How to Make Money on Canva for Beginners: 11 Proven Ways

Canva is one of the most underrated money-making tools on the internet. You can sign up for free, grab a template, customize it in minutes, and start selling your work today. You do not need design school. You do not need expensive software. What you do need is a clear picture of which income streams fit the time you have and the skills you are building right now.

In this post you will get the full breakdown of 11 ways to make money with Canva as a complete beginner, pulled straight from Alston Godbolt’s walkthrough on his Platform Proof YouTube channel. Every method here comes directly from the video, including the exact platforms to sell on and a first-sale strategy most beginners skip entirely.

What You’ll Walk Out With

A working knowledge of all 11 Canva income streams, from eBook covers to YouTube thumbnails
The platforms that pay beginners fastest: Fiverr, Etsy, Upwork, and People Per Hour
How to use free resources like Pexels and Flaticon inside Canva without violating licensing rules
The Canva affiliate program and how to earn commissions just by recommending the tool
The Fiverr buyer request strategy Alston calls the fastest way to land your first paid gig
How passive income works through digital downloads on Etsy: upload once, sell around the clock
Why all 11 of these methods can be started with the free version of Canva
Ready to find out which method matches your skills? Head to finder.platformproof.com for a personalized recommendation.

Way 1: eBook Covers

A lot of people are publishing books right now through Amazon KDP, selling them directly on their own websites, or listing them on Etsy. Almost every one of those sellers needs a cover. Canva has a built-in eBook cover category with free and paid templates you can search and modify immediately.

The key rule here: you cannot download a Canva template as-is and hand it to a paying customer. That violates Canva’s terms of service. What you can do is use a template as a starting point, change the colors, swap in different fonts, update the imagery, and sell the final custom product. Alston shows in the video how fast that process is. You click the red element, change it to blue or purple, upload a client’s image, adjust the text, and you are done in minutes.

Where to sell: Fiverr is the main marketplace for one-off cover orders. Etsy works well for templated packs. You can also pitch directly to self-publishing communities or create YouTube content showing your process and pick up clients that way.

Way 2: TikTok Videos, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts

Short-form video is one of the biggest content formats on the internet right now. Canva lets you build mobile-optimized videos for free using its mobile video template, which already comes in the correct vertical dimensions for TikTok, Instagram Reels, Pinterest, and YouTube Shorts.

Inside the editor you can layer videos, add text overlays at the top and bottom, change font colors, animate elements, and adjust the length of each scene. Canva also has frames at the bottom of the elements panel that let you drop images into preset shapes, giving your short-form videos a polished look without any prior design experience. You can even add audio inside Canva and export straight to your phone.

Two ways to monetize this: you can run your own social accounts and earn through brand deals or product sales, or you can sell short-form video packages to other creators and small businesses on Fiverr, Upwork, or People Per Hour. When you land a client, ask them upfront what colors they want and whether they have brand guidelines. That one question cuts your revision time in half.

Way 3: Canva Affiliate Marketing

Canva runs its own affiliate program. You apply at canva.com/affiliates, get a unique referral link, and earn a commission every time someone signs up for a paid plan through your link. This is passive income once you have content pointing at it.

The best audience to target is people who are themselves trying to make money online: freelancers on Fiverr, new Etsy sellers, people looking to get into graphic design. If you are already creating YouTube content, blog posts, or social media tips about how to use Canva, dropping your affiliate link there is a natural fit. You are recommending something you are already using and getting paid for the referral.

Way 4: Blog Ads and Banner Ads

Blog ads are the clickable banners you see inside blog posts, usually designed to get someone to download something, join a list, or buy a product. Canva has banner ad templates with dimensions already set for common placements. Alston shows an example he created for one of his own blogs: a clean graphic with a headline and a clear call to action.

The job of a blog ad is simple: get the target reader to click. It does not need to be complicated. A clear headline, a relevant image, and one action are all it takes. You can sell these on Fiverr as a gig, pitch them directly to bloggers in any niche, from dog training to home improvement, and customize them per client. Ask the client what colors match their brand and what action they want the reader to take, and you can turn a single template into a finished deliverable in 15 minutes.

Way 5: Etsy Shop with Digital Downloads

Etsy is a marketplace where people buy handmade, vintage, and digital goods. Digital downloads work especially well on Etsy because you upload the file once and it sells automatically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No shipping, no inventory, no fulfillment work after the initial setup.

Canva-made products sell consistently on Etsy. Alston highlights printable planners as a strong example. He finds a planner in Etsy search with 751 sales at $12 each. The seller is earning passive income from a product they created once in Canva, customized to be unique, and uploaded. Shops like Midnight Oil Media have expanded into full planner libraries covering baking, daily routines, home management, and recipe organization, all of which started as Canva templates someone took the time to make their own.

The rule is the same as with eBook covers: do not upload a raw Canva template. Change the background color, change the fonts, adjust the layout, make it yours. Once you have one planner design, you can release it in five different color palettes and you have five products. Canva’s built-in color palette tool makes that faster than it sounds.

Way 6: Slide Decks and PowerPoint Presentation Templates

Businesses do presentations constantly. Most of them are using the same default PowerPoint slides that have looked the same for 20 years. If you can create a clean, modern presentation template that stands out, small and medium businesses will pay for it.

Canva has a full presentation editor. You can sell custom one-off decks on Fiverr, where you make a template based on the client’s brand colors and content structure. Or you can create polished template packs and list them on Etsy as digital downloads. A quick Etsy search for “PowerPoint template” shows one listing with over 4,000 sales at $3 each. That is not a typo: a $3 product with 4,000 buyers. Volume on Etsy compounds over time as reviews build up.

The trick Alston shares for creating multiple presentation products fast: build one deck, then re-release it using different Canva color palettes. Different aesthetics, same structure. You go from one product to a collection with minimal extra work.

Way 7: Infographics

Infographics turn complex information into something a reader can absorb in seconds. Businesses, bloggers, and educators all need them. Canva has an infographic template category with the correct dimensions already built in and dozens of free layouts to start from.

For icons and vector images inside your infographics, Alston recommends Flaticon at flaticon.com. They offer free icons for personal and commercial use with attribution, and premium packs for unlimited use without credit. For example, you can search “marketing” in Flaticon, filter to free results, download the PNG or SVG, upload it directly into Canva, and place it in your infographic. The whole process takes a few minutes and keeps your costs at zero while giving the graphic a professional look.

Infographics sell on Etsy (a search for “wedding infographic” shows dozens of active listings), on Fiverr for custom one-off orders, and directly to businesses. Healthcare, education, and real estate are all niches with steady demand for well-designed infographic content.

Way 8: Desktop Wallpapers

Desktop wallpapers are a surprisingly active category on Etsy. One listing Alston shows in the video is a “desktop organizer” pack with 6,000 downloadable images. People want their computer screen to feel organized, calming, or inspired, and they will pay a few dollars to get there.

To make a desktop wallpaper in Canva, start with a landscape template at the right pixel dimensions. For free, high-quality photos to use as backgrounds, go to Pexels at pexels.com. Search any scene you want, like a beach or a mountain, download the image for free, and upload it straight into Canva. You can layer text, graphic elements, or organizational widgets on top to create something completely unique. Sell the finished product on Fiverr, Upwork, People Per Hour, or as a digital download on Etsy.

Way 9: Kids Wallpaper and Dotted Letter Pages

This one is more niche but has a clear buyer: parents and teachers who want printable practice pages for children. In Canva you can search “dotted letters” inside the elements panel and get letter outlines that children can trace. You build a page by copy-pasting the letters, grouping them, spacing them evenly using Canva’s position and tidy-up tools, and then downloading the finished page.

Do this for every letter in the alphabet, add number pages, and you have a full educational printable set. You can sell it on Etsy as a digital download, or list it on Amazon KDP as a low-content book. The product is simple, the setup is straightforward, and a parent looking for a tracing workbook will buy it without a second thought.

Way 10: Planner Stickers

Planner stickers go hand-in-hand with the planners from Way 5. People who use physical planners buy stickers in bulk to mark habits, appointments, moods, and goals. Canva has graphic elements for every season and occasion. Alston demonstrates by searching “4th of july” in Canva’s elements panel, pulling decorative graphics, adjusting colors and transparency, and arranging several of them on a single page to create a sticker sheet.

To make the sticker sheet unique, you are changing position, transparency, and color values on whatever graphic you start with. Do not just use a paid Canva element and download it as-is. That will have a watermark and you cannot sell it. Work with free elements, make changes, and package them into a printable sticker sheet. Sell those sheets on Etsy, pitch them directly to planner communities on Facebook, or run low-budget Facebook ads targeting people who buy planners.

Way 11: YouTube Thumbnails

YouTube thumbnails are one of the most profitable design services you can offer on Fiverr. Alston makes the case clearly in the video: if a viewer does not click your thumbnail, the content does not matter. Every YouTube creator knows this. Many do not have the time or skill to make great thumbnails themselves, so they outsource it.

Canva has a dedicated YouTube thumbnail template with the exact 1280×720 dimensions YouTube recommends. There are both free and paid templates to start from. When you take on a client, ask them two things: what colors does your channel use, and can you send me examples of thumbnails you like? Those two answers tell you everything you need to make a thumbnail that fits their brand. With practice you can deliver a polished thumbnail in under 30 minutes, which makes this one of the highest hourly rates available to a Canva freelancer.

How to Get Your First Sale Fast: The Fiverr Buyer Request Method

Knowing 11 income streams is useful. Landing that first paid order is what actually moves the needle. Alston shares a specific tactic most beginners miss on Fiverr that gives you a real advantage when you are starting from zero reviews.

After creating your gig on Fiverr, go to “Buyer Requests” in the seller dashboard. This section shows buyers who have posted custom job requests and are actively waiting for sellers to bid on them. The difference between buyer requests and the main marketplace is competition. A search for “YouTube thumbnail” on the main marketplace shows nearly 10,000 gigs competing for the same buyer. A buyer request for a thumbnail might have 11 bids. Your odds are dramatically better.

Alston shows an example in the video: a buyer request with a $50 budget and only 11 offers submitted so far. On the main marketplace you are one in 10,000. On buyer requests you are one in 11. Submit a clear, personalized offer, deliver excellent work on your first order, and get that 5-star review. One strong review puts you ahead of sellers with no reviews who are doing the same work at the same price.

Not sure which of these 11 methods is right for your situation?

Take the free quiz at finder.platformproof.com and find out which income stream fits your skills, schedule, and starting budget.

Practical Tips Before You Start

A few things worth knowing before you pick your first Canva income stream and start building:

Canva’s free plan is enough to get started. You do not need Canva Pro on day one. Many templates, elements, and export options are available at zero cost.
You cannot resell raw templates. Every design you sell must have meaningful changes from the original Canva template. Change colors, fonts, layout, or imagery to make it yours.
Read Flaticon’s license before using their icons commercially. Free icons require attribution. Paid Flaticon plans remove that requirement. Always confirm before submitting work to a client.
When pitching on Fiverr, ask clients for their brand colors and visual references. This one habit cuts revision requests significantly and builds a reputation for smooth delivery.
On Etsy, passive income from digital downloads takes time to build. The shops with thousands of sales got there because they listed consistently, gathered reviews, and showed up in Etsy search over months.
Canva works on mobile. You can create short-form video content, thumbnails, and sticker sheets from your phone if that is the device you have available.

Honest Drawbacks

Canva is a strong starting tool but it does have limits. The built-in templates are available to every user, which means if you do not customize meaningfully, your work can look identical to someone else’s. Buyers on Etsy and Fiverr notice this, especially as they browse multiple sellers.

Fiverr is competitive. The buyer request method Alston describes is a real advantage, but it requires you to have an active gig set up first, and the number of requests available varies by category and time of day. You will not find a request waiting every hour.

Etsy passive income is not immediate. Getting your first 10 reviews on a digital download listing takes real time and often requires some initial promotion on social media to get your first buyers in the door. The income becomes passive once the shop has traction, not before.

None of these drawbacks make the methods unworkable. They are just realistic things to know going in so you do not give up when the first week does not produce sales.

Find Your Method

You now have 11 specific ways to make money with Canva. The next question is which one fits where you are right now. If you have an hour a day, Fiverr gigs for thumbnails or short-form video might be the fastest path to cash. If you want something that runs while you sleep, Etsy digital downloads with planners or sticker sheets are a better long-term build. If you are already creating content, the Canva affiliate program stacks on top of work you are already doing.

Take the free quiz at finder.platformproof.com to find out which of these income streams is the right match for your current skills and schedule. It takes two minutes and gives you a specific starting point instead of a list of 11 options to sort through on your own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to pay for Canva Pro to make money with Canva?

No. The free version of Canva includes enough templates, elements, and export options to build and sell all 11 of the income streams covered in this post. Canva Pro unlocks additional premium assets, background removal, and brand kit features, but beginners can start earning real money before ever upgrading.

Can I legally sell designs made in Canva?

Yes, with one important condition: you must make meaningful changes to any template you start with. Downloading a Canva template unchanged and selling it as your own product violates Canva’s terms of service. Customize the colors, fonts, images, and layout, and the resulting design is yours to sell.

What is the fastest way to get a first sale on Fiverr using Canva?

Use the Fiverr buyer request section. After creating your gig, go to the buyer request area and look for people who have posted custom job requests. The number of competing bids on those requests is much lower than the main marketplace search results. A thumbnail request with 11 bids is a very different opportunity than competing with nearly 10,000 listed gigs for the same search term.

Which Canva product sells best on Etsy?

Printable planners and planner sticker sheets are among the most consistently active Canva-made products on Etsy. The video highlights a planner listing with 751 sales and another seller shop with dozens of planner variations across different life categories. PowerPoint presentation templates are another strong category, with some listings showing over 4,000 sales at a few dollars each.

How does the Canva affiliate program work?

You apply at canva.com/affiliates, receive a unique referral link, and earn a commission when someone signs up for a Canva paid plan through your link. The best-fit audience for this program is anyone who is learning how to freelance, sell on Etsy, or create content online, because Canva is a natural tool recommendation for all of those paths.

Where can I get free images to use inside Canva for commercial projects?

Pexels (pexels.com) offers free high-resolution photos that you can download and upload directly into Canva. Flaticon (flaticon.com) provides free vector icons and graphics for personal and commercial use with attribution, plus premium licenses that remove the attribution requirement. Always read the license on any asset before using it in work you plan to sell to a client.

Can I create Canva content from my phone?

Yes. Canva has a fully functional mobile app for iOS and Android. You can build short-form videos, thumbnails, infographics, and printable templates from your phone, export them directly, and upload them to your Fiverr gig or Etsy shop without ever sitting at a desktop computer.

How long does it take to start earning money with Canva?

It depends on which path you choose. A Fiverr gig can produce income within days if you use the buyer request method to land an early order and deliver great work. An Etsy digital download shop typically takes weeks to months before consistent sales start coming in, because Etsy search rankings build with review count and listing age. The affiliate program pays out once you have an audience or content that regularly sends traffic to Canva.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “How To Make Money On Canva For Beginners 2021 – 11 Ways To Make Money,” Platform Proof YouTube channel, youtu.be/4OsacT8DhP0
Canva affiliate program: canva.com/affiliates
Flaticon free icons: flaticon.com
Pexels free photos: pexels.com
Fiverr buyer requests: fiverr.com (seller dashboard)
Etsy digital downloads marketplace: etsy.com