12 Christmas Side Hustles To Try in the UK 2023

The holidays are an expensive time of year for everyone in the UK. Luckily, it is possible to make extra money at Christmas by starting a festive side hustle that could increase your income. From selling printable cards to selling kids colouring books on Amazon, here are the top 12 Christmas side hustles to make extra cash in the UK 2023.

12 Best Christmas Side Hustles in the UK 2023

1. Sell printable cards on Etsy: Create digital Christmas cards using software such as Canva and then upload them as printables on Etsy. This is an easy Christmas side hustle that you can do from anywhere in the world.

2. Personalized print-on-demand gift store: Custom gifts see a spike in demand during the festive season. Use print-on-demand services to create your own custom gift business that could turn into passive income.

3. Sell Christmas coloring books through KDP: Create colouring pages on Canva, organize them into an eBook and list the book for free on KDP.

4. Printable table decorations: Sell bundles of festive decorations that can be printed out and used at dinners or parties.

5. Party planning: Make money by organizing Christmas parties on behalf of hosts. The easiest way to get clients is through social media.

6. Sell Christmas meal planners on KDP: A simple way to make money at Christmas that involves creating digital meal planners and listing them for sale on Amazon through KDP.

7. Christmas gift dropshipping: Build your own ecommerce store and sell trending Christmas gifts without holding any inventory.

8. Become a UGC creator: Make money by creating social media content for brands. You don’t need a big following of your own and you can easily fit this side hustle idea around your festive plans.

9. Festive decorating services: Get paid to put up Christmas lights, decorate trees or set up Christmas parties. You can find jobs on Taskrabbit in the UK.

10. Host a festive Airbnb experience: A high-paying Christmas side hustle idea for people with a spare room or home that they could rent out to guests. Increase your rates by creating the ultimate Christmas getaway.

11. Sell home-baked Christmas cakes: A fun way to make some extra cash this Christmas. Bake Christmas cakes, deserts and other sweet treats and sell them online.

12. Gift guide affiliate marketing: One of the easiest ways to make some extra cash at Christmas. Sign up to Amazon Associates, create a blog post about the best Christmas gifts, put affiliate links in the blog post, create a pin to send traffic to the blog, and earn money when readers purchase through your links.

12 Christmas Side Hustles Explained

In the following section, we will take a closer look at the 12 best Christmas side jobs to start this year including how they work and how to start. Ready to make some extra cash this festive season?

1. Sell printable cards on Etsy - Easiest Christmas side hustle to start in the UK 2023

One of the best ways to make extra money this Christmas is to sell printable greeting cards on Etsy. This festive side hustle is free to start and very easy. Simply create fun, unique card designs using Canva and then upload these to your Etsy shop for customers to purchase.

Selling Etsy printables is a unique side hustle idea that can be very lucrative. People buy printable cards so that they can give loved ones something different than what is being offered in the supermarkets. One of the best ways to be successful with this side hustle idea is to offer personalization. This involves allowing customers to add details such as a name, picture or personal greeting onto the card design.

Etsy is an eCommerce platform that makes it easy to UK sellers to sell handmade, vintage and digital products to an audience of millions. The platform also has low fees, which makes it easy for small businesses to turn a profit.

To start selling printable greeting cards on Etsy:

1. Set up an Etsy shop for free.

2. Create at least 15 aesthetic card designs on Canva.

3. List the products on your shop with optimized descriptions.

4. Connect with other sellers and the wider Etsy community to increase your chances of success.

Starting an Etsy greeting card business is a great side hustle idea to try this festive season. With zero upfront costs, it is easy to make an extra £500 per month as long as you follow the steps mentioned above, start early so that your store can gain a good reputation, and wait for your first sale to be made.

2. Personalized print-on-demand gift store - UK Christmas side gig with huge potential

Personalized gifts always see a spike in popularity over the holiday season. These gifts make the perfect stocking filler that is both meaningful and fun.

Novelty gifts are also a great income opportunity for anyone who is looking to start a festive e-commerce side hustle.

You can create and sell your own personalized novelty with print-on-demand.

Print-on-demand is a type of eCommerce business that involves creating graphic designs, uploading them digitally onto garments, and then selling these through an online store. The products are printed and shipped directly from the manufacturer, which means that sellers do not need to buy any stock or hold inventory.

Some of the best print-on-demand products to sell during the holidays include personalized keyrings, novelty sweatshirts, themed pajamas and customizable photo frames. However, this list is certainly not exhaustive and there are hundreds of potential products that you could sell with print-on-demand in 2023.

To start a print-on-demand business this Christmas:

1. Create an eCommerce store using Shopify.

2. Integrate your store with a print-on-demand supplier (Printify is a good option).

3. Create some fun designs using Canva.

4. Upload the designs onto products that you would like to sell.

5. List your products using keywords in the product descriptions.

6. Automate the fulfillment process.

7. Use social media to promote your side hustle for free.

Just like any small business, it can take several weeks to make your first sale with print-on-demand. However, it is possible to drive people to your store through social media marketing. For example, you could reach out to micro-influencers and ask them to share your store on their platform or use Pinterest to link directly to products on your store.

3. Sell Christmas coloring books through KDP - Free Christmas side hustle for passive income in the UK 2023.

Amazon KDP is a self-publishing platform that can be used by anyone to publish books and eBooks onto the Amazon marketplace. Some of the best eBooks and physical books to sell at Christmas time are children’s colouring books.

Colouring books are a great way to make money selling books on Amazon without writing in 2023. These books do not require any writing talent and can be created for free using designs that are available on Canva.

When you publish a book on KDP, the printing and shipping process is handled by Amazon. This means that you only need to create a digital version of the books that can be printed every time you make a sale. Colouring books are very popular around Christmas time as a way of keeping children entertained.

To stand out from the crowd, try making unique colouring books with humour or personalized themes. It is also a good idea to research trending kids’ shows so that you can create books that will be an instant hit by using well-known characters and themes.

Selling through Amazon KDP is an excellent passive side hustle idea to try this season. Once a book is published on the marketplace, the Amazon team handles everything for you. This means that it is possible to make money in your sleep.

To start selling Christmas colouring books on KDP:

1. Create a book using free design tools such as Canva.

2. Create a cover for your book.

3. Upload the book to the KDP platform.

4. Choose a price and write an optimized description for the Amazon listing.

5. Connect a payment method to your KDP account.

Check out our eBook format guide to learn about formatting your colouring book for the KDP platform.

4. Printable table decorations - Unique seasonal side hustle that is fun and profitable.

Printables are amongst the best digital products for beginners to sell online.

A printable is a digital file that can be printed off and used in day-to-day life. Popular examples include printable Wallart, printable colouring pages, printable planners, and printable menus.

One way to profit from this excellent side hustle idea at Christmas time is to sell printable table decorations that can be used to create a beautiful Christmas display. This is an innovative and fairly untapped Christmas side income idea that has a lot of potential in 2023.

Printables are a great type of product to sell because they are free to create and don’t require any physical storage space.

A good idea is to sell decorations in packs on platforms such as Etsy or Amazon. Pinterest is a great way to market your printable Christmas decor - purchase some samples and create your own beautiful Xmas table display to post on the platform and encourage people to buy your products.

Here’s how to sell printable table decorations on Etsy:

1. Create your printables using free tools such as Canva.

2. Set up an Etsy shop. This is the best platform to sell printables in the UK.

3. Save your printables as PDFs. This is the best format to sell on Etsy. You could also save your printables as word documents.

4. List your products. List your printables on your Etsy shop using optimized product descriptions and good images.

5. Use Pinterest to promote your table decorations. Pinterest is the best platform to promote any products that photograph well. You can use Pinterest for free and link directly to your Etsy store.

5. Party planning - Make money planning people’s Christmas parties with no experience needed

Christmas parties are a popular tradition that are used by businesses, families, and friends to celebrate the holiday season.

Although these events are fun to attend, planning them can be a little overwhelming, especially for businesses or busy individuals who don’t have enough free time.

If you’re someone who loves to host parties of your own and knows how to throw a great Christmas do, you could start a side job as a Christmas party planner. This is a high-paying side hustle idea that could easily replace your full-time salary.

Part planners are hired by hosts to put together great parties for a generous price. The planning process typically involves meeting with the host to understand what they’re looking for, creating a plan, working with suppliers to find props, decor, food and drinks, and setting up the event before guests arrive.

Party planning requires a lot of time but is something that you could easily do at weekends or in the evenings. Nevertheless, this Christmas side hustle idea is better suited to people who have a lot of free time to dedicate to event planning.

Here’s how to start earning money by planning Christmas parties:

1. Learn your craft. Take part planning courses and attend events to learn as much as possible about what makes a good party.

2. Throw your own parties for family and friends. You can use this as an opportunity to take photos and video for your portfolio and social media pages.

3. Grow your social media presence. The most effective platform to advertise party planning is social media. Post images and videos to TikTok and Instagram to establish yourself as a party planning expert.

4. Create a website. Build a Shopfiy website to book clients and collect payment.

5. Reach out to friends for initial clients. Finding your first client can be tough. The best way to overcome this is to reach out to friends. Ask around for people who may be looking for a party planner and offer your services as a reduced rate in return for a positive review.

6. Use social media to market your small business. Post consistently on social media to build a brand and get your name to people who are looking for a Christmas party planner this festive season.

6. Sell Christmas meal planners on KDP - Passive income idea to try at Christmas with low startup costs

Food is a big part of Christmas festivities for many people in the UK. This is a great opportunity to start selling festive meal planners through Amazon KDP.

KDP is a self-publishing platform that makes it possible for anyone to publish their own books on the Amazon store. Simply upload a digital file of the book and the KDP team will take care of printing and shipping when an order is placed.

We have a whole guide on how to make money selling eBooks on Amazon that covers the steps required for this Christmas side hustle idea.

You can create your own festive meal planners for free on Canva using templates. Then, upload the finished design to the KDP platform in the correct eBook format. Make sure to use keywords in your description so that your planner appears in search results.

You could also upload your planner as a digital product and sell it through Etsy. One of the best ways to market this side hustle is to use Pinterest. Post images of your planner with keywords and include a direct link to the product listing.

Christmas meal planners are incredibly helpful to anyone who is hosting around Christmas time. Although this product is very useful, it is also relatively untapped, which means there isn’t much competition.

Quick guide on how to sell festive meal planners on KDP:

1. Create a meal planner using free templates on Canva. Personalize the planner to make it festive and to make it look unique.

2. Save your planner in a KDP-friendly format.

3. Create an Amazon KDP account.

4. Upload the planner to KDP. Write a keyword optimized description and make sure that the image is high quality.

5. Publish your planner onto Amazon.

6. Use Pinterest to promote your planner and encourage people to buy.

7. Christmas gift dropshipping - Popular side hustle that tends to do very well during the gifting season

Dropshipping is one of the most profitable side hustles that you can start in 2023.

It involves selling products online without holding any inventory. Instead, the products that you sell are stored by the manufacturer or supplier who also takes charge of shipping and fulfillment.

Dropshippers essentially act as the bridge between consumers and manufacturers and mainly focus on marketing and brand creation to make sales.

Christmas is one of the most profitable seasons for dropshipping businesses. One way to take advantage of this opportunity is to create a dropshipping store that sells trending gifts.

Not only is dropshipping a side hustle that pays well but, it is also a side hustle that can easily become passive. After the initial effort of creating a website, marketing your products on social media and building a brand, it is possible to sell products in your sleep.

In 2023, one of the best ways to start a Christmas drop shipping side hustle is to find trending products on TikTok.

TikTok reaches consumers around the globe and has a huge impact on consumer trends. If a product goes viral on the platform, it is guaranteed to sell. You can also use the platform to market your products once you have created your online store.

How to start a Christmas gift dropshipping business in 2023:

1. Find a trending Christmas gift. Use social media to find gifts that have a high demand and are available to buy through dropshipping wholesalers.

2. Set up an eCommerce store. Use the Shopify free trial to set up your store. Create an online store that is easy to navigate and has a clear brand (branding makes marketing 100x easier!).

3. Integrate your Shopify store with a wholesaler. You will need to contact the wholesaler to check that they are able to support your dropshipping business. You will also need to discuss fees and terms.

4. Create optimized product listings. List the products that you would like to sell on your store. Choose a price and write an SEO-friendly product description.

5. Use social media to market the products. TikTok is a great platform for marketing. Order a product sample and create engaging videos that encourage people to buy from your store.

6. Monitor your store. The manufacturer will take care of shipping and fulfillment but you should monitor your store and provide customer service where needed.

8. Become a UGC creator - Make extra money by creating social media content for brands

UGC is a new type of social media marketing and a very profitable side hustle opportunity for anyone who is good at making social media content.

A UGC creator creates content on behalf of brands that is used as part of their wider social media marketing campaign. This means that you do not have to have a big following of your own to make money creating content on social media. Instead, the content is posted directly to the brands’ account.

Christmas is a huge event for businesses as people shop for gifts. Therefore, many businesses use this time to ramp up their social media marketing efforts. As a result, Christmas is a great time of the year to get started as a UGC creator.

Also read: How to become a nano influencer

Most UGC creators make around $330 per piece of content, however, the exact amount varies depending on the type of content that you create. TikTok is the highest-paying platform for UGC creators followed by YouTube then Instagram.

The easiest way to get started is to join a UGC agency that connects creators to brands.

As a UGC creator, you can earn real money doing something that you love and having fun. This social media side hustle only requires 2-3 hours per day and pays very well compared to other ways to make money on Instagram and other social media platforms.

How to make money as a UGC creator this Christmas:

1. Create a portfolio. The first step of how to become a UGC creator is to create a portfolio of content. You could use a digital portfolio platform or create an Instagram account that is dedicated to your UGC side hustle.

2. Sign up to an agency. It is possible to find UGC jobs on your own, however, the best way to become a UGC creator this Christmas is to join a content creation agency. We like UGC3 because they are UK based and accept beginner creators.

3. Start making money creating content. After signing up for an agency, you will be connected to brands that are looking for creators like you. All you have to do now is create great content.

9. Festive interior decorating services - A Christmas business that will make sure you’re in the festive spirit!

If you’re looking for a more hands-on side hustle to get you in the festive spirit, you could start charging people to put up their Christmas decorations.

Many people in the UK don’t have time to create an extravagant Christmas display and are willing to pay good money for someone to do it for them.

This side hustle involves putting up lights, creating aesthetic interior displays and adding finishing touches to homes and other indoor spaces to make them look more festive.

You could even charge a fee for planning and purchasing Christmas decorations.

The best way to start is to reach out to your local community on Facebook. Share photos of Christmas displays that you have created and set a competitive price for your services. Christmas decorators are particularly popular amongst people with larger homes, hotels or shops that need a Christmas display.

This side hustle idea is fairly untapped which means that there isn’t that much data online about earnings. However, you can expect to make between £25 and £50 per hour for putting up people’s Christmas decorations.

How to start a Christmas decoration side hustle in 2023:

1. Create displays in your own home to showcase your skills. Take photos of the displays that you create and post these to social media.

2. Reach out to your local community. Use Facebook groups to find potential clients. Post photos of your work and outline the services that you offer.

3. Join TaskRabbit: You can list your decoration services on Taskrabbit and attract clients through the platform. This could speed up the process of finding your first job.

4. Book clients and expand. It may take a few weeks to find your first client. When you do, ask them to tag you in social media posts to increase the awareness of your small business.

10. Host a festive Airbnb experience - An easy way to make money from your extra space this Christmas

Christmas breaks are becoming popular amongst people in the UK who want to get away from the business of their everyday lives during the festive season. This is a great opportunity for people to host festive-themed breaks on Airbnb.

Airbnb is a very popular side hustle in the UK that is can be very well-paid.

In fact, some people make a full-time income by Airbnb’ing without owning a property in the UK. You could easily increase your rate at Christmas by decorating your space to create a themed experience for guests. Many people are willing to pay good money for the ultimate winter wonderland experience.

Furthermore, it is possible to Airbnb your home even if you only have one room to spare. Homes near Christmas markets and other festive attractions perform the best at this time of year.

How to create the ultimate Christmas Airbnb experience in 2023:

1. Decorate your space. Decorate your space with a tree, lights and any other decorations that you can get your hands on. People pay more for spaces that have been well thought through. A good idea is to decorate your space with a festive theme such as Santa’s Grotto or The North Pole. This will help you to create a design that sells.

2. Go above an beyond. The key to securing bookings on Airbnb this festive season is to make your space stand out from others. Consider offering unique features such as a marshmellow toasting station, fake snow, or even a log fireplace.

3. Take great photos. Capture your space at its best with some great photos that you can upload to Airbnb. You could also upload the photos to social media to draw attention to your listing.

4. Write a festive description. Make your Christmas Airbnb easy to find by writing an optimized description.

5. Set your availability and maintain your space. Set your availability on Airbnb and wait for people to book your space. All that you have to do after that is maintain the space in between guests.

11. Sell home-baked Christmas cakes - Best Christmas side hustle for talented bakers

If you’re a talented baker, you could use your skills to make extra money at Christmas by selling Christmas cakes.

Selling baked goods is a free side hustle idea that can easily turn into a small business venture. Homemade goods businesses tend to do very well during the festive season when people are more willing to pay for luxury food items.

This type of side hustle is great for beginners because it has low start up costs and is fairly easy to manage.

A good idea is to use software to keep track of orders. Of course, your success will largely be down to how well you can bake. For people who enjoy baking, selling Christmas cakes could be a fun way to increase your income this festive season.

How to make extra money selling cakes this Christmas:

1. Create a website: Use the Shopify free trial to create a professional website which you can sell your cakes on.

2. Take photos of your cakes. Use photos to promote your cake baking business on social media.

3. Post your business in local Facebook groups. This is a great way to promote your side hustle and reach potential customers.

4. Encourage customers to leave reviews. This is a great way to increase your trustworthiness and encourage more people to buy from your store.

12. Gift guide affiliate marketing - Fun Christmas side hustle that is easy to start in the UK

Gift guides are a type of digital product that provides gift ideas and gifting guidance to help people buy the best Christmas presents for loved ones.

You could easily monetize your gift guides through affiliate marketing.

Christmas gift guide affiliate marketing works by creating a Pinterest gift guide pin and linking the post to a blog article that contains affiliate links for every product that you mention.

Every time that someone purchases a product through an affiliate link, you will receive a commission.

One of the most appealing aspects of gift guide affiliate marketing is that it can easily become passive. Once you have created the post and shared it to Pinterest, it is possible to make money while you sleep.

Furthermore, blog posts and Pinterest pins are evergreen which means that you could continue making money for years to come, as long as you monitor and optimize the content regularly.

Affiliate marketing is also one of the easiest side hustles to start this Christmas. It requires no start-up costs and very little time - 1-2 hours per day is fine.

How to make money with gift guides this Christmas:

1. Create a blog. The first step is to create a blog for free using platforms such as Squarespace or Wordpress. You will use this site to publish gift guide articles so choose a name that is relevant and spend time making it look professional.

2. Create gift guide pins. The next step is to create a series of gift guide pins that you can post on Pinterest. To grow your Pinterest views, aim to post at least 3x per day.

3. Write gift guide blog posts. Write blog posts that you can link to from your pins. Review each product that you mention to encourage people to buy.

4. Sign up to Amazon associates. The best affiliate marketing program for this type of side hustle is Amazon Associates. You will be able to earn a commission every time someone buys an Amazon product through your link. Implement affiliate links into your blog posts.

5. Post regularly. Aim to post 2 articles onto your blog each week and 3 posts on Pinterest each day. It will take up to 6 months for your side hustle to grow but it is possible to earn commission as soon as people start clicking your links.

What Is The Best Way To Make Money At Christmas?

Christmas is a great time to start a side hustle and make extra money in 2023. This is largely due to the fact that people spend more during the holiday season, which means that it is easier to sell products and services. Here, we have taken a look at 12 potential Christmas side hustle ideas that could be very profitable this year. We have also taken a look at how to start each side hustle in 2023.

The key to success with any side hustle is consistency. It usually takes time to see any results which can be frustrating at first. However, if you are able to stay consistent and wait through the initial period of zero profits, you could eventually build a very profitable side hustle this Christmas.

For more side hustle inspiration and realistic guides, check out the rest of our posts on The Rich Girl Guide.

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