Thinking about starting a digital crafting business? Great choice! Digital products are in high demand right now — from printable wall art to coloring pages, planners, and digital stickers. They’re inexpensive to create, there’s no shipping hassle, and once a file is made, you can sell it over and over again.
But with so many tools out there, it’s easy to feel lost. Which design software should you start with? Where should you sell? And how do you actually grow a shop?
Today I will focus on each step and explain what to use, why to use it, and what to consider so you can get started without the overwhelm.
Step 1: Brainstorming and Planning Your Products
Before diving into design, take some time to choose the right product type. As a mother of a 6-year-old girl, I started with worksheets and a coloring book. The idea was simple—if nothing else, the time I spent creating them would at least entertain my beloved kid. No wasted time in any case…I hate wasted time!
But in general, I recommend doing a small market check—it puts you one step closer to success. You don’t want to spend time creating a product that no one else wants.
Here is the short list of products with consistently high demand:
- Printable planners and journals (productivity is always trending)
- Coloring pages (for both kids and adults — stress-relief coloring is a big niche)
- Stickers (digital stickers for apps like GoodNotes are super popular)
- Wall art (seasonal and inspirational quotes sell year-round)
- SVG cut files (huge among Cricut and Silhouette users)
And a few tools to help you brainstorm:
- ChatGPT or AI tools – for product ideas, SEO keywords, or title suggestions.
- Notion (free) – simple way to organize ideas, track products, and jot down inspiration.
- Trello (free & user-friendly) – good if you prefer a visual “board” layout.
What should you consider, in my eyes?
Pick a product type you enjoy creating. There’s nothing worse than working on something you don’t enjoy.
Step 2: Designing Your Products
Now for the fun part — actually making your products! The right software depends on your skill level, budget, and style of design.
- Canva (Free & Pro)
- Best for beginners.
- Drag-and-drop, no design background needed.
- Free version is great, but Canva Pro unlocks commercial use assets, more fonts, and background remover.
- Perfect for planners, printables, wall art.
- Procreate (iPad app)
- Great for hand-drawn illustrations, stickers, coloring pages.
- Affordable (one-time ~$10).
- Needs an iPad + Apple Pencil, so it’s an investment if you don’t already have them.
- Affinity Designer (one-time purchase)
- Middle ground: more advanced than Canva, but cheaper than Adobe.
- Great if you want to create SVG cut files or scalable designs.
- One-time payment (no subscription).
- Adobe Illustrator (Creative Cloud subscription)
- Professional standard for vector design.
- Steep learning curve, but unbeatable for precision and complex designs.
- Best choice if you plan to scale your business long-term and want maximum flexibility.
👉 Presentation tip: Use a mockup generator like Placeit to make your products look “real” (a planner on a desk, wall art in a frame). Professional images = more sales.
💡 What to consider: Start with Canva if you’re completely new (low risk). If you want to draw, Procreate is unbeatable. For scalable files (like SVGs), Affinity or Illustrator are the way to go.
Step 3: Preparing Files for Sale
Your customers will expect files they can use right away. For digital crafting, that usually means:
- PDFs – great for planners, worksheets, printables.
- PNGs – transparent backgrounds, used for stickers or clipart.
- SVGs – must-have for Cricut/Silhouette users.
👉 Tools:
- Canva Pro – export in multiple formats easily.
- Inkscape (free) – great for editing and converting SVG files.
- GIMP (free) – alternative to Photoshop for image adjustments.
💡 What to consider: Always export in high quality but keep file sizes reasonable. Bundle multiple files into ZIP folders for easy delivery.
Step 4: Setting Up Your Online Shop
This is where you’ll decide where to sell. Each platform has pros and cons, depending on your goals:
- Etsy
- Pros: Huge built-in audience, easy to start, trusted platform.
- Cons: Listing fees ($0.20), 6.5% transaction fee + payment processing fees. Fees add up fast if you sell low-cost items.
- Design Bundles
- Pros: Known for crafting resources, exposure to a design-focused audience.
- Cons: Commission typically 25–50%. Less freedom with branding.
- Creative Fabrica
- Pros: Big crafting community, buyers often use subscription plans so you get recurring exposure.
- Cons: Income depends on downloads and subscriptions. Lower predictability.
- Shopify
- Pros: Full control, build your own brand, no competing sellers right next to you.
- Cons: Monthly fee (starts at $39/month), plus payment fees. Best for scaling once you have traffic.
- Crafters Delightful
- Another option for crafters. (Add your commission/terms details here).
💡 What to consider: If you’re just testing the waters, a marketplace (like Etsy) is low-risk. If you’re serious about growing a brand long-term, Shopify (or your own website) gives you more control and higher margins.
Step 5: Marketing & Growing Your Business
Having products in your shop is only step one — now you need traffic.
- Email marketing (ConvertKit, MailerLite)
- Build a list early! Even 50 people on your email list can generate steady sales.
- Both have free plans for small lists.
- Social media scheduling (Tailwind, Buffer)
- Save time by batching your content.
- Pinterest is especially strong for digital crafts — one viral pin can drive sales for months.
- Canva Pro
- Still useful here for quick Instagram posts, pins, or mockups.
💡 What to consider: Choose one main platform (like Pinterest or Instagram) instead of trying to be everywhere. Consistency beats spreading yourself too thin.
Step 6: Scaling Up with Automations
Once sales are coming in, save time with automations:
- Zapier – automate tasks like sending a thank-you email when someone buys.
- n8n – free, self-hosted alternative if you don’t want monthly Zapier fees.
- ConvertKit automations – set up sequences (welcome emails, product launches).
💡 What to consider: Automations let you spend more time designing products instead of handling admin work. Start simple, then add more as you grow.
Conclusion
Starting a digital crafting business doesn’t need to be complicated. Choose a product type with demand, pick beginner-friendly tools if you’re just starting out, and focus on building a shop that grows over time.
✨ If you’re ready to dive in, try out the tools mentioned above. Whether you begin with Canva’s free plan, experiment in Procreate, or jump straight into Shopify, the important part is to start creating and listing your products.