Why Halloween Is the Perfect Time to Start a T-Shirt Side Hustle
If you've been thinking about launching a side hustle, Halloween is one of the best times of year to get started, especially in the custom t-shirt business. From costume-inspired designs to funny group tees, the spooky season opens up big opportunities for new sellers who want to tap into high demand and low startup costs.
1. Demand for Custom Shirts Spikes in October
Halloween is one of the most creative holidays on the calendar. Schools, businesses, and families love to dress up and not just in full costumes. Group shirts, funny sayings, and themed apparel are in high demand for parties, trick-or-treating, work events, and classroom celebrations. This makes it an ideal time to start selling shirts using DTF transfers, even if you’re brand new to apparel printing.
2. Low Startup Costs with Ready-to-Press Transfers
You don’t need to invest in expensive equipment or stock hundreds of designs. With Halloween-themed DTF transfers, you can order exactly what you need with no minimums required. Press them onto blank shirts, and you’re ready to sell.
3. Endless Design Possibilities
Whether it’s spooky cute, funny and sarcastic, or horror movie–themed, Halloween offers massive design flexibility. You can cater to teachers, moms, teens, or even couples looking for matching shirts. Use gang sheets to combine multiple small designs into one sheet and save even more, learn how in our DTF Gang Sheet Guide.
4. Social Media Makes Promotion Easy
This is also the season for shareable content. People love showing off their Halloween apparel on social media. Use Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok to post your designs, take pre-orders, and show behind-the-scenes pressing content. You don’t even need a website to get started, just a payment method and your creativity. If you'd like to create an online order form that accepts payment, check out JotForm.
5. It’s the Gateway to Holiday Sales
Halloween is just the beginning. If you start your side hustle now, you’ll be set up to ride the wave into Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. With each holiday, your customer base grows and your skills get sharper. Starting now gives you time to learn while demand is high.
How to Get Started Today
- Choose 3–5 Halloween designs from our Halloween DTF Transfer Collection.
- Order blank shirts in popular sizes (M–XL is a safe starting range).
- Use a heat press to apply your transfers—watch our How to Press Guide for help.
- Start posting photos and videos online to take orders or sell at pop-up events.
You Don’t Need to Be an Expert
Starting a t-shirt side hustle doesn’t require a design degree or tons of business experience. With the right transfers and a few tools, anyone can launch a profitable shirt business in just a few days.
Final Boo-st
Halloween is the perfect mix of high demand, fun themes, and low pressure to test the waters. Whether you want to make a few extra bucks or start building a full-time custom apparel business, there’s no better time than spooky season to press play on your goals.
Need help picking your first designs? Browse our top Halloween bestsellers and start your side hustle today!
Continue your learning journey and learn how to promote these Halloween shirts even more!
Want to talk with a human? Feel free to call our office at 352-340-4343 option 2 or email hello@weprintupress.com Our office ours are Mon-Fri 9am-4pm EST. We are closed on major US holidays.
Helpful Links to Get Started
