Cash in on Your Passions with 19 Fun Hobbies that Make Money

Want to get paid for doing something you love?

There’s a hobby for that. Discover fun hobbies that make money and turn your free time into profits. 

Wait – Should I Monetize My Hobbies?

Okay, before diving in, we need to address the giant elephant in the room. 

Why are you looking for a hobby that makes money? What’s your end goal here?

If you’re choosing a hobby solely for its money-making potential, is it still a hobby? Or are you burdening yourself with another job?

Hobbies are supposed to be fun. They’re supposed to give you something to look forward to, to enjoy, and to make life more interesting. Making money is just a bonus. 

So please don’t pick a hobby based on its potential for monetization. Pick one that sounds intriguing. 

Passion FIRE

I say that, but I don’t always practice what I preach. Passion FIRE throws a little wrench in the idea that hobbies are for fun first. 

Passion FIRE helps you find a hobby that you love (your passion) and turn it into an income so you can quit a job you hate. 

But we’re not talking about finding your passion or quitting your job here; we’re talking about finding a hobby you enjoy that might make you a few bucks on the side. 

Here’s how to do that. 

How Do I Find a Hobby that Makes Money?

To find a hobby that makes money, you should start by finding a hobby. Focus on the money-making part later.

That begs the question – how do you find a hobby?

Ask yourself, “What do I enjoy doing?”

I’m sure there are things that you love to do, so start there. What would you happily spend your free time doing? What would you pay to do?

Those are the hobbies that you should focus on to start earning money.

The Best Hobbies that Make Money

Okay, to be fair, you can’t transform most hobbies into easy money-making ventures. Some hobbies just lend themselves to making money. 

If you really need something that earns an income, you’ll want to focus on those. 

But curb your expectations. Just because something lends itself to making money, that doesn’t mean you will earn money.  It only means that these hobbies are already suited for monetization. 

Earning money from them will still take a lot of work and commitment, but the effort can pay off in the long run. 

If you want a hobby that makes money, explore these options. 

Painting

Painting is a fantastic creative outlet and a great hobby to turn into a side hustle. Many people sell their artwork on Etsy and eBay, but there are platforms explicitly dedicated to painting.

Artspan is a hosting service dedicated to artists. They offer gallery and print-on-demand services so that people can buy your prints. You will have to pay a monthly hosting fee for this service, but it’s a great way to get your artwork out there.

For a free gallery, check out websites like Artpal. They offer artists free gallery space and take a portion of all sales. If you want to sell art on your own, you can use a social media site like Instagram to build a following and try to find commissions.

Music

Are you a talented musician? If you know how to play and mix music, you can turn that skill into cash by playing with a band that needs an extra, tutoring kids in your chosen instrument, or creating music for online media. 

With the rise of video, stock music is just as important as stock photography. Sell your instrumentals to brands for their YouTube, Podcast, and Social Media projects. 

Drop your unique jams on Spotify – you never know when something might blow up!

Crafts

Etsy makes selling crafts easy. All you have to do is make a store, upload your work, and start selling. 

Of course, you have to pay the fees to participate. Etsy charges a twenty-cent listing fee per item and takes 5% commission on all sales. 

Here are some fantastic crafting hobbies to explore with a market on Etsy:

• Sewing
• Knitting
• Crocheting
• Woodworking
• Ceramics
• Jewelry Making
• Doll-making
• Upcycling

There is also a market for seasonal crafts for holidays like Christmas and Halloween. 

You can create all sorts of ornaments, decorations, wreaths, and festive seasonal delights to sell online. 

Video and Podcasting Editing

Do you love editing videos or podcasts with apps like Blender or Audacity?

Consider selling your services online. Start with Fiverr, an online marketplace for people to make money online by selling the things they are good at. 

Thousands of people look to places like Fiverr and Upwork for help editing their YouTube videos or podcasts. 

Building Websites

Millennials used to build websites as a hobby. We had platforms like MySpace that let us explore our creativity with our personal page and a tiny bit of HTML. 

It’s a little harder to design websites these days, but if you still love it (and have a knack for it), consider selling your services to people who want to have a website but don’t want to build it. 

There’s still a huge market for it on sites like Fiverr and Upwork. 

Programming/Coding

I have so many friends who learned to code as a hobby. It’s a skill that came in handy with the rise of technology, and although AI is doing a lot of the work for businesses now, there’s still room for freelancers. 

Thousands of people need coders to build apps, programs, and website features. If you become a coding rockstar, you might even be able to turn your hobby into a full-time business. 

3D Print Designs

3D printers are so cool – but a lot of people don’t have the bandwidth to code their own designs. 

That’s where you come in. If you love making intricate designs for your 3D printer, why not sell them on Etsy? Others would love to print your unique dragons, chip clips, bowls, fidget spinners, and other unique designs. 

Graphic Design

There are so many ways to make money with a graphic design hobby. Although, like programming, it’s slowly being eroded by AI, there are still many ways to make money, especially for hobbyists. 

People need Twitch emotes, website logos, and brand graphics. You could sell custom designs or premade packets. 

Another way to make money with a graphic design hobby is via print-on-demand. Websites like Teespring, Teepublic, and Redbubble allow artists to upload their designs to t-shirts, mugs, purses, and other items. 

When customers purchase the design, these websites handle the printing and shipping and pay the artists a percentage of the sales. Talk about an easy hobby that makes money!

Photography

There are a lot of ways that you can monetize a photography hobby. The most accessible way is to sell your photos online. You can upload your photos to websites like Shutterstock and get paid when someone wants to use your image.

Another way to turn your photography hobby into a money-making venture is to offer photography services in your local area. People want professional photos for various events, including birthdays, engagements, and baby showers.

 If you can build a portfolio of great images, you can create a side business from your love for cameras.

Writing

There are tons of ways to earn money through your love of writing. 

Sign up for the freelance sites and offer your services to companies that need a short article here and there. Although these sites have more potential buyers, you might have better results with a platform dedicated to writing, like Verblio. They are very strict about who they let write for them – potential writers must pass a punctuation test! Once in, you can start pitching articles to companies. However, ensure you do your best work; the competition is fierce.

You don’t need to rely on others to turn your writing into cash. You could also sign up for Draft-2-Digital and publish your own eBook across a vast network of retailers. 

The platform works for all kinds of writing, from self-help to fiction. 

Finally, you could start your own blog to make money. Of course, earning an income via blogging isn’t as easy as it once was, but it is still possible. It provides an outlet for your writing, and the best part is that you have far more control over what you want to write. 

Reading

You probably already knew writing could be a money-making hobby, but what if you’d rather read?

As it turns out, there’s a way to turn your love of reading into cash, too!

Platforms like Kirkus Media and Online BookClub are always looking for paid reviewers. As a bonus, you get the book for free!

You could also sell proofreading services to authors, website owners, and other publishers on freelance platforms. 

The only drawback to turning your love of reading into a side hustle is that you won’t always get to choose what you read, but if that’s worth it to earn a few bucks, it’s worth looking into. 

Gardening

Gardening is the perfect pastime for spending time outside and reducing your food bill. You can turn it into cash by selling your excess at your local Farmer’s Market. 

Contact your community center to see what it takes to sell and share the bounties of your field with neighbors. 

You can also barter your excess veggies for stuff the neighbors make, saving everyone money in the long run. Money saved is money earned!

Baking

If you’re a master of culinary delights, consider selling your baked goods at local fairs and festivals. People love freshly baked cookies, pastries, and cupcakes. 

Be sure to follow all health department requirements before pursuing a baking side hustle. Some localities require health certifications and commercial kitchens, while others may allow hobbyists selling under a certain threshold to use their personal kitchens. 

Shopping

Shopping is a valid hobby and is usually associated with spending money rather than making money. However, you can turn your love of shopping into a moneymaking venture in two ways.

First, try shopping at a garage sale and flip cool items you find on eBay. For best results, stick to a niche you know and love, like designer brands, old toys, antiques, or video games. You can always find these old treasures at thrift shops and estate sales, too. 

The second way to turn shopping into a profitable hobby is by becoming a mystery shopper. These folks go into stores, interact with the staff, and report how the experience went.

Be careful, though – some places you find looking for mystery shoppers ask you to buy them gift cards or wire them money. If they are trying to get you to pay for something, it’s most likely a scam. Use a reputable company to avoid scams. 

Trivia

Make cash at trivia night!

If you’re a social butterfly who loves hanging out at bars, why not trade your time for cash? Many places host trivia night once a week and are always looking for new folks to moderate. 

Hosting trivia at your local bar one night per week will give you an excuse to enjoy a night out and put extra money in your pocket. 

Gaming

Gaming is a great relaxing hobby, and a platform is already established to monetize it. You can live stream your gaming on Twitch and start getting paid as a Twitch affiliate in less than 30 days!

Okay, it’s not as easy as all that. Although you can become a Twitch affiliate and start monetizing that quickly, most Twitch Streamers don’t make much money. But if you put some time and effort into becoming a Twitch affiliate, you should be able to make enough money to support your gaming habit. 

And some people have been able to turn their gaming hobby into a 6-figure income!

There are other platforms outside of Twitch you can use to turn your love of gaming into a money-making hobby, but Twitch is my favorite because it has the lowest threshold for monetizing.

Tarot

Those gifted with sight may turn their esoteric pastime into a money-making venture. 

Find out what’s in the cards for your friends and acquaintances. Offer your services on Facebook and Nextdoor, or get a booth at local fairs and festivals. 

Social Media

If you’re on social media all day anyway, why not try to monetize your platform? 

There are lots of ways to turn your social media use into a hobby that makes money. Grow your account and partner with brands. Use affiliate marketing to sell your favorite items to your followers. 

If you don’t want to grow your own brand, consider becoming a virtual assistant to make money posting for someone else. 

Coaching

If you love coaching folks, why not get paid for it?

I’m not talking about community and children’s sports (which are usually volunteer-based), I’m talking about helping people through difficult challenges. 

Life coaches can make hundreds of dollars a session. You can help people navigate relationships, finances, career changes, and more. 

It’s a great side hustle for people who love giving advice (as long as they know how to give good advice!)

Not Hobbies that Make Money

The thing that bugs me about most articles featuring “hobbies that make money” is that they list a ton of side hustles that aren’t really hobbies. 

Seriously, who drives for Uber or takes stupid surveys as a “hobby?” Nobody. 

Yes, you can make money as a dog walker or delivery driver, but those are more jobs than hobbies. 

Okay, another thing bugs me, too, and that’s when they put things like travel on the list. Yes, there are ways to make money traveling (or at least reduce your costs), but it’s not an easy hobby to monetize. 

I Need a Low Cost Hobby that Makes Money

If you don’t have a hobby yet and want to start one at minimal cost, I’d recommend writing and graphic design. These two hobbies make money you can begin with at almost no cost.

As long as you have a computer, you can find free writing and graphic design programs. 

Check out the full list of cheap hobbies to explore more options. 

Start Monetizing Your Hobby Today!

Although we focused on hobbies that easily make money, the truth is you can find ways to turn nearly anything you’re passionate about into a money-making venture.  

Start your hobby today, whether it’s something that makes money or not, and enjoy your life more.