Learn how to make DIY stickers for your craft or crochet business by following this super easy beginner sticker tutorial.
Stickers are all the rage right now! Tons of new Etsy shops are popping up selling these bad boys and I am obsessed!
After watching about a million fun sticker videos on Tiktok , I figured id I’ve it a go!
This post may contain affiliate links meaning I may receive a small commission from purchases made.
In this tutorial, I am going to show you how I designed stickers using Canva Pro, Procreate on my Ipad, a printer, and a Cricut machine. I will link the exact materials I use throughout this post. Spoiler alert, no scissors required!
Be sure to hang out till the very end because Im also going to show you how to get your DIY custom stickers mass-produced professionally and in bulk.
This is the best solution for those shops who are getting steady sales and want to spice up their packaging, include a cute, branded, freebie with their customer’s order, or start selling stickers in your Etsy shop alongside your crochet makes.
First, you need to design your stickers. I did this on Canva ( using a pro account) and on my iPad in the Procreate app.
The reason I am emphasizing Canva PRO and not the free version is because you need your designs to have a transparent background and that feature is available to pro accounts.
If you don’t have Canva Pro, there are some free background remover tools out there. Do a little research and I’m sure you can find something.
One more tidbit about Canva, I highly recommend the desktop version over the app. Just my two cents.
Start by selecting your canvas size. I chose the Instagram square size.
Then add your design by searching for an image on Canva, writing your text, uploading your logo, or whatever it is you want to use to make your sticker.
I searched for Llama and found one I liked right at the top. The color options for this graphic can not be customized, but if the graphic you choose can be, be sure to choose the colors you like best.
After you select your image and get the colors you like, download the file as a png, high quality, with a transparent background.
Now send your PNG to your iPad, I like to airdrop from my Mac to my Ipad and open it in Procreate.
Turn off the background, choose the calligraphy brush called Monoline, set the streamline to 100%, and select the color White.
Add a new layer and move it UNDER your image layer. Now you can draw a white outline around your image. Be sure to fill it in completely so you don’t confuse your Cricut and get weird cuts.
Here is what my outline looks like.
And here it is with the art on top.
Now that we have our sticker design and outline, we need to save it as a PNG with a transparent background and upload it into the Cricut design space.
Upload it to the Cricut Design Space and select the print then cut feature. Be sure to give your sticker a title for organization purposes.
Now you want to squeeze as many stickers on one sheet of paper as you can. I find making a temporary rectangle shape that 6.7″ by 9.2″ and using that as a guide is the easiest way to make sure all your images will fit.
Copy and paste your sticker until you can’t fit any more within your rectangle. You may be able to rotate your graphic to fit more on one sheet depending on your sticker design.
Remove your temporary rectangle, then attach all the sticker images. Then click “Make it”.
Click Continue then Send to Printer. Turn OFF the “Add Bleed” toggle and turn ON the “Use System Dialog” toggle.
This is going to allow you access to more printing options. Your print dialog window may open up BEHIND your Cricut Design Space window. If you’re on a Mac, scoot the Cricut widow over to reveal the printer screen after clicking “Print”.
Make sure you have the right paper type selected and your printer is set to “print at the highest quality.”
The home printer I have is the Epson WorkForce Pro WF 3730. I have no idea if this is a good printer and did very minimal research before purchasing. There are probably much better printers out there.
The printable sticker paper I used is from Amazon and it’s called Luxoton Premium Vinyl Sticker Paper. It’s for inkjet printers and the pack I got came with 15 matte paper sheets and 15 glossy paper sheets. I love that it came with two different finishes so I could try out both a matte and a glossy look.
The Cricut can not read the black guide-lines on the glossy paper unless you cover them with matte scotch tape. Very annoying, and wasteful, but it works.
Make sure you know which side of the paper your printer will print on before using your sticker paper and that you have plenty of ink in your printer.
Print out your sheet, stick it to your Cricut mat, then load the mat into your Cricut. I have a Cricut Explore Air but you can make these are any Cricut cutting machine.
If you want to make a sheet of stickers, set your Cricut dial to Custom then select Sticker Paper from the materials list.
If you want to make individual stickers you can set it to cardstock and you’re golden.
Press the flashing “cut” button and give your Cricut a little time to cut those babies out.
After it’s finished, remove your mat, peel off your sticker, and TADA!!!! Custom stickers!
Pro Tip: If you are making a printed sheet of stickers and not individual die cut stickers, flipping your mat over and peeling the mat away from the paper will prevent your stickers from curling up. If you are making individual stickers I suggest using the little Cricut spatula tool to pop them off your mat.
There are so many things you can do with DIY custom stickers for your crochet business.
You could make custom happy mail stickers for your packages, make a cute sticker that matches what you’re selling, like these Gracie Doll stickers I hand drew on the Procreate app, or design and sell stickers that your ideal customer would be attracted to.
For example, if you have a shop that sells coffee cozies, a “Coffee before Talkie” sticker might be something your potential customers would be interested in purchasing.
Another fun thing you can do with at-home sticker making is let your kids create their own stickers! My 7-year-old designed some Christmas tree stickers back in December and I sold them in my shop. She was so excited to get sales! My little entrepreneur in the making.
As promised, there is a much easier way to get stickers printed professionally and in bulk. I use a company called Sticker Mule for the stickers I sell in my shop and I absolutely love them. The quality is fantastic, the shipping was free and the turnaround time was within a week.
Click here for $10 off your first sticker order at Sticker Mule.
Sticker Mule’s stickers are waterproof and tear-resistant! You could put these stickers on something like mugs or water bottles and then sell the finished piece in your shop!
If you design your own stickers and post pics on social media, I’d love to see them! You can dm me on Instagram or tag me in your pics @ACraftyConcept and I’ll see them!
Did you love the llama sticker? Click here to download the PNG file absolutely free, no email sign-up required!
Feel free to use that sticker any way you’d like. You can print it for yourself, get a bunch printed, and sell them, totally up to you. Because SHARING IS CARING friend and I’m happy to share this freebie with you.
Speaking of sharing… if you have any friends or loved ones that you think would enjoy making their own stickers, give this post a share and spread the free info love!
I hope you found this tutorial easy and now know how to make DIY stickers!
I’ll catch ya later
❤️Ashley
I want to start looking into Cricut machines. I will not afford one for awhile, but which one do you use and are there any others that you recommend?
I really like your labels and stickers!! And every week you come up with a new design!! Amazing! I was just wondering: any chance you could give some tips how to wrap and pack crocheted items?