It has come to my attention that I have quite a few people reading this blog who are extremely crafty!
If this sounds like you and you also happen to create your own patterns for the crafts you make, today's post could benefit you. Below, I'm listing several places online where you can sell your unique patterns.
The great thing about selling patterns is that — depending on how you have your rights set — you could sell the same pattern over and over again. That means only doing the hard work once and then continuing to reap the benefits over time.
Keep in mind however that you can probably charge more for patterns that are exclusive. Also, patterns can be delivered to buyers digitally. This means no hassle of mailing and shipping for you and less waiting for the buyer.
I did some research to find the best options online for selling your patterns and below is what I came up with. Please leave a comment if you know of any other sites:
Where to Sell Sewing Patterns Online
Etsy
Etsy is a site you're probably already very familiar with seeing as how it's insanely popular. It's a huge handmade/crafty marketplace where you can sell patterns and also just about anything else that falls under the vintage or handmade category.
Etsy has fees, but they aren't that steep. They charge 20 cents for each listing you post and then an additional 3.5 percent fee for each transaction. You don't have to wait to get paid for you what you sell. The money goes straight to your Paypal account as soon as a purchase has been made.
You can visit Etsy to get started selling or read our full Etsy review on how it works.
Craftsy
Craftsy is a very popular website for crafters. You can take online crafting classes, buy craft supplies, and also sell your patterns.
The great thing about using Craftsy for selling your patterns is that they do not take any fees nor do they take a commission when your pattern sells. This is not typical. You'll notice that most other sites do take fees.
Payments are made to you via Paypal and you get the money as soon as your pattern is purchased.
Go here to start selling on Craftsy.
You Can Make This
You Can Make This has a program for designers to earn money sharing their expertise and techniques through their website.
You submit your ideas for projects and if it's accepted, you upload pics, sample files, instructions, etc. and these can be purchased on their site. You Can Make This is another site that takes 50 percent of your earnings after one of your project ideas is sold.
Go here for more information on the Share and Profit program at You Can Make This.
PatternFish
This is a site for knitting, weaving, and crochet patterns. You can sell your patterns here and earn approximately 60 percent of your sale price. Payments are made monthly provided you have at least $20 in sales.
Go here to learn more about selling patterns on PatternFish.
Reader Mentions
Someone in the comments below mentioned that knitters and crocheters can buy and also sell patterns at Ravelry. This is a very popular site with a huge amount of users, so you'd definitely be getting your patterns in front of people if you signed up and posted them there.
I also got an email suggesting that I add DIY Crush to this list. This is a huge sewing and craft pattern marketplace with free projects, patterns, tutorials, craft info, pattern reviews, and fun giveaways. You'll definitely want to check this one out!
More Help
If you have questions about the process of creating and selling a pattern, you should read this blog post over at Craft Buds. There's some great information there about creating and selling your craft patterns online.
Want to Sell Your Finished Products?
If you are mainly interested in selling your crafts rather than your patterns, you'll want to check out the article I wrote with a list of six places where you can sell your crafts online.
BONUS – Another Type of Digital Download to Sell On Etsy!
If you are interested in selling digital downloads but don't feel too confident about creating sewing patterns, you may want to consider selling digital printables instead.
Digital printables can be made quickly, and you don't have to have any graphic design experience. Plus, people snatch them up like crazy on Etsy.
And like sewing patterns, these digital printables can sell over and over once they are made!
For more info, you can sign up for this FREE online workshop hosted by my friend Julie of Gold City Ventures. She made $10,000 in her first year of selling printables on the side.
Anna Thurman is a work at home blogger and mom of two. She has been researching and reviewing remote jobs for over 13 years. Her findings are published weekly here at Real Ways to Earn.
Thanks for the great info!
Another huge one for knitters and crocheters in ravelry.com. It works a little more like a social media site, with groups and the ability to add friends and post about your projects, but another big part of the site is buying and selling patterns. I haven’t published any patterns there myself, so I don’t know the percentage you get in sales, but I do know that it has over 4 million users now, so you reach a very big audience there.