Selling items online is a good way to raise extra money. You could set up your own website, of course. However, it takes time to create and market.

Instead, why not use a ready-made site? There are several arts and crafts sites online that help you sell your products.

ArtFire.com will help you sell almost any handcrafted item in nearly any category you care to name.

ArtFire doesn't limit you to your own handicrafts. You can also sell clothing designs and patterns, e-books, movies, music, art supplies, vintage collectibles and antiques. It's a bit like the buy-it-now side of eBay in some respects; there are no auctions.

Starting an ArtFire store is simple. Just sign up, enter your information and list your items for sale. You'll want to include useful item descriptions and plenty of pictures to entice buyers. ArtFire also lets you customize your store to suit your products and personality.

ArtFire does your advertising for you. It ranks high in Google search results for strong traffic. Plus, it rotates your products so site visitors see them more often.

The first month of the service is free. After that, it's $12 a month to keep your store going. However, there are no per-item or transaction fees to pay. It's an excellent choice if you deal in consistent, high volume sales.