Imagine making money while you sleep—waking up to sales from designs you uploaded once. That’s the beauty of print-on-demand (POD), and Redbubble is one of the best platforms to get started with. If you’ve ever wanted to sell your artwork, quotes, or photography on t-shirts, phone cases, stickers, and more—without handling printing or shipping—then this guide is for you.
I know how overwhelming it can feel when you’re just starting out. You might be wondering, “Do I need a fancy laptop? Expensive design software? Do I need to be a professional artist?” The good news is—you don’t! You can start selling on Redbubble today, straight from your phone, with zero upfront costs. Whether you love designing, taking photos, or just want to try something new, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
By the end of this post, you’ll set up your Redbubble account, create your first design, upload it, and learn how to market it so you can start making sales. Plus, I’ll share free resources to help you improve your designs and reach more customers. Let’s dive in!
Step 1: What is Redbubble and How Does It Work?
If you’re completely new to print-on-demand, let’s break it down:
- Redbubble is a marketplace where artists and creators upload their designs.
- Customers browse the marketplace and buy products featuring those designs.
- Redbubble prints and ships the order directly to the customer.
- You earn a percentage of the sale (your “artist margin”), which you can set yourself.
So, instead of worrying about stock or deliveries, your only job is to create designs and upload them—Redbubble handles the rest!
How Much Can You Earn?
Your earnings depend on how many sales you get and the profit margin you set. By default, Redbubble gives you a 20% profit margin, but you can increase it. Some artists make a few hundred rands a month, while others make thousands. It all depends on the effort you put in, the quality of your designs, and how well you market them.
Step 2: Setting Up Your Redbubble Account on Your Phone
Follow these steps to create your Redbubble shop:
- Go to Redbubble.com on your phone and click “Sign Up.”
- Enter your email, username, and password.
- Once registered, go to your account settings and complete your profile.
- Set up your payment details (If you don’t already have PayPal, you’ll need to sign up there first, check out this post on how to do that.
- Go to “Manage Portfolio” → “Add New Work” (this is where you’ll upload your first design).
💡 Tip: Use a unique shop name that reflects your brand! Something simple and memorable.
Step 3: Creating Your First Design (Even If You’re Not a Designer)
You don’t need to be an artist to make money on Redbubble. Many people sell simple text-based designs, patterns, or even aesthetic quotes.
What Kind of Designs Can You Upload?
- Text-Based Designs – Motivational quotes, funny sayings, or Bible verses.
- Simple Graphics – Minimalist shapes, line drawings, or doodles.
- Patterns – Repeating designs like flowers, abstract art, or geometric shapes.
- Photography – If you take cool photos, you can upload them too!
Look at the list of products, and if you think you have something or can create something that you would buy on a product, upload it. There’s no risk involved with Redbubble; it’s completely free to upload as many designs as you want. I’ve actually tried all of the above designs; each of these has sold at least once, and I’m not a designer lol I’m a writer. I’ve linked an example of each type above, just to prove that you don’t have to be a pro to sell; I learned basic design skills and just took a chance on it. Just try; sometimes the most unexpected designs are the ones that sell.
Best Free Apps for Designing on Your Phone
If you don’t have a laptop, don’t worry. Here are some free mobile apps to create designs:
- Canva (Beginner-friendly, has free fonts, templates, and elements)
- Pixellab (Great for text-based designs)
- Ibis Paint X (Best for drawing)
- Snapseed (For editing photos)
🎨 Tip 1: Make sure your designs have a transparent background (PNG format) and are at least 4500×5400 pixels for the best quality. I use Canva and have found these other apps through research, so I’m not sure how they work; you can find tutorials on YouTube.
🎨 Tip 2: If you use the free version of Canva, you won’t be able to download it in transparent PNG, so you can either download it from Canva and then remove the background on this site: https://www.remove.bg/ then upload it to Redbubble, or you can choose a color background and make all your products that color as well, like I’ve done in the example below.
🎨 Tutorials: How to create designs for Redbubble.
Step 4: Uploading Your Design to Redbubble from Your Phone
Once your design is ready, follow these steps:
- Go to Redbubble and click “Add New Work.”
- Click “Upload New Work” and select your design from your phone.
- Add a Title, Description, and Tags.
- Title: Be descriptive (e.g., “Christian Bible Verse Romans 8:28 Design”)
- Tags: Use 10-15 relevant keywords so people can find your work (e.g., “Christian art, scripture, faith-based gifts”).
- Description: Tell a story about your design (e.g., “A powerful verse to encourage and uplift your faith daily.”)
- Choose which products you want your design to appear on (T-shirts, stickers, phone cases, etc.).
- Adjust the background color if needed.
- Click “Save Work.”
💡 Tip: Always preview your design on multiple products to make sure it looks good!
Here is a visual of the steps:
Step 5: Marketing Your Redbubble Shop
Uploading a design is just the beginning. If you want to increase sales, you need to promote your shop. This is not to say you won’t get sales if you don’t market your designs. If you have a good title and tags, your product will get found in search; however, marketing your products might bring in buyers who don’t even know about Redbubble, so it doesn’t hurt to try.
Where to Market Your Redbubble Products
- Pinterest – Create pins linking to your designs.
- Instagram & TikTok – Share mockups and short videos of your designs.
- Facebook Groups – Find groups related to your niche and share your shop.
- Reddit – Some subreddits allow you to share your artwork.
You’ll be able to find tutorials on setting up and posting to all of these platforms on YouTube. Just search “how to create a Pinterest account to market my products,” for example. In my opinion, the best one to start with is Pinterest because it’s a visual search engine.
SEO Tips for More Visibility on Redbubble
- Use detailed descriptions with keywords.
- Choose trending themes (e.g., Bible verses, motivational quotes, minimalistic designs, funny quotes).
- Upload new designs regularly (at least 5 to 10 a day).
Step 6: Avoiding Common Mistakes
✅ Do’s:
✔️ Upload high-quality designs (4500×5400 pixels)
✔️ Use relevant keywords and descriptions
✔️ Market your store consistently
❌ Don’ts:
❌ Upload copyrighted designs (no Disney, Marvel, or logos); if you do, your account will be banned
❌ Expect instant success—it takes time and effort
❌ Use other people’s designs; you can take motivation and inspiration from others but put your own twist on things.
Where to Learn More (Free Resources)
🔹 YouTube: Search for “How to Start on Redbubble in 2025” for up-to-date tutorials.
🔹 Blogs: Sites like Medium and Printful’s blog have great guides.
🔹 Reach out to me! If you have specific questions, I’d love to help.
Conclusion
Starting a Redbubble store from your phone is not only possible but also a great way to make passive income. You don’t need fancy tools—just your phone, a free design app, and some creativity. Whether you upload text-based quotes, intricate pencil designs, aesthetic patterns, or even a photo of a flower in your garden, there’s room for everyone on Redbubble.
Of course, like any business, it takes patience, consistency, and a little marketing. But if you put in the effort, your first sale will come sooner than you think.
I hope this guide motivated you to get started today; a completely different life begins with one step. Remember to check YouTube/Google or contact me if you have any questions. Happy designing! 🚀