12 Hobbies That Could Make You Money

For most of us, it’s go, go, go nearly 24/7. There are too few hours in the day and too many emails to respond to. Carving out “me time” can feel impossible, but it’s literally what the doctor orders, as it helps us stay mentally and physically healthy.

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An ideal way to accomplish a bit of this crucial self-care is to partake in a hobby. Hobbies, otherwise known as “purposeful activities” can help lower stress and lift one’s mood, among other health benefits.

But the best part? Hobbies — if you’re really committed to them — can turn a profit. So, if you’re on the fence about taking the time to take up a craft for the sake of your health alone, consider doing it for the money it could make you. Here’s a look at some hobbies that have been proven to reel in major moolah.

“Creative types can jump in on the fast-growing trend of NFTs by becoming an NFT artist,” said R.J Weiss, founder of The Ways To Wealth. “There’s a wide range of NFTs that can be created, from simple logos to 3D renders and even real estate in virtual worlds. Being the first artist to create an NFT in a certain niche, such as a new blockchain-based game or metaverse, can be very profitable for the artist. It’s also a great chance to learn and get paid for a very exciting new technology.”

While you’re certainly not guaranteed to make much money rendering NFT art, some lucky creators have raked in fortunes. In March, CNBC profiled an artist who made $738,000 in a half-hour selling NFTs.

“If you’re anything like me, then odds are you’ve created a number of projects that you may or may not be using yourself,” Ramhold said. “You can only gift so many hats to friends and family, after all — [so] take those excess projects that are just lying around, and consider listing them for sale on an online store. You may be surprised at the interest you see.”

Additionally, if you’re good at creating your own patterns, look to sell these online, too.

“Plenty of bloggers create patterns and videos to help new crafters and then sell those ad-free PDFs for a few bucks on their blog or Etsy,” Ramhold said.

“We utilize gardening and landscaping as part of our business when rehabbing houses,” said Melanie Hartmann, owner of Creo Home Buyers. “If someone enjoys gardening or landscaping, this can turn into a very profitable side hustle or business. One can get started by doing work on their own house, or those of their friends’, family, or neighbors’ houses. Take before and after shots of the completed work and then post ads for free and low cost places such as Craigslist to get the word out.”

“Not only can you create pieces of art that can then be sold, but you can even create how-tos on hand-lettering so that those who are interested in learning could do so,” Ramhold said. “Sell these how-tos in the form of sheets or even consider creating courses on platforms like Craftsy (or you can sell them on your own platform) as well.”

“The beauty of photography is that anyone can get their feet wet and produce beautiful artwork if you learn how to use a camera properly,” said Alicia Ho, photographer and founder of Precious Ones Photography. “It can be as simple as a beginner-level DSLR camera with natural daylight. What started as a hobby of photographing my own children, has turned into an incredible career of capturing precious moments for many families.”

To start profiting from photography, Ho recommends offering sessions in client homes or to conduct outside sessions to keep your costs low.

“If you prefer still photography or nature portraits, you can sell images to stock photo websites and make money that way,” Ho said.

“If you love a good estate sale and digging for treasures, consider selling those items on an online storefront,” Ramhold said. “One of my coworkers does this on the side because it’s her passion and it’s so cool to see the different kinds of items she finds at these sales. Even better, because they’re one-offs, you don’t have to worry about refilling inventory since what you sell will be pretty much one-and-done.”