How to Make Your Own Planner Stickers

I’ve been a sticker addict since I was a little kid (and my daughter is following in my footsteps…I like to call her Sticker Fiend). I remember the sticker books I used to keep, full of smelly stickers, puffy stickers, shiny Lisa Frank unicorn stickers…sticker books were the best (whatever happened to sticker books, anyway?).

My adult self can’t kick the addiction (STICKERS! ALL THE STICKERS!), and I *still* love to collect and use stickers! But now I also know how to make stickers. And I’m going to teach you, too! 

Although I don’t collect them in a sticker book anymore, I do actually use them in a book of sorts…my planner is full of stickers. I buy planner stickers specifically designed for planners, but I also buy basically any cute stickers I find and use those in my planners, too. And, I make my own.

Today I’m going to share three of my favorite ways to make stickers, so you’ll know how to make your own planner stickers, too. This is actually a fun skill to have (not that is requires any actual skill) because your sticker options open wide up and the costs go down when you can make your own! I’m showing you how to turn something that’s already been made into a sticker…if you want to learn how to design them from scratch, that is a whole other blog post! 🙂 

How to Make Your Own Planner Stickers

 

 

But first! You’ve got to print them. I have a lot of people ask me how I get my printables to look so bright and vibrant. It’s my printer! I use an HP 8620 and an 8630 (yes, we have two…but I print a lot of stuff, y’all). Both of these printers cost less than $200 at Costco when we bought them, which I know is a lot for a home printer. It’s worth it if you’ll be printing lots of stuff. The 8600 series has been discontinued (although you can still get them on Amazon). This printer looks to be the newest version, and it’s very reasonably priced.

How do I print my own stickers?

Sticker Paper – The cheapest way to make your own stickers is to print them on sticker paper and cut them out. I do this all the time, actually. I’m too lazy to cut out detailed, hard-to-cut stickers, but for simple boxes, this is my go-to method.

Sticker paper is cheap – usually around $5 for 8 sheets or so, and you can get a lot of stickers on one sheet. I usually buy Avery or Silhouette brands from Amazon, but you can also pick it up at your local Walmart or craft store. Both of these brands work fine and I don’t really have a preference, except which one is on sale that day! These aren’t fancy, glossy sticker papers, but they’re fine for me and easy to write on.

For ALL THE STICKER PAPER options, you can check out SheetLabels.com (they’ve hooked me up with some sticker paper to try out…I can’t wait to update y’all with the details!). They have lots of options, and if you have really specific needs or want to get fancy,  you can choose the paper material, color, etc…lots of choices here.

How do I cut my own stickers?

I also have a really great paper cutter that I have been using for years. Since I’m mostly cutting out stickers with straight lines, I actually use this all the time. In fact, I use it for lots of things, not just stickers! When you see my printables and they have straight edges, it’s all because of this cutter.

You can also just cut them out with scissors.

The downside to using sticker paper and cutting them out (with a cutter or scissors) is that they are a pain to peel off. 

Here’s an example of stickers I made myself with sticker paper and a paper cutter (the movie night one – you can download these same stickers here):

Sticker Making Machine – Guys, I love this machine. The one I have is actually quite a bit larger – I can run an 8.5×11 sheet of paper through it – but the smaller size is really all I need (I never turn a full sheet of paper into a sticker).

With this Xyron Sticker Maker, you can turn anything into a sticker! You simply roll the paper item through the machine, and it comes out with a sticky back. It doesn’t matter what shape it is, and you can peel it right off the sheet. You can use this with pictures, ticket stubs, die cuts, business cards…truly, almost anything you could think of. 

You have to buy a cartridge of the sticky backing, and these can be a little expensive, which is why I don’t use this for everything. But it’s easier than printing on sticker paper because you can peel the sticker right off the backing, rather than having to struggle with the sticker paper.

Here’s an example of some pictures I printed on regular paper, cut out, and then ran through my sticker maker:

Another thing you can, that is similar, is just use an adhesive roller to apply stick to the back of anything you want to stick somewhere. It’s basically double sided tape, but super thin and easy to use because you just roll it on. This won’t give you a “true” sticker, but it’s super handy in a pinch (I use my adhesive roller all the time!). 

Silhouette Cameo Cutting Tool – This is my favorite method. It’s the most versatile, as you can create literally any shape sticker you want. It’s also got the biggest learning curve and is the most expensive, which means I don’t use mine very often (also, I spilled tea all over it and haven’t tried to use it since The Big Spill, so I’m not sure mine works at the moment!).

 

The Silhouette cut out your stickers like any professional sticker-making machine. They can cut out any shape without cutting all the way throuh the paper. You know how you buy stickers at the store or on Etsy and they just peel off the page? You can use your sticker paper with this machine and end up with beautiful, professional sticker sheets.

The learning curve, like I mentioned, is large. It takes some tweaking and learning to figure out both the software and the actual machine settings (it took me forever, and lots of sticker paper, to finally get a nice sheet of stickers). But once you learn it? You’re golden. #stickersforlife

 

There are tons of great tutorials on YouTube and blog posts all over that can help you get started.

ALSO – this machine does so much more than just cut stickers! I’ve made little paper boxes, cards, cut out letters for a banner, and so much more. It also does vinyl and some of the machine can cut fabric, too. So…while the Silhouette is expensive, if you’re a serious crafter or want to start a sticker business, this is definitely an investment you’ll appreciate.

How do I make photo stickers?

Something else I love, love love…photo stickers! I use an HP Sprocket to print photo stickers right from my phone. The Sprocket comes with an app that connects your phone and the Sprocket. You can choose photos and they will print on sticker paper right from the Sprocket.

Those are my favorite ways for making stickers. If you’re into stickers (and I know you’re into stickers!), join us on Facebook or even better, join my Shop Carrie Elle Planners Facebook group (or both – I’d love to have you!).

Of course, even though you can make your own, if you’re like me you’ll still want to buy stickers, too. Here’s my favorite planner sticker Etsy shop.

And now…grab your sticker files! The posts below all have free printable sticker downloads. Enjoy!

>> Halloween Stickers

>> Back-to-School Stickers

>> 4th of July Stickers

>> Movie Night Stickers

>> Netflix Stickers

>> Rx Reminder Stickers