Sticking To It • My Foray Into Sticker Design & Selling

My forté is graphic design. That’s no secret. In 2018, a friend of mine at work was looking for some birthday party decorations and she had shown me some she had found on Etsy. I was appalled at how much someone was charging for print at home, digital downloads. I told her that she was crazy to be spending that much on simple 8.5″ x 11″ designs (we’re talking $20+) and that I could help her for much less and the designs would be BETTER. Later, she encouraged me to start my own store.

So for the past three years, my business model with Etsy has been 100% digital. My motto is that “I’m the best friend that you didn’t know you needed.” My target audience was Moms like me who liked to throw birthday parties for their children that only looked lavish without breaking the bank. I have been known to go a bit crazy with the celebrations with my own daughter’s birthdays so why not share my creations with others and help support our Disneyland vacation habit in the process? 😀

This model has worked for me. By far, the most popular items in my Etsy store are from the Greatest Showman. I fell in love with that movie 3 years ago and it’s been very good to me. This movie is popular with little kids and adults alike. There is something for everyone and the product love has been universal.

When I got the hair-brained idea to buy myself a Cricut Cutting Machine in January 2021, my intention was to make vinyl decals. I soon discovered that it’s an acquired skill. And until I hone that skill properly, I won’t be selling any decals any time soon. They not only require good design but they require a steady hand, proper tools, good lighting and TIME. There is a reason why people charge a premium for decals. The next best thing and a bit more centered in my wheelhouse of expertise are stickers. I could combine my graphic design skills with that of the Cricut and create fun laptop stickers, water bottle stickers, cellphone case stickers and more. The best part has been coming up with the designs & I made sure to start with some of my favorite pop culture icons – Schitt’s Creek, Parks & Recreation, Hamilton, The Vampire Diaries and yes, even The Greatest Showman.

An important lesson that I have learned is that the cost to produce ONE sticker is the same as the cost of producing 8, 10 or even 12 stickers. It all depends upon how many you can fit on a sheet. The cost to mail ONE sticker is the same for mailing SIXTEEN stickers. Selling one sticker at a time is not cost effective at all. I learned this VERY quickly. I have bundled the stickers by theme but I am willing to create custom bundles by request. The minimum bundle is 8 Stickers for $8 which works out to about $1 a sticker. 8 stickers is a good quantity as stickers will measure between 2.5″ to 3″ at their largest width or length. I can fit 8 stickers on a sheet using these sizes which are comparable to other stickers on the market. Check out the options below & if there are certain themes that you’re looking for, let me know! I can custom create them FAST.

STICKER SHOP