If you love sewing and have ever thought about turning your hobby into a little extra income, one of the biggest questions is often: what should I sew and sell?
The best handmade products don’t necessarily need to be complicated. Small, practical sewing projects can be a great place to start because they’re often quicker to make, use less fabric and can be sewn in different colours and prints to appeal to different customers.
Whether you're thinking about selling at local craft markets, starting a handmade shop, or simply testing whether people are interested in your creations, here are 10 easy things you can sew and sell.
And if you want plenty of options when building your handmade product range, you’ll find all of these projects inside the RLC Sewing Pattern Library, along with a growing collection of printable sewing pattern templates and step-by-step video tutorials.
1. Sunglasses Holder Keychain
Small accessories are a great place to start when sewing to sell, and a sunglasses holder keychain is both practical and easy for customers to understand.
The keychain design makes it easy to clip onto a handbag, backpack or tote, keeping sunglasses close at hand without taking up much space.
It’s also a great project for playing with different fabrics. Make a few in different colours and prints and you instantly have a small collection for customers to choose from.
Why it’s great to sell: Practical, giftable, fabric-friendly and suitable as a smaller-priced handmade item.
→ View the Sunglasses Holder Sewing Pattern
2. Lip Balm Holder
If you're looking for small things to sew and sell, a lip balm holder is a fantastic scrap-friendly option.
It uses very little fabric and can be attached to keys, bags, backpacks or pouches, making lip balm much easier to find.
Because the project is small, it's also a good candidate for batch sewing. Cut several at once, sew them together and create a colourful selection from leftover fabrics.
Why it’s great to sell: Uses small fabric scraps, quick to make and works well as an affordable add-on or impulse-buy item.
→ View the Lip Balm Holder Sewing Pattern
3. Pocket Tissue Holder
Sometimes the simplest handmade products are the most useful.
A reusable fabric pocket tissue holder turns an ordinary packet of tissues into something much more attractive and personal. It’s small enough to keep in a handbag, school bag, car or desk drawer.
This is also a beginner-friendly project that can be made in lots of different fabric styles, from cute florals to simple neutral prints.
Why it’s great to sell: Easy to batch sew, practical and inexpensive to make.
→ View the Pocket Tissue Holder Sewing Pattern
4. Hand Sanitizer Holder
A hand sanitizer holder is another useful small accessory that customers can clip onto their handbag, backpack or keys.
It's particularly handy for people who like having their everyday essentials within easy reach instead of searching through the bottom of a bag.
Try making them in coordinated fabrics alongside your other small accessories to create matching sets.
Why it’s great to sell: Small, practical and easy to include as part of a coordinated handmade collection.
→ View the Hand Sanitizer Holder Sewing Pattern
5. AirPods Pouch
Tech accessories can be a fun category to add to your handmade range.
An AirPods pouch gives customers a cute way to carry and protect their earbuds while keeping them attached to a bag or keys.
Because it’s another relatively small project, you can experiment with fabric combinations without needing large amounts of material.
Why it’s great to sell: Combines a handmade look with an everyday tech accessory and makes a great small gift.
→ View the AirPods Pouch Sewing Pattern
6. Boxy Makeup Pouch
If you want to add something a little more substantial to your handmade range, a cuboid boxy pouch is a versatile choice.
With two sizes available, you can turn one style into multiple products for different uses.
Depending on the size and fabric you choose, customers could use a boxy pouch for cosmetics, toiletries, craft supplies, small tech accessories or everyday essentials.
Offering two sizes can also help you create different price points within your product range.
Why it’s great to sell: Versatile, practical and available in two sizes, giving you more ways to customise and sell the finished product.
→ View the Boxy Makeup Pouch Sewing Pattern
7. Puffy Bow Keychain
Not everything you sell has to be purely practical. A Puffy Bow Keychain is a fun, scrap-friendly project that can be turned into something truly unique.
The pattern includes two sizes – Small and Large, giving you more options when creating your handmade collection. You can make them in different colours and prints or take them one step further by personalising each keychain with a name, initial, tag or decorative charm.
Personalisation is a great way to make your handmade products stand out and allows you to create one-of-a-kind pieces for birthdays, gifts, party favours or special occasions.
Why it’s great to sell: Scrap-friendly, available in two sizes, easy to personalise and perfect for creating unique, giftable products at an accessible price point.
→ View the Puffy Bow Keychain Sewing Pattern
8. Mini Jewellery Pouch
A mini jewellery pouch is small, but it can feel like a much more premium handmade product when made with beautiful fabric.
It can be used for storing rings, earrings and other small jewellery pieces at home or while travelling.
You could also experiment with more luxurious fabrics, pretty prints or coordinated colour combinations to create a collection designed specifically for gifting.
Why it’s great to sell: Small and giftable with plenty of opportunity to create a more premium-looking finished product.
→ View the Mini Jewellery Pouch Sewing Pattern
9. Wide Open Pencil Case
A pencil case has a wide potential audience: students, teachers, artists, crafters and anyone who loves stationery.
The wide-open design makes the contents easier to see and reach, adding a practical feature beyond a basic zipper pouch.
Fabric choice can completely change the audience too. Bright prints can work beautifully for children, while florals, canvas and neutral designs can appeal to adults, teachers and creatives.
Why it’s great to sell: Useful, versatile and easy to customise for different customer groups.
→ View the Wide Open Pencil Case Sewing Pattern
10. Bum Bag
Finally, consider adding a larger, higher-value project to your handmade collection.
The Bum Bag is available in two sizes – Regular and XL, giving you more flexibility to offer different options to your customers.
A bum bag requires more time and materials than a small keychain accessory, but that also gives you the opportunity to offer a more substantial handmade product with a higher perceived value.
Fabric, strap and hardware choices can completely transform the finished look. You could create sporty, colourful, minimalist or everyday versions and experiment with different combinations to develop a style that represents your handmade brand.
Offering two sizes also gives customers more choice and can help you create different product and price points within your collection.
Why it’s great to sell: A practical everyday accessory available in two sizes, with plenty of opportunities to customise fabrics, straps and hardware for different customers and styles.
→ View the Bum Bag Sewing Pattern
→ View the Bum Bag XL Holder Sewing Pattern
What Makes a Good Sewing Project to Sell?
When choosing what to sew and sell, don't focus only on whether something is easy to make.
Think about the finished product from both your perspective as the maker and your customer's perspective as the buyer.
A good product to sew and sell should ideally be:
- Practical or giftable
- Reasonably efficient to sew
- Suitable for batch production
- Easy to customise with different fabrics
- Affordable enough to make at a profit
- Appealing to a clearly identifiable customer
- Different enough from your other products to create a varied range
You don't need to start with dozens of different products either.
Choose a few projects, create a small collection and see which designs, fabrics and product types your customers respond to. You can always expand your range as you learn what works.
Build Your Handmade Product Range With the RLC Sewing Pattern Library
One challenge when sewing to sell is constantly deciding what to make next.
You might start with keychains and small accessories, then want to add zipper pouches, organisers, bags or other practical products to your collection.
Buying a separate sewing pattern every time you want to experiment with a new product can quickly add up.
That's exactly where the RLC Sewing Pattern Library can help.
Instead of choosing just one project, the Library gives you access to a growing collection of practical sewing projects in one place, including all 10 projects featured in this article.
Inside the Library, you'll find:
- A growing collection of printable sewing pattern templates
- Step-by-step video tutorials to sew along with
- Beginner-friendly projects as well as projects that help you build new sewing skills
- Small scrap-friendly accessories, pouches, organisers, bags and more
- New possibilities for expanding your handmade product range without having to purchase every pattern individually
You can start small with projects such as a Lip Balm Holder, Puffy Bow Keychain or Pocket Tissue Holder, then expand into products such as the Wide Open Pencil Case, Cuboid Boxy Pouch and Bum Bag.
One Library. A growing collection of patterns. So many possibilities for what you can sew next.
Ready to Find Your Next Product to Sew and Sell?
Explore the RLC Sewing Pattern Library and discover a growing collection of practical sewing patterns you can turn into your own handmade creations.
→ Explore the RLC Sewing Pattern Library
Please remember to check and follow the RLC pattern terms of use regarding the sale of finished handmade items.
