Step by step: Stickers for Etsy shop with Cricut Machine

Took me a while but I just opened an Etsy shop to sell my prints! There's a lot to prepare and of course I also want to keep the costs low.  That means there'a whole bunch of stuff need to be designed and made by myself.  One of such things is stickers with the shop logo.  

I got a Cricut Machine and can't wait to try it out.  This tutorial is going to walk you though my process but don't worry I'll also give you some tips on making them without a Cricut Machine!

Materials required:

• A4 self adhesive glossy white paper labels (from Evergreen Goods)
• A Cricut Machine or a ruler and a knife
• An inkjet printer (mine is Epson SF2750)
• Not essential but nice to have: Adobe Creative Suite

*Get 10% off if you use the code SHUNTAO10 on Evergreen Goods, you are welcome*

Step 1 Design a logo

Start with a list of words or a mind map that describes your brand. Do a few sketches based on the words/mind map before moving onto a software.  I used Adobe Illustrator but if you don't have access to the Adobe Suite you can also use Canva.

I want a round sticker so I put the logo into a circle shape with solid background (I used white in this case).  This is important if you are using a Cricut Machine, because the machine cuts the shape of the sticker background. 

If you don't have Cricut, I'd suggest put the logo into a shape you'd like to cut yourself, only fill the outline and leave the solid fill to no colour or a solid colour of your choice.  You can use the outline as a guide when cutting.

Step 2 Making stickers in Cricut Design Space

Cricut Design Space is a software that comes with the machine. You must set out the design in this software so that it can tell the machine how to cut stuff.  

Upload the sticker logo into the Cricut Design Space as a "print and cut".  This means the Cricut instruction will leave time for you to print out the stickers on the sticker paper first, then allow you to put the sticker paper on the cutting board then feed it into the machine. Follow the instructions and remove any background leaving only the circle shape.  

Measure out how big you'd like the sticker to be, and set the size in the Cricut Design Space.  Copy and paste to fill the page with as many stickers as you could.  The size of the page area for sticker paper is 6.75x9.25inch, so make sure all your stickers fit into this space. Finally hit the "make" button to print and cut.

Step 3 Peel and stick

If you are using Cricut, the cutting board is quite sticky so that it can hold the paper properly in place. When removing the stickers face the stickers down on the table and carefully peel away the cutting board.  

If you don't have Cricut, just cut the stickers to the size and shape you like.  If it's square shape I'd suggest you refer to my previous "step by step" guides on how to cut it with a paper trimmer or a ruler.

Hope you find this blog useful and have fund making stickers!!

Step by step: Stickers for yoga timetable flyers - without a Cricut Machine

I need a few flyers to advertise my new yoga timetable locally, but printing flyers professionally is incredibly expensive for small batches.  What's more - my timetable tends to change every few months so there'd be additional cost for re-print and re-design.  

What would it be to have a flexible timetable flyer template and a method to print it at low cost? I set out to solve the problem myself 😎

*Solution*: Create a timetable template and a stickers template, so I only need to update the stickers when things change.  This method won't need a Cricut machine and I can also get to do some stickers craft, fun!

Materials required:

• A4 self adhesive matte white paper labels (from Evergreen Goods)
• A ruler and a knife
• An inkjet printer (mine is Epson SF2750)
• Not essential but nice to have: Adobe Creative Suite

*Get 10% off if you use the code SHUNTAO10 on Evergreen Goods, you are welcome*

Step 1: Design a timetable template

Create a timetable template.  I designed one with my branding style and photo in Adobe Indesign. You can make one on Canva (a free web-based design tool) where lots of designs are available. This is in A4 as I'd like the information easily readable from a distance.  

Step 2: Design a stickers template

Before starting designing on computer, you'll need to find out the actual size of the stickers so they can fit in the timetable.  Print out the design from Step 1 in plain paper, and measure out the size. Create an A4 size file and keep all the sticker designs on the same page - align all the stickers so it's easier to cut later. Be sure to set the stickers to the actual size you need. Keep the design simple and have consistent sections so that you only need to copy and paste it when creating a new one and change the contents in different sections. 

Step 3: Print and cut the stickers

I used Matte White self-adhesive paper for this project. Make sure the top side of the paper is facing down when placing it in the printer paper tray.  Once it's printed, line the side of the knife with the side of the sticker, use a firm but not stiff hold to slice and cut. If you are not very confident at cutting paper with a ruler and knife, practice a few times until you are comfortable with it.  Top tip, breathe out when cutting because the body is more relaxed and you are more likely to have a steady hand.

Tah-dah!

Step 4: Stick and photocopy

The final step is the most fun part, and I'm quite pleased with the hand-made feel of the final poster😊.  I only need 4 other copies so the final step is to photocopy it in colour to the number of copies you need.  You can of course use better quality paper, for a more professional look. 

If you are a small business owner who is trying to promote locally, try and make a flyer with stickers following the steps above. Hope they give you some inspiration and you find it useful.  Do share your flyers with me and have fun!

Step by step: Making stickers without a Cricut Machine

Did you know that you can print stickers at home with just an inkjet printer, without a Cricut Machine (a machine that cuts the stickers to the shape you like)?   I assure you it's easier than you think! 

I made some cute stickers for the packaging of my home made bread and buns today. I'll walk you through all the steps to create these:

Materials required:

• A4 self adhesive matte white paper labels (from Evergreen Goods)
• Portable paper trimmer (highly highly recommend to anyone who loves crafting, from Evergreen Goods)
• An inkjet printer (mine is Epson SF2750)
• Not essential but nice to have: Adobe Creative Suite

*Get 10% off if you use the code SHUNTAO10 on Evergreen Goods, you are welcome*

Step 1: Create a sticker design

I decided to call my home bakery goods 'BUN INTENDED" because you know, it's cool.  I did a few logo sketches and decided to go for this one.  I took a photo of it, recreated it in Procreate and then vectorized it in Illustrator using image tracing.  This is so that I can have a png file with transparent background and can change the colour of it in the future if I wish.  If you don't have Adobe Creative Suite, Canva is a web based design platform that allows you to create logos for free.

Step 2 Find a template for your stickers

Round stickers would be tricky without the Cricut machine to be honest. I decided to go for the square stickers since I have an awesome paper trimmer.  Evergreen Goods' website has lots of templates for pre-cut stickers and I found the 3x8 most ideal for the size I'd like to achieve.  The templates come in all different formats like docx, ai, idd, psd.  I used docx and ai today.

Step 3 Stick your logo/design into the template and print

I used Illustrator (ai) because it gives me a bit more flexibility to size and position the logo. Once all set, print it out on the label paper.  Note that when you place it in the printer, the top side should be facing down in the paper tray.

Alright, it's beautifully printed. Now how am I going to cut it?

Step 4 Print the template on the back of the label paper (I know, so clever!)

My solution is this: print the template on the back of the label, so it can be used as a trimming guide without showing up on the actual logo side.  I used the docx this time, selected the table and set all of the borders to black, then place the label paper with logo's side facing down back in the tray, then hit print.

Step 5 Trim it

If you have this trimmer then I don't need to explain the step much.  You can also trim it with a long ruler and a sharp knife, with a cutting mat underneath. Just be careful with your fingers.

Et voila!

Follow the same steps you can also make stickers for any other branding logo, journals or arts and crafts projects.  You can also experiment it with other adhesive labels such as glossy paper or even vinyl (which is waterproof!).  

Have a go yourself and have fun😁!

SOY MILK (っ˘ڡ˘ς)

As a Chinese person, I grew up loving soy related everything, soy sauce, tofu and soy milk!  I learnt to make gif in Photoshop today so made a silly gif on my favourite thing.

~(˘▾˘~)