How to make money with Canva: Wall art, ebooks, calendars and more

Designers around the globe are making money selling the products they create with Canva.

With Canva you can design print products such as wall art for your Etsy store, or digital products like design templates, e-books, and calendars for your website.

Canva makes growing your side hustle easy and cost-effective, with the ability to make money remotely and from any area code in the world.

The best part, Canva is free to get started and you can earn money within days of taking your products to market.

Canva’s commercial licensing agreement

For Canva free and Pro users, any design you want to sell will need to be created from scratch. This means using a designer-made template to get started is not permitted.

If you intend to sell your design as a template or download link, your products must be created for use in Canva only. This way anyone who purchases your design will be directed back to Canva to edit, download or print your design. This also protects you and Canva’s creators by ensuring royalties are paid to the contributors of the Pro content library.

Learn more about licensing your artwork through Canva here⁠(opens in a new tab or window).

Worksheets

Worksheets are often associated with young students, but adults use them for journaling and staying on task, too. They can easily be sold as a standalone activity or inserted into a diary or notebook.

Creating a worksheet in Canva is simple. Type ‘worksheet’ into the search bar on your homepage and select a graphic for your background. Be mindful to select graphics that won’t overwhelm your design. Minimalistic media in muted colors are best.

Next, add shapes and select colors suitable to write on. Include lines and boxes for the customer to write within and to keep items organized. Don’t forget to choose thought-provoking text to inspire self-reflection.

Before selling your worksheet as a Canva template, ensure you lock all text boxes and graphics so the user isn’t able to delete or move elements around. This way, people will use your design as you intended.

Planners

A well-thought-out design is key to turning a profit. A planner designed for a wedding will look different when compared to a meal plan made for an athlete. The similarity? Both should help the user save time and check off important tasks.

When creating a planner consider how much space the user will need to write things down and whether to include visual prompts. When choosing colors, stick with two or three light tones for sections intended for writing and drawing.

For example, a planner made for events might include thin lines to encourage list-making and boxes for diagrams and free-hand notes.

Calendars

If you’re hoping to design digital products that customers can print themselves, calendars are a great option. As a seller, you can avoid having to pack items yourself or deal with damaged or lost goods. By taking work off your plate, you’ll also ensure your business can continue to grow as your customer base expands.

And, from a customer perspective, they can order their own prints using Canva’s secure checkout, cutting down on their costs and wait time.

To create a calendar in Canva, simply insert a table into a blank document and begin modifying rows, columns, colors, text and insert graphics or images that tie into your theme.

Once you’ve finished your design, create a view-only link to ensure your customer can’t alter the design, but will still have access to Canva Print services.

Canva Print has a long list of product types, such as banners and signage, clothing apparel, books, adhesive products, household items and home decor. The world is your oyster.

Wall art

Customers can bring their living room or office to life with designer-made wall art.

It’s important to note that Canva content, including photos, cannot be sold on a standalone basis. But, you can create your own custom artwork within Canva to list for sale.

To start off, select a background texture or color. Include text, if you desire. Then, search for a graphic or image from your personal library to upload to Canva. Drag and drop your favorite media into your design and presto, you’re an artist! Creating a masterpiece really is that easy.

Ebooks

For those with a specific area of expertise like marketing or investing, writing an ebook can be a great way to make passive income. Not sure what to call it yet? Try Canva’s Book Title Generator⁠(opens in a new tab or window) to get the creative juices flowing.

Ensure you cite your sources and gather your research prior to designing your book to ensure you can focus on being creative in Canva and getting your product out in a timely fashion.

Are you ready to start your side hustle? Learn more about the latest design trends here⁠(opens in a new tab or window), and check out our full detailed tutorial on how to make money with Canva⁠(opens in a new tab or window).