Skip to Content

How To Make Money Welding In Your Garage

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. 

How to make money welding in your garage

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure for more information. 

RELATED POSTS

Simple Wood Pallet Projects To Make And Sell

38 Woodworking Projects That Sell

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

How To Make Money Welding In Your Garage

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

The best things to sell if you are a welder

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.

 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! 

More Ways To Make Money At Home

How To Make Money Woodworking

25 Fun Wood Lathe Projects That Sell Well

How To Make Money With Scrap Metal

How to make money welding in your garage