Let me be real with you — when I started selling on Etsy, I had no idea what I was doing.

I didn’t have a fancy shop, design skills, or a big audience.

Just curiosity… and a Canva account.

But three months later, I made $1,200 selling simple digital stickers I designed from scratch.

No inventory. No shipping. No stress.

Sounds crazy, right? Let me show you exactly how it happened — and how you can do it too.

Step 1: How I Discovered the Idea

I was scrolling on TikTok one night and saw a post:

“People are making money selling digital stickers on Etsy.”

At first, I laughed. Stickers? Really?

But then I checked Etsy myself — and wow.

There were thousands of searches for planner stickers, digital stickers, mood tracker stickers, and aesthetic icons.

Some shops had sold over 10,000 listings.

That’s when I realized: this isn’t just cute — it’s profitable.

Step 2: Learning Canva (The Easy Way)

Here’s the best part: you don’t need Photoshop or any complicated software.

You can make all your designs in Canva — the free version works perfectly fine.

I started by creating small sticker sets:

• Motivational quotes

• Planner icons (coffee cups, stars, hearts, to-do lists)

• Seasonal stickers (Christmas, self-care, productivity themes)

💡 Pro tip: Stickers that help people organize or decorate planners sell like crazy.

Once I found my style, I saved my designs as transparent PNGs — that’s what customers download.

Step 3: Creating the Sticker Files

Each sticker pack had around 30–50 PNGs in a ZIP file.

I also included a ready-to-use sheet so customers could print or upload them easily to apps like GoodNotes or Notability.

You can use Canva’s “elements” + custom text to make them unique.

💡 Tip: Avoid copyrighted designs (no logos, no TV characters). Stick to original or generic ideas.

Step 4: Setting Up My Etsy Shop

Opening an Etsy store is free — you only pay a small $0.20 listing fee per item.

Here’s what I focused on:

✅ Shop Name: Something aesthetic and searchable (mine had the word “stickers” in it).

✅ Mockups: I used Canva to create product images showing the stickers “in use.”

✅ SEO Title: Example: “Digital Planner Stickers | Self-Care Sticker Pack | GoodNotes Stickers for Productivity.”

✅ Tags: I used 13 tags like digital stickers, printable stickers, aesthetic stickers, planner supplies, digital downloads.

Within a week, I got my first sale.

And honestly… that notification changed everything.

Step 5: Promoting My Shop (for Free)

I didn’t pay for ads.

Instead, I used Pinterest.

I created simple pins with titles like:

• “Cute Stickers for Digital Planners”

• “Aesthetic Self-Care Stickers for Etsy Lovers”

Each pin linked directly to my Etsy shop.

After a few weeks, traffic started rolling in — and sales followed.

💡 Tip: Pinterest loves pretty visuals. Use soft colors, handwritten fonts, and clear calls to action.

Step 6: Pricing & Passive Income

I priced each pack at $3.99 to $6.99, depending on size.

Since it’s digital, you don’t have to worry about stock — one file can sell forever.

Here’s what happened in three months:

• Month 1: $87

• Month 2: $420

• Month 3: $692

Total: $1,199.34 (and a few cents I’ll never forget 😅).

And the best part? Most of it was passive.

Once the listings were up, they sold while I slept.

Step 7: What I Learned Along the Way

I’ll be honest — not every pack sold well.

Some flopped. Some surprised me.

Here’s what I learned:

✨ Trends matter — track what’s hot on Pinterest and Etsy.

✨ Aesthetic sells — people buy with their eyes first.

✨ Bundles win — packs with 100+ stickers sell best.

✨ Consistency pays off — the more listings you have, the more traffic you get.

If you treat your Etsy like a real business (even for 1 hour a day), it grows faster than you think.

Step 8: Scaling the Business

Once I had a few bestsellers, I duplicated the process:

• Created seasonal packs (New Year, Valentine’s, Back to School)

• Added bundle listings (5 packs for $15)

• Started collecting emails to promote new releases

That’s when sales became consistent — even during slow months.

💡 Tip: Reuse your sticker designs in new formats (journals, printable planners, or wallpapers). More products = more income streams.

Step 9: How You Can Start Today

You don’t need to wait or overthink.

Here’s what you need:

1. A Canva account (free is fine).

2. An Etsy shop (takes 10 minutes to set up).

3. Ideas — planner, quotes, aesthetic icons, etc.

4. Mockups — use Canva templates to showcase your products beautifully.

Upload, publish, and promote.

Your first sale might take time — but once it happens, you’ll be hooked.

Step 10: Why This Works in 2025

Digital products are exploding right now.

People want instant downloads, organization tools, and pretty designs for their planners or iPads.

Canva + Etsy = a perfect combo for beginners who want low effort, high reward.

You don’t need followers, paid ads, or art school.

Just creativity and consistency.

Final Thoughts: If I Can Do It, You Can Too

When I first made $1,200 selling Canva stickers, it didn’t feel real.

I wasn’t a designer — just someone who refused to give up.

Now, every time I see a new sale notification, I smile.

Because it’s proof that small ideas can turn into real income.

So don’t overthink it.

Open Canva. Play around. Create something cute.

Upload it to Etsy.

Your first $1,200 might be waiting for you too. 💖