Whether you’re a world-touring band, a local celebrity, a well-established business, or just starting to create merch, Printify is here to help you achieve eCommerce success.
We have plenty of cool merch ideas, from custom clothing to accessories and more, to help you bring in extra money and give your fans something to cheer about.
Continue reading to explore 50 fun merch ideas, popular products, and designs, and learn how to start selling merchandise with Printify.
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What makes great merch?
Picking products to sell in your merch store can be tricky. With so many creative options, the possibilities are endless – make your own backpack, design a hoodie, personalize coasters, and customize thousands of other products in minutes.
Whether you’re looking for YouTuber merch ideas, items for raising money, or unique promotional products, three things turn average products into profitable and creative merch: popularity, utility, and quality.
Know your audience
Like any business, success in merch thrives on knowing your target audience to ensure you’re offering customers exactly what they want.
Research your audience on social media, see what the competition offers, and follow the latest trends and customer preferences.
Offer usable, everyday merch
Amp up sales and brand visibility by offering products people use daily. Think bestsellers like t-shirts, custom hoodies, phone cases, and coffee mugs – practical items that showcase your brand in everyday life.
A logo tee or branded phone case will grab more attention than super niche items like golf balls. That doesn’t mean your merch has to be boring – just focus on versatile options that appeal to a broad audience.
Don’t forget about quality
Great merch leads to happy customers who’ll rave about your brand – or vent if it falls short. Ensure your designs and products are top-notch by choosing high-quality items from Printify’s extensive Catalog. Pair premium products with stunning designs, and you’re set for success.
And here’s a tip for you – order a sample to make sure it’s perfect.
Now, let’s jump into some top merch ideas.
10 Best merchandise ideas for any audience
Let’s start with a list of top sellers. These are great merch ideas for artists, small businesses, and anyone selling personal branding. They’re versatile, scalable, and appeal to a broad audience.
1. T-shirts
How about adding t-shirts to your merch store? Those are big sellers year-round. And with personalized designs, custom t-shirts can be your next big hit.
2. Hoodies
Did you know that custom-printed hoodies are the hottest-selling TikTok merch item? They’re super comfy, and people wear them everywhere. With the right hoodie designs, you’ll be selling merch that fits any style and occasion.
3. Long sleeves
Long-sleeve shirts combine comfort with functionality, making them a fantastic option for custom designs. They’re perfect for casual outfits, promotional campaigns, or fan merch.
4. Tank tops
Tank tops are a warm-weather staple, ideal for sports, lounging, or outdoor events. Customize them with bold prints or motivational quotes to create custom fitness apparel or stylish casual wear.
5. Mugs
Custom mugs are practical and personal. Whether it’s a funny quote or a heartfelt message, mugs make excellent gifts and collector’s items, making them a popular choice for physical merch stores.
Add other customized drinkware, like shot glasses, mason jars, beer mugs, or custom-printed pint glasses, to your store so people can toast in style.
6. Tote bags
Reusable bags have risen in popularity as people become more environmentally conscious and seek ways to reduce pollution. Jump on the trend by designing your own custom tote bags – a surefire way to drive eco-conscious fans to your store and earn big profits.
7. Phone cases
Everyone protects their mobile devices with covers and scouts out stylish cases for the job. Print your own phone case designs to ensure your merch is with customers everywhere they go.
The global mobile phone accessories market is projected to reach $151.97 billion by 2028, showing just how great of an opportunity you have to profit big time.
8. Socks
Socks have always been a hot item among merch ideas, with the global socks market expected to reach $67.1 billion by 2027.
Use Printify’s sublimation sock printing to create novelty socks with vibrant colors, fun visuals, and funny text. You can even turn a digital download into profits, turning socks into NFT merch.
9. Water bottles
Reusable water bottles promote sustainability and suit any lifestyle. From gyms to offices, custom bottles keep your brand visible while encouraging eco-conscious habits. The market for these bottles is expected to hit $12.7 billion by 2032, so don’t miss the opportunity to grab a share of those profits!
10. Caps
One of the most timeless and cheap merch ideas is caps! They’re practical, stylish, and highly customizable.
Are you a podcaster or a musician? Use hats to make your own podcast merch or Spotify merch.
10 Band merchandise ideas
From concerts to online stores, band merch should excite fans while promoting the music. These ideas are perfect for creating memorable and functional items for any fanbase.
1. Pin buttons
Pins are affordable, collectible, and great for personalizing backpacks, jackets, or hats. Often associated with band logos, they’re a classic choice for fans to show their loyalty in style.
2. Posters
Posters let fans take a piece of their favorite music home. Perfect for showcasing album art, autographs, or concert visuals, they make beautiful wall décor and timeless memorabilia.
3. Keyrings
Keyrings offer practicality and subtle fandom representation. Create designs featuring band logos, lyrics, or art, and they’ll become an everyday essential for your fans.
4. Fanny packs
These stylish and functional accessories complement any outfit perfectly. Jump on a design trend and add a couple to your store – they’ll sell like hotcakes.
5. Tapestries
Why stick to the boring old t-shirt when you can surprise fans with truly unique merch ideas like custom tapestries? Enjoy the creative process of creating a limited-edition wall accessory.
6. Coasters
Coasters are underrated yet practical merch. Use them to display band logos or song lyrics, creating stylish and functional pieces for fans to use while sipping their favorite drinks.
7. Neck gaiters
Neck gaiters are a multipurpose accessory perfect for concerts or outdoor events. Add your band’s art or logo to offer fans stylish protection against the elements.
8. Stickers
Looking for band merch ideas that generally sell well? Custom stickers are cheap to produce and ship, and they come in various cool shapes and styles, making them great for creating band logo designs or showcasing art.
9. Tumblers
Reusable tumblers are stylish and sustainable. Add your own design, and fans can carry your branding to work, school, or the gym, keeping your music top of mind.
10. Jackets
Custom jackets are premium merch that fans will cherish. From denim to bomber styles, they provide a large canvas for bold designs, making them ideal for limited-edition items or exclusive drops.
10 Company merchandise ideas
Boost brand recognition with practical, professional merch that customers and employees can enjoy.
1. Notebooks
Custom notebooks are ideal for meetings, schools, or giveaways. Add your logo or inspirational designs to make them valuable tools for professionals and students.
2. Journals
Journals combine utility with a touch of creativity. Perfect for personal branding, they’re great for customers who enjoy journaling or professionals looking to stay organized.
3. Calendars
Custom calendars bring your brand into customers’ daily routines. Showcase inspiring images or company milestones, ensuring your business stays visible year-round.
4. Mouse Pads
These types of merch aren’t just for gamers. Mouse pads are a staple for home and office desks. Add your branding to create a useful, stylish product that keeps your company top-of-mind during and outside of work hours.
5. Bookmarks
Bookmarks are simple yet effective for brand visibility. Use creative designs or slogans to appeal to avid readers.
6. Laptop sleeves
Laptop sleeves protect valuable devices while showcasing your brand. Offer sleek, functional designs to attract tech-savvy professionals and students.
7. Backpacks
This type of custom physical merch combines practicality and style. Add your logo or creative visuals to create a versatile product for daily use, travel, or work.
8. Magnets
Magnets come in various shapes and are great for any design. Use an image or your logo, add a quote or a joke, or create a practical design – anything goes.
9. Sportswear
Custom sportswear like tees, shorts, or jerseys connects your brand with active lifestyles. Create custom designs to promote your company while encouraging health and fitness.
10. Duffle bags
Add your logo for a practical merch item perfect for gym-goers, travelers, or professionals needing extra storage.
10 Creative merchandise ideas
Let’s look at some out-of-the-box merch ideas that break from tradition. These unique options can set your online shop apart while catering to niche interests and personal tastes.
1. Shoes
Custom shoes are a standout merch item, combining fashion and functionality. Design unique sneakers, sandals, or flip-flops – perfect for personal branding and creating truly scalable merch lines.
2. Pet supplies
Show love to furry friends with branded collars, feeding mats, or pet bowls. Pet merch appeals to animal lovers, offering a creative way to tap into a growing $324.19 billion global pet care market.
3. Jewelry and jewelry boxes
Offer custom-designed necklaces or elegant jewelry boxes. These merch items make sentimental gifts and cater to crafting hobbies or personal branding.
4. Baby accessories
Appeal to new parents with baby blankets, bibs, or beanies featuring playful designs. This adorable merch category is ideal for those targeting family-oriented audiences or exploring merchandise ideas for small business niches.
5. Skincare products
Customize labels on skincare essentials like moisturizers and serums. These products make excellent merch with a personal touch for wellness enthusiasts.
6. Tea and coffee
Create a beautiful website for tea or coffee lovers and sell deliciously-branded merchandise to those who appreciate a hot cup of sunshine.
7. Supplements
Create custom packaging for popular supplements like multivitamin gummies, pre-workout, and protein powder. Perfect for fitness lovers, these items are scalable merch items catering to health-conscious customers.
8. Home decor
Think creative merch items like table runners, custom curtains, and personalized wall clocks. While these might come at a significantly higher price point, a merch line like this is truly unique and highly valued by customers.
9. Custom underwear
Custom underwear offers a playful and personalized merch option. Perfect for selling limited edition designs for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.
10. Kitchen accessories
From aprons to cutting boards, kitchen merch is practical and highly giftable. Add quirky designs or brand logos to reach food enthusiasts, home cooks, or fans.
10 Cute merchandise ideas
Here’s a list of adorable merch items that are fun, charming, and practical. These cute merch ideas are perfect for creating buzz-worthy products in your online store.
1. Plush toys
Plush toys are timeless favorites that make perfect gifts. Design soft, cuddly versions of your brand mascot to appeal to kids and collectors alike.
2. Custom pillows
Custom pillows with unique designs, quotes, or vibrant patterns are cozy and versatile. They’re ideal for customers wanting a cute, functional touch in their home décor.
3. Blankets
Soft, personalized blankets are comfort essentials. Add your merch designs or branding to create heartwarming gifts.
4. Scrunchies
Scrunchies are trendy accessories, perfect for colorful and playful merch collections. Create matching t-shirt designs for a fun set.
5. Candles
Branded candles with custom scents are practical and luxurious. Choose from multiple scents, containers, wax types, and burn times.
6. Slippers
Create comfy, quirky slippers with fun patterns or brand themes. Slippers are excellent seasonal merch items for winter collections or fans who love cozy, practical accessories.
7. Framed Canvases
Unique framed canvases featuring artwork, photos, or designs offer a classy merch option. They’re great for custom digital merch that becomes a tangible, creative piece for fans’ homes.
8. Balloons
Personalized balloons with vibrant prints or fun messages are perfect for parties. They’re cheap merch ideas for celebrations, events, or whimsical décor.
9. Lunch bags
Looking for more merch that caters to eco-conscious audiences? Lunch bags, perfect for students or office-goers, blend practicality with a touch of charm.
10. Seasonal decorations
Amp up end-of-year sales with holiday-themed merch like ornaments and table décor to bring festive cheer.
Create and sell custom merchandise with automated fulfillment
Merch design idea inspiration
Are you looking for creative ways to elevate your custom merchandise? Here are some design ideas to make your brand stand out.
Logo
Add your brand’s logo to your merch for instant recognition and professionalism. Design with versatility in mind – ensure your logo works across items like mugs, t-shirts, or bags. A sleek standard logo makes timeless and practical company merch.
Quotes, words, and phrases
Catchy phrases turn basic merch into conversation starters. Use your brand’s tone and experiment with bold fonts or artistic typography to elevate designs for digital merch or physical goods.
Names
Personalization makes your custom merchandise unique and memorable. From customer names to city references, they add an exclusive touch to gear like hats or bags.
Pictures
Vivid images make merch items visually stunning. Use stock photos, illustrations, or unique art to enhance your products. A striking picture can elevate simple designs into branded merchandise people love.
Turn your promotional merchandise ideas into real products with Printify
Printify makes selling custom merch simple with print-on-demand services. Design, sell, and ship items worldwide without upfront costs or inventory. Bring your branded merchandise ideas to life in minutes!
Sign up
Join Printify for free and start creating branded merchandise from anywhere. It’s the perfect way to become your own boss and sell unique merch effortlessly.
Select products
Browse over 1,000 customizable items in the Printify Catalog, including clothing, accessories, and home decor. New products are regularly added to keep your merch ideas fresh.
Create merch designs
Use Printify’s Product Creator to customize your chosen items. Upload, generate, and adjust your visuals easily. Preview your merch design on professional mockups to ensure it looks just right.
Integrate your online store
Connect your Printify account to major sales platforms like Etsy, Shopify, or WooCommerce. Explore our integrations to find the best place to sell your merch.
Start selling
Publish your merch online, promote it, and start earning. Our Print Provider network handles production and shipping while you focus on growing your business.
Unique custom merch ideas: FAQ
The best merch to sell depends on your audience. Popular items like tees, hoodies, mugs, and phone cases are versatile and always in demand. With Printify, you can easily customize and sell them globally.
The best merch combines relevance, quality, and creativity. Everyday essentials like apparel, accessories, or home goods perform well. Items made with eco-friendly materials or premium finishes appeal to quality-conscious buyers. Versatile, trendy designs can also increase your chances of success.
Research competitors and their shops, identify trending designs and gather feedback from your audience. Check platforms like Etsy or Pinterest for inspiration. Experiment with logos, quotes, or seasonal designs using Printify’s tools to create standout products.
Start by signing up for Printify, choosing a product category (like apparel or mugs), and designing using the Product Creator. Once done, connect to an online store and promote your unique creations.
Define your niche, create standout designs, and focus on high-quality products. Join Printify for free to customize, produce easily, and ship items like eco-friendly hoodies or stylish phone cases. Connect to an online store using one of our eCommerce integrations to begin selling.
Absolutely! Merch offers scalable income potential, especially with high-quality, unique designs. Use Printify to sell worldwide without inventory risks, focusing on marketing and design to grow your profits.
Final thoughts
With the custom merchandise market booming, there’s never been a better time to put your creativity to work. Printify makes it easy to choose from bestselling items, add unique designs, and sell globally. Explore our merch ideas and launch your store today!
