A Guide To Hobbies That Can Make You Money

Introduction

By definition, a hobby is a leisure activity that someone does purely for enjoyment. Something that typically provides additional fulfillment to the day and can often be an escape from the regular 9-5 to take your mind off. People are becoming more and more passionate about their unique hobbies, and we are currently experiencing a rise in small businesses, Etsy stores, and people showing us how we can use our hobbies to make a bit of money. You don’t have to be an expert to create a side hustle and start profiting from your interests, crafts, and niche. The wackier, the better, so many people have already shown that there’s a market for you to make money from your hobby. 

Of course, this is going to be a learning experience, and it’s likely that your favorite hobby may start to feel a little more like work. To be successful you need to be disciplined, determined, and hardworking. However, we recommend that you keep another hobby to unwind with after work or try to reserve a small aspect of your ‘business’ to yourself. This way, you will still have the added benefits to switch off after a long day and protect your mental health. On this note, it’s important to remember that you aren’t doing this alone. You are going to develop a network of friends within your niche who will support, motivate and encourage one another. You might even want to do collaborations or promotion events together.  

Whether you’re crafty and want to start selling dream catchers or into embroidery. You might enjoy making things for friends and family, which is a perfect place to start. Artists, bakers, musicians, photographers, there is a market for anything and everything. Here are some tips on how to start making money from your passion. Who knows, this could even take over your full-time job as time goes on. Hobbies are part of what defines you and unite you with others, or even make you stand out from the crowd. That’s why everyone on the first day in the office is always so interested in what you do outside of work. It shows what kind of person you are and what fuels the soul. 

Making money from your hobby can be really fulfilling because it motivates you to do more of the things that make you happy and bring a sense of satisfaction and purpose to your free time. Living in a capitalistic society, money pretty much makes the world go round and if you want to start a little nest egg or put profits back into your business then these are our tips for how to start earning money from your hobby. Who knows, you might end up turning this newfound passion into a full-time job. Spending more time on what excites you and makes you passionate is guaranteed to open doors for your career. 

What Are Hobbies?

We’ve all heard of the classic encouragement as children to learn to play an instrument or try out for a sport, but surely there are more exciting options we can explore as adults? Most people might think about an enjoyable leisure activity that occupies the mind and fills their free time. But we’re here to tell you it could be so much more than a pass time. Take a look at Etsy, a site famous for blowing up small businesses and helping people profit from their passions. Supporting small businesses is good for the economy, environment, and your conscience, so it’s really a win-win situation. Why not give it a go? You’d be surprised how many people want to buy what you’re passionate about, even if it seems random or hard to make a ‘thing’ to sell. If your favorite pass time is more conceptual, and you aren’t too sure how to start advertising and making money, this guide is for you. 

Whether you’re an avid stamp collector or prefer to home bake, we’ve got you covered. Hobbies are so unique, tell a lot about a person, and should be celebrated. The lost art of calligraphy is a highly valuable skill, not only for making cards look pretty. This can easily be used to make wedding invitations, greeting cards, and handmade flyers. Try reaching out to local wedding fairs or party planners to see if you could make them something. Name placements are always a perfect memento of the big day, everyone loves to see their name in fancy writing. We always say to start off small but keep your dreams big, the sky is the limit to what you could achieve! You can get paid to play video games through live-streaming and developing a platform of your own. You could even start a blog to write about what you’re interested in or show off some of your pieces, this one is perfect if your interest is a little more out there like collecting things or even leaving product reviews. 

Here are some interesting hobbies you might not have known you could earn money from doing, or if you currently don’t have a hobby, we’ve got some interesting ideas you could try that will make you stand out in the crowd. We’ve got you covered for inspiration and ideas. For more ideas on monetizing hobbies, check this out. 

Geocaching

If you and your friends love scavenger hunts and playing hide-and-seek, geocaching is perfect for you. Simply download the geocache app and start searching for hidden containers. This is perfect if you want to hide something you’ve painted or made, or you could even put your business card in and leave it for the next person who finds it. This is a great one to do alone, with friends, or search for online forums to bounce clues off other people. There is already a large community for geocaching, and it can be rewarding to join groups of people with similar interests. 

Stone skimming

We’ve all had a go at skimming stones, but have you considered competing? Set up a local Facebook page and organize an event with a cash prize for the longest or best skim. You might have some fun making a leaderboard and meeting other people with the same interest in finding the perfect stone, rock, or pebble streamlined enough to glide over the surface of the water without falling in. Even old-fashioned hobbies are enjoyable and rewarding. 

Tree shaping

Are you an earthy soul who enjoys being out in nature? Tree shaping might be perfect for you because ancient art involves banding branches and weaving them together to make interesting braided shapes that the tree will grow into. Bends and curves are created to form arches, and twisted branches wrap around one another in unique shapes. A perfect way to make money off this is to display some of your work in local farmers’ markets and online. People will be asking for you to work on their garden or to purchase something you’ve already created in no time. You can even try and be adventurous with this once you have the basic technique down. Intricate shapes and patterns can become incredibly decorative. Try and wow your friends with your newfound skill this fall. 

Toy racing

Why not try organizing a league to race small wind-up toys? Children and adults will show their competitive streak. This is perfect for local fairs and harvest festivals. You could even try racing toy boats down a stream, made using folded paper and floating with the wind, or motorized plastic toys. A great idea would be to get adventurous with it and build a racetrack. There are some interesting designs of motorized toys to try, with a huge range in size and shape. Some work using a small battery, while others rely purely on wind-up mechanisms. Be sure to steer away from local cats unless you’re up for a real challenge. They’re the ultimate obstacle! 

Brewing beer

More and more people are starting to brew their own beer and are enjoying the process of fermentation and the unique flavor created. Of course, you would need time and an excess of produce, but once you are able to pack up your own beer, head to your local farmers’ market and offer samples. You’ll be sure to generate a lot of interest in no time and create your own market for your goods. There’s definitely something satisfying about enjoying something you’ve put time into making. 

Comedy

Do you enjoy making your friends laugh with a witty one-liner? Comedy writing might be ideal for you because you have the creative freedom to make scripts that highlight your strengths. Another way to promote your comedy is to head to your local bar’s open mic night and give stand-up a go. Being brave is definitely key here because you need to be prepared for criticism as people are always going to try to knock you down. Comedy is a tough industry, and people who work within this field are even tougher. Resilience is key and as long as you have a thick skin, you’re bound to enjoy learning about comedians’ origin stories and take inspiration from them. 

Fitness

If you’ve found working out really rewarding and enjoy pushing yourself or your friends at the gym, you might want to try being a personal trainer or instructor. You could always promote yourself as a freelance fitness instructor and create a social media platform to raise awareness for what you do. Gentle encouragement always proves effective so be sure not to push anyone or yourself too hard. 

Refereeing

Do you have a knack for conflict resolution and enjoy coaching people in their dilemmas? It might be great to try refereeing little league football, baseball, or adult leagues. It’s easy to volunteer and gain notice from local organizations about your passion and get tips from other referees or coaches. Likewise, it can be really stress relieving to become invested in a game that needs regular surveying and assessing. 

Crochet

Crochet is on the rise among millennials. More and more people are using a hooked needle to make their own clothing items, bags, purses, and charming plushies full of character. It’s relatively straightforward to start crochet, and you can easily set up a website or Etsy page to sell your products. Why not try linking to it on your Facebook or Instagram page? You’d be surprised how many people love something handmade. It’s no wonder that crochet is gaining popularity, from beanies to beanbags, the versatility is endless. Not to mention extremely cozy yarn that’s soft to the touch. 

Personal shopping

If retail therapy is your passion, why not try becoming a personal shopper? You get to shop for other people, picking out things that complement their style and encourage them to be a little more daring, without spending any money. All the fun of shopping without breaking the bank sounds like a win-win situation. Guiding people through a store, offering gentle chatter and suggestions, has all the benefits of shopping with an old friend. You can even get paid to do someone’s grocery shopping for them if they are no longer able to.  This doubles as an act of kindness and community service, so it’s easy on the conscience. There are so many options for personal shopping, so it’s definitely worth researching. 

Makeup

Special effect makeup is an art and people are getting highly skilled at it. You might want to try working for a local haunted house, adding realistic scars, cuts, and bruises to characters. For more natural styles, you could try taking pictures of looks you’ve created and posting them online, offering discounts for bridal parties or proms. Be sure to snap every new client helping support you and to grow your business. Everyone loves to be done up, and you could even work with drag queens during pride events to get tips and advice. The media definitely plays a more prominent role in makeup and would be a great place to start researching and building a platform. 

Investing

Obviously, you need money from the start for this one, but a useful idea to get you started is to start a blog. You could post about what you’ve learned so far and welcome any collaborations and tips, you could even suggest advice to small businesses about how to wisely use their money. Account advice might also be up your street if money talk is your niche. Why not try a career change or take up a course in your free time? 

Flipping furniture

this one is especially good for people who are conscious about the environment. If you love finding deals in thrift stores or Facebook marketplace and making a little profit after mending the upholstery or giving it a good clean, why not try putting more time into it? This can be especially rewarding because something that would’ve been destined for the trash is getting a new lease of life and finding a new home where it can be used again. 

Wedding planning

the very stressful task of wedding planning is not for the faint-hearted. Although if you thrive under pressure and love hosting parties and events this might be perfect for you. Organizing everyone and everything building up to and on someone’s big day can be highly rewarding and a great project if you have a high-functioning brain. The added benefit to this one is that you get to be a part of someone’s wedding that reduces the bride and groom’s stress levels and be sure that they are enjoying their day and remember it for years to come. 

Organizing

that’s right, people are becoming more passionate about organizing their homes and folks are making a living for themselves by organizing closets, kitchens, and pantries for other people. Some have even gone so far as to tidy spaces for those who are suffering from mental illness and cannot clean themselves. An interesting take on this is the way some small businesses are focusing on finding an organizational system that works for people with autism and other executive function disorders to make their spaces more livable and functional for them. 

Travel blogging

show off your own city, become a local tour guide online or in person. Build a social media platform for your city and share it with local committees. Start with your area which you know well and then try building one for your neighboring town. You’re sure to have travel brands reaching out to you in no time asking you to make their town a social media following and encourage tourism. 

The Benefits Of Hobbies

Of course, a hobby provides valuable enrichment to your life and allows you to explore your passion in your free time. If your hobby is skill-based, it could also mean that you are able to improve your abilities or carry out valuable research into the topic. There is evidence to suggest that having a hobby that interests you can actually improve work performance because it is an outlet to channel your creativity, energy, and sometimes frustrations of the working day into. When people get home from working all day, it’s easy to compartmentalize the day’s stress and let it carry over into the following day, even week. Hobbies allow valuable distraction and enrichment to your routine, making you more productive when at work, focused, and engaged. For some, it can be a time to switch off at the end of the day or to simply unwind from work. 

Speaking of careers, having multiple areas of interest can boost your career prospects by opening doors which you may not have known about before. For example, if you work in an office, but your passion is wedding planning, you might be able to use the space to advertise your small business and talk to colleagues who might be getting married. Another career advantage is that monetizing your hobby provides another source of income. In this economy, more and more people are looking for multiple sources of income to improve credit and stay above the curve. Financial gains are one thing, but it’s important to remain true to yourself and your interests, try not to focus too much on the money; how little or how much. Everybody starts somewhere, and any small progress is still progress. 

You might find yourself attracting people with similar interests as you, or who are also trying to set up a small business for their hobby. An exciting start of this journey is finding like-minded people with whom you can bounce ideas off. Finding a new hobby or passion will do wonders for your social circle, and you will find yourself growing a new support network of small business friends who you can encourage and even go to fairs or farmers’ markets together to advertise. 

Profitable Hobbies

Here are some ideas for where to start if you’re wanting to find a hobby that is easy to earn money from. 

Music

check out local bands and see if they’re holding auditions. If you’re into the management side of music, ask the bands if they need agents or someone to manage their events or social media. If you perform alone and have the facilities, try recording yourself and make a little EP to sell to your friends and see what they think. Any feedback is valuable in this game, and putting yourself out there is never a bad thing. Of course, busking is a natural option, but be sure to check with the local council if a permit is needed to busk in your area. This usually depends on who owns the land, but it is definitely worth checking out permits and licenses if you plan on busking regularly. 

Cooking

Why not try hosting a dinner party for local vendors or restaurant owners to see if they wanted to collaborate on something. They might even have an opening for a chef that would be great for you; You never know until you try. Another idea is to offer to cater for your friend’s next party or family gathering, this way you will really gain momentum as well as building the foundations for your business through excellent customer reviews. 

Brewing

Farmer’s markets have already been talked about, but you could also try approaching local bars to see how much support they can offer you for developing your own product. Make a name for yourself locally and using the internet. You never know what might happen. 

DIY Crafts

Etsy is your friend as is word of mouth, share your crafts with as many people as you know, and try to get the word around that you’re interested in selling. Craft fairs are a perfect way to debut some new items you might have been working on. 

Baking

Aside from building rapport with local bakeries, you could try to bring your best bits to the next potluck or even offer to provide a cake to the weekly book club meetings. We’ve all seen how amateur bakers can really grow into their own when given the right opportunity to shine on baking shows. In itself, the media coverage on TV plays a million-dollar role on the rise in baking, pun intended. 

How? 

By now, you’re probably wondering how to actually make progress and how to hit the ground running with this idea. Here are some tips on the first steps to making your hobby a side hustle. 

Research

Research is key before you do anything! Research domain names, similar ideas, and how people have built themselves up doing the same thing. You might find that your idea won’t work during the research stage, and that’s fine. It means you can go back to the planning stage. During this period, it’s also useful to think of a unique name that stands out and isn’t already being used by another business. Be sure to license your business and research how to do so, and ensure you have all the permits you might need. Another useful thing to research and then plan to do is legitimize your business. 

Practice

make your favorite pastime into something desirable to customers that they want to spend money on. Develop your unique product and iron out any bumps in prototypes. If needed, you can also design packaging at this stage. Be sure to get feedback from family and friends along the way on what appeals to them and what customers, as a large group, want and expect out of the product. 

Advertising

decide how you want to reach out to customers, online or in-person, and make a plan of what devices you want to use to generate interest. Many small businesses tend to use Etsy as a great starting point before developing their own website. Another idea is to create business cards in a bold design that catches the eye and hand them out at the next farmer’s market. 

Work

it takes time to turn your hobby into a business, and patience is key. You’re going to need to be really committed to this in order to see change and work hard on your product. It might also be an idea to divide work between anyone in your household who’s willing to help out. That way, you won’t get too overwhelmed with workload and orders all at once. 

Summary

Hopefully, this guide has given you some helpful tips and tricks in how to build a hobby as a business, or even just offered some ideas on how to find a hobby that is rewarding and enjoyable. Whether you’re into fishing, comic book collecting or calligraphy, each hobby is exciting because it offers a valuable outlet for working people and provides an area for people to switch off. This is the chance for your imagination to run wild and allow yourself to become completely immersed in something. See what you can find when you delve a little deeper and do what soothes your mind and soul after a long week of working. 

It takes time and commitment for a hobby to start making money and although it isn’t for everyone because for many their hobbies are about relaxation and lack of pressure, others might be excited by this prospect and want to find out more. Helpful links are included throughout this article which provides more comprehensive details on how to develop your hobby to make money. It’s also important to note that a successful hobby relaxes you. If this no longer does after thinking about creating a small business, then monetizing it might not be for you as it’s more important that your hobby brings peace and fulfillment to your days. 

A support network is also an important factor when considering this venture. Many small business owners have said that they wouldn’t have been able to grow their business to where it is today without their loved ones’ support, encouragement and help. If your parents want to offer a hand, that would be amazing, or your friend who has a free afternoon every Wednesday. Any help and support is highly appreciated and encouraged. Positive feedback goes a long way, and anyone who understands how hard you’ve worked will show their appreciation. 

It’s also important to remember that you don’t need to be an expert at any of your hobbies. We live in a society where money is so important that a lot of things get forgotten along the way, like enjoying ourselves. It’s ok to do something that you’re at an amateur level at or plateau in your artistic abilities. Don’t let society tell you that you have to monetize every moment of your time in order to be successful. Of course, friendships can be made, and career opportunities open, but remember to focus on what makes you happy and what makes you feel fulfilled. Anything which feeds the soul can’t be a bad thing. Go ahead, find your new hobby or build a reputation for yourself doing something that you love.