Ways to Earn Money From Home Part III: Make Some Stuff

— -- My neighbor’s mom made me a quilt because my neighbor asked her to cease and desist after receiving quilted purses, quilted tissue boxes, quilted tote bags and quilted, well, quilts. Why not make money when you make stuff instead of burying your family with crafty expressions of your love? Here are two sites where you can put your visual talents to good use.

Etsy.com: I know you’ve already heard of Etsy and that’s the point. So have millions of buyers looking for knickknacks and bric-a-brac. The online crafting source has a huge audience, which means more eyeballs for your creations. As for the income, an Etsy poster named “Rhiannon” said “Currently my Etsy shop 'pays the rent', and since I was made redundant from my day job last week, it is now going to hopefully make a little more with the extra time I put in.”

iStockPhoto.com: You’ve probably purchased images from this site, but have you sold any? Why not? If you’re a good amateur photographer and you carry your camera with you, then start snapping artsy, generic shots —- picture the stock images on half the websites in America -- and see what happens. One medical student tried it and made six figures a year, according to USA Today.

Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author.

Elisabeth Leamy is a 20-year consumer advocate for programs such as "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show." She is the author of Save BIG and The Savvy Consumer. Elisabeth is also a professional speaker, delivering talks nationwide on saving money, media relations, and career success. Elisabeth receives her best story tips from readers, so please connect with her via Facebook, Twitter or her website, to share your ideas.