What if you could turn someone’s photo into a South Park or anime-style cartoon—and actually get paid for it? Thanks to free and low-cost AI tools, turning faces into fun avatars has never been easier. And believe it or not, people are making real side money doing this. Whether you’re a creative soul or just looking for a no-skills-needed gig, this side hustle might be for you.
In this post, we’ll walk you through how to create AI avatars, where to sell them, and how to turn this fun activity into a profitable creative side hustle.
Step 1: Use Free AI Tools to Create the Avatars You don’t need any art skills. All you need is a good selfie and an AI tool that does the magic for you.
Here are some top tools to try:
- Leonardo.Ai – Amazing for anime or fantasy-style avatars (currently free with account).
- Toongineer Cartoonizer – Great for quick cartoon-style faces.
- PhotoRoom – Perfect for removing backgrounds or placing avatars in new scenes.
- Fotor AI Avatar Generator – Offers artistic variations in seconds.
Bonus Tool:
- Canva Pro – Use for adding backgrounds, custom elements, and final touch-ups. (Perfect for turning avatars into social media banners or thumbnails.)
Want a full walkthrough with images? Join the Machine Minds University newsletter where I share behind-the-scenes looks at how I test these tools and create content like this.
Step 2: Add Creative Finishing Touches Once the AI gives you a base avatar, you can make it pop by adding:
- Custom backgrounds (Canva Pro is great for this)
- Text overlays or quotes
- Fun props (glasses, hats, animated stickers)
These tweaks help you stand out from free AI outputs—and that’s what makes people willing to pay you.
Step 3: Where to Sell Your AI Avatars Now let’s make money.
Freelance Platforms:
- Fiverr – Tons of creators sell cartoon avatars for $10-$50 per image.
- Etsy – Package avatar sets or offer personalized cartoon gift bundles.
Other ideas:
- Sell avatar packs on Gumroad or Ko-fi
- Offer custom avatars for streamers, podcasters, or social media influencers
You can even upsell avatars printed on stickers, mugs, or posters via Printify or Printful.
Step 4: Promote Your Avatar Gig Once you’ve made a few samples:
- Post them on Instagram or TikTok with before/after slides.
- Join Facebook groups or subreddits where people request digital portraits.
- Use relevant hashtags like #AIavatars #CartoonYourself #CustomProfilePic
Pro Tip: Show your own avatar as a profile pic—it builds curiosity and trust.
Real Life Example Want to see how I did this myself? Check out my AI avatar transformation here. I had a blast testing the tools and showing the results. You can follow the same steps—and even improve on them.
Turn Creativity Into Cash This AI avatar side hustle is low-barrier, fun, and scalable. Once you’ve built a small portfolio, you can start earning within days—and upsell as you grow.
Try this idea—and 50+ others—with our Side Hustle Generator Tool.
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