AI Side Hustle: Create Clip Art Packs That Can Make Money While You Sleep (Patreon)

How to Create and Sell AI-Generated Clip Art Packs

Hi and happy almost-weekend! 👋

I’ve been working with AI images and prompts for a while now, and one of the most common questions I see is: “How can I make money with AI-generated creations?” It’s no surprise, selling AI art has become a booming trend, with entire Etsy shops filled with AI-generated products.

Full disclosure: I don’t personally sell on Etsy. I’ve experimented with sticker designs and clip art, but my main focus is creating content that helps others design and sell their own digital products. I’m not really for or against using AI images on Etsy, Zazzle, Redbubble, or the many other print-on-demand (POD) sites. My stance? If you’re willing to put in the effort (and trust me, it’s a lot of work — creating listings, writing descriptions, packaging designs, etc.), then how you generate your content is up to you.

That said, a little reminder: running your own business can be both exciting and stressful. Do your research, follow all rules and laws in your area, and make sure the platform you choose is reputable. Check reviews to be sure they pay creators fairly before you sink hours into uploading your digital items.

Alright , boring disclaimers out of the way! Let’s get into the fun part: how to create and sell your own clip art packs.

What Are Clip Art Packs?

Clip art packs are bundles of ready-to-use digital images that people can easily drop into their projects. From seasonal themes to everyday icons, these images work beautifully for:

• Printables

• Social media graphics

• Crafts

• Business designs

They’re especially loved by teachers, small business owners, DIY creators, and anyone who wants quick, polished visuals without designing from scratch.

Why Clip Art Packs Make Great Products

Creating clip art packs with AI image generation is a smart move because:

1. High Demand, Low Barrier
    Everyone needs graphics — teachers, crafters, content creators. Clip art solves the “I need this fast” problem.

2. Endless Niches
    You can create packs for literally anything: holidays, pets, hobbies, food, quotes, business icons. Niches keep customers coming back.

3. Reusable Digital Format
    Design once, sell infinitely. No shipping, no stock — just pure passive income.

4. Cross-Platform Opportunities
    Clip art sells on Etsy, Creative Market, Ko-fi, Patreon, Gumroad — and you can repurpose the same designs for templates or e-books.

5. Scalability
    Once you build a system, it’s easy to expand: seasonal packs, themed bundles, subscriptions, or upsells.

💡 Bonus: They’re evergreen. Post them once, and they can earn revenue all year round.

Popular Clip Art Niches

Here are some profitable and trending categories to explore:

✨ Aesthetic & Decorative

• Boho, cottagecore, pastel, dark academia

• Frames, borders, flourishes, watercolor shapes

• Patterns, textures, seamless backgrounds

📚 Education & Work

• School themes (chalkboards, pencils, apples, books)

• Teacher resources (badges, stickers, charts)

• Business icons (planners, social media logos, office supplies)

🛍️ Crafting & POD-Friendly

• Sticker-style clip art

• T-shirt/sublimation-ready images

• Scrapbooking kits

Important Tips Before You Start

A few things to keep in mind when generating clip art with AI:

1. Background Removal
    AI image generators won’t ever create transparent PNGs, no matter what your prompt says. You will always need to remove the background manually. Tools like Pixlr or Canva work great.

2. Keep Prompts Simple
    For clean, easy-to-remove backgrounds, add “white background” to your prompt.

3. Don’t Ask AI to Count
    Most generators can’t handle specific numbers. Avoid “make 10 images” in a single prompt — it won’t work.

4. Have Fun With It
    The best-selling packs come from playful, creative ideas. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

Ready to Try?

If you want to dive in, I’ve pulled together 10 AI prompt examples for popular clip art designs you can copy straight into your favorite generator. I used MidJourney (my current go-to), but feel free to experiment, tweak, and adapt them to your style.

10 AI Prompt Examples for Clip Art Packs

Here are some plug-and-play prompts you can test in your favorite AI generator (I used MidJourney for mine, but Canva AI, Leonardo, or Stable Diffusion will work too). Remember to include “white background” for easy editing later!

1. Cute Halloween Cats
   cartoon clip art of black cats wearing witch hats and holding pumpkins, white background

2. Boho Christmas Ornaments
   watercolor bohemian-style ornaments with feathers, beads, and stars, white background, clip art designs, seperate objects

3. Pastel Coffee Icons
   pastel cartoon clip art of lattes, cappuccinos, coffee beans, mugs, white background

4. Kawaii Fruit Stickers
   kawaii-style clip art of strawberries, pineapples, oranges, cute smiling faces, white background, separate designs

5. Teacher Essentials

   watercolor clip art of pencils, apples, books, colorful doodle style, white background

6. Floral Frames & Borders
   delicate watercolor floral frames, decorative borders, vines and blossoms, white background, individual desigsn

7. Camping Adventure Icons
   sketchy clip art of tents, campfires, backpacks, lanterns, hiking boots, white background

8. Cute Nature
   cute digital paintings clipart of little mushrooms, in bright colors, white background

9. Digital Planner Stickers
   clip art of sticky notes, tabs, washi tape, checklist boxes, colorful pastel style, white background

10. Crafting Tools Set
    clip art of scissors, yarn, glue, markers, brushes, paint palettes, white background

✨ Pro tip: Once you have your images, remove the backgrounds (Pixlr, Canva, or Photoshop) and package them into themed bundles. Add a clear thumbnail preview, and you’re ready to sell!