Many people enjoy making things, and it is now genuinely possible to earn from a hobby by selling through a handmade marketplace.
How well that works depends on a few decisions made early.
What the platform does and does not do
What it does: brings you buyers who are already looking for handmade goods. That is substantial, and it is what your own website will not do without a great deal of effort.
What it does not do: make you visible among millions of other listings, or set your prices sensibly.
The fees are the cost of that traffic. Work them into your prices before setting them.
Photographs are the product
On any marketplace nobody can handle what you are selling, so the photographs are all they have.
Natural light, never a flash. Plain background. Several angles, a close-up of the texture, and one shot showing scale – something recognisable beside the item, or the item worn or in use.
A well-made item with poor photographs will not sell. A modest item with excellent photographs often will.
Be findable
People search for specific things. Write titles and descriptions using the words a buyer would type.
“Crocheted baby blanket in cream cotton, christening gift” reaches someone looking for exactly that. “Handmade with love” reaches nobody.
Be specific about material, colour, size and occasion.
Descriptions
Materials, exact dimensions, care instructions, and how long a made-to-order item takes.
Answer the questions a buyer would ask, because most will not ask – they will leave. Being clear about turnaround prevents most of the problems that arise later.
Price properly
Materials, your time at a rate you would accept, listing and transaction fees, payment processing, postage and packaging.
The total will be higher than many similar listings, because a lot of sellers are not counting their own time. Do not match them – competing against people working for nothing is not winnable.
Narrow down
The hardest truth about handmade marketplaces is that a general shop disappears.
Being the person who makes one particular thing well means you come up in the searches that matter and you get remembered. A narrow specialism outperforms a broad one consistently.
Build beyond the platform
The marketplace owns the relationship with your customer and can change its rules overnight.
Collect email addresses where you legitimately can, and build something of your own over time, so a policy change does not take your business with it.
