Why I Quit Selling T-Shirts on Etsy (And What I Sell Instead)
Are you selling print on demand t-shirts on Etsy but not quite seeing the sales you were hoping for? Trust me… been there, done that.
Quitting t-shirts was one of the best decisions I ever made for my Etsy shop, and I wish I’d done it sooner. In this post I’m sharing why I made the switch, what I sell instead, and my 5 favorite print on demand products (no gatekeeping, these are products I actively sell).
Prefer to watch? Here’s the full video:
how I started (with t-shirts, like everyone)
Back in January 2023, I was a full-time working mom of two young girls, doom scrolling in the middle of the night looking for something that would fit into the margins of my life. School pickups, activities, and everything in between. I stumbled across a YouTube video about print on demand, and like most of the content out there, it was all about t-shirts.
If you’re new here, print on demand is simply a way to fulfill orders. You create a simple design in a tool like Canva, put it on a product with a print provider like Printify (my go-to), and when an order comes in on Etsy, the print provider prints, packs and ships it for you. No inventory, no showing your face, and no big upfront cost. For a busy mom, it was perfect.
My very first sale was a t-shirt, and I got it while sitting at a gymnastics party with my daughter. I could not believe my eyes. That one sale gave me so much hope, because it proved this print on demand thing actually works.
the problem with only selling apparel
But here’s the thing… I got super tunnel visioned. Apparel was all I knew, so it was all I made. I was getting random sales here and there, a couple a day on a good day, but it wasn’t what I was looking for.
So I started experimenting with other products. One day I found one that looked like it had potential, made a super simple design, and listed it. That same night, it sold. I was shell shocked, because I had barely put any time into it. It was simple, it was a little different, and not many people were doing it.
That was my aha moment. It was time to switch gears.
what I sell instead: giftable products
So what did I switch to? Products that people buy for their loved ones for meaningful moments. In other words… gifts.
I know “gifts” sounds broad, so here’s exactly why they work so well on Etsy:
- Fewer returns. With apparel you’re dealing with sizes, fits and fabrics. With gifts, people are buying for someone they love, and they’re not worrying about whether it fits.
- A little less competition. There’s still opportunity in t-shirts, but some of these products weren’t as popular in the print on demand space. As a newer seller, that helped me stand out.
- Super simple designs. Instead of chasing trendy shirt designs, I could create simple, text-based designs that really connected with Etsy buyers.
- Etsy is leaning into gifts, too. Etsy markets itself as the place to find unique, meaningful gifts, and even launched Gift Mode to help shoppers find them. When the platform is pushing gifts, it makes sense to lean in.
Just look at the occasions Etsy highlights: weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, thank yous, new babies, housewarmings. That’s a whole list of reasons for someone to buy a gift from your shop.
quick tip: do you have to pick one niche?
I get this question all the time, and no, you don’t have to pick one niche for your entire shop. But each product should speak to a specific person. A generic mama shirt won’t go very far these days. A mug for a softball mom or a candle for a bonus mom? That’s the kind of thing that sells. The riches are in the niches.
my 5 favorite print on demand products to sell on Etsy
All five of these are available on Printify.
1. ornaments
Hear me out… I know people say ornaments only sell at Christmas. And yes, there’s a big peak in the fall. But ornaments truly sell year round. They come in shapes like circles and hearts, and you can design them for so many occasions throughout the year.
2. accent mugs (District Photo)
These two-tone mugs come in 11 oz and 15 oz and a bunch of colors, so they work with lots of designs. They’re great quality, customers love them, and simple text or a small graphic is all you need. Mugs are incredibly evergreen and sell all year.
3. hardcover journals (District Photo)
This one surprises people. Who’s buying blank lined journals on Etsy? Thousands of Etsy customers! I love them because the designs can be very simple, the profit margins are higher, and they’re easy to ship without getting damaged.
4. canvas tote bags (Monster Digital)
People love tote bags, and they have potential for bulk orders, like a bachelorette party, a girls’ trip or a team gift. They’re light, easy to ship and profit friendly. Pro tip: if you’ve been selling t-shirts, many of your designs can go right onto a tote because the print area is similar.
5. scented soy candles (Lumient)
This is the product I listed that sold the very same night! People love giving candles as gifts, and Etsy shoppers are looking for something unique and specific. Lumient candles are high quality, ship really well, and get great reviews.
your next step
New shops are popping up every day and making sales with products that are a little different from the usual apparel. You don’t need fancy designs or a big following… just one simple step at a time.
Pick one of these five products, think about one specific person who would love it as a gift, and start there. Everyone’s Etsy journey is going to look very, very different, and that’s totally okay.
Want more simple tips like this? Get my free weekly email: 3 tips, 2 trends & 1 tool, every Tuesday. And if you want help with your shop, come hang out with me in the Gift Lab Community (free for 7 days).
Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share tools I actually use.
