Low effort DIY products to start selling this weekend
- 10 hours ago
- 6 min read
If you’re among the thousands of readers that love my post on digital products to start selling this weekend, here are physical products with higher perceived value you can start just as fast.
Selling hand made physical products
Digital products can be great. But with how saturated the market has become, simple physical products can sometimes be far more profitable.
Why?
Because physical products naturally feel more valuable. They’re also far more giftable.
Think about it for a second: if you were buying a birthday present for someone, would you rather send them a PDF planner… or a beautiful hardcover planner they can actually unwrap?
Exactly.
Physical products are easier to sell because they feel special. They can be personalised (which Etsy buyers absolutely love), customised for different occasions, and they photograph beautifully — making it much easier to create product images and videos that attract buyers.
And before you start worrying about inventory, don’t.
The products I’m about to show you are lightweight, inexpensive to make, and incredibly simple to ship. You can keep a few supplies at home or order materials with next-day delivery when an order comes in. Most of these products can be assembled in minutes.
Simple idea.
Low startup cost.
High perceived value.
So if you’re looking for practical products you can start selling this weekend, let’s get into them.
15 Low effort handmade products to sell when you’re short on time
Customised Summer Glasses for Kids
Parents love buying little items for summer parties, holidays, pool days, or school events that make their child feel special. When a child sees their name on their own sunglasses, it instantly feels like something unique made just for them.
These are also fantastic sellers because they photograph beautifully and do very well on Etsy, Pinterest, and TikTok.
You can sell these individually, in party packs, or even as birthday bundle kits for 10–20 kids, which increases your order value significantly.
Materials needed
Plastic sunnies (Amazon or wholesale suppliers)
Glue gun
Name beads
Decorative Charms
Packaging bags or boxes(optional)
Unique Party Favors
Party favors are one of those things that every party host needs, but very few people have the time to create themselves. Now I’m not talking about the regular lovely boxes we see in all parties because these are quite saturated. I’m talking about something more personalised and unique as you can see in the images.
These party favors look very thoughtful and curated. Parent and brides will jump at them.
The great thing about favor boxes is that they are usually ordered in bulk — often 10, 20, or even 50 at a time — which means one order can easily be worth £40–£150.
Materials needed
clear favor bags (buy in bulk)
Fancy ribbons
Glue dots or double-sided tape
Tissue paper or filler
Party bag fillers
Customised Activity Placemats for Kids
Parents love anything that keeps kids busy at restaurants, parties, or family gatherings. That’s exactly why activity placemats sell so well.
These can include things like mazes, colouring sections, puzzles, tic-tac-toe, or little drawing prompts. You can even personalise them with the child’s name or the event name, which makes them perfect for any party.
Because these are printed on larger sheets like A3 paper, they feel like a bigger, more premium product, even though they are very inexpensive to produce.
They’re also perfect for party bundles — for example, a “20-guest activity pack”.
Materials needed
Printable activity designs (you can design them in Canva)
A3 or large cardstock paper
Inkjet printer (very important)
Laminating sheets (optional if reusable)
Crayons or mini colouring pencils (optional add-on)
Clear sleeves for packaging
Magnetic Planners
Next on the list are magnetic planners. They look so premium and I was amazed to find out that they’re very inexpensive to produce. What a goldmine!
Magnetic planners are one of those simple products that people love because they solve a very real everyday problem — staying organised at home.
Things like weekly meal plans, shopping lists, chore trackers, or family schedules work perfectly in this format.
Because they are practical and reusable, people are happy to pay more for them compared to a regular printed sheet.
They also make great gift items for new mums, busy families, or people moving into a new home.
Materials needed
Printable planner design (Canva works perfectly)
Magnetic sheets or magnetic backing
Dry-erase markers (complementary gift)
Paper cutter or scissors
Simple packaging sleeves
Personalised A5 Notebooks
This one doesn’t need much introduction. You see them on Etsy and instantly fall in love with them. They’re so easy to create and have always been strong sellers because they are useful, giftable, and personal.
People buy them for journaling, planning, or school, work. These also work beautifully for teacher gifts, bridesmaid gifts, or gifts for work colleagues.
Given the A5 size, they’re easy to ship and store, which makes them perfect for beginners who don’t want complicated inventory.
Materials needed
Blank A5 notebooks
Vinyl lettering or personalised stickers
Cricut or Silhouette machine (optional)
Transfer tape
Protective clear sleeves for packaging
Personalised Clutch Bags
Clutch bags are one of those products that feel much more expensive than they actually cost to make, which makes them a fantastic item to sell.
People love buying these for bridal parties, birthdays, girls’ trips, baby showers, or holiday gifts. Adding a name or initial makes them feel luxurious and thoughtful.
They’re also very easy to customise — a simple name or initials decal in gold, white, or black can completely transform a plain clutch bag into something stylish and gift-worthy.
Because they feel like a fashion item, they also photograph very well, which helps a lot when marketing on Etsy, Instagram, or Pinterest.
Materials needed
Plain canvas or faux leather clutch bags
Heat transfer vinyl (HTV) or iron-on letters
Heat press or household iron
Transfer sheets
Gift boxes or dust bags for packaging
Personalised Pencil Cases
Parents and students love personalised pencil cases because they are both practical and fun. Adding a name, initial, or small illustration makes a basic pencil case feel much more special.
These sell especially well during back-to-school season, but they also work as party favors or classroom gifts.
They are extremely simple to customise and ship, which makes them ideal for people who want to start a small business from home.
Materials needed
Blank canvas pencil cases
Heat transfer vinyl (HTV) or name decals
Heat press or household iron
Transfer sheets
Simple packaging bags
Party Edibles
Of late I’ve seen a lot of mums elevate otherwise simple party treats. And they get a lot of interest from other parents.
These sorts of treats only require: the treat, clear packaging, ribbons and a glue gun. You can find a lot of tutorials on this and many other treats on this page . I literally sleep on her page and soak up inspiration whenever I have a party.
Starting is easier than you think
Starting a small physical product business doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.
In fact, many successful Etsy sellers simply source affordable materials, add a little creativity, and package them in a way that feels special.
To make this even easier for you, I’ve put together a free supplier spreadsheet with links to sellers where you can find many of the materials mentioned in this post at very low prices. If you’d like access to that list, simply enter your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox so you can start sourcing and creating right away.
Use this link if the above button doesnt work.
Once you have the right suppliers, creating and selling these products becomes much faster, cheaper, and easier.
And honestly, that’s the real secret behind most small product businesses.
One Last Thing Before You Go
If you’ve been thinking about starting a side hustle, don’t overcomplicate it.
You don’t need a complicated business plan.
You just need:
One product
A few supplies
And a willingness to start before everything feels perfect.
You might be surprised how quickly these small handmade items can turn into a consistent side income.
If someone orders 10 personalised glasses, you make them that evening and ship the next day. If someone orders party favor boxes for a birthday party, you assemble them over the weekend and send them out. It’s a simple system that works surprisingly well.
Some of the best small businesses start with one simple product idea that someone tried on a weekend.
This could be yours.
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