Can You Make Money Crocheting and Knitting?
You can make money crocheting and knitting, but it’s important to set yourself up for success. Find out how to make your crafting business dreams come true with advice from some of the biggest creative entrepreneurs in the crochet & knitting world.
There’s a common misconception out there that you can’t make money crocheting and knitting. When I began my own small business, I vividly remember a dear friend telling me that my creative endeavor was doomed to failure.
She wasn’t trying to crush my dreams, she was just trying to save me a little time and a lot of disappointment.
I’m very glad that I didn’t listen to that popular opinion and that I took a chance on myself. It truly is a dream come true for me to be able to make money for my family by doing what I love to do most.
And I’m here to tell you that you can do it too.
But don’t just listen to my opinion.
How to Make Money Crocheting and Knitting
I’ve also got advice for you from the industry’s top creative entrepreneurs, Sarah-Jayne from Bella Coco Crochet, Lee from Coco Crochet Lee, Lindsay from Mama Made Minis, Anna from the Knotty Boss and Reshma from Hello Lavender. All of these women are crushing it with their crocheting and knitting businesses.
Mindset
“When it comes to making money from your hobby, the biggest hurdle is mindset. For a start, you have to wholeheartedly believe that it’s possible to make 6 figures or more by doing what you love. Then it’s a matter of thinking outside the box and setting up multiple revenue streams. But most of all…just keep going!”
— Sarah-Jayne Fragola of Bella Coco Crochet
When I reached out to Sarah-Jayne from Bella Coco Crochet to see if she would give us a little advice for how she built her incredible business, I didn’t actually think she would. She is an incredibly busy lady, with a crochet empire to run, for goodness sake.
But I reached out anyway and crossed my fingers that she would even see the message. Thankfully she did and generously gave us some fantastic advice.
She has grown her crochet YouTube channel to over one million subscribers and has her very own crochet subscription box service called the Crochet Society, just to name a few of her many accomplishments.
Sarah-Jayne said that mindset is the MOST important thing you need to get right. It’s ok to have doubts, but ultimately you need to believe deep down that you can succeed.
She also shared that she will be coming out with a course about how to create a crochet/knitting business soon. I cannot imagine a better teacher than Sarah-Jayne. She has truly created a successful business from the ground up and knows exactly what she’s talking about.
Le Petit Saint Crochet TV
Diversify
The next thing to begin thinking about is diversification of your revenue streams. You can work on one stream of income at a time and add more as you go along.
We are going to go through some of the many ways you can make money crocheting and knitting. I’ll share my experience, but you’ll also hear from a few other super successful yarny entrepreneurs as well.
Try not to feel overwhelmed that you need to do all of these at once. Start with one and when you feel comfortable with it, move on and add to your income streams. You can even begin adding these even if you aren’t making much, if any, money at the time.
Lee from Coco Crochet Lee is the queen of diversification. She has grown her business from just selling finished objects to now being a published author.
“When you start out crocheting, you think the only way to earn a living is by selling your finished makes. Once you realize that there is an entire world revolving around crochet that includes opportunities for pattern sales, blogging, videography, tech editing, authorship, and more, it becomes easier to expand your vision, and goals.”
— Lee Sartori, Coco Crochet Lee
This post contains affiliate links and at no cost to you I may earn a teeny tiny commission if you choose to purchase them. Please know that I only recommend products I use and love! Thank you for supporting Le Petit Saint Crochet! You can read my full (and slightly boring) full disclosure here.
Make sure to check out Lee’s brand new book – Harry Potter: Crochet Wizardry. Also be on the lookout for my review in the very near future!
Selling Finished Objects
The first way I began making money was by selling finished toys. It was a great way to get my feet wet and begin learning about how to market myself and my wares.
It was also when I began to realize that I could make money and that I had something people wanted. This was when my mindset began to change.
Mama Made Minis is one of the most successful handmade businesses I know selling finished products. Each and every product they sell is adorable and so on trend.
What I love about Mama Made Minis is that all of their items together create a collection. They don’t have a mishmash of random crocheted items for sale.
They have a defined customer, babies and young children (well the babies probably aren’t buying the products, but adults who love them likely are).
“Determine your brand and focus on that customer. Do your best to stay on brand and authentic to products that are unique to your vision. It’s easy to get caught up as a maker in all the different things you “can make†but we always try to ask ourselves if we are making something because ‘we can’ or is it something that truly adds value for our customer and total assortment.
Choose something that is close to your heart and makes you want to create authentically. You will be surprised how many people can relate to the same things and will love your product because it means something special to them as well.”
— Lindsay, Mama Made Minis
Teach Locally
When a local yarn shop reached out to see if I would be willing to teach how to make amigurumi, I jumped at the chance.
I’m passionate about toy making and wanted to also bring that love to others as well. Plus, I knew that was another way I could make money.
During that time I became a Certified Crochet Instructor though the Craft Yarn Council. It gave me a credential that helped folks know that I kinda knew what I was doing.
Check out my post: How to Become a Certified Crochet Instructor
Having that certification in my pocket also gave me the confidence to teach and share the joys of crocheting with others. Plus they paid me to do it.
Blogging & YouTube: Teach Online
As much as I enjoyed teaching in person, I quickly began to feel its limits. At max I could have eight to ten people in a class, so that I could give each one individual attention.
I also thought about the fact that when I wanted to learn how to do something, I went online. I began my blog in June of 2018 and added weekly YouTube videos in January of 2019.
The world of online teaching is ever expanding and not going away anytime soon.
People are hungry to learn how to do new things and they want to learn from the comforts of their own couches.
It took time, but now my blog and YouTube channel are both monetized and bringing in money each and every month.
Read more about How I Got Monetized on YouTube as a Crafter
I took two fantastic courses that I highly recommend for anyone who is serious and wants to make money crocheting and knitting. They are both taught by the incredibly successful blogger and YouTuber Lisa Bass from Farmhouse on Boone.
Although she isn’t in the crocheting and knitting niche, it doesn’t matter. Her audience is similar to mine and her success cannot be ignored. What she teaches applies to whatever you will be blogging or making videos about. Knowledge is powerful.
If you really want to make money blogging or on YouTube, please do yourself a favor and invest in a course, even if it isn’t this one (but I highly recommend it). You wouldn’t try to do any type of job or trade without an education and blogging and YouTube are no different.
Check out the Create Your Blog Dream Course Here and Video for Bloggers Here
In these courses I learned not only how to blog and make YouTube videos but also how to monetize them. I didn’t want to have just another hobby, I wanted a job that brought in an income for our family.
Sell Crochet & Knitting Supplies
Another fantastic way to make money from crocheting and knitting is from selling crocheting and knitting supplies.
That could be patterns, printables, crochet hooks, hand dyed yarn, handmade stitch markers, and project bags just to name a few.
I have my own online shop where I sell printables for crocheters, knitters and amigurumi makers. My little shop brings in money each and every month.
Check out the Le Petit Saint Crochet Shop Here
But there are other who have made their primary focus on selling supplies to crocheters and knitters.
Anna from the Knotty Boss is killing it with her printables tags and packaging for makers. Her background in graphic design has made her uniquely equipped for success.
“I encourage makers to think outside of the box, when it comes to generating income in this space. Selling finished pieces or patterns is probably the first thing people think to do, [crafty merch might be second] but there’s so much more! Utilize your other skills and knowledge to create your own niche, in this fiber space, that will make you stand out from everyone else.
If you are a math wiz, maybe you can offer services for pattern grading, if you speak/read/write another language, maybe become a pattern translator. If you love to organize, become the next Marie Kondo for crafty folks and have a blog with tips and tricks on yarn organization.
When I started crocheting I noticed there was a a lack of options when it came to pre-made packaging for handmade items. Everything looked ‘crafty’ or ‘boho’ – which was not my personal style preference. I wanted to create an option for those who were looking for something more streamlined and modern. My graphic design background definitely helped with being able to design my printables and make sure I offer them at the highest quality. However, being a crocheter and maker helped me understand WHICH printables were actually needed for markets, and how to make them most efficient to print and use… since I was also the customer.
Do something nobody else is doing!“
— Anna, The Knotty Boss
Reshma from Hello Lavender, shifted her focus to making handmade stitch markers and her business took off. Reshma has a background in art and is using those skills in her handmade business.
“Figuring out your target market is key. Who do you want to sell to? Then make products that will attract/appeal to that client, while also making sure you are staying true to yourself in the process.”
— Reshma, Hello Lavender
Social Media
Don’t ignore social media, but also don’t let it become your everything. Remember that you always need to diversity. You don’t own any of those social media platforms. And if you’ve ever heard the woeful tales of content creators who have lost their accounts, you won’t forget it.
Social media platforms are getting smart and are paying some of their creators. YouTube has been doing this for a while, but TikTok now does it too. It didn’t take long for Instagram to start adding monetization options for larger accounts.
Growing your social media presence isn’t just about vanity metrics anymore. There’s real money on the table and it’s worth putting some time and effort into it.
Affiliate Marketing
Did you know that companies will pay you a commission for sharing their products?
Once I felt confident writing blog posts and publishing videos every week, my focus moved towards sharing products that I felt passionate about, were great resources for my readers and that also paid me.
I will never and have never something or a service that I didn’t believe were good products that would serve my audience. That’s not who I am, but also it’s just a bad business practice.
You want the people who regularly consume your content to trust that you’re not just using them to make money. I hate sleazy marketing and I know you do too.
For example, I have said no to many opportunities to sell items for companies because either I don’t believe in the product or because it isn’t a good fit for my readers.
Many of the products that you already use for your crocheting and knitting supplies have affiliate links. And if someone purchases them using your link, you will earn a small commission at no additional cost to them. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Do your homework and look at the terms and conditions of the affiliate companies. Some of the commissions are great and some are not so great. Amazon for example has very low rates for sellers and you must make a certain number of qualifying purchases in your first six months. But a substantial amount of online purchases are made through Amazon, so it’s too large to ignore.
Check out this great article about Amazon Affiliate Mistakes
But don’t limit yourself to Amazon. When you purchase something crochet or knitting related, see if they have an affiliate program. You’d be surprised how many do and the money you could be making.
Tech Editing
Becoming a tech editor is a great way to expand your own skills and make money from crocheting and knitting.
Thankfully there are online classes available to help you!
I don’t have any personal experience with any of these programs, I have used Fiat Fiber Arts to tech edit patterns for me.
How to Make Money Crocheting and Knitting
I hope these suggestions got your wheels turning and you are beginning to believe that you can do this. And if you ever have questions or suggestions, please reach out, I love connecting with you.
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