from 0 to 100+ average monthly Orders
Before we dive into how I scaled my POD (Print-on-Demand) shops, let me take you back to the beginning.
I didn’t start with a business plan or grand vision. I was simply uploading artwork to platforms like Spoonflower, letting them handle printing, shipping, and customer service while I focused on creating. (You can read the full story of how I discovered surface pattern design and built a full-time income from POD in this post.)
a place of my own
Print-on-demand felt like magic at first. I could create art at my kitchen table, upload it, and watch it transform into real products out in the world. But in the end, it didn’t feel like a real business—more like an experiment. I was renting space on someone else’s platform, playing by their rules, hoping people would stumble across my work.
I was well aware that an algorithm change could take it all away, and I didn’t want to be subject to the whims of a CEO in an office somewhere.
A shift happened when I realized that selling on marketplaces wasn’t the same as building something of my own.
That’s when I opened my own shop.
Tip:
I spent four years building my design library and sales up on Spoonflower and don’t regret it for a second. I found my style, gained a lot of customers, and built a portfolio that still pays me every month. I recommend it for beginners/intermediates 10 out of 10!
finding a focus
Having my own Etsy shop changed everything. I controlled which products I focused on, how they were presented, and how I communicated with customers. Instead of scattering my designs across every possible product, I started paying attention to what actually sold—and more importantly, what I enjoyed creating.
That’s when calendars entered the picture.
Out of all the products I tested in the early days of my Etsy shop, calendars were a clear winner in terms of sales, and raving emails from customers saying I HAD to design a new calendar next year or they would be disappointed!
Having people waiting to see the release of your next product is beyond inspiring, and that inspiration wasn’t wasted on me.
calendars take off
Not only were calendars selling well, but customers came back for them year after year, which made it clear that the business model was scalable.
I not only sold my new calendar designs each year, but I also re-listed my old designs with new dates as a test. Somehow, the re-listed designs sold more the second year than they did the first!
Designing calendars also pushed me to think more intentionally about collections, themes, and storytelling across multiple pieces rather than creating one-off designs, which made my job so much more satisfying than building a portfolio of hundreds of one-off designs.
Around this time, my life changed in another significant way: I had my second baby.
babies + shipping = nightmare
When I gave birth to my second baby, I looked at the items in my Etsy shop that I was still shipping by hand and asked myself “is it really worth it?”. I could barely walk up stairs at the time, let alone carry the baby up to my attic studio so I could pack boxes while he looked at me like “mom, are you really doing this for a few dollars when you could be holding me?”. Nope, I’m done. I threw away my label printer and swore off shipping for life.
Having a baby while running a shop made POD’s benefits even more apparent. I didn’t have time to manage inventory, pack orders, or troubleshoot shipping. I needed a business model that could support my creative work without demanding every ounce of energy.
Print-on-demand allowed me to keep creating—and earning—even when my time and focus were limited.
calendar growth
Over time, calendar designs became one of the most reliable parts of my art business. They taught me how to design with customers in mind, plan ahead, and turn artwork into cohesive products that sell. Here is a look at my sales by year:
2023: 204 sales
2024: 799 sales
2025: 1564 sales
Needless to say, it’s clear that if I continue designing calendars, sales will keep going up!
a new branch on the tree
Flash forward to my third calendar season and I’m waking up in January to see over 200 orders in my queue, being beyond thankful that I don’t have to be the one to print, pack, and ship them. I also don’t have to manage lost/damaged orders or pay when the USPS crams one of my calendars into a mailbox the size of a shoebox.
In fact, I have so much free time on my hands I’m just dreaming up more calendars and building out my Shopify store, Botanihaus, which recently became the newest sales channel where people can buy my calendars and join my art product mailing list.
I launched my Shopify store as a test this year to see where it would lead, and I’m currently up to $6K revenue in under 4 months. Yep, this will be huge in a few years.
pod is the easy button
If you’re an artist or designer who loves the idea of designing a calendar but feels overwhelmed by the logistics—what size to choose, how many designs you need, how to lay it out, how to actually sell it—my free Calendar Bootcamp walks you through the entire process. You don’t need a huge audience or complicated setup. You just need a clear plan and support.
If designing a calendar has been sitting on your “someday” list, this is your sign to take it seriously. I’ll guide you step by step so you can move from idea to finished product with confidence.
free calendar bootcamp
- Go from “I wish I could design a calendar” to “Wow, I just designed a calendar” in a few weeks
