Stickers – Paper Craft Decor for Kids and Adults
Craft stickers are used in countless crafting projects,
including scrapbooking, cardmaking, journaling, altered art -
basically any kind of surface to which they will adhere. But they
aren't just the scratch-and-sniff varieties you collected as a
child or the gold stars that you were given on your homework
assignments. Today, craft stickers range from the sophisticated to
the simple, and include alphabet, rhinestone-adorned, vellum-based
and so many more.
Types of Stickers
Raised elements to add extra dimension to a design. Typically,
there is a piece of foam underneath that raises it and gives it a
"puffy" appearance. They can also be rhinestones, pearls,
or have added embellishments such as glitter or ribbon.
Adhesive craft foam shapes can also be used. They can be made
up of individual rhinestones arranged to form a shape and attached
to a clear piece of adhesive to keep the shape together.
Groups made up of commonly used phrases. Packs of phrase
stickers usually surround a specific theme, such as "happy
birthday" or Christmas. They are commonly used in scrapbooks
as captions for pictures or titles.
Separate letters to make specific phrases or titles. They come
in many different fonts, themes, sizes, and some have designs in
the background. They can be used in scrapbooking, home decor, or as
a way to label things.
The glitter can either be embedded into the material, not
affecting its texture, or it can be added to the top in a 3D paint
form to add dimension. Some are solid glitter on the inside,
typically silver, with a rhinestone outline that forms a shape.
Most come in packs that revolve around a specific theme. This
can be helpful for scrabookers making albums with specific events
or themes in mind. These themes can range from summer to holidays. Floral themes can be used
for scrapbook albums or cardmaking. Wedding themes are a great
addition to a wedding album. EK Disney Stickers are perfect for the
Disneyland album, or for a child who loves a specific movie
character.
Sticker Materials
Perhaps the most common type. These are thin (flat) and made of
paper, from traditional to vellum and beyond.
Typically dimensional with layers of fabric. They can add a
unique texture to your paper crafts.
Much thicker and of a heavier weight than paper.
Use an extra strong adhesive to stick to your materials. The
jewels can come separate, or attached to a clear adhesive sheet in
a shape.
How to Choose the Right Sticker for Your
Needs
- The main factor in choosing which sticker you need for a given
project is aesthetic. Ask yourself how would it enhance your
design. If you need a title for a scrapbook page, pull out some
oversized letters in a complementary color. Missing a bit of punch?
Use three little flowers, or rhinestones along the corner of a
photo. Also consider thickness when making your decision.
- If you use a bling item, for example, remember it will press
into anything too tightly stored against it, potentially damaging
your project.
- If you are scrapbooking, make sure that your sticker is acid
free. Adhesive with acid will damage the paper and the photos
surrounding it. EK Sticko are ideal for
scrapbooking because they are photo safe and come in a wide variety
of themes.
How to Use Stickers
- To use, just peel them from their backing and apply to your
project.
- If you're using alphabets or words and want to ensure an
aligned phrase, a quick tip is to first stick them along the edge
of a ruler with the tops hanging over. Press those bits of exposed
sides down to your surface, then slowly twist the ruler out from
under. As they are removed from the ruler, press them into
place.
Popular Manufacturers
There are countless manufacturers. Some of the most well-known
ones include:
Paper Crafting Project Ideas
- Stickers with gems are great for phones and electronics. They
can be removed easier
- Use a sticker to close an envelope
- Alphabets can be used to personalize anything
For more examples of how crafters put stickers to
use, check out our Think Crafts Blog.
Author
Christina M. Okeson
The
Elephant and the Butterfly
Save and Share