9 Art Merch Ideas for a Summer Market

If you want to make more money at a summer market, add some affordable art merch to your stall. People browsing in the sunshine are in a good mood and happy to spend. Small, fun items they can grab without agonising over the price are exactly what moves at a market like this.

Summer markets run for months, so you have time to test and refine your range. But you still need products with broad appeal rather than niche themes. The best merch sells on the strength of your art alone.

Use your early markets as research and let the buyers tell you what works. By the end of the season you’ll know exactly what to double down on next year.

Here are some practical and profitable art merch ideas you can print with your designs and sell at your next summer market.

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Fridge Magnets

Fridge magnets were one of my best selling items for years. They’re small, fun, and cheap enough that people buy several at once. Kids drag their parents over, and adults who collect them can’t resist a new design.

Display matters here. I used a large magnetic notice board so customers could see everything at a glance. The visual spread pulls people in from a distance.

Buy blanks in bulk, print your designs on a dye printer, and insert them yourself. The profit margins are excellent. I was making around 400% profit on each one.

They’re light to carry, quick to set up, and a steady earner all season.

Here’s an Amazon link: Fridge Magnet Blanks

Keyrings

Keyrings are one of the easiest impulse buys you can offer. They’re small, lightweight, and cheap to make. Hang them on a rack or spread them in a tray and people will happily pick through them.

They work well at summer markets because they appeal to tourists and day-trippers looking for a small souvenir. Keep your designs bold so they read clearly at a tiny size.

Acrylic, metal, and wood all work depending on your style. You can order blanks in bulk and fit your own printed inserts, or use Printify and Sticker Mule for ready-made versions. Margins are high and they sell all year, which makes them worth having on your stall permanently.

Find some here: Keyring Blanks

Greeting Cards

Greeting cards are a summer market staple. People need cards for birthdays, anniversaries, and thank-yous all year round, so you’re not limited to seasonal designs.

Avoid loading up on themed designs. Focus on your strongest, most versatile artwork and let that do the work. If your art is good enough, a well-printed card sells itself.

Offer singles and small multi-packs so buyers can stock up for a cheaper unit price, which also means more profit for you. Always include envelopes and use decent card stock. Presentation makes a real difference.

Try Printed.com, Moo, or a local printer if you’d rather keep it simple.

Read this one: How to Make Prints of Your Art: 4 Ways to Print Artwork

Journals

Journals are essentially upmarket notebooks, and they make a great mid-range product for summer markets. They feel more considered than a plain notebook, and buyers respond to that. A good cover design makes them look premium without costing much to produce.

Use your artwork or patterns on the cover and keep the inside simple. Hardback covers look more expensive; soft covers are cheaper and lighter to transport. Offer a couple of styles if you can.

Printify and VistaPrint both handle short runs without too much hassle. Journals sell steadily year-round, so they’re worth keeping in your regular range.

notebook with a cockatoo design on the cover

Notebooks

Notebooks are practical, personal, and easy to price at a level where people don’t hesitate. They sell to adults buying for themselves and to anyone looking for a small gift that feels a bit more thoughtful than a card.

Print your artwork on the covers and keep the inside pages plain, lined, or dotted. A5 sizes are perfect impulse buys. Larger formats can sit at a higher price point if your covers are strong.

VistaPrint handles short runs well, and your margins improve quickly if you buy in bulk. A clean, professional cover is all you need. These will keep selling long after the summer ends.

Stickers

Stickers are one of the best low-risk products you can add to a stall. They’re cheap to produce, take up almost no space, and sell to every age group. Kids love them, and adults buy them for journals, water bottles, laptops, and scrapbooks.

Summer markets are ideal for stickers because the casual, outdoor atmosphere suits impulse buys perfectly. Sell them as individual sheets, themed packs, or mixed sets. Keep your designs bold so they print cleanly at a small size.

Sticker Mule gives you good quality at a fair price. You can also print your own with a decent inkjet and sticker paper if you want to keep costs low. Either way, they’re quick sellers and a great way to fill gaps on your table.

Coasters

Coasters are a reliable seller at any market. They’re practical, affordable to gift, and suitable for almost anyone. Buyers pick them up as small presents or just treat themselves. Sets of four or six are particularly popular.

Cork, MDF, and ceramic all work well. Sets look more complete and give you room to price them up a little. Keep your designs clean and well-centred so they look neat on square or round blanks.

You can order short runs from Printful or Gelato, or buy blank coasters in bulk and press your own with dye-sub prints. They stack neatly, travel well, and are one of the easiest products to package and display.

Tote Bags

Tote bags are made for summer. People are already carrying them to markets, and they love finding one with artwork they actually want to look at. They’re practical, reusable, and have genuine visual appeal on a stall.

Print your artwork on cotton or canvas bags and stick to neutral base colours. Cream and natural bases let the art stand out. Bold, simple designs work best because they need to read well from a metre away.

Test a few designs with short runs from Printful, Gelato, or Printify. When you find a seller, order in bulk to improve your margins. These are worth having on your stall all season.

'Family Life' A Pencil Drawing of a family of elephants by Kevin Hayler — ‘Family Life’ A Framed Print of a Drawing by Kevin Hayler

Art Prints

Prints are the obvious product for any artist’s stall, and summer markets give you the space and footfall to sell them well. Framed originals have their place, but open-edition prints let you offer your best work at a price point that suits a much bigger audience.

Keep a range of sizes and prices. Small prints make easy add-ons; larger ones appeal to buyers looking for something to hang at home. Mount them and put them in clear bags for a clean, professional finish.

You can print locally or use Printed.com for consistent quality at a good price. If you can print in-house, even better. Your margins will be higher and you can restock quickly when something sells out.

How to Make Prints of Your Art: A Complete Guide

Art Merch for Summer Markets: Final Thoughts

These are practical products that are easy to make, simple to transport, and proven to sell. Most of them work year-round, so your investment doesn’t disappear when the season ends.

The product with the widest appeal at a summer market is probably prints. People are actively looking for art to buy and a well-displayed print stand draws a crowd. But the smaller items are what boost your average sale. A customer who buys a print will often add a card, a magnet, or a sticker if you give them the option.

Keep your setup clean, price clearly, and make sure everything is displayed so people can browse without asking. The easier you make it to buy, the more you’ll sell.

If you want the full picture on selling art at markets, my book Selling Art Made Simple covers everything you need to know. No fluff, just what actually works.

Need more selling advice? These posts will help:

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9 Art Merch Ideas for a Summer Market. Various art products arranged around the text.

Hi, I’m Kevin Hayler
I’ve been selling my wildlife art and traveling the world for over 20 years, and if that sounds too good to be true, I’ve done it all without social media, art school, or galleries!
I can show you how to do it. You’ll find a wealth of info on my site, about selling art, drawing tips, lifestyle, reviews, travel, my portfolio, and more. Enjoy