21 Hobbies That Make Money to Start Today (2025)

Wondering if your hobby could be more than just a passion project? Whether you’re looking for a fun side hustle or a unique idea to start your own business, looking to your hobbies can give you inspiration and the momentum to take the leap.

From earning extra spending money to building a complete income stream, this guide shows you how to turn activities you already enjoy into money-making opportunities. Discover which common hobbies have real profit potential and learn practical steps to turn what you love doing anyway into a rewarding online business.

21 profitable hobbies that make money

1. Writing
2. Illustration and design
3. Music
4. Cooking
5. Gardening
6. Photography
7. DIY crafting
8. Comedy
9. Drinking (and knowing about) coffee
10. Pet care
11. Brewing beer
12. Gaming
13. Teaching or tutoring
14. Jewelry making
15. Vlogging
16. Podcasting
17. Restoring and flipping furniture
18. Translating
19. Thrifting
20. Calligraphy
21. Fitness

You can monetize these popular interests to create profitable ventures: 

1. Writing

If you can write compellingly and have the discipline, there are many ways to turn your writing into a paid gig. You can write your own blogs or newsletters and build an audience, either creating paywalled content using platforms like Medium or Substack, or by selling ad space on your blog. 

You can also make money writing for others. You can find one-off copywriting jobs on skill sites like Upwork or Fiverr, or work freelance or in-house for companies creating editorial, marketing, or social media content. 

Join networking sites like LinkedIn for writing opportunities, or consider making money as a copywriter.

2. Illustration and design

There are countless ways to make money using your design and illustration skills. You can take on design gigs creating logos, websites, marketing materials, book covers, and graphics of all kinds. 

If you want more control, you can put your art on products, from t-shirts to posters to canvases, and sell those items instead. Artists such as Maria Qamar of Hatecopy have built successful businesses by putting their art on clothes, décor, and prints. 

This type of business is great when you’re starting out and want to keep overhead costs low. Print-on-demand services offer a low-risk way to print and sell your designs online without having to buy and store inventory. Once you make sales and know which designs have the most demand, you can consider investing in your own stock.

3. Music

There are loads of ways to make money as a musician, like creating beats and samples to sell online. 

List beats on third-party sites—such as Airbit and BeatStars—that work similarly to stock photo sites where people purchase your music to use in their own content. 

You can also set up your own site to sell samples to other artists directly. For example, Samples by Vanity is an online business that sells samples for artists to remix and splice together to create their own tracks.

You can make your audio exclusive or non-exclusive. There’s more money to be made when you sell exclusive rights, but you need to produce high-quality work. SoundOracle is an example of an online sample library with an excellent reputation— its sounds have been featured in more than 20 Grammy Award–winning songs.

4. Cooking

If you’re the kind of person who hosts elaborate dinner parties and wants to share their culinary prowess with the world, there are many paths you can follow. YouTube and social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are great for creating a loyal following of fellow food lovers. Once you’ve amassed a significant number of fans, you can partner with complementary businesses as an influencer. You might even take your favorite hobby on the road with a food truck business.

Or you could create your own line of products, like Jaswant Kular, who turned her homemade spice blends into a successful family business called Jaswant’s Kitchen after her daughters couldn’t replicate her traditional cooking. 

5. Gardening

Gardening is a hobby that can make you happier, healthier, and, if you’re interested in pursuing it professionally, an entrepreneur. 

If you’re an avid gardener, you can earn money selling plants, even if you don’t have a large garden or nursery to cultivate plants. Leaf & Clay, for example, sells succulents both as one-time purchases and on a subscription basis, while Emma Sibley grew her passion for plants into London Terrariums, a full-fledged business with a brick-and-mortar storefront. 

You can also sell products and accessories to help customers connect with their own gardening hobbies. Technology seller ēdn introduced an indoor garden to its product line, helping customers grow herbs and other plants in a compact space with artificial light.

Finally, you can make good money as a gardening influencer or teacher by setting up your own channel on social media, with tips and resources for the tens of thousands of users searching for good gardening content.

6. Photography

Own a high-quality camera and know how to use it? Turn photography from a fun hobby to a profitable side hustle.

Depending on your interests, you can specialize in wedding and event photography, fashion photography, product photography, or even family and baby photography. Or, for a more scalable gig, consider selling your shots as stock photos or prints online. 

7. DIY crafting

If you enjoy working with your hands, there are plenty of crafty things to make and sell: candles, bath bombs, soap, and more.

“Handmade” communicates a certain quality, care, and uniqueness that department store alternatives often don’t offer. You can test the market for your products by selling them on a smaller scale to friends and family, at flea markets, or on Etsy, and then think about scaling into a full-time business as you rack up customers.

If the idea of crafting the goods yourself isn’t striking a chord, you can also make money selling kits that allow customers to flex their own maker muscles at home. Create DIY kits for fun projects, like FlowerMoxie’s DIY bridal bouquets.

8. Comedy

Are you good at making people laugh? Do you know what the hottest memes are right now? Why not take that sense of humor and use it to build an audience on the internet? Comedy is one of the more creative ways to make money from a hobby.

You can probably think of several TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, or X accounts that have amassed large audiences simply by curating memes and viral videos or tapping into a niche of humor that no one else was serving.

Once you have an audience, you can partner with brands to create sponsored posts or turn your best running jokes into t-shirts and other products.

9. Drinking (and knowing about) coffee

Globally, people drink more than 2.25 billion cups of coffee every day, fueling an industry worth over $473 billion. And as coffee drinkers have become accustomed to brewing their caffeine fix at home, it’s a prime time to capitalize on this opportunity. 

Globe-trotting creatives Jeff Campagna and Tania LaCaria found that coffee mixed well with one of their other passions: motorcycle travel. They opened Steeltown Garage Co., an apparel, accessories, and riding gear store and café that caters to bikers and coffee enthusiasts alike. 

10. Pet care

If your life revolves around animals, a pet care business might be right up your alley. 

Transforming your hobby into a pet business can take a variety of forms. With Supakit, for instance, owners Leili Farzaneh and Kevin White turned a personal pet story into their own shop selling cat accessories.

Or, if you have a unique pet story or extensive experience taking care of animals, you can turn your expertise into extra cash by starting a YouTube channel, TikTok, or Instagram page devoted to pet-related content.

Alternatively, you can build a local pet-sitting or dog-walking business. You can charge an hourly rate for individual pet-sitting or work with groups of dogs to take on daily walks.

11. Brewing beer

Homebrewing, or making your own beer at home, is becoming increasingly popular, with the global market for home brewing beer machines set to hit $85.7 million by 2032.

While brewing beer at home is legal across all 50 states, laws vary. Consider contacting your local jurisdiction or state’s alcohol beverage control agency as you might need to get certain permits, licenses, and approvals from federal, state, and local authorities.

If you have experience making unique or award-winning beers, you can set up your own online store selling supplies and recipes to adventurous homebrewers, create an online course, or create your own YouTube channel discussing the finer points of the craft.

Brooklyn Brew Shop, for instance, sells homebrew kits and accessories so its customers can enjoy the hobby themselves.

Homebrewing is a technical hobby with lots of equipment requiring careful setup and maintenance. You can build and sell these brewing and kegging setups, or tutor budding brewers directly (in person or virtually).

12. Gaming

Gaming has the potential to earn you extra cash in a couple of ways: 

• You can livestream and play video games on Twitch and make money by becoming an affiliate, a partner, or sponsored. You can also monetize gaming by posting playthroughs to YouTube and earning ad revenue.
• With one-time donations from your community of viewers. A perk of this strategy is that it’s relatively easy to implement—you can start making money even in the early development stages of your audience.
• Offer subscriptions to your followers. Keep in mind that since your audience can fluctuate, the amount you earn through live streaming can vary greatly.

While the amount of commitment needed to make a significant income might turn gaming into work, you can still have fun if you choose to stream a game you love, are good at it, and bring your personality to the screen.

13. Teaching or tutoring

If you’re knowledgeable about a subject, whether that’s math, science, a foreign language, or even a creative skill like photography, you can turn that expertise into a money-making business by tutoring or teaching online. Platforms like Wyzant, Preply, and Outschool let you offer lessons to students of all ages. Or you can create your own YouTube channel or online course to generate passive income.

For a more personal approach, consider offering one-on-one tutoring services in-person or online. Even niche topics, like playing the ukulele, coding in Python, or perfecting latte art, have an audience willing to pay for lessons.

14. Jewelry making

Handmade jewelry is always in demand, and with online platforms like Etsy, you can turn a creative passion into a profitable side hustle. Whether you work with metals, beads, resin, or even upcycled materials, unique and well-crafted jewelry can attract customers looking for something special.

One approach is to offer customizable pieces, like personalized name necklaces or birthstone rings, which tend to have higher profit margins. 

Some jewelry makers also run subscription boxes featuring a new handmade piece each month. If you don’t want to craft pieces yourself, you can also sell DIY kits, teaching others how to make their own jewelry at home.

15. Vlogging

If you love sharing your thoughts, expertise, or experiences on camera, vlogging can be a great way to monetize your interests. You can create content on channels like TikTok and YouTube, catering to others with similar interests.

Monetization options include ad revenue, affiliate marketing, brand partnerships, or selling your own digital products (like e-books or courses). The key to success is choosing a niche you enjoy and staying consistent with content creation. Food, travel, tech, personal finance, fitness, and DIY projects are all popular niches with strong earning potential.

16. Podcasting

Podcasting has exploded in popularity, and it’s easier than ever to start your own show. If you have a passion for storytelling, interviewing experts, or sharing insights on a niche topic, podcasting can be both a creative outlet and a source of income.

You can monetize a podcast through sponsorships, listener donations (via platforms like Patreon), or by offering exclusive content through paid memberships. Many podcasters also sell related products, such as books, courses, or merchandise, to complement their brand.

17. Restoring and flipping furniture

If you enjoy DIY projects and have an eye for design, refurbishing old furniture can be a profitable hobby. You can find inexpensive pieces at thrift stores, garage sales, or even curbside, give them a makeover, and sell them for a profit.

Many furniture flippers document their transformation process on social media, attracting buyers and growing an audience. You can sell locally through Facebook Marketplace or go nationwide through platforms like Etsy and Chairish.

18. Translating 

Being fluent in multiple languages can be a highly valuable skill. Businesses, authors, and content creators often need translators for documents and books or subtitles for videos. You can offer translation services on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr or reach out directly to companies in need of localization.

19. Thrifting 

If you have an eye for hidden gems, thrifting and flipping items for profit can be a fun and profitable hobby. You can buy low-priced items from thrift stores, garage sales, or estate sales and resell them on platforms like eBay, Poshmark, and Depop. 

People make money reselling everything from vintage clothing and rare sneakers to retro video games and old cameras. Some resellers specialize in refurbishing items to increase their value before selling.

20. Calligraphy

Calligraphy is a highly specialized skill and can help you build a lucrative business. You can make money by selling custom wedding invitations, greetings cards, and signage. Alternatively, consider offering calligraphy classes or online workshops, creating and selling fonts, or selling calligraphy templates on Etsy or Creative Market. 

21. Fitness

There are many ways to make money from your love of fitness. You can:

• Become a certified personal trainer and train clients online or in person
• Create and sell custom workout plans
• Start a YouTube channel or Instagram page sharing workout tips
• Offer fitness coaching for niche groups (e.g., busy professionals, postpartum moms, seniors)

There’s also a huge market for yoga instructors, dance coaches, and martial arts trainers who offer online sessions.

How to make money from a hobby

To start a business based on your hobby, take the following steps:

1. Validate your business idea. Do some market research to make sure there’s demand for your offering.
2. Find a business name. Come up with a business name that gives your business a unique identity and explains what you do.
3. Make a plan. Create a business plan to keep you on track to meet your goals.
4. Understand business finances. Set up business accounts, funding sources, and other money matters. (An accountant can help you with these tasks.)
5. Develop your product or service. The product development process is where you turn your hobby-inspired offering into something customers are willing to pay for, whether it’s a physical or digital product, a consulting service, an online course, or a membership.
6. Pick a business structure. Legitimize your business and protect your personal assets by picking the best business structure that meets your needs.
7. Research licenses and regulations. Do your due diligence to ensure you’re conducting business lawfully, or retain the services of a lawyer or legal consultant.
8. Select your software systems.Build your website, set up accounting software, and get the rest of your tech stack up and running.
9. Find a business location. Determine where you can operate your business, whether that’s from home, a studio, a store, or online. 
10. Plan workload and team size. Bootstrap or hire help, depending on your business plans.
11. Launch your business. Let the world know!

When will I make money from a hobby?

Turning your favorite hobby into a side hustle or full-time job has its perks: You’ll be your own boss, work on your own schedule, and set your own prices—all while doing something you love. Nevertheless, it’s important to have realistic expectations about the time and work that starting a business from a hobby entails.

To start, you’ll need to build a marketing strategy to let the world know about your side hustle. That strategy may begin on social media, a freelance marketplace, or a full-fledged Shopify store.

When you start making sales, it’s key to keep track of the incoming and outgoing cash. This makes tax time easier, simplifying the process if there’s an audit and helping protect your personal assets. Additionally, tracking your revenue and expenses helps to ensure that your money-making hobby is indeed profitable. Consider investing in accounting software to manage your books.

Building a lucrative business or side hustle takes time. Depending on what you’re doing, it might take months or even years before you achieve financial independence or a full-time income from your favorite hobby.