Podcast Summary: Crickets to Cha-chings

Episode 205: 5 Etsy Evergreen Printable Ideas That Will Sell All Year in 2025
Date: September 18, 2025
Host: Julie Berninger (A), Gold City Ventures
Guest: Chelsea Shelton (B), VIP Coach & Etsy Seller

Overview

In this episode, Julie Berninger welcomes Chelsea Shelton, a successful Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers printable seller, to share “hidden gem” product niches for digital sellers. They focus on evergreen printable ideas—downloadable products that sell steadily all year, as opposed to seasonal spikes. Chelsea walks through five trending, data-backed examples, giving practical tips for sellers to smooth out their income, repurpose existing designs, and tap into customer needs beyond holidays. The episode is geared toward both beginners and seasoned entrepreneurs looking to expand or stabilize their Etsy shops.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Chelsea’s Etsy Journey (00:53–01:27)

• Former elementary school teacher, started Etsy about three years ago.
• Transitioned out of teaching after her last child, found Gold City Ventures, and quickly excelled at digital printables.
• Now over 12,000 Etsy sales and 3,000+ on Teachers Pay Teachers.
• Printable creation was a natural extension of classroom resource-making.

Quote:

"It wasn't too, too much different than some of the resources that I made when I had to do things in the classroom, but I just like deep dove into it and it was really exciting and it just kind of took off." — Chelsea Shelton [00:56]

1. Games: Music Bingo Printables (01:49–03:37)

• What: Music Bingo cards (e.g., “90s R&B Bingo”) are trending.
• Why Evergreen: Parties, bars, small events all year, not just holidays.
• Options: Alternate genres—rock, pop, different decades; endless customizations.
• Example Data: A listing netted 198 sales in 6 months (~58 per month).

Pro Tips:

• Add useful extras like printable markers—details matter for competitiveness.
• Music Bingo can be used at birthday parties, bars (Friday nights), smaller gatherings, possibly weddings.
• Multiple versions (genres, decades, themes) scale up your portfolio of evergreen products.

Quote:

"There's several different types of music that you could use... There's a lot of opportunities with this to create various versions of this game that sell." — Chelsea Shelton [02:00]

2. Birthday Scavenger Hunts (03:40–06:22)

• What: Scavenger hunt clue sets for birthdays.
• Why Evergreen: Birthdays happen year-round, aligning with ongoing customer demand.
• Example Data: Over 503 sales in one year.
• Creation: Mix creativity with AI tools for clue ideas; spin-off for other events/holidays.

Strategic Insight:

• Fills in slow months between major holidays; drives consistent revenue.
• Sellers often over-focus on big events—evergreen items provide resilience.
• Anecdote about a student with only back-to-school items, illustrating the pitfalls of a solely seasonal shop.

Quote:

"Having these types of products that can sell year round and are kind of just working in the background for you... is super helpful." — Chelsea Shelton [05:19]

3. Gift Tags for Cruises: Rubber Duck Tags (06:24–07:58)

• What: Printable gift tags for hiding rubber ducks on cruises—a quirky, trending cruise tradition.
• Why Evergreen: Not tied to holidays; cruise-goers travel year-round.
• Example Data: 315 sales in 7 months.
• Adaptability: Take basic gift tag designs (e.g., Christmas) and re-skin for new uses and audiences.

Efficiency Tip:

• Repurpose base templates into trendy or niche products to extend their lifecycle and increase shop variety without extra design effort.
• Leverage small, quirky trends to create new evergreen listings.

Quote:

"There's no need to reinvent the wheel, especially if you have a lot of, you know, base templates... you can repurpose into something else." — Chelsea Shelton [07:45]

4. Signature Drink Signs (08:00–09:43)

• What: Editable printable drink menus for weddings, parties, charity events, business dinners.
• Why Evergreen: Applicable to a variety of occasions, not just weddings.
• Example Data:
  • Listing 1: 2,077 sales in 1.5 years.
  • Listing 2: 964 sales in 4 months (“massive drink menu”).
• Design Tip: The number of available drink options increases appeal. Sellers can target many different occasions beyond the large wedding market.

Market Expansion:

• Don’t pigeonhole into just “wedding” listings—spin off for other events.
• Customization is key; let customers swap in their unique drinks.

Quote:

"You may not necessarily have to target the wedding space, but you could target birthday parties or, or charity events or fundraising events, or even business dinners or that sort of thing." — Chelsea Shelton [09:04]

5. Brain Dump Templates (ADHD-Friendly & General Use) (09:46–11:57)

• What: Simple printable forms to organize thoughts; increasingly popular in the ADHD/self-organization niche.
• Why Evergreen: Year-round demand from anyone managing plans or tasks, especially neurodiverse consumers.
• Example Data:
  • Combo template: 321 sales in 6 months.
  • Simpler version: 789 sales in just over 2 years.
• Naming Strategy: Targeted keywords (“brain dump”) draw the right buyers searching for solutions.

Practical Note:

• Even if new to a niche, trends can be capitalized on by using accurate, customer-searched language.
• Highlights sellers’ struggle with too many ideas, not enough time to execute.

Quote:

"That could be any planner page. You could buy a planner page template, but you’re just calling it what people are expecting. Like the word brain dump. That's what they're looking for." — Julie Berninger [11:15]

Memorable Moments & Soundbites

• "It just kind of helps generate revenue to your shop consistently so you don't have to experience the highs and lows of the holiday seasons." —Chelsea Shelton [05:19]
• "You can just take the base tag and make it a duck tag... and maybe that can sell at other times." —Julie Berninger [07:20]
• "The concept of having signature drink signs at your wedding can also apply to... a birthday party or even some type of event that you’re hosting." —Chelsea Shelton [08:05]
• "Once you start selling for a little bit, then it’s the opposite problem where you’re like, I just have this super long list and not enough time to list them all." —Julie Berninger [11:32]

Important Timestamps & Segments

• 00:53–01:27: Chelsea’s backstory—Transition from teaching to Etsy.
• 01:49–03:37: Music Bingo—Why it’s trending and how to niche further.
• 03:40–06:22: Birthday Scavenger Hunts—Year-round demand and balancing seasonal gaps.
• 06:24–07:58: Rubber Duck Cruise Gift Tags—Capitalizing on quirky, non-holiday trends.
• 08:00–09:43: Signature Drink Signs—Event marketability and custom options.
• 09:46–11:57: Brain Dump Templates—Naming, niches, and the printable “idea list” dilemma.

Closing Resources & Next Steps

• Chelsea’s Upcoming Webinar:
  “Your First $50,000 Selling Printables”—September 23rd, 8pm ET. Free to register. Link in episode description.
• Chelsea’s Group Session:
  “How to Design Your Printables to Have a Spin Without Copying”—Late September in the VIP E Printables group.
• E Printables Course Open Enrollment:
  September 22nd–29th. Includes bonuses and a 30-day October challenge for new members.

Takeaways for Etsy Sellers

• Use evergreen products to stabilize shop income and fill in slow months.
• Repurpose, re-theme, and rename templates to maximize effort.
• Pay attention to microtrends and community behaviors for niche opportunities.
• Let customers’ search language and intent drive your product copy and listings.
• Maintain a balance between new ideas and execution—focus on adapting proven sellers to multiple audiences for efficiency and growth.

For more in-depth visuals or Chelsea’s product walkthroughs, check the YouTube version of this episode. Register for upcoming trainings to dive deeper into Etsy printable strategies with Chelsea and the Gold City Ventures team.