How I make Stickers (using sticker paper)

(This image is of the final product that you'll have when making these stickers.)

Hello again!

     Now that I have told you about my mission, I will explain the process I take to actually make my product. I've spent a lot of time thinking about the product I was going to sell. Personally, I am not super crafty, I tend to shy away from bigger projects that would take me a lot of time. I know that I draw a lot, I've been drawing since pre-school, so I knew I wanted to do something around that, however just selling my drawings wasn't going to be good enough, since all my drawings are made with pencil on normal print paper. I actually found my inspiration from different artists that I followed on Pinterest and other various social medias. One artist Joy San  actually has her own online shop and sells stickers as one of her products. I immediately took to stickers as I am a fan of them. I think that they are very colorful and fun! After that, I took to the internet to find out how to make stickers.

(This photo shows a page of some of my sticker designs. Relates to step #3 [with a printer]) 

I found that there were actually many ways to make stickers, some better quality than others. I put myself in the buyer's shoes in order to find the best way to make stickers. What kind of stickers would I want to buy? But also thought about myself as a producer: How much do I want to spend on materials? As a customer, I would want to buy high-quality stickers, ones like look clean and fun. As a producer, I do not want to spend more than $30 on materials. There were two good options for high-quality stickers which were to either use sticker paper or vinyl. I found that vinyl stickers were more expensive to make when it came to the materials needed, but sticker paper worked much better with what I had. I was able to buy 100 sheets of sticker paper on amazon for only $12 which was within my budget. 

(This photo shows the sticker paper I got from Amazon. $12 for 100 sheets from Online Labels Company)

(This photo shows Modge Podge starting to be spread onto the sticker. Relates to steps #5 [with a printer] and #4 [without a printer])

The next step was to make sure I had all the materials I needed to make the stickers. I had the sticker paper and I knew I wanted my designs to be colored, so I needed markers. I need to draw my designs, so pencil and paper were required too. I was going to need scissors to cut out my design and have a printer (with a scanner) so I could scan and print my images. A printer would be helpful if I wanted to make multiple stickers of the same design. If you're only making one sticker then just using the sticker paper is fine. Finally, I wanted my stickers to be protected. I looked online for good sticker adhesives, one that I found was glue. I decided to use Modge Podge as it acts in the same way and dries much faster. The markers, scissors, Modge Podge, and printer/scanner I had all at home, so it wasn't very hard to find materials or stay in budget. Overall, the process was very fun and although it is for my business, it was a great way to pass time or do a fun project!

(This photo shows the scissors cutting the outline of the sticker. Relates to step #7 [with a printer] and step #6 [without a printer])

Materials: 

• Scissors 
• Modge Podge 
• Paint Brush 
• Pencil 
• Paper
• Pen
• Printer/scanner (Ink Jet is what I use, but also works with laser) 
• Markers (Use permanent markers if you're drawing directly onto the sticker paper) 
• Sticker paper 
• Exacto Knife or another sharp blade (Optional)

(This photo shows all the materials that I used for this project [as listed above])

Steps (with a printer):

1. The first is very simple, all you need to do is draw your design. Make it however you'd like this part is all up to you! This is optional, but I like to go over my lines with a pen just to make them bolder. After you finish, draw an outline around the sticker, this way you can cut out the exact shape when the sticker finishes printing.
2. Next step is to color! This step is optional, of course, coloring depends on if you want to be that way or not. Marker type doesn't matter as much because you'll be scanning it later. 
3. This step varies if you have multiple pages of sticker designs. If you have multiple pages then cut out all sticker designs (cut them out from the outline) and place them all together on one page, this way you save space and time when scanning/printing. If you have one page of stickers, just keep it that way. You'll need to grab a sticker paper sheet(s) and you're sticker designs. Bring them to the printer and place the designs on the scanner. Load the sticker paper face down (so the sticky side is facing up), then press scan onto paper. 
4. After the sticker prints, make sure to let the ink settle/dry, this will help later on, so the ink doesn't spread when we use the Modge Podge  
5. Next, you'll need your Modge Podge and a brush. Grab your sticker and lay it on a flat surface (feel free to put down some paper to avoid the surface getting messy). Dip your brush in the Modge Podge and then quickly spread it since it dries fast. You might notice that streaks appear, but I assure you those disappear when they dry (or are hardly noticeable). 
6. Let the Modge Podge dry, this step shouldn't take long. You might notice the sticker bends a little when it dries, but this is fine since it won't when you place it on the surface. 
7. Now you want to cut out your sticker! This is where the outline is very helpful! follow the outline you made and cut the sticker accordingly. In my experience, the sticker looks much more appealing when the lines are smooth and rounded, although this can varies depending on the sticker you're making. 
8. (Optional) This is a helpful step just to make the peeling easier. An Exacto knife is the best tool to use for this step, but any sharp blade works. Flip the sticker over and cut where you want to peel, don't use too much pressure otherwise you might cut through the sticker. 
9. Finally, stick anywhere and enjoy!

Steps (without printer): 

1. Grab a piece of sticker paper and with pencil first, draw your design. This is optional, but like to go over my lines with a pen to make them bolder. After you finish, draw an outline around the sticker, this way you can cut out the exact shape you want. Drawing directly on the sticker paper is usually better for stickers that you wanna make only once.
2. Next step is to color! This step is optional, of course, coloring depends on if you want to be that way or not. Make sure that you use a permanent marker for this step because the Modge Podge will spread the ink if you use a different kind. 
3. Let the ink from the marker dry, this also ensures that the ink doesn't spread when we add the Modge Podge. 
4. Once the marker dries, grab a brush and the Modge Podge. Grab your sticker and lay it on a flat surface (feel free to put down some paper to avoid the surface getting messy). Dip your brush in the Modge Podge and then quickly spread it since it dries fast. You might notice that streaks appear, but I assure you those disappear when they dry (or are hardly noticeable). 
5. Let the Modge Podge dry, this step shouldn't take long. You might notice the sticker bends a little when it dries, but this is fine since it won't when you place it on the surface. 
6. Now you want to cut out your sticker! This is where the outline is very helpful! follow the outline you made and cut the sticker accordingly. In my experience, the sticker looks much more appealing when the lines are smooth and rounded, although this can varies depending on the sticker you're making.
7. (Optional) This is a helpful step just to make the peeling easier. An Exacto knife is the best tool to use for this step, but any sharp blade works. Flip the sticker over and cut where you want to peel, don't use too much pressure otherwise you might cut through the sticker. 
8. Finally, stick anywhere and enjoy!