There are a ton of ways to make a little extra cash and Good Financial Cents recently posted 100-ways to do this – fast; become a dog walker, have a garage sale, volunteer for overtime, etc.. However, if you’re the creative type, here are a few more ideas that might take more time, but could turn into stable income:
Etsy.com – for all things creative. If you can sew, make ornaments out of wire hangers, or make jewelry, Etsy is the place to showcase and sell your wares. The products available are neverendless.
CD Baby.com – for the musically inclined. Do you play a musical instrument, sing, or have a song to sell? Sell it on CD Baby. Not only does CD Baby sell your song through their site, but they help you get it onto a ton of other digital download sites as well.
Fiverr.com – get your foot in the door. Design logos? Tweak websites? If you’re just starting out as a budding graphic or web designer, take on small jobs for $5 a pop. Build up a portfolio, then expand your business.
Themeforest.com – sell your website templates. If you enjoy building websites, selling templates might be a way to make a little extra dough. There are a few sites out there that share the profits with you, but Themeforest.com is a legitimate one to start with.
iStockphoto.com – sell your photographs. iStock is one of many online stock photo sites and has a huge catalog of photos to select from with prices ranging from very inexpensive to expensive. A photographers share ranges from 15% to 45% of the royalty.
L.A. Santa – Holiday song.
So far, all of my ideas have to do offering your services online. That’s just one of many ways to cash in on your creativity, below I’ll outline some person-to-person possibilities to support your online endeavors. But first, a shameless plug: This year, Mr. LH posted his holiday song on CD Baby, which is why I know a little bit about how CD Baby works. It’s about Santa living in Los Angeles, driving a red Mercedes Benz (funny, there’s a commercial about this, but Mr. LH’s song lyrics were written many years ago), and his elves working for UPS. If you have a moment, be sure to check it out, it’s Big Band-style and squeaky-clean. 
Now, for some person-to-person possibilities to grow your creative business:
Photography Services - To build a portfolio and reputation for yourself, offer to take photos of local events for a low price or free. Make money on selling the prints on the back-end. Depending on your interest, hand out postcards to local shops (wedding dress boutiques, children’s clothing stores, etc.) and offer to take photos of their store for helping you advertise your business.
Musicians – There’s always a need for live musicians, whether that’s playing at a local bar or coffee house or at an event, share your musical abilities for a small fee or barter for advertising and word-of-mouth if you’re just getting started. Another place to look: recording studios – often times they need musicians for certain tracks.
Designers – Offer your services to local retail stores and restaurants in your area. It’s not uncommon for restaurants to need their menu updated annually or an ad created for a coupon.
Something I’ve left out is interior design – if you have a knack for decorating, hit up a local realtor and ask to assist in staging the houses for sale in your area. Photograph your work and build your portfolio. After a few “freebies” you should be able to charge a fee.
I’m sure there are plenty more creative things I could add to make a buck or two. Are you the creative type? How do you profit off your talents?