Sewing offers profitable business opportunities and fills plenty of niches. Start a fabric shop, sell patterns for sewing projects, or use your sewing skills to create products for customers.
Of course, a business needs planning. You need things like tags, business cards and social media to attract clients and customers.
But the whole process must start with the right business idea.
Start a Sewing Business
Etsy offers a marketplace for people to start a sewing business. To make money with your sewing skills, seek information and inspiration from other Etsy stores.
You need to make sure your shop stands out. Integrate your own unique style and products. Use information from the business plan of others to jumpstart your own creative venture.
If you’re ready to make money and boost your bank account with your own full time or home based sewing business, here are some Etsy shops you can learn from.
Sewing Businesses
Here are the best examples of a sewing business as inspiration to start your own.
Sarah Gledson, Made By Jacks Mum
Made By Jacks Mum helps Etsy shoppers who want to make their own clothing for their kids.
The store offers sewing patterns in various sizes. Patterns include dresses, jumpsuits, tops, and jackets. Clothes are simple, stylish, and made for adventures. If you want to make money sewing unique clothes for kids without selling physical products, this business model may work perfectly.
Visit the site for more information on how you could build a similar store.
Sarah Cookland, Sewjo Box
Sewjo Box sells fabric, patterns, and everything you need to keep your sewing projects organized.
There are patterns for everything from face masks to travel pouches. And additional products include planners, pins, pens, and notion bags. Basically, the shop provides a wide array of items for sewers who want to make their own projects or even start a small business of their own.
For more information, visit this business on Etsy.
Liz Johnson, Sew 4 Home Shop
Sew 4 Home Shop includes tons of items that sewists can use to create their own unique home decor items.
There are patterns for bags, totes, aprons, and floor cushions. And some items even include patterns and instructions to add custom embroidery as well. Additionally, the shop features sewing machine mats that customers can use to customize their craft space. This shop offers inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs who love creating new patterns for home items.
For more information, visit the shop.
Darae Johnson, Indigobird Design
For those looking for modern, minimal sewing patterns, there’s Indigobird Design.
The shop features patterns for makers, including bags, organizers, and notions pouches. The products come in PDF form and many are available in multiple sizes to fit the needs of each customer.
In addition to the products, this shop features clean, modern photos to inspire any potential business owner with an eye for minimal aesthetics.
Amy Bornman, All Well Workshop
The patterns offered by All Well Workshop are meant to be simple and hackable.
You can take the basic idea of each one and then make it your own with small shifts and changes if necessary. There are patterns for pants, tops, bags, and even patchwork items. There are even bundles available for those looking for multiple patterns.
This shop offers inspiration for sewers who want to help others flex their creative muscles.
Kiana Bonollo, Kiana Bonollo Designs
Kiana Bonollo Designs mainly features sewing patterns for clothing.
They include instructions for pants, tank tops, skirts, and corset belts. They are available in printable versions with multiple sizes available for each item. The shop also has a couple of completed products available for purchase, including hand sewn face masks.
If you want to make money sewing clothing but don’t want to sell many physical products, this shop offers a unique example.
Syreeta Briana, By Syreeta Briana
Not every sewing business on Etsy needs to sell fabric and patterns.
By Syreeta Briana is full of handcrafted pattern weights. These products are small but very helpful for sewists who want to make sure their patterns and fabrics stay in place. Products include weights with decorative images, designs, and instructions like cut and pin.
This craft business demonstrates a great way to earn an income from a very niche but in-demand product category.
Julie Haydel, Bayou Bank Stitches
Bayou Bank Stitches features plenty of fabric and sewn items.
There are pillows, pillow covers, and memory items like keepsake stuffed animals. The items are meant to be treasured for years. And the fabrics come in unique patterns like patchwork shapes and images of sports logos.
There’s something for everyone in this shop. So it may inspire those who are interested in starting a craft business where they can try tons of creative ideas.
Amy Hindman, Peekaboo Pattern Shop
Peekaboo Pattern Shop offers sewing patterns for kids.
There are clothes and accessories for kids of all ages. For example, there are crossover dresses and dressy vests for older kids. And there are also booties and onesies for babies and toddlers. Many of the clothes also come in various sizes. So things like sweatpants may even work for adults.
If you’re looking for sewing business ideas that allow you to work from home and offer easily downloadable products, this shop may provide plenty of inspiration.
Melida Willox-Wade, Mends For You
Not every sewing business on Etsy has to sell a set list of products.
If you’re interested in starting a sewing business that’s service based, you could do something similar to Mends For You. The shop offers custom alterations and customizable products. Sewing services include hemming, custom made apparel, and special items called “let me finish that” and “you design, I craft.” So customers who have a tough time creating or finishing their own projects can still get them made. Basically, this shows it’s also possible to offer alterations and other services to clients on sites like Etsy.
You just need a sewing room to house various projects and the ability to communicate quickly and clearly with clients.
Martyna Pietrzak-Siepietowska, Made By Me Patterns
Made By Me Patterns features a variety of sewing patterns for children’s clothing.
Products include tops, leggings, jumpers, tunics, and dresses. The patterns also come with step-by-step instructions and even video tutorials to make it easy for customers to complete each project.
This may be the perfect home based business for parents who already create unique sewing patterns for their own kids’ clothing.
Veronika Noble, Noble Fabrics
Noble Fabrics provides unique mohair fabrics and sewing patterns for stuffed animals and similar items.
The fabrics come in a huge array of colors and many of the pieces are hand dyed. Some of the products also include other sewing supplies like silk ribbons. The patterns often come with instructions for handmade animals that are perfect as gifts for family members.
Those interested in starting a business like this one need access to truly unique fabric options and patterns that can be used to create special stuffed products for kids.
Christy Cleary, Christy’s Digital Files
This sewing shop includes items for a variety of crafts, sewing and embroidery supplies.
Christy’s Digital Files includes patterns for several home products like towel toppers and hot pads. Many of them are made to look like cute animals or other items. There are also options for products like sneakers, pouches, and embroidery hoops.
This shop shows how even niche business ideas can be viable on sites like Etsy.
Maria Hernandez, Monica Emporium
Monica Emporium doesn’t just sell sewing materials.
There are a wide array of craft materials, including things like buttons, fabric, ribbons, and crochet hooks. There are even more specific items used for things like quilting and clothing design.
This shop may be perfect inspiration for those who love sewing but also want to help people with a variety of crafts and creative projects.
Kate Miley, Sweet Mama Makes
This sewing business features heirloom baby patterns for items like bonnets, bloomers, and clothing.
The items from Sweet Mama Makes are meant to be unique so families can treasure them and even pass them down through generations. There are many people who may want to start a sewing business to work at home after having a baby.
So this type of shop offers the opportunity to craft unique items in your home sewing studio and then offer the patterns to other parents as well.
Lisa Falconer, The Avid Seamstress
For those who want to start a sewing business that focuses more on adult clothing, there’s The Avid Seamstress.
This shop also sells patterns, so it’s perfect for a home business that doesn’t need much space for physical inventory. But the items are modern and wearable. Products include patterns for dresses, tops, leggings, and even jackets.
Debra Gorman, French Lavender Home
If you want to start a sewing business where you can also integrate a love of other crafts, check out French Lavender Home.
Instead of focusing on one making method, this shop integrates a variety of products that all fit a modern farmhouse style. Products include fabrics, pouches, kids toys, and even knit items. This shop does sell some physical products.
So make sure you have enough space in your home sewing studio for inventory if you plan on starting something similar using your own style aesthetic.
Rhonda Pinkerman, Poo Doo
Poo Doo is a shop for pet products.
This may be the perfect home sewing business idea for animal lovers and those who already love making leashes, bandanas, and waste pouches for their pets. This shop sells physical products. Many of them are sewn. But there are a few additional items like printed t-shirts mixed in.
So the business is more about catering to a specific market than about a particular technique.
Becky Spurrett, Sewn By Rebecca Louise
This home sewing business features mainly book covers and sleeves.
They come in a variety of fabrics and many are padded to provide extra protection for customers’ beloved books. Some products even include extra items to make them perfect for gifts or special purchases. Sewn By Rebecca Louise caters to a very specific niche.
So business owners in this category should make sure they tailor their marketing and photos to their target customers.
Sara Boatright, Mayday Labels
Mayday Labels isn’t your typical sewing business that offers fabric, sewn items, or fabrics.
But this shop does offer something important for other sewers or home businesses – tags. These products are made of organic cotton and can be customized and then easily stitched into garments, bags, or other products. This type of business requires some design skills and specialty equipment. But it may be a unique idea for anyone looking to support other business owners who sell products online or at local craft fairs.
Sarah Johnson, Sew My Brains Out
Sew My Brains Out features a variety of hand sewn dolls and plush products.
The sewing business is full of unique items like tapeworms and ninjas. So it may be perfect for those looking for an outlet to share their interesting ideas. Additionally, most products appeared to be hand sewn, rather than made with sewing machines.
So make sure you have the time and energy required to make money with truly handmade items.
Nicole Turner, The Quilted Line Studio
Those who enjoy quilting and similar traditional methods, The Quilted Line Studio offers a unique example.
The shop doesn’t feature actual quilts. But instead it uses similar methods to create smaller products that are easier to produce and ship at lower costs. If you’re looking to put your sewing machine and skills to work but don’t want to make large scale products, this idea may apply to other areas as well.
Amanda Jennings, MinkMaids Collection
Not all business plans on Etsy rely on small accessories and digital products.
Some offer customized products and more expensive items. For example, MinkMaids Collection offers handcrafted wedding dresses for modern brides. The dresses in the shop mainly appear to be sold as-is. But other dress designers could offer custom items or services like tailoring to make their store stand out even more.
Starting this type of business at home does require some space, a quality sewing machine and fabric, and enough skills to make high end products.
Aysha Patel, Accessories Attic
Accessories Attic is a shop full of various sewing and craft supplies. Much of the inventory is fabric. But there are also accessories like buttons, lace, paper, and beads. Basically, it offers another way to purchase items you might find at local craft stores. This type of home business does involve shipping physical products. But most are not especially large or expensive. And this type of business plan could work for those who aren’t especially handy with a sewing machine or needle and thread.
Erin Porter, Porter Lane Home
Porter Lane Home is a sewing business that mainly features home decor products. You can gather more information on this store by visiting. The inventory includes pillow covers, basket liners, tea towels, and even wall art. Many of the items fit into a farmhouse style. And everything from the photos to the branding provides a consistent experience for clients. This type of home sewing business may work for those who are willing to put some extra time and effort into their marketing. But if you can leverage word of mouth advertising, referrals, and even online articles, you may be able to bring in enough money to build a full time business.
To learn more about selling on Etsy, read: How to Start an Etsy Shop
Image: Depositphotos
This article, “24 Sewing Businesses Lay Out the Pattern for Profits on Etsy” was first published on Small Business Trends