Can I Make Money With Calligraphy

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How To Make Money With Calligraphy | Be The Budget

Now is a better time than ever to make money with calligraphy. In fact, you can turn your artistic hobby into a profitable side hustle or full-time business!

Even if you're a beginner and you haven't made any money from your calligraphy skills, you can use the ideas in this article to get started.

Alternatively, if you've been earning some money from your calligraphy business but are looking for ways to expand your income, this article will give you some new ideas.

Are you ready to get started?

Here are the best ways to make money with calligraphy.

1. Sell Personalized Gifts on Etsy

Selling your calligraphy skills on Etsy is a great place to run your business.

In fact, many calligraphers make a living solely through their Etsy stores.

Calligraphed items make great gifts, so you can apply your calligraphy skills to objects like mousepads, mugs, journals, signs, and more.

Think of items people tend to buy as gifts, and consider how you can apply your calligraphy to them in attractive ways.

On Etsy, you can provide the option for buyers to enter a phrase or name they want written on their items. From there, you can create a custom item for them that fits their specifications.

21 Ways To Make Money With Calligraphy | Be The Budget

2. Sell Personalized Items On Your Own Website

If you don't want to go the Etsy route, you can create your own online store to sell items you've designed or customized with calligraphy.

Having your own website will give you more options in terms of how you present, market, and sell your products. It will also help you start to establish your own brand which helps with building trust and creating customer loyalty.

There are many platforms that make it easy to set up an ecommerce store in a short amount of time. Check out ecommerce platforms like Wix, WooCommerce, or Squarespace to start displaying and selling your calligraphy.

3. Start A Blog About Calligraphy

Blogging is a great way to market your calligraphy services and to gain a following of people who are interested in calligraphy.

In addition to drawing attention to your services, you can also monetize your blog through other methods like affiliate marketing or advertisements.

Perform some simple SEO research to find out what people are searching for online related to calligraphy. Then, create a content strategy that combines people's common searches with your individual expertise and interests.

For instance, you could write blog articles that are instructional in nature, giving people tutorials about calligraphy techniques. Or, you could write about the tools you use for your calligraphy business.

The options are endless!

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4. Sell Greeting Cards

People need greeting cards for all sorts of events and celebrations. And calligraphy provides a popular aesthetic that many gift-givers are willing to pay for.

And let's be honest, the greeting cards you find in a grocery store aisle don't really have the same appeal of professional calligraphy.

You can tap into this market by creating some beautiful greeting cards using your calligraphy skills.

You can start by selling greeting cards to friends and family, or by including them in gifts you give to others.

This is a great way to showcase your skills, and when people learn you make the cards yourself, they may remember you next time they need a greeting card.

You can also sell these cards on your website, your Etsy store, or both.

5. Sell Prints and Stickers

Calligraphy prints are super trendy and easy to create.

Creating prints and stickers can be a relatively passive form of income since you only have to create the design once and print several copies of it.

Find some inspirational quotes or come up with a few motivational phrases. Then, digitize and print your calligraphy to sell online.

To sell stickers, you'll need the proper printer and sticker cutter to make the process of creation more efficient.

You can sell stickers to go inside people's planners or on their calendars as motivational reminders.

If you have illustration skills as well, you could create sticker packs that include calligraphed words or phrases and small illustrations.

6. Sell Wall Hangings And Signs

If you want to make money with calligraphy, think outside the box in terms of the materials you use.

Consider using calligraphy to paint words on wooden signs or other wall hangings.

You could include personalized wall hangings and signs on your Etsy store or website, or you could create a few standard signs that you make and sell.

The personalization element will probably take you longer, but people tend to pay more for items that are customized.

7. Sell Personalized Wedding Invitations

One of the biggest markets for calligraphy is wedding invitations.

Couples want their invitations and envelopes to look beautiful and elegant, but most people don't have the skills to do it themselves.

If you go this route, consider creating a few different packages for your wedding invitation calligraphy services.

For instance, you could vary your packages depending on the size of the guest list. Or, you could create packages with and without envelope calligraphy and addresses.

As with any business, make sure to factor in the cost of materials, like stationery, envelopes, and shipping in your package pricing.

8. Start A Calligraphy Gig On Fiverr

Fiverr is a freelancing platform, but it might not be the first thing you think of when you're trying to think of ways to sell your calligraphy.

If you think Fiverr is just for professional services like graphic design and writing, you're wrong!

There are all sorts of services people provide on the platform, and calligraphy is one of them.

To make money with calligraphy on Fiverr, start by searching what kinds of gigs, or packages, calligraphers are currently offering on the platform.

Then, think about how you could add value to the marketplace with your services.

Set your price, get a few good reviews, and watch the customers start pouring in.

9. Create and Sell an Online Calligraphy Course

Another fantastic way to make money with calligraphy is to teach people through a paid online course.

You could market your online course to other design professionals who want to learn calligraphy, or to people who are interested in calligraphy as a hobby.

All you need to create an online course is a platform to host the course and a way to record videos.

After you create your online course, you can promote it through your website, your blog, to your social media followers, or through an email list if you have one.

An online course is an amazing way to make passive income and to earn money from your expertise.

10. Create And Sell Fonts

Another great way to make money as a calligrapher is to create your own script font.

If you're not sure how to create a font, there are plenty of free resources that teach you how to do it online.

Good script fonts are hard to come by, and many entrepreneurs, businesses, and bloggers will pay to license the font you create.

You can sell fonts through services like Creative Market.

Before you know it, your calligraphy could be on the website pages and graphics of countless bloggers and website owners around the world.

11. Create Logos and Banners for Businesses

Any business with an online presence needs a logo and graphics to support its brand.

While you may not think of yourself as a logo designer, lots of businesses prefer simple script logos that you could easily provide.

You could start by reaching out to people you know who are starting businesses or who own a business that could benefit from a logo refresh.

Pitch your service to as many business owners as you can.

You may also want to add a logo design package to your website.

Just make sure your customers understand that you create calligraphy-based logos to avoid confusion.

12. Use Affiliate Marketing

One of the best ways to monetize your calligraphy blog is through affiliate marketing.

When you promote products in your blog articles, affiliate marketing allows you to earn commissions on purchases your readers make on those products.

For example, if you swear by a certain calligraphy pen or always use a certain brand of paper, you can promote these products to your audience.

Many brands have affiliate programs that you can join and start earning money through the promotion of their products.

To find an affiliate program for the brands you use, simply search online for the brand name plus the phrase "affiliate program."

You may need to sign up through an affiliate network like FlexOffers, AvantLink, Commission Junction, Impact Radius, but some companies host their own affiliate programs.

13. Start a Calligraphy YouTube Channel

Another way to make money with calligraphy is to start a YouTube channel.

Art channels are entertaining and informative for artists and non-artists alike.

You can make videos about a variety of different calligraphy-related topics, from tutorials to reviews to showing your client work process.

It's up to you!

Your YouTube channel can become a valuable source of traffic for your website, and you can promote affiliate products in your video descriptions, just like you do on your blog.

If you stay dedicated and end up growing a large enough following, you'll be able to monetize your videos with ads.

You may even gain brand sponsorships.

14. Partner With Local Businesses

The businesses in your city or town may have opportunities for you to earn money from your calligraphy skills.

Offer to redesign dated logos, or ask if they need help creating any other marketing materials like fliers or branded napkins.

Coffee shops and restaurants often have large menus displayed behind their counters. You could offer to spruce them up with your calligraphy skills for a fee.

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15. Sell Your Calligraphy On Social Media

Another great way to make money with calligraphy is to share your calligraphy work on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, or another social media platform of your choice. Social media is a great way to spread awareness about your calligraphy business (or any other business for that matter).

Just make sure your social media bios represent the services you provide.

Eventually, you may end up getting new clients this way because you've consistently shown them the quality of your work.

16. License Your Work Through Print On Demand Companies

If you want to sell merchandise with your calligraphy on it, but you don't want to have to deal with inventory logistics, print on demand companies are the perfect solution!

Companies like Zazzle and Society6 allow you to upload your artwork and apply it to a variety of different items to sell. In this way, you can create pillows, t-shirts, mugs, and many more items without doing any of the work to apply your calligraphy to them.

When you use one of these print on demand services, you retain the copyright for your work, and you receive royalties on your sales. Also, in most cases, the deals you make with the companies are non-exclusive, meaning you can sell your designs elsewhere if you want to.

17. Create And Sell Educational E-Books

If you're not ready to create a full online course, or if you're looking for another product to sell, consider making an educational e-book or printable on the subject of calligraphy.

There are lots of people out there who want to learn calligraphy or improve their hand-lettering skills.

Your book could even include helpful tips and exercises for people to follow.

18. Partner With Wedding Professionals

The wedding industry is always in need of calligraphers. Many couples want custom calligraphy for their wedding invitations, envelopes, and venue signage.

Therefore, if you really want to make some money as a calligrapher, start networking and forming relationships with other wedding professionals like photographers, videographers, hair stylists, makeup artists, and caterers.

When they contract for weddings, your service will be front-of-mind for them, so they'll be more likely to recommend you.

19. Teach In-Person Calligraphy Classes

Some gift shops and stationery stores offer group classes for calligraphy.

So, if you want to make money with calligraphy by teaching classes, introduce yourself to local shop owners and let them know you're available.

20. Join A Calligraphy Community

Just as with any business, networking is important for spreading the word about what you do.

Therefore, try to find other calligraphers or look for a calligraphy community online.

Being around fellow calligraphers will allow you to learn from others, improve your skills, and land more business.

21. Partner With Graphic Designers

Graphic designers are always creating logos, websites, and marketing materials for their clients.

But they may not have hand-lettering or calligraphy skills.

And that's where you come in!

Offer your calligraphy services to graphic designers and agencies. They may call upon you when they have a client that's a good fit for your calligraphy style.

Final Thoughts

Whether you choose to open an Etsy store, start a blog, sell your products through your own website, or sell an online course, there are all sorts of ways to make money with calligraphy.

Ultimately, you just need to determine which path sounds most appealing to you, and then get started.

With so many ways to make money as a calligrapher, the opportunities are endless. Before long, you might just have a thriving calligraphy business on your hands!

About The Author

Zach Buchenau is a self-proclaimed personal finance nerd. When he isn't writing about budgeting, getting out of debt, making extra money, and living a frugal life, you can find him building furniture, fly fishing, or developing websites. He is the co-founder of BeTheBudget, and Chipotle's most loyal customer.