How to Make Homemade Stickers With Packing Tape

My granddaughter taught me How to Make Homemade Stickers With Packing Tape and I HAVE to share it with you. This is an easy way to use your own drawings and make stickers!!

Cut out designs that will be made into stickers with scissors, ruler, markers and eraser near by.

Jump to:

Let's Homemade Stickers!

When my grandkids come, or I go to their house, we usually do a craft together, surprise surprise!

The last time that they came here, my granddaughter was excited to show me How to Make Homemade Stickers With Packing Tape.

Oh my goodness! I am smitten. When you get started, it’s hard to stop, seriously.

Markers, sharpie, pencil, paper, parchment paper, scissors and red packing tape dispenser.

Low cost supplies for making stickers

This is such a fun craft and uses things that are already in the house. I know that we always appreciate using stuff we already have, right?

Also, this is a VERY cost effective craft and would be good for the classroom, a club, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, a shower, ladies group, or a larger get together in the community. The expense would be very low even on a large scale.

Good for kids of all ages!

I really think that this would work for any age level of kids up through adult kids.
The Littles may need a bit of help from an older sibling or an adult, but they will be so pleased to be able to make their own stickers to use or give to their friends.

If you would like to follow along with the full length video tutorial click this link: How to Make Homemade Stickers Full Length Video Tutorial.

Hand removing piece of tape from a red packing tap dispenser.

How to make stickers using parchment paper

So I use parchment paper in my baking of cookies and so forth. It is one of my favorite tricks for making baking so much easier. I am a Home Ec teacher too, you know.

If you don’t have parchment paper on hand, you can also use wax paper. But I have to say I have not tried that myself so I cannot endorse it fully. Let me know what you find out if you do that.

The parchment paper works so well that I just never tried anything else.

Brainstorm ideas

Take a moment to ponder what homemade stickers you would like to make and what size you would like to make them. It's always good to start these creative juices flowing. One of my favorite things about doing a craft with the grandkids or other kids is what different ideas they all have. It just amazes me.

Tear off a piece of parchment paper and lay it on your work surface. If you have a certain size sticker that you want to make, you could cut the paper to that size plus a couple inches extra in both directions as well. I chose to leave my parchment paper in a larger sheet and make several stickers on that sheet.

Hand placing packing tape pieces on to a piece of parchment paper.

Packing tape is the star

The second star of this craft is packing tape. I’m one of those people that keeps packing tape on hand in mass! 🙂

In the bulk store I purchase a package of several rolls of packing tape. I also have one of the metal packing tape dispensers with a handle to hold the rolls of packing tape. It's another item to store but it’s a very handy tool.

I just use it all the time in crafts, packing boxes, and in other projects around the house and farm. Maybe I’m an oddball in that way (don't comment on that). You can see it in my pictures and video.

Take a piece of packing tape and cut it to the length you would like for your sticker. Place it on the parchment paper.

Hand drawing a star shape with pencil to be colored in and made into stickers.

Packing tape is about 2 inches wide, so if your sticker is going to be like an inch to an inch and a quarter wide and is longer in length, this is all you’ll need to do.

But if your sticker is going to be larger. You can cut off another piece of packing tape and put it onto the parchment paper next to the other one, overlapping the two pieces about a quarter of an inch or so.

You can make your sticker any size that you would like by adding more packing tape pieces that overlap.

Note: It is possible to see where the packing tape overlaps but I don't find that a deal breaker.

Keep adding pieces of packing tape to your parchment paper in the sizes that you want to make your stickers.

Hand coloring in a star drawing yellow on a paper of other colored in drawings to be made into stickers.

Paper to use in making your own stickers

Next, take a piece of copy paper like you would put in your printer. I feel like lightweight pieces of paper work best for making stickers. Next time I may even try using tracing paper.

The real heavy paper makes the stickers so stiff that it’s hard to get them to stay on the surfaces they are placed upon. You may have better luck with that than I did but personally the regular printer paper is what I suggest.

Draw your pictures that you want to make into stickers on the copy paper. There are so many things you could make:

Make words
Pictures
Little sayings
Name or nickname
School mascot picture
Map, etc. Whatever you would like to do.

This would be a good way to use little doodles if you’re a doodler. And I am a doodler! Almost anything I write on it will have a little doodle in the margins and such. I even do that in the books that I’m reading and my Bible. Don’t judge me, I'm Artistic and can’t help myself!!

Note: I only doodle in books that I own, never a borrowed book!

Hand cutting out colored drawing of a star that will be made into a sticker with other cut outs near by.

Outline your sticker designs

Go over your drawing with a black permanent pen as an outline. This is an optional step, but I find that it brings a nice look to your sticker when it’s finished. It just makes the edges look crisp and it looks more like a real sticker.

I use a fine line black permanent marker to outline my drawings. Also if you use a permanent marker when you come back and color it in with your water-based markers, it won’t smear.

Color and cut out your design

With the outline done, go back and color sticker designs in with colored pencils or colored markers. They are small drawings you can make them quickly, which is another fun part to this craft.

Then take a pair of scissors and cut out your design. I leave a very small white edge around the outside of the black outlining on my sticker.

I don’t worry about getting into all the little nooks and cranny edges. I kind of just cut around the edges fairly close but not cutting around and into every little, jagged edge of my letters and such. I think that you can see what I mean in my pictures and on the video.

You can cut right next to the black edge if you’d like, but I like the way it turns out leaving a tiny bit of white paper.

Hand securing tape over stickers on parchment paper with tape dispenser and markers near by.

How do I make homemade stickers? This is key

Set your sticker on top of the packing tape on the parchment paper that you got ready for it.

Take another piece of packing tape and place it over the top of your drawing.

The goal is to cover the sticker plus leave about a half inch around the outside edge of packing tape so that you have plenty of tape around your sticker for our next step.

If you need to use more than one piece of packing tape because it’s a larger sticker, put the first piece of tape over the top of the sticker. Then add the second piece of packing tape to it and overlap the first piece of packing tape slightly. This is similar to what we did in the first step, putting the packing tape onto the parchment paper.

Hand pressing over the tape and parchment paper stickers with the edge of a plastic card with tape dispenser, scissors and markers near by.

Finishing touches

We’re going to cut through all of the layers in the sticker that you’ve made. So we now have the bottom layer of parchment paper and a layer of packing tape on top of the parchment paper.

Then your drawing has been cut out and put on the first layer of packing tape, and then, another layer packing tape on top of that. So your drawing is sandwiched between two layers of packing tape that are on top of the parchment paper! Whew!

Use something like an old credit card or the edge of your scissor handles to gently rub over the top of your sticker to get out any air bubbles. Especially rub around the edge of your drawing to make sure that the packing tape is sealed well, encasing the drawing.

Hand cutting out stickers from parchment tape sheet. A bunch of grapes and a sticker that says "HELLO" in block letters with other supplies in the background.

Cut out the DIY sticker and it's ready!

Lastly, cut out your sticker leaving at least a quarter inch of the clear packing tape around the outside edges of the sticker. You’re cutting through all the layers now. When you are done, you have your own homemade sticker that you made with your own drawing!

All you need to do is to peel off the parchment paper on the back of the DIY stickers and the first layer of packing tape will stick onto the surface of what you want to put your sticker on.

Stickers that have been cut out of the parchment and tape sheet with markers and other scraps of parchment paper near by.

How to use your stickers

I put my cute sticker on the front of my computer that says "Nana" to show as an example. I probably won’t keep it on my computer for a long time and I own the computer myself so that’s my choice to do.

But if your kids have a school computer or are using one of your computers, they do need to ask permission first of course.

These stickers are great to give to friends, to put on a letter you're writing, or an assignment from school that could use an artistic touch. I’m thinking they could even work on water bottles.

I can’t guarantee that they are completely waterproof, but they are at least water resistant because of the packing tape that covers the drawing.

I am so so excited to see what you do with your stickers.

Again, if you would like to follow along with the full length video tutorial click this link: How to Make Homemade Stickers Full Length Video Tutorial.

Hand peeling back a sticker that says "HELLO" with silver laptop and stickers in the background.

Great as gifts

I’m thinking that I’m going to include them in birthday cards to people. Putting in some thing that has a little saying or a bubble lettering of their name or something fun that’s personal for them.

The favorite sticker I made was the one that says Nana on it for myself. But it was very quick to make a little sticker that I could slip into a card for someone.

Let me know how you use your stickers and attach pictures, I love seeing what you do!

Use printed designs in your stickers too

It is also possible to make stickers out of things that you print off on your printer, and I imagine that both laser printers and inkjet printers would work fine. You could also use your Cricut machine to cut things out if you would like to do that as well.

I know that there is vinyl sticker paper for printing stickers that you can use, but I’m always looking for the handmade item that makes it unique and special. That’s what your own little drawings do, they make custom stickers that are one of a kind!

"NANA" sticker with yellow flowers being stuck to a silver laptop.

A young crafting entrepreneur

My grandkids are always game to do things with me when they come, but the granddaughter that taught me this craft is taking it to the next level.

She has made little earrings, bracelets, crocheted items and such, and then set up little booth at their local farmers market.

I can’t tell you how that warms my heart. This puts together that little entrepreneurial spirit that my husband and I have both had since we were kids and working with your hands doing things you enjoy doing.

I just think that is wonderful.

Yesterday I got groceries in an online carryout fashion. The young man that came to the car greeted me. I asked how he was doing. He said OK for being at work. We had a little discussion about what he wanted to do and he said he wanted to start a business.

I encouraged him to pursue his interests and find a way to make a small business happen, be curious, try things. That's what our young grand is doing.

And I was thankful to be able to say it’s possible, I’m doing it!

And that’s what I want to say to people out there young and old. It’s possible to do things for fun or maybe even as a small business if it’s needed, like it has been for me.
Thanks for supporting Welcome To Nanas!!

Anyway, I just loved this how to make homemade stickers from packing tape idea. Thank you, dear granddaughter. You rock.

How to make your own homemade stickers?

You can make your own homemade stickers using just paper, parchment paper, packing tape, and some markers! Design and color your sticker, then layer it with the packing tape and parchment paper. In minutes you'll have created some unique DIY stickers to decorate, give as gifts, and put on cards!

What materials do you need to make your own stickers?

Making your own stickers is simple, and uses just a few items you probably already have in your home. First you'll need some markers and paper to design your stickers. Next, you'll use parchment paper and packing tape to create the sticky layers, as well as the layer you peel off. That's it!

How to make stickers with tape?

Whip up some of your own stickers using packing tape and parchment paper! First you'll design your stickers with markers on a piece of paper - you can create any shape you'd like! Next, layer it with parchment and packing tape to create the sticky layer, the outer protective coating, and the layer to peel off. That's all you need!

Would more simple paper crafts for kids?

If you enjoyed making these stickers and are on the lookout for more simple paper crafts, check out these fun ones from the blog!

Enjoy!

If you try this craft, let me know! Go ahead and leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo with #WelcometoNanas wherever you post.

Come join the fun at https://welcometonanas.com

Supplies for How to Make Homemade Stickers With Packing Tape

Parchment Paper (from the baking section of the store)
Packing Tape
Packing Tape Dispenser and refill rolls (optional)
Printer Paper
Black thin lined permanent marker
Colored markers or Colored pencils
Scissors