing video games. You just need to buy some basic gaming gear to started!
Other ways to make money from video games is to start a podcast talking about gaming news or game-specific tips. There are many possibilities to make money from this hobby.
How do I find a hobby to make money?
To find a hobby that makes money, think about your passions and what you enjoy doing during your spare time. A hobby can help you recover after a long day or get you excited and boost the quality of your life.
Think about what you enjoyed doing as a kid, such as sports, arts & crafts, playing music, dancing, writing, hiking or camping, and so on.
You may find that you’ll need to try out a couple of different hobby ideas to find what you truly love.
Once you find a hobby you enjoy, think of ways to make money from it. For example, can you create an online course that teaches others how to do this particular hobby? This could be sewing, cooking, dancing, playing music and so on.
Can you make a physical or digital product to sell? Such as baking and selling homemade dog treats, selling jewelry on Etsy, or selling printables on a blog?
There are many profitable hobby ideas on this list to get you inspired.
What crafts make the most money?
Below are some of the most profitable craft hobbies.
Jewelry
Whether it’s selling beaded jewelry or high-end silver and gold jewelry, this can be a popular craft hobby that makes money.
You can sell your homemade jewelry online, such as through your blog, online shop (via Shopify), or Etsy. on
If you prefer not to make your own jewelry, consider reselling jewelry on Amazon. Check out this guide on how to get started.
Art and Graphic Design
One of the best ways to make money from art is to create an original art piece, transfer it to different mediums, and sell it online.
This means one piece of art can be sold over and over, such as on prints, t-shirts, coffee mugs, tumblers, canvas tote bags, and so on. Popular sites to sell your art includes Spreadshirt and 99designs.
Bath & Body Products
Bath and body products are always popular items to sell and appeal to both adults and kids. You don’t need a massive warehouse or factory to compete in this market.
Many bath and body products can be easily created at home and sold online through a blog, online shop or Etsy.
Popular bath and body products include: bath bars, face masks, deordorants, soap, body lotion, and lip balm.
Can you earn money from a hobby?
Yes, with the right mindset and some creative skills, you can make money from just about anything. Whether it’s baking homemade dog treats or taking surveys, there are many ways to earn money from a hobby.
This means that everyone has the potential to make extra money in their spare time. You can find something you enjoy doing and starting monetizing it.
