The Daily Mix

I opened my Etsy shop in July 2025. Four months later, I still haven’t made a sale.

But I’ve learned a lot. And I’m sharing it all with you.

What You’ll Learn in This Post

You’ll learn the exact steps to set up your Etsy shop.

But more importantly, you’ll learn the real mistakes I made so you can avoid them.

I’m not an expert. I’m figuring this out as I go. And I think that’s exactly what you need to hear right now.

Let’s get into it.

Why I Started My Etsy Shop

I was researching different ways to make money online.

How to create passive income. How to make money from home.

And I kept hearing about Etsy.

So I decided to try it out.

I had sold printed t-shirts physically some years back and enjoyed it. So I thought creating my own designs would be something fun to do again.

When I hit “Open Your Shop,” I felt excited, nervous, and completely overwhelmed all at once.

But I did it anyway.

How to Set Up Your Etsy Shop (The Technical Part)

Here’s the good news: the actual setup is easier than you think.

Step 1: Create Your Etsy Account

Go to Etsy.com and click “Sell on Etsy.”

You’ll need an email address and to create a password. That’s it.

Step 2: Choose Your Shop Preferences

Pick your shop language, country, and currency.

This part takes like two minutes.

Step 3: Name Your Shop

Okay, this is where I got stuck.

Choosing a shop name was a bit of a challenge for me at first. I had more than one idea and I needed to pick one.

I overthought this so much.

And guess what? I eventually changed it recently to something entirely different because I wanted it to match my YouTube and blog name (The Daily Mix).

So my advice? Pick something. You can always change it later.

Step 4: Stock Your Shop

This means creating your first listing.

You’ll add photos, write a description, set a price, and choose your tags.

I’ll talk more about what I chose to sell in a minute.

Step 5: Set Up Payment and Billing

Etsy needs to know how to pay you and how you’ll pay them.

You’ll connect a bank account and add a credit card for fees.

This part is straightforward. Just follow the prompts.

Step 6: Write Your Shop Policies

Shipping, returns, refunds—Etsy walks you through templates for all of this.

I used their templates and tweaked them slightly.

Step 7: Create Your About Section

Tell people who you are and why you’re selling on Etsy.

I kept mine simple at first. Then I went back later and made it better.

How Long Does Etsy Shop Setup Take?

The actual setup took me a few hours from start to finish.

And that’s because I’m a bit of a perfectionist. LOL.

If you’re just trying to get it done, you could probably do it in an hour or less.

What I Decided to Sell (And Why I’m Changing It)

I started with print-on-demand products.

T-shirts and mugs, mostly.

I created around 20 listings with my own designs.

Why Print-on-Demand Didn’t Work for Me

It’s not that POD is bad. A lot of people make money with it.

But a few months in, I created my first digital product just to try it.

And something clicked.

I felt more excited about creating digital planners and printables than I did about designing another t-shirt.

I realized I enjoyed the process more. And digital products have better profit margins.

No printing costs. No shipping. Just create it once and sell it over and over.

So I’m pivoting.

My New Focus: Digital Products for Moms and Women

I’m now creating digital products to help moms and women who want to stay organized, manage their time, and build income from home.

Planners. Checklists. Templates.

Things I actually use myself.

And things I know other women like me are searching for.

The Reality of My First 4 Months on Etsy

Let me be honest with you.

I’ve had around 150 visits to my shop.

Zero sales.

That’s the truth.

What Surprised Me Most

I thought if I just listed products, people would find them.

That’s not how it works.

Etsy is competitive. There are millions of shops.

You need good SEO. You need multiple listings. You need to market outside of Etsy too.

I didn’t realize how much work it would take to actually get noticed.

My Biggest Mistake

Not having enough listings.

I should have had 100 listings by now. Instead, I have around 20.

Etsy rewards active shops. The more products you have, the more chances people have to find you.

I got stuck in perfectionism instead of just creating and listing.

What I Spent Money On

I invested in Canva Pro to design my products.

I bought mockup pictures from someone on Etsy.

I even paid for the pro version of Kittl (a design tool).

Those tools are helpful. But they don’t matter if you don’t have enough products listed.

That’s what I’m fixing now.

If I Were Starting My Etsy Shop Over Today

If I could go back to July and do it again, here’s what I’d change.

1. I’d Create More Listings Right Away

I’d aim for at least 50 listings in my first two months.

Not perfect listings. Just good enough listings.

You can always improve them later.

2. I’d Focus on Digital Products from Day One

I wasted time on POD when my heart wasn’t fully in it.

If you’re leaning toward digital products, start there.

3. I’d Learn SEO Before I Listed Anything

I just guessed at my titles and tags at first.

Now I’m learning how to research keywords and what people are actually searching for.

Do that research FIRST. Then create your listings around it.

4. I’d Market Outside of Etsy from the Start

I thought Etsy would bring me customers.

But you have to drive your own traffic too—through Pinterest, Instagram, blogs, YouTube.

That’s what I’m doing now with The Daily Mix.

What I Did Right (And Would Do Again)

Deciding to open my Etsy shop in the first place.

Even though I haven’t made a sale yet, I’ve learned so much.

And I’m not giving up.

Sometimes you just have to start messy and figure it out as you go.

My Advice If You’re Starting an Etsy Shop in 2026

Do a lot of research.

Learn from people who have successfully scaled their business on Etsy and other platforms like Etsy.

Watch YouTube videos. Read blog posts. Join Facebook groups.

But don’t get stuck in research mode forever.

At some point, you just have to open the shop and start listing products.

My Etsy Strategy for 2026

Here’s what I’m doing differently moving forward.

Step 1: Polish My Shop

Better branding. Better product photos. Clear, SEO-friendly titles.

First impressions matter.

Step 2: Create 10 High-Quality Digital Products

Focus on useful products that solve real problems for my audience.

Not just random printables. Intentional ones.

Step 3: Drive Traffic

I’m using my blog, Pinterest, and social media to send people to my shop.

I’m not waiting for Etsy to do it for me anymore.

Step 4: Build an Email List

I want to turn first-time buyers into repeat customers.

So I’m building an email list and offering small incentives (like free printables) to get people to sign up.

My Goal for the Next 3 Months

Make my first sale.

Build visibility and traffic.

Have at least 50 quality listings in my shop.

I’m sharing my entire journey on my blog and YouTube. The good, the bad, and the messy middle.

Final Thoughts

Starting an Etsy shop is easy.

Making sales is the real challenge.

But I’m figuring it out in real time. And I’m sharing everything I learn along the way.

If you’re thinking about opening an Etsy shop, just do it.

Don’t overthink your shop name. Don’t wait for the perfect product.

Start where you are. Learn as you go.

And maybe we’ll both make our first sale around the same time.

What to Do Next

If you’re ready to start your Etsy shop, go to Etsy.com and click “Sell on Etsy.”

Follow the steps I outlined above.

And then come back here and let me know you did it.

I’ll be sharing monthly updates on my Etsy journey—my stats, my sales (when they happen), and what’s actually working.

Follow along on my blog at The Daily Mix, and subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ll be documenting everything on video too.

Let’s figure this out together.