How to make stickers at home, with or without a cutter
Print onto sticker paper and cut round each one with scissors, leaving a thin white edge. No sticker paper? Cover a picture in clear packing tape, or back it with double-sided tape.
Start with 40 pages free. No card needed.
Six ways to make stickers, from what is already in a drawer to a cutting machine. All of them work for scrapbooks, journals and cards.
Pick by how many you need and whether they have to survive water.
See also: types of scrapbook stickers and where they go, washi tape on scrapbook pages, Open the online scrapbook maker.
Make a sticker from a photo
Photograph a keepsake in the tbf scrapbook studio, cut it out and place it on a page. It starts with a thin white outline. Make a digital scrapbook online.
Start with 40 pages free. No card needed. Plans and prices.
| Method | You need | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sticker paper and scissors | Printable sticker paper, a printer, small scissors | A sheet of photo stickers for a journal |
| Packing tape transfer | Clear packing tape, a laser print or magazine page, water | See-through stickers where the page colour shows through |
| Double-sided tape | A drawing or print on thin paper, double-sided tape | A few one-offs cut from your own drawings |
| Vinyl sticker paper | Printable vinyl, clear laminate sheet | Stickers for bottles, laptops and anything that gets wet |
| Cutting machine | A machine with print then cut, sticker paper, a printer | Dozens of identical stickers with exact outlines |
| Digital cut-out | A photo of the thing, an online scrapbook studio | Stickers on a digital page, with no paper or printer |
Inkjet or laser sticker paper
Sticker paper is made for one kind of printer, so check the pack before buying. Matte takes a pen if you want to write on it; gloss shows photos best.
Leave a white edge
Cut a thin border round the image rather than along its outline. It is quicker, hides a wobbly cut and lifts the sticker off a busy page.
Packing tape transfer
Press clear tape over a laser print or magazine picture, soak it in warm water and rub the paper off the back. The ink stays on the tape. Back it with glue or double-sided tape to stick it down.
Steps
Fill one sheet
Lay out a full A4 or letter page of images, spaced a finger's width apart for cutting.
Test on plain paper
Print once on ordinary paper to check the sizes before using a sticker sheet.
Print and let it dry
Print on the glossy or matte face of the sticker paper and give inkjet ink a few minutes to dry.
Cut with an edge
Cut each one out with a thin white border in one smooth line, then peel and place.
Questions
Can I make stickers without sticker paper?
Yes. Cover a print in clear packing tape and cut it out, or back a drawing with double-sided tape. Neither lasts as long as vinyl.
Can I make stickers on a phone?
Most phones can lift a subject out of a photo to print on sticker paper. A digital scrapbook can place the cut-out straight onto a page.
What paper is best for homemade stickers?
Matte sticker paper for journals you write in, gloss for photos, and vinyl for anything that gets wet or handled a lot.