Stickers have long been a favorite item with kids and creating them so that they can then put them on books, toys and so many other things, is a great way to have some indoor family fun.
A great craft project
Kids can quickly become bored these days in the house if it’s raining and they can’t think of anything much to do.
Rather than switch the TV or games console on, it is much more rewarding to get them involved in a great craft project, making stickers.
Stickers are pretty easy to make and you can often create them using materials and equipment that is readily to hand. Great-looking stickers can be made using some sticker paper, packing tape or firing up your printer to get creative.
Designing your sticker
A good part of the fun involved in this craft activity is designing your sticker and deciding what you want to use, which can be an artistic design you have worked on or it could be a an image that you have scanned.
If you are looking for inspiration on that score, a good source of design ideas can be found on Pinterest, where you can search under a topic and get some ideas from the images returned on the search.
Photoshop
Before you start to work on your image using a program like Photoshop, you might want to check that your printer is primed with the ink cartridges you need.
If you need a printer cartridge so you don’t run out when you are in the middle of printing out your stickers, you can get one online from a number of suppliers.
If you are using Photoshop to edit your image for the sticker, you might want to use Image>Adjustment>Posterize , which then allows you to adjust the tonal levels of the image and really get creative, producing a nice retro-art look if you want.
You might mind that after you have used the Posterize feature, the edges of your image might appear slightly rough. Use the Blur feature to address this and you should then be ready to print it out.
Using sticker paper
Load the sticker paper into your printer and then create a new document using a program like Adobe Illustrator to place multiple copies of the image.
Once you have filled the page with multiple copies of your sticker image, you can print out the sheet.
It is often a good idea to test the printer before using your actual sticker paper, so load a blank piece of paper with a mark on it so that you can be sure which side is printing and then run a test copy to see that everything looks fine before using your sticker paper for real.
Using your printer to help with your sticker making
You might decide that you want to get everyone making some glue stickers and if that is what your craft project is going to be, you can search out some suitable pictures online which you can then print out ready to use.
There really is no limit to your options when designing your own sticker design but if the kids are looking for a bit of inspiration, they often like to make stickers of their pets, friends or family, or maybe one of their favorite TV characters.
It is really simple to make some glue stickers, so this is a project that is suitable for young children with a bit of adult supervision when using scissors and glue.
They can even have some fun making an adhesive that will turn their printed or colored pieces of paper that they cut into shapes, into a sticker.
Use a recipe that shows you how to make a glue that is safe and even edible for toddlers if they get a bit messy, but importantly, it still works well enough to be able to create stickers that will bond reasonably well to most surfaces where they want to put their stickers.
Using Microsoft Word
If you don’t have programs like Photoshop to help you with your sticker creation, you can make custom stickers using Microsoft Word.
Simply open a new document and insert a text box where you want the sticker to print on the page.
Click on the text box and insert your text and image. Once you have everything designed and ready simply ensure that you have the sticker paper inserted correctly in your printer and enjoy your creation when it comes out!
If you are looking for some indoor family fun, making stickers is a great way of keeping everyone occupied and amused for hours.
John Sollars is a business owner of many years. When he gets the time, he likes to sit down and share what has worked for him. Look for his informative posts on a number of websites and blogs today.
