← How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy
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Hey, my name is Lizzie Smiley and I absolutely love helping people connect with their calling and all the tools they need to kick roadblocks and excuses right out the door so they can cultivate the life they dream about. If you want to launch, grow, pivot, or scale your Etsy shop, or you've always wanted to develop the mindset and skills to run your own business, then I'm your girl. I've had that entrepreneurial spirit going strong since my very first lemonade stand. And now I'm a work at home mama with multiple online companies and a full time Etsy shop, all while being present with my kids for the everyday chaos and most important milestones. On this podcast, we'll talk about all things business, mindset, Etsy, creativity, dazzling our customers, and so much more. There's plenty of room at this table for you, so scooch on in and let's go. I'm holding nothing back. Welcome to how to sell your stuff on Etsy. I'm so glad you're here. Hello, my friend. Are you ready to talk about the trends? Because I don't think in over a year and a half now of being an Etsy trends expert, I have ever been more excited about the trends. And let me just, let me just give you the whole kahuna right now about why 2026 is the year of everyone being themselves. And so what that means is there are so many trends, there are so many aesthetics and concepts and vibes that are doing well and that are projected to do well, that I feel like we're on the precipice of some of the greatest success we've seen on Etsy because we all get to be ourselves. You know, typically, like when I started becoming a trends expert and releasing a trend report back in the fall, early fall of 2024. And back then the trends were very specific and you had to nail that aesthetic or those couple of aesthetics and the people who did did great. But what's happened more in the last six months is this fluidity. It's like one of the more positive things coming out of our culture right now is freedom to express and be ourselves. And there are a lot of people who you will align with. And do you still have to nail the aesthetic? You still. Yes, you do, but there's more of them. And so, like, I find myself gravitating towards certain, certain trends right now. Other students of mine are gravitating towards different ones. I am seeing success rates like I never have before. Shops are blowing up. If you are new Here or you're new to trends, I want you to know who you're talking to, okay? Because I am not cool. I am a nerd. I'm a dork is maybe even better. And I say that about myself in the most endearing way. Trends did not come naturally to me. I didn't have. I wasn't born with it. You know what I mean? I didn't. I couldn't get it. I had to train myself. So what. What happened is I'm super stubborn and I'm a type 3 enneagram. So if you know what that means, I'm an achiever. And you present me with a challenge and tell me I can't do something, and I'm like, oh, watch me. But like, with a really big smile and a hug. Do you know what I mean? It's not like a nasty. Watch me. It's like a. It's like, okay, let's. I'm Ted Lasso in a woman, okay? So a few years ago, I'm realizing more and more I have to understand trends to do better myself and most importantly, to help you guys do better. And so I began this journey of just like, here's the thing. Everything is figureoutable. There is nothing you cannot learn. You're not naturally good at something. It does not matter. You do have to choose to take your capacity and put you so. So choose wisely, right? Like, I am not going to be putting my capacity into figuring out accounting. That's not. Is it necessary to my business a hundred million percent. I pay a few people to help me do that because that's not where I'm gonna put my capacity to learn. But trends felt just aligned enough where I was like, this is figureoutable. I'm gonna learn it. So I want you, if this feels you're here because you're like, I know I need to listen to this. It's probably important. It's 20, 26. Spring, summer, Etsy Trends. Okay, But I don't get it. Same girl. Like, I didn't get it either. And what I'm gonna. What I do is I. I help you identify patterns. And today, actually, this is gonna be super fun today because Etsy didn't put out a trend report yet. They're probably gonna do one in another month or two. And we're gonna do this again. I usually do this four times a year. A trend report, so. But Pinterest put out a spectacular one. And there is so much alignment over Pinterest and Etsy. And in fact, I'm so glad you hit play on this because we're actually going to be ahead of the Etsy trends a little bit. We're going to know what's coming and be able to plan for it. I have some really strategic advice for you coming up here in a little bit because some of these things haven't hit Etsy yet. And at first you're going to doubt me and you're going to be like, Lizzie, I put these listings up and nothing is happening. And then in three months from now you're going to blow up. This happens to me every time. I'm always so ahead of the trends. I almost like second guess myself because it takes about two months before I start getting sales on it and then they become bestsellers. So I'm going to ask you to trust me and I'm just telling you I am literally giving you the ultimate insider scoop. Trends are really important. I have never seen students do so well as when they started incorporating them. Even if you're kind of in a handmade space, I encourage you as you, as you evolve your shop, as you scale your handmade shop or something that's maybe a little less trend reliant, you create products that are adjacent and that go in there that you can incorporate the trends because what they do is they give you a quick cash flux. And I'll tell you what I sell when I have a best selling like high trend design, it usually sells for about a year. So I'm not telling you, you go ahead and invest yourself in trends and you're just gonna make some fast, fast cash for one or two months. You can like especially if you pick them well. And this is what I like to teach. You can really ride it for a while. Like the coquette trend has been selling now for like three years. So we're gonna do just fine. So we're gonna dig into the Pinterest report. I am gonna tell you what I think you should do based on what I'm seeing on Etsy and ways also that you can incorporate these into totally like you can almost create and evolve these trends on Etsy. And then I want to take some time after we go through the Pinterest trend report and tell you what I am seeing specifically on Etsy right now because it is slightly different. And I want you to know what's working right now so that when you go to sit down and create new listings for your shop, you can do a mix of here's what's going to work right now and here's where I'm kind of planning ahead for future me. Okay, so if this is fascinating to you, you know, you need to learn more about trends. I have a membership called trendspotting and I'm about to run some bonuses, five weeks of bonuses. If you know, you know, if you've been here a while, you know the bonuses are super sweet. So what you get anyway, no matter what is. Every Monday I email you a trend report. It is a curated, beautiful PDF that tells you what is brand new, what holidays or events to design for. Because you need to be designing ahead for those. What are the hottest trends right now and what is like going strong? Like what trends are just stable. We're seeing them everywhere. You're going to see a visual representation. I give you a screenshot of what, what it looks like and also the name. This is going to save you so much time because I, I, I refer to it myself all week long. I'm going back to it. My students are going back to it. It is a. So if you were here before, I used to just email you a list. Now it's a curated beautiful PDF report. It's so much so time saving. Also, if you are new to transpotting, you need to learn this skill. Skill. I also give you a training video. Every week I go through the trends on etsy. We spend 10, 15, 20 minutes together and I show you what I'm seeing, I show you how I find it. I'm giving you the tips because what I want you to do is I want you to take my more general Etsy trend report and I want you to go do that same research for your product in your niche and dig down into that because that's going to be gold for you. It's going to be super, super helpful. I also give you six listing ideas. So um, three of them every week are for print on demand. Three of them every week are digital products. So I tell you, here are some opportunities that are low competition, high demand. So like that sweet spot. And I even give you the SEO so you can write your title and tags with it and you don't have to go do that research. It's just literally like, here's what to create, here's your SEO. And then if that weren't enough, we do a monthly coaching call. So this is, this is how you can start getting access to me without the price tag of scaling society. Scaling society includes trendspotting and everything else I do. It's like my all inclusive where you get access to all of my resources and to me Trendspotting is like a great entry point because it's a much lower price point. And you still get on a coaching call with me once a month where you know I am answering questions. I am doing shop audits. I am. You get to know me and I get to know your shop and help you make the decisions about what to do next. So it's a great entry point. Also, you can get your first month for just 17. So if you go into trendspotting to check out, you can put in the code keep20, keep20 will get you your first month for 17 and then it renews at just 37amonth. So I do periodic bonuses. Let me tell, I'm going to tell you what they are. This is what I'm about to run. They're literally starting on Monday. I am flying by the seat of my pants over here, my friend, on Monday. Okay, this is, this is crazy cool for my Scaling society. So that's like my bigger membership. That's where you need to be if you're ready to grow. If you're a serious Etsy seller, you want to get around in a community where you can get regular feedback, regular help, questions answered, all, all of the training. That's where you want to be. It's just a more, more commitment in the price point. In the beginning of the year, we released a custom GPT to help my Scaling society students understand the niches. It's called Niche blast Lab. And my team and I trained this GPT to be able to tell you all about a niche. So if you. I have, I have a free workshop called how to blow up your Etsy shop. And the premise is it teaches you how to niche blast, which means create a concept that sells well in one niche and then blast it to all the others. It's that I will make sure. I need to make a note. I will make sure and link the how to blow up your Etsy shop. It's a free workshop. That's insane. I'm giving away some, some of the top strategy in the industry for free. Because I'm just crazy like that. The hard thing about niche blasting is that you have to understand each niche and that is hard. You know the reason that some of us do well, if you've heard Shannon's story, she's been on the podcast. She had really fast success starting in 2025. She started, she's. She's a paramedic for a living. So she started creating paramedic designs. Her products were all paramedic related and they started Selling because she understood the niche. So for me, I'm a bit of like a homesteader. I'm a knitter, I love horses, I love travel. And so those are niches that I really understand. And it's easy for me to design for because I already know what they think, what they say, what they, what elements they would use. Like I. The best example I can give you is there's a best selling design on Etsy called o that says O2 dealer. It's just a simple shirt that says O2 dealer, meaning oxygen dealer. And it is a bestseller because respiratory therapists and people who love them buy it like, like it flies off the shelves. I would never. I know nothing about medical. I hate everything medical. I love my medical people. It just, it triggers me. I would never know to put O2 dealer on a shirt and that it would sell really well for a respiratory therapist. But my GPT does. So it will tell you, you can go in there and it will tell you you type in the niche, it'll tell you what you need to know about it, and then you can go design fast. So as the first bonus, I'm doing something crazy and I am giving trendspotting access to the niche blast lab for 30 days. You get to play with it just for 30 days. So that's why this is time sensitive. You want to get in there so you can play with it. You can like, you know, copy and paste and save all your research. Go learn about the niches because this is huge. That's March 9th. March 16th. I have created a patches to me. My genius, Becca, who you guys have also heard on the podcast, who works for me now, is a prompting genius. She's incredible at creating anything. We're giving you an on trend pack of comfort colors mockups. She cracked some crazy codes to be able to make it look exactly like a comfort color shirt. So we are completely compliant with Etsy. So if you've seen those half folded comfort colors mockups that are all over the place that are doing so well, we created our own version of that. They're insane. We're giving that to you. March 16 March 235 design templates. So I'm going into Canva creating a high trend design templates that you can just, you can make your design so easy because I've got the base shell created for you. You go in, you change a few things, you make it your own, you do it for your niche, export it, and you're good to go. So that'll be super fun. March 30th is going to be double opportunities. So typically in a week, I give six listing ideas with done for you SEO for that week, you're going to get 12. And then finally, and this is everyone's favorite every time April 6th is going to be a font pairing guide. So one of the biggest mistakes I see when I go in to do shop audits, look at designs and see what people are doing, the fonts paired together do not work well together. And this matters so much to nail that emotional connection for your customer. So I'm going to give you a guide that's going to show you all of the the best fonts to pair together. So when you create designs with two fonts, you can just refer to the guide, use those and you know you'll be on on trend. So these are going to be crazy, super fun bonuses. We're doing five weeks of them. This is the time to get into trendspotting, to learn to get the bonus. Four weeks for $17. Like that's it. Let's go, let's go. And then hopefully I get to meet you on a, on a call, because that's my favorite is getting to actually meet you. Okay, so we're all. That's like today's episode. How do we say, oh, it's sponsored by trendspotting. Come join us in there and we will get you up to speed. And I've never seen better results than when they start in trendspotting and start learning the trends. Let's go over the Pinterest trend report because, holy moly, this is, it's so, it's so fun. It's so exciting. It's so all over the place. The first, the first trend is called. They give them names because they had to be clever, right? It's called Gimme Gummy. And they said in 2026, we are going on, going full on gummy. There's so many levels of that. Gen Z and Millennials are behind this ASMR overload. Think bendy phone cases, elastic cheek tints, and probiotic treats that have a spring back bite. Expect rubberized nail art and 3D jewelry to become your. Pardon me, your new tactile obsession. Okay, so everything is going to be gummy. I am not seeing this yet, but I can totally how what's happening on Etsy right now can evolve into this. If you are in, obviously because of what they're saying about nails and jewelry. If you are in like jewelry, let's say you make earrings, you need to get, you need to make gummy earrings. You've got to figure out how you could maybe, you know what I would do is have you ever seen those like picky pads with like the resin that's kind of squishy? Cause that's how you're digging the stuff out. You want to make gummies out of that. You want to make gummy style jewelry. So handmade products, where possible, you're going to use gummy or squishy elements. Print on demand and digital sellers, you want to start creating designs with 3D gummies. Like so right now on the trend report that I'm doing every week, there's so much happening in tech textiles, 3D textiles. So it's like it's a two dimensional faux looking knit, right? Or patchwork or the most recent one is embroidery and cross stitch. People are creating two dimensional designs of that and they're selling like Wildfire Flyer, Wildfire there. It's a huge trend right now. Create 3D gummy designs. It's probably going to be a few months before they sell, but do it now and do it for the biggest niches because then you'll be the one to hit it right there. You'll have the first thing there. Everyone's going to come cop you after that, but you got in and you can have something for like go do it for every kind of sport to go do it for the mom niche, go do it for the nurse, especially the teacher niche. There'd be so many cute like last day of school designs with gummy looking lettering and elements. Holy cow. All right, so that is a huge one. I'm really glad that was the first one because it applies to everybody. If you know, you know, like the way the textiles are right now with 3D. And also we're seeing kind of chunky paint, like 3D looking paint, but it's just a faux design. Gummies. That's the next one. The next trend is called Glamorati and it says the decade of decadence is back in style. And honestly, it's about time. Tailored suits with sculpted shoulders will grow three sizes. Oh Lord. Hello 80s. Sorry guys. Funnel next. That makes me happy. Will be the base of every outfit and jewelry. Well, that'll get chunkier, bolder and golder. Gen Z and millennials are driving this maximalist esthetic. So what do we know about this? This makes complete sense. It's kind of the year of maximalism. We're seeing a lot of gold outlines in the, in like the, in the digital space, print on demand space. So whatever you're designing. Like if I was. If I was doing signs, I'd be offering a bunch of them with gold lettering right now with and without glitter. Animal prints are another big one. We've been seeing that trend that's actually super already happening on Etsy. We're going to get more into it, but for sure, like leopard print luxury aesthetics. So anytime you could make something a little more blingy. Not gaudy though. So the. You have to think about the word like decadence and glamour. So it needs to be like high style, not. Not gaudy rhinestones and things like that, like make it look luxury. So I would. For this one, I would be testing faux leathers and faux vinyls for. For your design styles. This is how I would interpret this right now and see what will happen. The next one is called Poetcore. I love this. It says, aspiring authors assemble in 2026. Gen Z and millennials will channel their inner protagonist with oversized turtlenecks, vintage blazers and messenger satchels. Oh, and don't forget the fountain pen. Consider this your aesthetic. Mfa. No student loans required. So I would say this is like cottagecore and academia meet vintage, which makes sense because we're already seeing this everywhere. So keep bringing in the vintage elements everywhere that you can, especially ones that feel poetic or academic. That's a really interesting kind of sub niche to lean into with the vintage vibes. I'm not seeing that yet. Also, you could just take vintage a little more elevated or romantic because Poet Core is going to be. Is it Poet Core? Yeah, is going to be very romantic in. In vibe. The next one is Neo Deco. So the art deco trend is getting a modern twist, Shiny, sleek and tuned into 2026 after years of heavy minimalism, Gen X and Millennials. So notice we switched there. Gen X, not Gen Z. Gen X and Millennials are bringing this retro aesthetic back with crisp chevrons. We're seeing that fan arches and other geometric hits all edged in chrome or brass. All things shiny, bold, glamour, bold, glam and just a touch eccentric. That's a really interesting. It needs to feel a little. Not just sterile, geometric, little artsy, a little eccentric. So this is. We heard in the end of 202025 that this year, while 90s has been the thing the last couple years, we were going to see a lot more 80s and 70s influences. This is the 70s influence that's already been peaking in the trends. So I think the big takeaway here is the geometric shapes. Chevron and chrome or brass, which nods to that gold outlines that we've been seeing the next one is scent stacking. This is so fun because I actually learned about this a year or two ago. It's funny how trends peak before they like totally expose themselves. It says it's time to mix up your spritz. Gen Z and millennials are ditching one and done scents for bespoke notes. Blending oils and perfumes to craft their very own fragrance formulas. Expect luxury to linger in layers next year. So yeah, I have been doing this for a while now and I always get stopped on the street because they're like, wait, what are you wearing? And I'm like, well, let me tell you, because it's layers Candle makers, this is a really interesting moment for you. So pay attention to the perfume marketplace. See what's happening over there. Like, this would be like probably a really interesting side of TikTok, hearing how people are layering things. And then I would look at some of those scent stacking combos and see what you can do. Because you could probably end up with some best sellers in your candles by mimicking those layered scents. I know you're already doing that, right? Like that's. I'm sure my, my sweet candle makers are like, they're literally copying us. Yes, Queen, because you are, you are the og. But look into this for some unique candle scents. See what kinds of unusual things they are layering and if it works well with your oils. I don't know what to tell you if you do anything else because this is very like of the nose category, right? Maybe if you do oils, this would be an interesting, interesting you. Even if you weren't going to. Oh, you know, I just had an idea. Even if you weren't going to layer it in the candle, what if you. This is better. This is better for everybody. What if you got. Now please do non toxic candles because literally candle smoke is like the new. What do you like secondhand smoke. Get them to burn two at the same time so that the scents intermingle. So don't layer it in one candle. This is going to take some social media, right? Or some teaching. But if you get them to burn two next to each other that are different but they work together, that could be cool. And then you could sell bundles. The other thing I was going to say, so this would be, this is all great social media content. You could talk about. If you're in essential oils, you could talk about your content. Could be talking about layering oils and then again you're easily selling a bundle rather than a one off. Or I don't know about you. Like I love oils but I don't know enough about them and I don't have the time to go learn and it's just not like top of my list. And if someone sold me really well this like a certain bundle of oils I would and how to use them, I would totally buy it. But I am not. This is like just for everyone needs to hear this because no matter what niche you're in, people outside of it never know as much as you and aren't necessarily going to do the work to learn. We always assume because it's the age of information that everyone knows everything. Not at all. Someone like me, I want one and done. Tell me what to get and go. I don't want to have to go do the research, dig into it, figure out what. You know what I mean? Like just tell me. So just a thought. There really interesting content possibilities for anyone in the scent industry because you can't smell through the screen. You have to describe it. Okay, that was fun. The next one is called Broached. There's a new way to wear your heart on your sleeve or tie or socks. In 2026, boomer and millennial men. Men will punctuate their fits with vintage pins, crystal clip ons and heirloom brooches. What? It's part homage, part reinvention. If your grandma wouldn't wear it, is it even a vibe? It says, okay, so what? No, that's all they said. What I was going to say is this is another nod to the strong vintage influence right now. So much so that that the men are putting it on their clothing. Grand millennial trends. Massive. We need to be paying attention. Like so much happened in that little sentence. Like in their description. A vintage B. If your grandma wouldn't wear it, is it even the vibe? We need to pay attention to that because it's all gaining steam and we need to lean into it. Also though, if you're in vintage products, holy moly, you should literally have a whole shop section full of of brooches. I would be sourcing them right now. Especially if they can lean a little masculine. So vintage pins, crystal clip ons and heirloom brooches, those are some things to source and anywhere else that you're creating, if you can incorporate that, go for it. The next one is called Fun House and I don't get it. Big top, bigger personality. In 2026, circus inspired home decor will be on the rise thanks to boomers and millennials. Interesting. It doesn't say Gen X Think bold stripes, sculptural silhouettes, and just a wink. Sorry. My autocorrect made it justice. Justice. A wink. Just a wink of clownish charm. The trick is balancing Pair a punch. Sorry, my. My autocorrect really messed this up. Pair punchline patterns with paired black palettes so the space feels elevated with a touch of camp. So the point. Okay, the point is when. When you hear big top, clown inspired, circus inspired, that doesn't just mean everything is loud and obnoxious. This is kind of like when people misinterpreted the farmhouse trend as clown. Like, a little too kitschy, when it was supposed to be clean with some, like, rustic embellishments to give it a little charm to make it not feel sterile. This isn't, like, clown everything. This is. This is having some really solid, clean aesthetics that are then accentuated with a pop of color in a way. So for sure, we're seeing bold colors. We're seeing loud collages. We're seeing maximalist themes. They're just often they're like. It's like a piece of a room, not the entire room. Right. It's like a piece of a design, not the entire design. It's the thing your eye goes to. So just know this is going to mature into some circus themes. We're already seeing a lot of trends in stripes, like, vertical stripes with really bold colors. I think those are definitely funhouse trend inspired. So just think through where can you incorporate, like, some louder moments into your designs to give them a little more in your products, to give them a little more oomph, a little more character? But this shouldn't be overwhelming. There's like a. There's a difference there. This is gonna. That's actually. This is kind of a tricky one to nail, so give it some thought. The next one. Oh, my gosh. Okay. It's called Laced Up. The Doily makes its big debut in 2026, bringing an unexpected elegance to absolutely everything. Bomber jackets will get lacy collars, bandanas will be softly stitched, and even phone cases will go crochet. Gen Z and millennials are driving this trend. So super young, gently reminding us that more is more, especially when it's this pretty. So we're already seeing this everywhere, actually. Scalloped edges are on so many designs. Doily, borders, Grammacore, everywhere. It's just got. It's not stuffy, it's elevated. It's got a bit of an updated, modern twist. So the crochet phone cases make sense to me. That's a Natural evolution of those 3D textiles that we talked about earlier. We've been seeing that for. And it's reaching every corner of kind of modern aesthetics. So the fact that it's going to literally come off of the design, the two dimensional faux example, into the literal thing does not surprise me at all. I would start testing actual doily designs for print on demand and digital products. So anywhere right now that you're seeing 3D embroidery, you're seeing chunky knit, you're seeing right now, this week, cross stitch, you want to take lacy doily styles instead. Like try those in the biggest niches. You might be the first there. This is another huge opportunity. Like the gummy one. Get lacy doily stuff up immediately. That one is so massive, you guys. I just like even need to take a beat. I'm gonna take a drink of coffee and then we're gonna talk about the next one. Better up. Pen pals, Your inbox is about to get jealous of your mailbox. Expect a letter writing Renaissance in 2026 as Gen Z and millennials turn snail mail into performance art. Think elaborate little envelopes, special stationery, and so many stamps. Dms your dust, their plan words are like, in a way, obviously I am leaning in to the drama, but oh my gosh. So handmade sellers. This is a great time to lean into things like stationery kits, I would say year round, all different trends. But also like camp season is coming up. So letter writing gift baskets would be massive. Like gift boxes or gift baskets with fancy pens and stamps. I think the special curation of stamps is an important note there. And then print on demand and digital designers, I suspect we're going to see the stamp style trend continue. It actually has kind of snoozed a little bit. I think it's going to come back hard with this and I think we're going to see some new evolution. I can't guess what that's going to be just yet. Maybe it's going to be trend combining with some of these other things that we're seeing. Right. So try it. Don't go too exotic with the stamps unless you really, really feel like you know what you're doing, because it's hard to say which way they're going to go. But the point is we kind of thought stamps were on their way out. I think. I think this is going to revive it. It'll be really interesting to see because we've already. They were so massive, like Q3 and 4 of 2025. A couple of you I know still have bestsellers that are the stamp designs because you've taken them to niches that didn't get them until later. Next up, vamp romantic beauty bites back with this 2026 trend. Millennials and Gen Z will go all in on after dark aesthetic, embracing jet black nails, romantic goth hairstyles, and a smudged coal, smoky eye, all with a touch of glass, glossy glamour. Oh, yeah, okay. Sorry again, my autocorrect. Who says you can't be both haunting and heartbreaking? So this is sounding like it's a big deal for the beauty industry, my friend. But in line with the trend, we're likely to see vampy goth inspired elements. So black lace spiders, dark, moody aesthetics. You could pair this really well with dark academia. I think also it's gonna. I think this is gonna make black a sub trend in colors. So glossy, shiny aesthetics, especially when dark will be more prevalent. Don't think glossy, shiny pastels. Think glossy, shiny deep blood reds and shiny black. This is kind of two where the vinyl, the vinyl, the faux 3D vinyl could be brought into this. So if you love that kind of stuff, if you love a little more dark, a little more Halloweeny, lean into that. I do feel like there's a. There's an elevated nod to this. Okay. So it's gonna work best when it feels like glam, like, like how they use the word romantic. So goth. But super romantic goth, if you can think of it like, that's actually. That's so dark romance. Right? Like, that makes this makes so much sense. Next up is cool blue. Meet the shade that refuses to warm up to anyone. Gen Z and Millennials are bringing a sub zero sophistication to absolutely everything in 2026. Think cool toned coats, glacier inspired accessories, and the frostiest of cocktails. It's the temp drop we've all been waiting for. Tell me about it. It's freaking March in Texas and it's a 90 degrees. I digress. Okay, so we actually talked about this in the trend report in December. Think cool toned colors. So icy, cool toned pastels were what we like, what was anticipated. I've seen. I have seen multiple bestsellers and not a whole lot of else. Like, I actually feel like this is a super undertapped possibility. I think people buy it when they see it. I think designers are not. Are wary for some reason, so they're not creating it. Also, if you sell cocktail or mocktail sets, this is a brilliant idea. Like, oh, let me say this. If you're. If you kind of fancy yourself a mixologist at home and you kind of like, what could I sell on the handmade space? Oh, my gosh. Gift sets for cocktails and especially right now, mocktails would be massive, utterly massive. And then next month, when Gloria comes on the podcast, you're gonna hear all of her PR details about how you can go get featured and blow up. So as you're, if you, if you go that route, I think this trend, this, this cool blue, how they were talking about the frostiest of cocktails. So be thinking about frosty looking and tasting recipes for those sets. I think that would be a way to be very on trend. And there's another one in a few minutes. There's another trend that I had an idea would be great for this as well. The next trend is Afro hemian decor. So 2026 will bring a fusion of African and bohemian styles. Thanks to boomers and Gen X. This is our older generation searches for African Boho. Living room and Afro chic home decor are trending up on Pinterest, a sign that decor is going to Dakar and beyond. Expect colorful Nigerian textiles in Ethiopia and wall art alongside hand woven baskets and natural fiber rugs. So if you design in the wall art space, I would thoughtfully include African inspired boho aesthetics and elements. I think they will do well. And I suspect we may see African textile inspiration infusing all Boho elements. So if you just love boho, we should keep an eye on the boho design styles because we may, across the board, see a little more of the Afro influence. And that would be so cool. Like, what a different take. Standard boho is still going to do great. So don't get me wrong, I'm, I am a boho queen. I love something that just feels a little bit hippie. And I think that will stay tried and true with the wildflowers and the muted tones and all of that. But adjacent, we're going to see the African influence all over that. And I think those textiles are going to be so beautiful. It's basically going to be like, instead of muted tones, really colorful, really colorful African tones. I'm excited. Next up is Mystic Outlands. So fairy tale meets fever dream. In 2026's biggest travel trend, millennials and boomers will seek out whimsical, mystical destinations. Distant ruins swallowed by mist, naturally occurring spirals and moody enchanted forests. If you come back with more questions than answers, well, that's the whole point. So in this one, it's. Since it's specific to travel, I had to do a little more digging. So It's. It turns out that Scott, this is a keyword phrase, Scotland Highlands aesthetic. The searches for that phrase are up 465% on Pinterest right now, as well as the search term phrase Faroe islands aesthetic, that's up 95%. So while this is described as a travel trend, I suspect we're going to be seeing some of this misty, enchanting influence in other places as well. So earthy green colors for clothing, accessories and decor. Landscape art with kind of a mysterious fog. So a little less clear, a little more misty. Enchanted forest and fairy vibes. That little bit of, like, enchantment, fairy tale, fantasy element. And I don't think it's like, this is necessarily gonna be, like, a massive trend affecting everything, but there will be a wink, and there will be a wink to it, and there will be a definite customer base for this kind of a vibe. Next up is Glitchy Glam, the perfect winged liner. She doesn't go here this year. Beauty is missing the mark on purpose. Gen Z and Millennials will rock. Mismatched manicures, two toned lipstick and bright eyeshadow in two binary hues. So long symmetry. So, like we said in the very beginning, 2026 is the year of doing whatever you want, regardless of trends, which is why we're seeing all these trends are at all ends of the spectrum. So sometimes designs and products that perform well won't necessarily make sense. This happens kind of regularly. It annoys me a little bit because I'm just like, why? It's the weird core. It's the weird. So it's the weird core vibes. So this trend is largely for the beauty industry. But as a whole, I think the. The theme takeaway here is that symmetry and matchy, matchy vibes aren't always best. And there's going to be a group of people, some people are always going to love symmetry, right? And matching, like, that's always going to be a thing. But right now, if that's not your thing, lean into your, like, your weird core self a little bit. The mismatch is going to work well this year. Next up is khaki coded. So hello, the other end of the spectrum. This is the thing. Literally, anything goes. Dig into fashion's newest find. This year, Gen Z and Millennials will embrace a new aesthetic inspired by wanderers of the world. Think khaki Bermuda shorts, Adventure ready streetwear, and vests with pockets on pockets. If your look can survive actual desert conditions, you're doing it right. So in juxtaposition of the maximalist. I think we're going to see a lot of, like, khaki and other nature inspired browns. That's, I think the biggest takeaway is that browns are really, really big this year. While some people are going to lean into maximalist, others are going to cling to earthy, practical, kind of maybe with an updated twist, though. So I'm seeing for this fashion trend, it's feeling very late 80s, early 90s with the pleats and the straight legs and all of that. I was super excited to hear about pockets, though, because I am thrilled about any pockets. So keep that in mind, especially if you make or design clothing. If you have, have, have the choice to have things with pockets or without and then otherwise lean into the browns. This one's fun. This one's actually for more for cooking, but there's an interesting. Well, let's just like talk through. It's called cabbage. Cabbage Crush. Okay. The model for 2026, Live Laugh Leaf. Oh, my gosh. Pinterest. In the year ahead, boomers and Gen X. Exactly. Will say goodbye to their, like, by the way, I am basically Gen X, so I'm not judging anybody. I'm just like, yes. They would say live laugh leaf. And it's adorable. They will say goodbye to their, their cauliflower obsession and crown cabbage as the new kitchen mvp. Think blistered edge steaks, kimchi cocktails, and even crispier taco wraps. It's crunch time, baby. Pinterest, I cannot with you. So this is, this is specific to cooking, but we're going to see a nod to it in other areas as well, like just like matcha kale, other food items that became kind of a trend. They made their way into sticker designs, into T shirts, into other. Into their own little micro niches. So, like, if you're a jewelry designer who likes to be a little bit kitschy, dangling cabbage earrings might actually be a star. Do you know what I mean? Like avocados have done in the past or matcha drinks or whatever. Like, I think partly matcha is because the color is so fun, but people are obsessed with matcha. I think it tastes like fish food, but that's just me. And I like healthy stuff. But I definitely think cabbages should be strategically featured. Like, I'm going to be using them in my homestead designs, farmer's market designs, anything that features veggies or you're talking about eating, this is a way to introduce it. And then also to my mixologist, if you're going to go the cocktail mocktail route. Kimchi cocktails is a note to make. So that's something to consider in your. Isn't that so fascinating? That's something to consider in your themes. Next up, Extra celestial in 2026. I'm honestly loving it. Gen Z and millennials are going intergalactic. Think holographic home accents. Opalescent eyeshadow that looks like moondust and cosmic silhouettes straight out of a sci fi movie. The aliens have landed and they have fabulous taste. So as I'm looking at the images for this one, I was like studying this one. It's definitely also leaning into those icy pastels that we saw before in the cool blue trend. But also this is much. So this one is really being fueled by kind of futuristic. So think futuristic elements. The opalescent and holographic aesthetics should feel kind of next generation Y. Also sci fi influences, but. But think icy, not like dark bunker. Okay. So super clean in a way. Next one is called. Okay, Wilder kind or wilder kind. It's literally the word wilder kind with one. It's weird. So it's a trend that whispers instead of roars. In 2026, it's wilder. It's wilder kind. 2026, Gen Z and Boomers will go all in on animal aesthetics, but with a delicate touch. Think soft fawn freckles, butterfly wing nail art, and fox inspired outfits that hint at forest magic. Kind of love this. Also nurseries, guys. So this is the animal print that we're already seeing everywhere. Kind of like how coquette isn't just a trend anymore. It's like we don't see it standalone. There's just bows incorporated into everywhere. They make sense. So there's been a ton of leopard print, I would say for even the last 18 months. What we're seeing to peak though, peeking out is like the deer aesthetic. So I was like, I have this. Okay, so deer aesthetic, dragonfly nails, and bug jewelry, those phrases were all especially on the rise. People were searching for it on Pinterest. So if you have a bestseller in leopard print, try creating a new design that's the exact same, just with fawn print. And then I think that these kind of like. Like if you're a handmade seller, you could maybe incorporate bugs in some like kind of a sophisticated way and that you would connect well with this group. So it's feeling, I don't want to say earthy because it can actually be very elegant. Wilder kind. Right? Lean into the animal print specifically layered into things, not just standalone. It's a way to enhance or level up a design. Next up is called this is. This is a big one. Throwback kid in 2026 childhood gets a throwback twist with vintage inspired outfits, classic toys from the 60s and upcycled baby looks. Crochet playmats will bring cozy vibes to any nursery while baby boomers and Gen X will thrift many fits. Let's go back in. And then they have it in parentheses play and the word time. You have to see it. I don't know. This also tells me I was going to say before for wilder kind nursery and baby shower. Fawn print, guys. Fawn print. So let's talk about throwback kid. This is more explanation for why we're seeing the vintage and this nostalgia everywhere. Okay. It's like totally coming out of this. Literally. It's. It's particularly. I think so I'm technically an xennial. I was born in 81, which was you. You kind of can't peg me as Gen X and I don't fit there perfectly. I'm a little too techy, but I'm not as cool or self aware. Maybe as a Gen Y, a millennial. I'm also kind of like definitely drink out of the water hose and could throw down if I needed to. Right. I've got that kind of Gen X fight. But I'm. I don't know, I've always felt a little more. I'm a. It's called an xennial. So if you're like me and you were like I don't fit, it's because we're xennials. I think us plus the Gen Xers are like so shocked by the fact that we're not young anymore and so shocked by how different the world is and that we're raising our kids in. In such a different place that than we grew up that we don't like it. I think that's what's really fueling this. Like, I don't know about you, but I literally can't believe I'm this old. I'm sure every generation does this. We just really like a lot of attention. So here we are making a big deal about it. We're seeing vintage and nostalgia everywhere. Lots of 70s, 80s, 90s nostalgia. I also think this explains the rise of naive core. So if you're already in my trendspotting, you've seen this on the trend reports. It's the childlike vibes, like where you're seeing childlike hand drawn elements, fonts, things like that. I think also fun house, the, the more circus one is kind of playing into that. Some of these talk to each other. Right. So crochet is really rocking right now. If that is your jam, like this could be your era. But here's a mistake. I see someone comes to me and they're like, I, I love crochet. This is perfect for me. Okay. Yes. And pay attention to what's trending though. Like the yarn weights, the colors, the products that are actually trending. So think bulky weight chunky yarn for like ultra soft. Love these. For babies and kids. Colorful soft crochet playmats. 70s granny squares. Yes. But for a cute vest or a sweater. So it's like updated a little bit. I don't want you to just go get the like superwash whatever standard. I can't think of what it's called. The standard weight, like crochet yarn and crochet, whatever you feel like. Because it's not going to sell. It's a specific aesthetic. So what you're going to do is you're going to go to Etsy, you're going to type in crochet, you're going to filter by best seller and you're going to see what's actually doing well. Before you go, decide what to list because I don't want you spending hours creating an inventory of crochet stuff that won't sell. Yes. This is your time, but you've got to do what's on trend. And I love you so much. I just want to make sure you knew that because I feel terrible when someone's created a bunch of stuff that will never sell. I think that this throwback kid trend is also obviously huge for the vintage seller. So pay attention to those upside upcycled clothes trends. Holy cow. Because if you can source those for people that can create little outfits for kids, babies, or like even the 80s Blazers and things like that that the adults are buying. I think you're sitting on a gold mine. Also, vintage toys. If you can find vintage toys, like this is. This is your moment. Okay. Like I think I talk about it. Yeah. I talk about it a little later about how the thrifting niche has exploded. The next one is called Darecations. Dare cations sitting on the beach snooze. I beg to differ. But in 2026 we're traveling for the thrill of it. Gen Z and millennials will seek out full throttle adrenaline inspired tourism. Think river rafting through Class 5 rapids. Repelling waterfalls or canyoneering routes on canyon routes. Or timing vacations around global sporting events. What's a comfort Zone. So here's the thing. I love this for them and I feel like our nervous systems are maybe shot enough and the beach might be a good idea. Like, could we slow down for a second? But I am not here to judge, guys. I have no idea how to spin this outside of travel, but I had to share it also just so I could vent. Next up, this is the last one from the Pinterest report. This is so good. This one's so good. Opera aesthetic. Picture this. Dramatic drapery, red roses and a string of quartet players in the dark cabaret. Wow. I screwed that up. A string of quartet playing dark cabaret. Wow. My apologies. In 2026, parties will become more opulent than ever as millennials and Gen Z bring the vintage theater aesthetic to every one of their gatherings. Cue the curtain. Every detail will be dialed to the nines. I really wanted to do that. Well, for you. I'm sorry. So guys, we know that occasions, parties, celebrations are massive niches on Etsy. It is huge. It is a huge moneymaker. This is your cue. See what he did there? Did I just redeem myself to help people throw these parties? Okay. These kinds of parties. So supplies, imitations, decorations, table signs, welcome signs, party games. Go search the best sellers of party stuff on Etsy to get ideas. You could sell these as kits and turn a One99 digital product download into a 10 or $20 one that you sell on repeat. Obviously test so many aesthetics for like that whole niche, right? That's a massive niche. But I want you to keep in mind that drama and theater are going to be huge this year. In fact, Becca and I have already seen some success with that masquerade theme in one of our shops. It's a thing. There's a lot that can be done with that. Also, this makes me think I hear something to test if you're in print, on demand or digital products like doing PNGs. I wonder if the theater kid actor niche is about to grow as well. So create so like maybe niche blasting to those. Like creating designs for those slash also masquerade. I think there's more we could draw out there than just party supplies and invitations. So that concludes the Pinterest report. I want to tell you what I'm noticing right now for my trend research because like I said, all of those things we just talked about, many of them are not on Etsy yet. I know. I drew out where they were. Here's what's happening right now. Like hot at the moment for fonts. Yes, we're seeing a lot of still, collegiate or varsity fonts continue to perform well, especially when the outline or shape of the font is varsity or collegiate. But the fill, the inside of the letters are an on trend pattern. A boho style, a grand millennial style, a spring inspired, you know, colors like vintage patchwork. You don't want to just have straight collegiate font, like worked a year or two ago where it was kind of like a clear background or a solid or even a distressed. Even though like grunge distressed is huge right now. You want to fill these with patterns. Likewise, childlike doodle style fonts. They look more hand drawn, they're more organic in shape. They're not the straight edges. They're also on trend and also often filled with an on trend pattern. Other trends, right now we're seeing a lot of designs that are just like, they're just text based, but they're ransom note or scrapbook style letters. It's really peaking right now, so get on it fast if you want to do that. There's probably some micro niches that haven't been touched with it yet. It's going to be interesting to see how that evolves. But right now it's everywhere. Also realistic patchwork quilt style elements. So not. I mean, yes, it can work if they just look like a graphic design patchwork, but when they look real, this is a bit of a trick, right? Where it actually looks like they're like they're real, but. And they're just faux. They're huge right now. 70s, 80s, 90s influences in color, shapes and nostalgia. So all three of those decades, you can design in right now for the right groups and it will blow up. Vintage elements just everywhere. Like, I don't just like everything. Like, well, here, let me just add this. So 2026 is the year of the thrift shopper. Okay. Kind of makes sense. After we looked at what Pinterest was saying, good glory, it's exploding. So 2025 was kind of the reign of the book lover niche. And don't get me wrong, it's not going anywhere. It's still huge. But the thrift shopper niche is blowing up. So we're seeing designs that are for thrifters or not, but that have vintage elements, like 70s mixing bowls and an old school wood bread box and goose or duck. They look like. I don't know if you were around during this time, but there were all of the. They were like, ceramics were kind of big to use as decorations. And so they were like. And do you remember, like, remember in the 90s like the ceramic roosters. Like, people would have a rooster in their kitchen. So before that it was like a goose or a duck. It's totally back. So pay attention to that Americana, like heritage revival. So it's feeling like, it's feeling like 80s patriotism. Do you know what I mean? Like, it's in a kind of like, it's working with the Quilty 3D texture look. Very Americana. That's what I got. So if you would like to see what these things look like visually. You want to get a weekly trend report, you're going to want to jump into trendspotting with us. Hopefully at the end of the month, I will get to see you on our live coaching call. But I would love to send you a weekly trend report. The link is going to be below. Use keep 20 to yes to get your first month for $17. And you're also going to get the bonus, the crazy bonuses. You guys make sure you put play with the Niche Blast Lab, that custom GPT that can teach you about these niches. Because one of the mistakes I see is that people are like, oh, I'm just going to design for all these things. But they don't get specific enough to the niche. You have to. No matter what your product is, it has to create an emotional connection to the shopper. It does anyway in 2026, but especially on a marketplace where you're being positioned right next to your competition. So, yes, we've got 90 million shoppers that we get to leverage, and that's phenomenal. That's so much easier than running your own website, having to drive traffic to it, because that's a whole different skill level. But your designs have to speak to the customer, the shopper, so that they choose yours. Okay, so join us in trendspotting. I hope that you loved this. We're going to do another one going into summer. These were very spring specific vibes. Trends. I will see you inside of trendspotting and I will see you in the next episode. So until next week, my love, go make something awesome. Thanks for spending the time with me. And that's a wrap on this episode of how to sell your stuff on Etsy. Thanks so much for hanging out with me today. 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