Did you know it is possible to make side money welding? Learn how to make money welding in your garage and what welding projects to sell for the biggest profits.
Making and selling different things with your welder can be a great way to make some extra cash if you are looking for a side job.
As most people don’t have access to a welder and people love handmade stuff, it’s a great way to earn extra money doing your hobby.
The key is to choose welding projects for the shop that people want to buy. Below we will look at some of the best welding projects that sell well on eBay and on places like Etsy and Facebook Marketplace.
Whether you just want to make some extra cash or are looking to turn a a hobby into a full-time gig, this list will give you a ton of options.
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How To Make Money Welding In Your Garage
There are two make ways to make money with your welder. You can either make and sell your items privately or you can look for welding piece work that you can do at home.
If you already have the skills and know how to use a welder then you are 90% of the way to making money welding.
And by the way, if you love metal working, make sure to check out my list of metal lathe projects that sell like hotcakes.
You just need to decide how you want to make money and make sure you have everything you need at home.
Tools For A Home-Based Welding Business
First of all, you want to make sure you have everything you need for your business. You likely have most of the equipment already as welding isn’t something you just decide to take up, but just in case, here is an inventory of must-haves:
- Welding Helmet
- Gloves
- Fire Resistant Welding Jacket
- Goggles
- Steel Toed Shoes
- Ear Protection
- Fire Extinguisher
- Soapstone for marking your metal
- Grinder
- C clamps
- Vice grip
- Hacksaw
- Pliers
- Magnets
And of course, a welder but I am going to assume you already have access to one of those!
Welding Piece Work At Home
The first way to make money welding in your garage is to get some side contracts and piecework you can do at home.
Obviously make sure that your full-time job allows you to “moonlight” and do jobs on the side. You don’t want to lose your main job for a bit of extra beer money.
Word of mouth is your best place to find good side work but you can also advertise to local businesses and to friends and family that you have a welder and are ready and willing to weld for cash.
How much can a freelance welder make?
The average freelancer makes around $30-50 an hour depending on the size and scope of the job.
Here are some examples of the kinds of welding piece work you can offer at home:
1.Overflow Welding Jobs
Local businesses and metal companies go through busy seasons and may be grateful to have someone “on call” when they need a pair of extra hands.
Skilled welders are in demand and not always easy to find on a whim. Working as a freelance welder can give you a steady stream of income on the side and give you the freedom to turn down jobs that you don’t work for you.
Another place to look for overflow work are companies that needed welding on a more adhoc basis.
Small machine shops and construction companies might not have the resources or need to employ a full-time welder but will happily hire you for piecework jobs as they come up.
2. Odd Jobs
This is one where word of mouth really helps out. Advertise your services as a work-at-home welder and you will be surprised at how many people need you for odd jobs in their homes and gardens.
Examples of jobs might be:
- Building custom garden furniture
- Repairing trailers and caravans
- Home renovations
Things To Weld And Sell On eBay, Etsy and More
Another way to make money with a welder is to make things and sell them on eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
You can also consider starting an Etsy store to sell your welding projects.
Wondering what you can weld to make money?
Take a look at the list below for some great ideas of welding projects you can make and sell.
25 Welding Projects To Sell
Below are 15 cool welding projects to sell on eBay, Etsy or at craft fairs.
If you are wondering how to make money welding in your garage, check out this list of the bestselling welding projects to try.
You can find tutorials for most of these projects on a website such as Instructables.
I've posted the link to the Etsy listing for each item to give you an idea of the kinds of welding projects that sell well online.
Fancy metal table legs are in high demand.
You can also sell completed tables but shipping is much harder and more expensive than if you focus solely on the metal legs.
Personalized stuff always sells really well and things like these custom dog/cat feeding bowls are sure to be hit.
You can market them as great holiday gifts and take custom orders in advance. On Etsy these are selling for over $100 per item.
Welding garden decor items such as animals and birds sell really well and have a great profit margin. You can focus on one type of bird or animal or take custom orders.
A half-dozen metal roses sell for over $200 on Etsy!
If you can make these with lots of detail and great quality, you have a blooming welding side business on its way!
Modern art and sculpture made from metal are really popular and are a great thing to sell at craft fairs and to local home decor stores.
Obviously if you want to learn how to make money welding in your garage by selling sculptures, you will need to be a bit artistic!
Bar stools made out of welded steel look really trendy and modern and are relatively easy to make.
You could make the seat out of wood or metal.
Metal planters are so hot right now and you can make all different shapes and sizes with our welder. Sell them in sets of 3 or make large ones for hanging plants.
A metal rack for storing your firewood indoors looks great and is pretty easy to make.
Outdoor fire pits are always in demand and you can make them in your garage and sell them online easily.
Nice, quality steel fire pits fetch up to $1000 online.
Metal shelving is a great thing to make and sell as you can design it in so many different ways and offer two and three tier shelving units.
Another option I have seen a lot of are shelving units with hangers at the bottom for storing yoga mats.
Large metal sculptures of animals such as horses and bulls are very popular and can fetch huge amounts of money.
If you are artistically inclined, these can be a really great option for your welding side job.
Unique decor made with remnants and found metal items are a really nice thing to make and sell.
You can offer custom pieces for a child's bedroom or workshop sign.
Metal mailboxes are popular on Etsy and sell for obscene amounts of money (upwards of $300!).
Offer customizations with house numbers and even family names to stand out from your competitors.
An outdoor trellis for the garden is an easy welding project that you can make in many different shapes and sizes.
Grates for a fireplace or outdoor grill are a useful project that you can make on your welder.
You can sell them for $80-150+ depending on the size and how intricate the designs are.
Fancy designs made out of wrought iron are the most popular gates to make and sell with your welder.
You can command $500+ for a garden gate on Etsy or your own website.
A beautiful wedding arch like the one pictured sells for over $500 on Etsy and can be customized in many different ways.
This is the kind of niche welding project to make and sell if you want to start your own welding business on Etsy or at craft fairs.
Easel sign holders made out of metals such as powdered steel or copper look beautiful and can be used at weddings, conferences and restaurants.
Handrails, railings and bannisters are all great welding projects you can make to sell on eBay or Etsy.
A modern and simple towel rack can earn you over $100.
It's a easy project for a beginner to master and is one of the most profitable welding projects you can make and sell.
Metal wreath frames are a popular item with crafters who want to make their own door hangers.
You can offer different sizes and layers for variation.
Industrial looking steel shelf brackets are a popular item at craft fairs.
You can make them pretty quickly and sell them in pairs online for around $15-20.
Outdoor lighting like these neon signs or even simple outdoor light fixtures for the front door are great welding projects that sell like hot cakes.
A unique garden bench like this retro style one can be a very profitable thing to weld and sell.
A metal pot rack for over an island is a great way to keep pots out of the way and to save space.
This is one of the best welding projects to sell as you can make all different sizes and they sell for upwards of $100 each.
Where To Sell Welded Projects For Cash
Now we have looked at the best welding projects to sell on Etsy, eBay and Facebook marketplace, let’s take a look at how you can actually go about selling your welding items for cash.
How To Sell Welded Projects On Etsy
Etsy is a great place to sell your welded items because it is THE place to go for unique handcrafted gifts and fun things.
An Etsy store is free to open and you can be up and running in minutes.
If you haven’t started your shop yet, make sure to go through this tutorial on How To Start An Etsy Store Successfully
The tutorial will take you all the way from choosing a great name for your Etsy store to launching it. There is also a link for 40 free Etsy shop listings to get you started (they normally cost 0.20 a pop).
Make sure to write a really good introduction about your welding shop – people love buying from small businesses and the more details you give them, the better.
Shipping Welded Items On Etsy
The only thing you need to consider when selling your welded projects on Etsy are shipping costs.
It is a double edged sword – Etsy buyers highly favor shops that offer free shipping but metal items are heavy to ship, especially internationally.
You can factor the shipping and freight costs into your pricing when listing on Etsy but be careful to remain competitive in your niche.
Creating Great Etsy Listing Images For Your Welding Projects
One thing I noticed when browsing Etsy for welded items for this article is that welders don’t necessarily make good photographers.
My first is is that while learning “how to make money welding in your garage” is the name of this article, please exit the garage to take your photos.
Good lighting is key and garages just don’t work.
Stand out from the crowd with professional looking photos that make your projects look high quality.
Use good lighting and a great background to show items at their best. Make sure to show different angles too.
Check what other people are doing so you can see what works (and what doesn’t).
If you need help with listing images, you can sign up for my Free Etsy Listing Image Templates to get you started.
You can use the templates to add listing photos to your Etsy store in minutes.
Tips For Promoting Your Etsy Store
There are tricks to getting your Etsy items to show up when someone searches for say ” metal shelving brackets”.
Good Etsy search engine optimization can help to make sure your items come up in the first row of search results.
You can also promote your store on social media and sites like Pinterest.
My tutorial on How To Use Pinterest For Etsy will help you get started using Pinterest for business.
You can also download my Free printable Etsy SEO Checklist for quick tips to improve your search results.
Create Your Own Welding Website
Starting your own website for your welding business is a good idea if you plan to eventually grow into a full-time gig.
You will be able to direct potential customers to your site so they can see pictures of your work and get ideas for what you can offer them.
On your website, you can show price lists and reviews from happy customers.
You can give ideas of customizations that you offer and also provide information about custom work.
Creating a website isn’t the big deal it is sometimes made out to be.
You can get started for around $5-10 a month and then promote your site on social media.
Add links to your Etsy store to create even more opportunities for product sales.
You can read my tutorial on How To Create A Website For Your Small Business.
Using Social Media To Sell Your Welding Projects
Social media is free and everyone is on it right now so it makes sense to use it for selling your welding.
You can use Facebook or Instagram to promote your Etsy store or website or you can take orders directly from Facebook or Instagram.
Facebook Tips
Facebook marketplace is a great place to list your items for sale and also attract new customers to your business.
Look for Facebook groups specializing in metalworks, handmade gift ideas and gardening furniture.
Instagram Tips
Instagram is a must nowadays and you might find it is a huge source of new business for you.
Encourage everyone you know to follow your page and post regular pictures of new projects that you are working on. You can also include fun action shots of your workshop.
Look for hashtags that fit your niche and that might bring customers to you such as:
#weldart #welding #weldinglife #metalwork #metalart #metaldecor
How To Sell Your Welding Projects on eBay
eBay can be another good place to sell your welding projects although I still find that Etsy is better.
eBay requires you to pay both eBay and PayPal fees which can really eat into your costs.
For tips on making money with eBay, you can read my tutorial on getting started here.
Other Places To Sell Your Welding Projects
You can also sell your welded furniture and artwork at the following places:
Craft Fairs
Book a booth at a flea market or craft fair and sell your goods. Make sure to make business cards so you can take custom orders.
Local Home Decor and Craft Shops
Another place to sell your welding projects is to ask local stores if they will display them for you. You would only get paid if something sells but it can be a great way to get your work recognized.
Another thing you can do is drop off your business card at local decor and gardening stores or ask if you can put up flyers.
How To Make Money Welding In Your Garage- Final Thoughts
Learning how to make money welding in your garage is easy.
All you need to do is decide what you want to make and where to sell it. Keep in mind that you have to be profitable after all materials plus you may need to account for shipping and handling costs for bulky items.
Research your competition, whether that be online or locally and price your welding items competitively.
Before you know it, you will have a flourishing welding business on your hands!
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