How To Start Your Clothing Brand Side Hustle on Etsy With Zero Upfront Costs

Have you ever thought of starting your own clothing brand but felt held back by the cost?

Maybe you thought you needed thousands of dollars to invest in inventory, rent a space, or buy equipment before you could make extra income in this way.

With print-on-demand platforms like Printify and Printful, and a marketplace like Etsy, you can now start your own clothing business with $0 upfront.

Yes, really.

You don’t need to hold inventory, you don’t need to ship anything yourself, and you don’t even need to be a designer.

This guide will walk you through how to start a clothing brand or side hustle on Etsy using print-on-demand, even if you have no experience or budget.

What Is Print On Demand and Why It Works So Well for Clothing Brands

Before we begin, I want to talk about why I think print-on-demand is a good option if you want to start a clothing business with no money.

Print-on-demand (POD) is a way to sell products – like T-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts – without having to buy inventory or ship anything yourself.

Here’s how it works:

You create a design (even just a funny quote or simple word art). You upload that design to a POD platform like Printify or Printful. When a customer buys the item (like a shirt with your design), the platform prints it and ships it directly to them.

You don’t have to keep stock, pack boxes, or go to the post office. The POD company handles all of that behind the scenes.

This is great if you’ve ever dreamed of starting a clothing brand but felt overwhelmed by the costs or logistics. It removes all the hard parts – no bulk orders, no inventory, and no upfront investment needed.

You can start today, even with no experience and no money.

If something doesn’t sell? No worries – you didn’t waste money ordering stock. Just try a new design and keep going.

How To Start Your Clothing Brand Side Hustle on Etsy With No Money

Here’s how you can start your own clothing brand side hustle on Etsy with $0.

Recommended reading:

How I Make $7,500 Monthly Selling Print-On-Demand Gifts How I Made $6,161 in Just 4 Months With a New Etsy Printables Shop

1. Choose your clothing niche

Before you start designing anything, it’s helpful to choose a niche.

Your niche is the specific group or theme your clothing will cater to. It helps you stand out on Etsy and attract buyers who are looking for something specific.

Here are some popular print-on-demand clothing niches:

Pet lovers (Dog Mom, Cat Dad, etc.) Teachers Funny mom quotes Bachelorette party shirts Fitness and gym apparel Inspirational quotes Local pride (city or state themes)

You can always expand later, but choosing a niche helps you stay focused and consistent in your designs.

Tip: To make it easy, you may want to pick a niche that you’re personally interested in! For example, if you’re a teacher, start with funny teacher shirts. If you’re a dog mom, design for fellow dog moms.

2. Sign up for Etsy

Etsy is one of the best places to start selling print-on-demand clothing.

It already has millions of shoppers looking for custom apparel. It’s beginner-friendly. You don’t need a website or tech skills.

I have personally bought many different print-on-demand clothing items on Etsy over the years, all with fun and creative designs on them that really made me happy to find (stuff that you can’t normally find at the store!).

To get started:

Go to Etsy and click “Sell on Etsy.” Create a seller account. Choose your shop name (you can change it later!). Add your payment and tax info.

That’s it! Your shop is open.

Note: Etsy charges listing and transaction fees.

3. Pick your print on demand partner

You’ll need a print-on-demand platform to print and ship your clothing orders automatically.

Two popular and beginner-friendly options are:

Printify:

Has 1,300+ product options like T-shirts, baby clothing, hoodies, jackets, long sleeves, swimwear, pants, and more Lower base prices Allows you to compare suppliers by location, price, and rating

Please click here to try out Printify.

Printful:

Handles all fulfillment in-house (so, quality is typically higher because they do everything themselves) Can add custom branding like labels and packaging

Please click here to try out Printful.

Both platforms are free to join and integrate directly with Etsy.

You can test both and see which works best for your products, if you’re unsure.

4. Design your first products

You don’t have to be a designer to create products that sell. In fact, some of the best-selling items on Etsy are just easy text designs.

You can use tools like Canva to create designs to put on your clothing, which is easy to use for beginners. Or, if you have a little money to spend, you can find ready-to-edit design templates on Creative Market.

Some design ideas for beginners could be:

Funny quotes (“Dog hair, don’t care”) Matching family shirts (vacation themes, holidays) Minimalist designs (simple words or icons) Local pride (“Colorado Girl” or “Made in Brooklyn”)

After creating your design, upload it to Printify or Printful, and they’ll automatically place it on product mockups like T-shirts, hoodies, or sweatshirts so that you can see what it would look like for potential customers.

You don’t even need to take your own product photos!

5. Connect your POD platform to Etsy

Once your design is ready and you’ve chosen a product to sell, it’s time to connect your POD platform to Etsy.

Both Printify and Printful allow one-click integration with Etsy.

Once connected, you can push your product directly to your Etsy shop.

You’ll just need to fill out the details like:

Product title: Include clear keywords (example: “Funny Dog Mom T-Shirt”). Description: Tell the buyer what they’re getting (fit, fabric, who it’s for). Tags: Use Etsy tags for better search visibility (this is so that potential buyers can find your Etsy listing more easily). Price: Calculate how much you want to price your clothing item based on your base cost, Etsy fees, and how much money you want to make.

Example pricing:

Base cost (Printify): $10.50 Etsy fees: around $1.50 Your sale price: $20.00 Profit: $8.00 per shirt (no upfront costs)

6. Share your Etsy shop for free

Once your listings are live, it’s time to get traffic!

You don’t have to run ads if you don’t want to. There are lots of free ways to promote your Etsy shop, such as:

1. Pinterest

Create pins using your product mockups. Link each pin to your Etsy listing. Make sure you write a Pinterest description that is high quality and with keywords.

2. Instagram or TikTok

Show sneak peeks of your designs. Record yourself launching your shop. Post funny or relevant content.

3. Facebook groups

Join groups related to your niche. Share your shop or designs (if group rules allow).

4. Etsy SEO

Use strong keywords in your product titles, tags, and descriptions. Think like a buyer: What would they type into the search bar to find my clothing item?

7. How fulfillment works (and how you get paid)

Here’s what happens when someone places an order:

The customer buys your shirt on Etsy. Your POD platform (Printify or Printful) automatically receives the order. They print, pack, and ship the product to your customer. You get paid (after Etsy takes out its fees).

You never need to touch inventory, ship packages, or even send tracking numbers. Everything is automated.

It’s one of the easiest ways to start a side hustle.

Why This Works (Even if You Have No Experience)

This business model is perfect for beginners because:

You don’t need any money to get started. You don’t have to be a designer. You can do this in your spare time. You don’t need tech skills. You don’t have to have inventory or ship anything.

All you need is the internet, a computer, and some time!

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to common questions about how to start a clothing side hustle on Etsy with no money.

How to start a clothing line with no money and no experience?

Use Etsy and a print-on-demand platform like Printify or Printful. You can design for free using Canva and sell without having to store any inventory or pay money upfront.

Is selling clothes on Etsy profitable?

Yes! Many sellers make hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month with easy designs. Profit margins are around $5 to $15 per item, depending on your pricing and supplier.

Do I need a business license to start?

Not right away, and Etsy doesn’t require one to start selling. As your business grows, check local laws in your area to be sure.

How much can I realistically earn with a clothing print on demand business?

Some sellers make a few hundred dollars a month, and others earn thousands. It depends on your niche, how many listings you have (the more, the better!), and how well you promote them.

What if no one buys my products?

That’s normal when starting out. Keep testing new designs, improve your SEO, and promote your shop.

Can I sell other things besides clothing later?

Yes! You can expand into tote bags, mugs, stickers, and more.

Is this allowed on Etsy?

Yes. Just disclose your production partner (Printify or Printful) in your listing settings. It’s totally allowed by Etsy, and people do it all the time.

What’s the best product to start with – shirts, sweatshirts, or something else?

I recommend that you start with T-shirts. They’re low-cost, easy to sell year-round, and popular items to buy.

How To Start Your Clothing Brand Side Hustle on Etsy With No Money – Summary

I hope you enjoyed my article on how to start a clothing brand side hustle, even with no money.

You don’t need a warehouse. You don’t need inventory. You don’t even need a business loan.

You just need an idea for a design!

Print-on-demand and Etsy make it possible for anyone to start a clothing line or side hustle from home – without spending any money upfront.

And if you do launch your clothing brand, send me the link! I’d love to see what you create and support your new side hustle.

Are you interested in starting a clothing print-on-demand side hustle?

Recommended reading:

How To Decide What Business To Start in 8 Simple Steps How To Start a Business With No Money (Here’s How I Did It) How To Make Money Without A Job 14 Best Low Maintenance Businesses to Start Today 16 Low Effort Side Hustles That Can Make You Extra Money 14 Side Hustles You Can Start With No Money

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