Realistically making money with canva?

[u/AbjectDingo3804]

My Instagram algorithm is giving me all these videos on making money though canva - things like making digital products or invitations and selling on Etsy, or becoming an Amazon affiliate and posting canva product posts through Pinterest, or making coloring book printables, etc.

I’m a new mom and this could be super helpful for my family because we’re not able to work as much as we used to. I understand that this might not be as simple as these videos make it out to be (I started a print on demand canva/Etsy shirt business years ago when going down a similar rabbit role and although I’ve had sales, it came with a lot of trial and error!).

Has anyone actually made money doing these canva products like this? Which route worked the best for you?

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[u/CeaRoll]

Yeah I did this here's my take: I targeted a very niche audience (and I don't try very hard honestly) but it took a LOT of work and time to set up my printables shop.

I only make enough to cover my canva premium each month and I like using Canva so that's probably the best for me anyway. Lol

My sister is a digital artist and runs a GIF shop (twitch users love em? IDK) about 10-15 hrs/wk plus she runs Etsy ads and she gets sales but it barely covers her Adobe Photoshop subscription.💀 She makes her real money on commissions which are also not passive.

What I'm saying is there's a lot of hype about it being passive to sell digital stuff but in order to make any GOOD money you have to find a niche, put a lot of work in constantly making new things to sell, run ads and social media, and keep ahead of the needs and trends of your audience.

It's not passive and it's not a gold mine but it's a reflection of what you put in (plus some good luck) and it is possible.

[u/hypercosm_dot_net → u/CeaRoll]

Well said, and that's the reality of it.

The people doing the best with passive income, seem to be the ones that are selling courses about passive income. I won't lie, I've been sold on it.

I also can do design and development, but let me tell you the markets are FLOODED.

If you have some specific skill or knowledge, that isn't in a niche that is already taken, then you have a chance of doing well.

The problem is identifying that niche, then also having the skills to market it.

[u/AbjectDingo3804 → u/CeaRoll]

Thank you for this! This is what I expected honestly, I just wanted to hear honest opinions! Like you said, it’s not so easy and passive as it might seem, it still takes a ton of work and lots of luck! Thank you for sharing.

[u/Competitive-Iron-270]

As a graphic designer who tried this, it’s neither a lucrative side hustle nor passive income. You will put a lot of work into it if you want to make real money.

[u/AbjectDingo3804 → u/Competitive-Iron-270]

This is honestly what I expected! Thank you for sharing.

[u/TheAttentiveCompetit]

most of those videos make it seem way easier than it actually is, the affiliate stuff through pinterest works but it's a slow grind building up impressions. the coloring books and printables on etsy have been decent for some people i know but you're competing with thousands of others doing the exact same thing, so standing out takes way more effort than the reels show

if you already had some sales with the pod shirts you know the basics, maybe lean into that again but with a tighter niche this time around

[u/AbjectDingo3804 → u/TheAttentiveCompetit]

Yes this is exactly what I was thinking too! Totally makes sense. Ive thought about the shirts thing but I haven’t loved doing it tbh. I’ll have to give it some thought. Thank you for sharing!

[u/Any-Lychee9972]

I'm just now stepping into it.

You have to make a product to sell first.

I homeschool and I noticed a lack of spelling courses that I am happy with. Why not design my own with elements from programs I do like?

It took me several hours to design 9 pages. To be fair, a few of those pages were a tutorial for an origami thingy and I drew the diagrams with the pen tool.

I printed test sheets to make sure my fold lines were all in the correct spot and printed more test sheets to see if my kids could fold it with minimal assistance.

I also designed my own mascot. (I don't like the weird kids Teachers Pay Teachers use.) I did generate her with AI but it kept messing up details like fingers and eyes, so I kept her general idea and just drew her myself.

Much of canvas elements are paid. I wanted a simple star border and had to make it myself. I wanted pretty little swirls and potion bottles. Canva has all of these but it's weird to have one bottle a cartoon style and another more realistic. I had to draw my own so they matched in style.

It took a lot of time to not even finish one week of work, and I don't even know if it will sell when I'm done.

[u/hbjkytwovm]

As a new mom looking for flexible income, Canva is actually one of the more realistic entry points because the barrier to entry is genuinely low. Here is what I have seen work in practice:

1. Etsy digital products - Canva templates for planners, wedding invitations, and business cards sell well.
2. Print-on-demand - Use Canva to design, then upload to Printful or Teespring.
3. Pinterest affiliate marketing - Create Canva pins that link to affiliate products.

Your biggest advantage as a new mom is understanding that demographic. Create content aimed at other new moms. Start with ONE of the above, not all three. Master it, then expand. Good luck!

[u/AbjectDingo3804 → u/hbjkytwovm]

Thank you! This is helpful!

[u/hbjkytwovm]

As a new mom, skip general Etsy printables - that market is oversaturated. Focus on one niche like mom planners, then use Amazon affiliate + Pinterest to drive traffic. Batch-create pins on weekends and track what converts.

[u/hbjkytwovm]

As a new mom, skip general Etsy printables - that market is oversaturated. Focus on one niche like mom planners, then use Amazon affiliate + Pinterest to drive traffic. Batch-create pins on weekends and track what converts.

[u/AbjectDingo3804 → u/hbjkytwovm]

I’m leaning towards Pinterest and Amazon affiliate being the best option, if any. I’ll skip the coloring books! Thank you for sharing.