5 Unique Ways To Make Money Selling Hemp Jewelry

Hemp jewelry is pretty cool.

At least, there’s a large enough group of people that think so.

I’m personally not that into jewelry myself, but I do love exploring the many different ways in which people make money. Not only is this a unique product, but selling hemp jewelry can potentially be a great way to build a business you love.

What Is Hemp Jewelry?

Despite popular myths floating around, hemp is not weed!

It does come from the same plant species known as Cannabis Sativa, yes. But it’s a different strain and is grown for an entirely different purpose.

Hemp is a versatile plant. Throughout the ages, hemp has been used for some very different, yet incredibly useful purposes ranging from paper, housing insulation, bio-diesel, clothing and of course, jewelry.

The great thing about hemp based products in general, is that they are cost effective and environmentally friendly. They are also strong, long lasting and unique in appearance.

It may not be the most popular form of jewelry out there, and it’s not for everyone, but there’s definitely a group of people (niche) that love this stuff.  More importantly, there’s a group of people willing to pay for it.

Some of the more popular types of hemp based jewelry include:

• Necklaces
• Anklets
• Bracelets
• Rings
• Watches
• Brooches

From what I’ve seen, the most popular are necklaces.

What’s cool about the necklaces I’ve found online, is what some creative vendors are doing with them. Rather than just selling a ‘hemp necklace’ like a thousand other sellers, the more successful vendors are creating unique “theme” based pieces.

For example, some sell choker necklaces with Raven, Celtic Cross or Arrow Heads at the end, while others sell surfing or ocean-related pieces, or necklaces with gemstone pendants.

There are many different themes that attract both women and men. Not only is this a creative and unique form of jewelry, but it really underpins the many different ‘angles’ you could take from a business perspective. When you start looking at all the different theme based pieces you could create, the sky is the limit.

5 Unique Ways To Sell Hemp Jewelry

There are some very distinct ways you can go about selling these products, both online and offline. Some are going to be better than others and some can even be used in conjunction with one another quite effectively.

#1 Local Markets and Festivals

One of the quickest and easiest ways to get your creations in front of the right people and get a feel for what people like, is at your local markets.

Many people sell craft based items at the markets on the weekend, so this is highly relevant and potentially worthwhile. The other great thing about this, is the cost of doing business this way is often very low.

Music festivals can also be a great way to sell these kinds of products,  depending on the audience. Since you are already interested in this space, chances are you know of music festivals in your area that could make for a very relevant, and strategic place to sell.

Regardless of ‘where’ you sell, the concept here is to think about where your target audience is likely to be spending time, where do they like to shop, eat, hang out etc. Knowing this will allow you to position your products in front of the right people.

It may also be worth using a business name and setting up a simple website along with this strategy. This way, when people love your work and tell people they know, they have somewhere to direct them. Rather than just being “the hemp jewelry person” people are going to know (and share) your brand and visit your website. Meaning more sales.

#2 Sell On Relevant Websites

Another great way to sell hemp-based products is by leveraging a platform that people are already using to buy this stuff.

You could start selling on Amazon Handmade for example, or open a store within Etsy.

These are both great websites to consider, and it’s because they are attracting the right type of customer. Sites like eBay can be good, but the competition is high and the focus is often on ‘getting a bargain’ as opposed to finding high-quality, unique craft items.

One seller I found on Etsy named ‘Essentially Erin’ is the perfect example of someone leveraging Etsy in a smart way.

She has tons of positive reviews, which means she’s making sales and people are loving her work. Her hemp necklaces sell for as much as $44.50 a piece which is not bad. Some of her pieces are a combination of hemp material and a ‘hand blown glass teardrop’ with varying themes as shown below:

You don’t have to be this fancy, but it does go to show the potential and some of the different ideas and themes you could use within your products.

Also worth noting, this person is not only using Etsy to sell her creations, but is also using a relevant social media channel to get visitors to her store. Used in combination, this can be very powerful.

Other social media platforms to consider are Facebook and Instagram. You could start a Facebook group for example, and direct those people to wherever you are selling your items. Since Instagram is very similar to Pinterest in the way it’s a visual platform, this will naturally make for a great way to showcase your creations. It is very easy to grow a following on Instagram too.

#3 Start Your Own Online Store

These days, starting an online store is WAY easier than it’s ever been. Platforms like Shopify and WordPress allow you to create a beautiful store with almost zero technical skills, and there are many other options.

I personally prefer WordPress because it’s very flexible, cost effective and great for getting your site ranked in search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. When your website/ store is ranking, you get free customers.

This is exactly what Claire Codling of HempBeadery.com has done. She started selling hemp jewelry offline, and eventually started selling online with WordPress and a free plugin called WooCommerce.

I personally learned how to build and rank WordPress websites through Wealthy Affiliate. This makes the entire build-profit process as simple as it could possibly be, and you get a bunch of free training to help you.

Whichever way you choose, the important thing is what goes into your website. It’s worthwhile taking the time to list quality pictures, and describe your products well to people who visit your store. Explain why your products are unique, and why people will want them.

#4 DropShipping

If you’re not interested in making these products yourself, another option is drop shipping.

The idea with drop shipping is to set up a store similar to the way I just explained, but you don’t actually stock any products yourself. You have an arrangement with a wholesaler and display their product images and descriptions within your store. When someone buys, you simply process the order and have the product sent straight from the manufacturer. You make money because you are buying at wholesale, and selling at retail with this option.

If you want to sell physical products without creating them or stocking them, this can be a good option to consider.

#5 Become a Hemp Jewelry Affiliate

If you want to make money selling hemp without growing it or making anything yourself, then this is the way to go.

Affiliate marketing is where you simply promote other people’s products online, and earn a commission when a sale is made. This is what I do to earn money on the internet and it’s a very powerful model. There are very little costs involved in getting started, yet the earning potential is high when you learn the ropes.

The idea is to create useful content that is relevant to your audience. In this case, you would be creating content on your website that caters to people interested in hemp-based jewelry, or hemp products in general. You would also display relevant advertising on your site so that when people click on your ads and buy something, you make money.

publish relevant content ==> get visitors==> earn affiliate commissions

Amazon has a free affiliate program called Amazon Associates which pays out a 7% whenever someone visits Amazon through your affiliate link and makes a purchase on jewelry. That’s not a lot of money on low ticket items, yes. But you also make money on anything someone buys while they are on the Amazon website within a 24-hour period.

The great thing about Amazon is that people are ready to buy since it’s a trusted brand.

Even if it is just a few bucks each month, it’s passive income. You are not producing products, shipping anything, or dealing with customers at all. Given the nature of the internet, you can set up a website this way and be earning commissions night or day, without you being there to do anything.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a considerable amount of effort involved in the beginning. But once you get a feel for doing this stuff, there’s some massive potential here.

Building The Framework Of Your Business

Once you’ve decided on how and where you will sell your products, there are other important factors worth taking into consideration if you are going to be successful.

How much of the following applies to you, depends on which approach you take with your business.

Sourcing Raw Materials: The cost of raw materials are very low in this business, and there are many places to get what you need. Hemp twine is readily available from many online stores for a very low cost, and comes in many variations. It’s not yet legal to grow hemp in the United States, but the bulk of it is imported from Canada and China so there are plenty of place to buy. Then, it’s a matter of sourcing whatever you want to go with your unique line of jewelry.

Production: For most people reading this, you’ll be making this jewelry from the comfort of home. I have no idea how to make this stuff, but I’m guessing you do. Either way, there are many great (and free) resources available that teach people how to make hemp jewelry which may be worth checking out to get some useful tips or learn from scratch.

Pricing Your Products: While the costs are low, and these are not high ticket jewelry items, you still want to be making a good profit for your hard work and talent. It really comes down to the ‘perceived value’ of your products, and how/ where you market them. If you focus on eBay and waging price wars with other sellers, you’re not going to be getting the price you want or deserve. This is why it pays to know your audience, create something they will love and learn to market your business in the right way. People will pay more if they perceive a higher level of value in what you are selling. Getting this pricing formula right can mean low costs, and high profit margins. Getting it wrong can mean working your butt off for pennies!

Marketing Your Business: Regardless of how you sell, you need customers. One of the best ways to attract customers is by having your own website and learning how to get ranked in search engines. This may sound difficult at first, but when you follow the right approach, this is absolutely possible for anyone to do. The end result is a steady stream of buyers coming to your site for free, so it’s well worth learning. Apart from this, there are many ways to get customers such as social media, word of mouth, leveraging websites like Etsy, and so on. The better you become at marketing, the more money you will make.

Final Thoughts

You can make money selling hemp jewelry, online or offline. How much really depends on how motivated you are and how much effort you put in.

This could be a great business for anyone who is passionate about hemp and/ or handmade jewelry products. Even if you’re only making a relatively small amount of money, you are doing something you love, in a way that gives you time and location freedom.