I have always loved stickers! Sticker shops have been popping up left and right this year and I’m here for it. If you want to start your own sticker shop on Etsy or Shopify, or even on your own blog, here are 3 ways to make and sell stickers in 2024.
How to make and sell stickers online
It seems everyone wants to sell stickers right now, and ya know what? There are TONS of customers buying them, so why not start your own sticker shop? Or, add stickers to a shop you already have. I just added stickers to my blog shop and I’m so excited!
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Designing stickers to sell.
You can design your own stickers from scratch (by drawing them), design your own stickers by combining clip art pieces into a sticker design, or you can buy already made stickers and print them to sell.
Design your own.
Designing your own stickers will take some time and, if you don’t already have the drawing skills, lots of patience! But, it’s worth it because you’ll have 100% unique stickers that nobody else will have. This sets you apart from the start.
Buy designs.
Buying designs is easy, but that means unless you pay a premium for custom designs that are exclusive to your shop, you won’t have a unique sticker.
Because the sticker market is so saturated, it’s best to be as unique as you possibly can, while still staying “on trend”, so to speak. Note I didn’t say “over” saturated… there’s just a ton of sticker sellers so you’ve gotta put some work in!
You can even buy sticker templates, in case you’re in a creative rut – or if you just want to create more stickers in way less time!
Find your sweet spot and you’ll have more orders than you can imagine!
Sell stickers online.
You can sell stickers online in three ways: selling digital files, selling physical stickers you cut yourself, or selling physical stickers you buy from a print provider. Each option has its pros and cons, so we’ll talk about those briefly here.
Starting an Etsy shop is the easiest, cheapest way to get started selling stickers online. Use my referral link to get 40 free listings.
Sell digital files.
If you’re great at designing, selling digital sticker files can be amazingly profitable! You design the sticker once and sell it over and over (and over!) again.
I use Procreate or Canva to make my sticker designs, depending on my mood. Procreate is great for drawing, while Canva is great for text or dragging and dropping clip art designs together to make a cohesive sticker design.
Selling your digital sticker files to other makers is a great way to be “in the middle”. I know I talk about this a LOT, but the middle really is where the gold is!
I highly recommend creating a digital shop for passive income. Not sure where to get started? Check out this Facebook group!
How do you make your own stickers to sell?
Using your Silhouette, you can print and cut stickers at home and ship them out. I do not recommend using a Cricut for stickers, as it’s a pain in the ass to deal with the constant alignment issues.
Here are 7 Cricut projects you can sell on Etsy that aren’t stickers.
Printing stickers at home requires a bit more labor than ordering them, but it can keep your prices low and you don’t have to buy 100s at a time. You can create one sticker at a time without having to worry about keeping inventory that doesn’t sell.
However, if you get a huge influx of orders, your cutting machine will be working overtime – and so will you. This method is the most labor-intensive, but has the smallest start-up costs if you already have a Silhouette.
Sell physical stickers you buy from a print shop.
I just ordered stickers to start selling them in my shop. I love GotPrint so that is the print provider I use, but there are some differences between GotPrint and printers who specialize in stickers, so I want to point those out to help you make your decision.
Sticker Ninja VS Sticker Mule VS GotPrint
While there are many options for sticker printers, the three I’ve used are Sticker Ninja, Sticker Mule, and GotPrint. If you’re on a budget, GotPrint is going to be your best option, as they cost about half of what the stickers from Sticker Ninja and Sticker Mule cost.
However, if you’re selling vinyl stickers, GotPrint does not have that option. So be sure to advertise your stickers accordingly.
Sticker Quality:
Sticker Ninja uses thick, durable vinyl.
GotPrint uses 60lb paper, gloss labels, with UV coating.
Pricing for 3″ round stickers:
Sticker Ninja charges $86 plus shipping for 100 stickers.
GotPrint charges $41.90 plus shipping for 100 stickers. Use code VFSBC to get free shipping.
The verdict: Vinyl stickers are best if you’re going to be putting them on your car, water bottles, or any other surface that may get wet. GotPrint’s stickers are great for adding to notebooks and laptops.
After Sticker Mule came out as “MAGA 2024” fans in July 2024, I’ve removed them from my recommendations entirely. I don’t care how cheap their stickers are, I’ll never use them again and I regret using them in the past. There are many other companies you can support that align with more respectable values.
Pricing stickers
Pricing is the most tedious part of the business for me and I just loathe it. One thing I can tell you, though, is do not undercut everyone else’s prices just to make a quick sale. You are the only one who suffers in the end because of it!
The average price for a single sticker on Etsy right now is anywhere between $2 and $6. Some sellers give free shipping (and work that cost into their prices), while others keep their prices lower and charge the customer for shipping outright.
I have had the best luck with free shipping. It seems Etsy kind of gives you a “bump” in their algorithm for free shipping. I could be wrong, but based on the half a dozen shops I have, I’d say having sales and offering free shipping are both great ways to get more sales for your shop.
How much money can you make selling stickers?
Factoring in everything – stickers, shipping, packaging (I use tissue paper and an envelope, plus a business card, and I give a free sticker with every order), and Etsy or other shop fees, the costs can add up quickly. Be sure to add all of your expenses in, then some for your time, to come up with your pricing.
If you figure you’re paying about $1 per sticker if you order through Sticker Ninja, or you’re paying about $.50 per sticker if you order through GotPrint, that’s the start of your pricing formula.
To save even more money, you can order square stickers with rounded corners for $25.90 for 100. This means you’re paying less than $.50 per sticker.
If you sell your stickers for $3 each, you’re making $2.00-$2.50 profit per sticker (without factoring in extra fees etc). You can sell them in sets to maximize your profit per sale.
So for example, if you sell a set of 3 stickers for $8, you’re still making a decent profit per sticker, and you’ve taken your sale from $3 to $8. Offering incentives like “Buy 3 get 1 free” is also a great way to increase the amount of stickers each customer buys. Be sure to factor all of these deals, sales, and packaging and shipping costs into your pricing!
With this method, you’ll need to invest more money up front and choose designs you know will sell, or you’ll be stuck with a bunch of sticker inventory you can’t move.
The verdict: what’s the best way to make and sell stickers?
If you’ve made it this far, perhaps you are invested enough to start your own sticker biz! Major props to you. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly which way is the best way, because it depends on the amount of time and labor you will make available for this venture, along with how much money you have to invest.
If you are low on funds, check out my full list of side hustles for 2024. Pick a side hustle or two to get started for free or cheap, and use the money you earn from it to fund your sticker biz.
Sticker makers who can teach you a thing or two
Search YouTube for sticker makers who share their tips and tricks! This is the best way to learn about creating and selling your own stickers, no matter the method you use.
The ultimate cheat code to sticker making
Finally convinced you need to get into sticker making? WOO HOO! You know I’m all about saving time, so head over to Wild and Solo to learn how to make and sell digital stickers right now!
Need more sales in your sticker shop once it’s set up? I have a guide for that, too! Ultimate Guide to Selling More Stickers on Etsy
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