I love to add stickers and decals to my notebooks. And since I make lots of notes and go through many books, I need more stickers. I recently jumped into the world of making stickers. So, I thought it would be cool to make some inspirational quote stickers with Cricut. So, let’s jump in and start making stickers!
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Supplies needed to make Inspirational quote stickers with Cricut
As I have been on a sticker kick recently, I have stocked up on the following supplies for this project: Here is what we need:
- Cutting Machine – I use my Cricut Explore Air 2, but any Cricut Machine will work. As will any other number of machines, such as the Silhouette, the Brother, or others
- Printer – I used my Epson Eco-tank, for printing, but you can use any printer. Ideally, it will print in color, but not necessary.
- Sticker Paper – For this project, I use Cricut Sticker paper.
- Design Program – I designed these stickers in Cricut Design Space, as we are trying to make these for free. But you can use other programs to make inspirational quote stickers and import them into DS.
- Scissors/Paper cutter – If you plan to make sticker sheets, you will need either scissors or a paper cutter for your final steps.
- About 30 minutes.
Let’s Design and make some Inspirational quote Stickers
From the design aspect, making inspirational quote stickers is not too hard, or at least, it should not be… The first thing I did was look for some inspirational quotes. I googled inspirational quotes and came up with the below list:
- Be the reason someone smiles today
- Be the change you want in the world
- You Got This
- Believe In Yourself
- Happiness is an inside job
- Stay Focused
- Keep Going
- You are capable of amazing things
- No pressure, no diamonds,
- Life is short, live it
- Your potential to succeed is infinite
- If you can dream it, you can do it
- She believed she could, so she did
- Never give up
- Great things take time
- Life’s too short for regrets
- Happiness is enjoying the little things
- One day at a time
- Be a voice, not an echo
You can get more or different ones, but these are the ones that I like. If you plan to use famous quotes, you should include who said or wrote them. I did not do that here.
How to Design Inspirational quote stickers in Cricut Design Space
Add the Inspirational quotes to Design Space
With the Inspirational quotes we have above, we can input them into Cricut Design Space.
Select the Text Icon and type in the first phrase. Then, select a new text box for each phrase and continue adding the phrases until they are all complete. If you want the phrases to be multi-colored, you can put each word or part of the phrase in a separate text box.
Once all the phrases are typed up and on your canvas, it is time to play around with different fonts to see what you like. For this, we need to select a phrase (one at a time), select the Font drop-down menu and select a font you like.
I prefer to use my system fonts because I know they are free. Some free fonts available through the Cricut Design Space are not always free. Cricut will often change which fonts are free, require Cricut Access Membership to be free, or require payment. So, if you use DS fonts, just be aware that these fonts may not be free in the future. This becomes problematic if you want to reuse this design or if not cutting the project the same day you are designing.
Now that your inspirational quotes are written and have a variety of fonts selected, you can move the words for each phrase around.
- The phrase does not need to be in one line. It can be broken up into 2, 3 or more lines by hitting the Enter key between words.
- You can move the words to different locations around the design area. This can be done by duplicating the original phrase and leaving only 1, 2, or a few words in each text box so they can be moved around freely.
Once you are happy with the fonts on each phrase, it is time to add more design features to make the stickers pop more.
Adjust the Font Color
If you have not done so already, it is time to adjust the font color. Select the text box with the desired phrase or words. Select the color box next to the Operation drop-down menu, and select a color of your liking. I used a wide range of colors for my stickers.
Add shapes and accents to your inspirational quote Sticker Designs
Select the shapes menu and pick any random shapes you like. I stayed with stars, squares and triangles.
Duplicate your shapes several times. Place the shape around and behind the text in any fashion you like. To move the shapes behind the text, select the shape, hit the Arrange Menu and select – Send to Back.
You can change the color of the hearts to be anything you like. I went with a variety of blues, greens, and yellows.
You can also go into the Cricut Design Space Images. Select the Images Icon and pick out any items you like. I picked out a few free rainbows.
Finalize Your Inspirational quote stickers Design
Once you have a design finished, a few finishing touches are needed before we are ready to cut our stickers.
I have been working on several different designs at a time, but for this part, you need to focus on just one design at a time. This will keep things less chaotic later.
Select all of the elements of one design. Make sure they are all selected and that there is a box around all of the items.
Select the Offset button. This will form an outline around the design. You can adjust the size of the offset by using the slider. Once happy with the outline around the design, select OK.
If your design has open spaces, a hole will be present in the offset. If that is the case, select the Offset button followed by the Contour button. This will open a pop-up window where you can select items to remove from your image. Select all the holes in the offset so they are filled. This should be done before you proceed any further, as it will be difficult to undo later.
Once you have your offset complete, select the entire design. Next, select the Flatten icon, located at the bottom right side of your screen.
This will make your sticker ready for print then cut.
Repeat the above for all of your other sticker designs.
Double Check your Inspirational quote stickers before cutting
Once you have flattened all your designs, select the Layers icon at the bottom of your screen. This will open a panel on your right side. Quickly review all your design elements and verify they are flattened.
Resize your Inspirational quote stickers
When working on designs I do not focus on the design size at the start. I focus on the design itself and then resize it at the end.
I like my stickers to be about 1” -2” in size. This way, they are not too big or too small. Select each sticker individually, select the dimensions and change them to the desired value. Verify that your dimensions lock is on.
You can start by making everything smaller or larger if you prefer.
Print and cut your Inspirational quote stickers with Cricut
When doing the final prep for cutting our stickers, we have two options. We can cut out the stickers so that they are loose stickers or that we have sheets of stickers. I will walk you through how to do each option. For inspirational quote stickers with Cricut, I like to kiss cut the stickers as they are being applied to notebooks right away. This way, it is easier to peel. But in case you want loose-cut stickers, we’ll talk about that too.
Perform a test Print Then Cut – Optional
If you are new to stickers, you may not be certain that everything is ready to go. One thing I like to do before I commit to printing on sticker paper is perform a test print then cut.
I will simply print the design out on standard printer paper and put it through my Cricut to cut. This will show me if the designs work and if the flattened items are done properly.
Even though this may take a few minutes to perform, I find it helpful as it has saved me many sheets of sticker paper when I was learning.
Loose cut inspirational quote Stickers
If you like having loose stickers to give away, this is the method for you.
Now that all our checks are done, select MAKE and get ready to print then cut.
I like rearranging the stickers on the cutting mat to put as many stickers on a page as possible. I find that Cricut Design Space does not conserve paper very well. So, I will spend a few minutes moving the stickers around to fit as many onto a sticker sheet as possible.
Printer Settings for Loose Cut Stickers
Once you are ready to print then cut your stickers, you will need to send your sticker sheet to print.
I make the following adjustment to my print setting:
- Print quality = high/best quality – this will make the color of the stickers pop as much as possible.
- The bleed toggle is set to ON – this helps with the color around the edges when printing/cutting
Once happy with the printer settings, send the sheet to your printer to print your sticker sheet.
Cricut Cut Setting for Loose Cut Sticker
Now that your sticker sheet has been printed, place it on your cutting mat. It is important that the sticker page layout is the same as that on the DS cutting mat screen. You do not want it to be upside-down because your sheet will cut out wrong.
You have several options for how to cut loose stickers. I found that the following works best:
- Set your Cricut Dial to Custom – Select Printable Sticker Paper, White, (gray liner printing)
- This typically cuts your stickers out with no issue. However, if your mat is not sticky enough, or is too sticky, your sticker paper may not peel away from your stickers completely.
- Set your Cricut Dial to Cardstock
- This will cut your stickers nicely. This will cut your stickers nicely, most of the time
- Set your Cricut Dial to Light Cardstock
- This will cut your stickers, but if your blade is a bit dull, it may not cut all the way through.
You may need to play around with your machine to see which setting works best, but these are the ones that I find are best for loose-cut stickers.
Push the flashing C on your Cricut and wait for your stickers to cut out.
Once they are cut out, flip your cutting mat upside down and peel the mat away from the sticker paper and stickers.
If the cut setting were correct, you will be able to peel your sticker paper away first and then be left with stickers on your cutting mat.
Kiss Cut inspirational quote Stickers
Using the Kiss Cut for stickers is a great way to make sticker sheets. You can allow Cricut Design Space to arrange the stickers on the sheet for you, or you can arrange them yourself.
If you want to arrange the stickers by yourself, it is fairly simple. While still on your Canvas in Cricut Design Space, you will need to arrange the stickers in the layout that you want them to be cut.
Once happy with the placement, select all the stickers and then select the Attach button. This will force all the stickers to stay arranged as you have them.
It is important to note that depending on the layout of your sticker arrangements, you may be outside of the print then cut area. The max print then cut size on an 8.5″ by 11″ sheet is 6.75″ x 9.25″.
Now, select MAKE and it will go to your cutting mat layout.
Printer Settings for Kiss Cut Stickers
Once you are ready to print then cut your stickers, you will need to send your sticker sheet to print.
I make the following adjustment to my print setting:
- Print quality = high/best quality – this will make the color of the stickers pop as much as possible.
- The bleed toggle is set to ON – this helps with the color around the edges when printing/cutting
Once happy with the printer settings, send the sheet to your printer to print your sticker sheet.
Cricut Cut Setting for Kiss Cut Sticker
Now that your sticker sheet has been printed, place it on your cutting mat. It is important that the sticker page layout is the same as that on the DS cutting mat screen. Do not want it to be upside-down because your sheet will cut out wrong.
I have tried several options for cutting kiss-cut sticker sheets, and I found that so far, the below works. As I experiment more, I will update this list with my findings:
- Set your Cricut Dial to Custom – Select Washi Sheet (not Washi tape)
- This cuts only the top layer of the sticker paper and not all the way through the sticker sheet.
You may need to play around with your machine to see which setting works best with your machine, as you may have different results.
Push the flashing C on your Cricut and wait for your stickers to cut out.
Once they are cut out, flip your cutting mat upside down and peel the mat away from the sticker paper. It should all come off as one piece of paper.
When off the cutting mat, you can check the kiss-cut on the page.
You can use either your scissors or a paper cutter to remove the edges of the sticker sheet with the Cricut cutting markers on if you are giving it away, or you can simply peel off the stickers and use them.
And that’s it! You’re done! Your Inspirational quote stickers with Cricut are complete!
Things I learned while making these Stickers
This was my third big batch of sticker-making, and there are still things to learn! But that always seems to be the case. This time, while I learned how to make Inspirational quote stickers with Cricut I learned a bunch. So, here goes:
- When working on the design for these stickers, I did not really think through all of my designs and how they would cut out. Several of my designs have long, narrow arms off the edges of the stickers. They proved hard to remove from the cutting mat. Several stickers lost these sections when I was pulling the stickers off the cutting mat. My Cricut also had some issues cutting these sections out nicely. I would recommend avoiding any loose, narrow offshoots on your sticker designs. Try to keep them more round or boxy.
- Again, with these stickers, I feel like my design capabilities are stuck in the late 80s or early 90s and my idea of what looks good might be stuck in the past …. So maybe I should work on updating that…
- I prefer to use my system fonts because I know they are free. Some free fonts available through the Cricut Design Space are not always free. Cricut will often change which fonts are free, require Cricut Access Membership to be free, or require payment. So, if you use DS fonts, just be aware that these fonts may not be free in the future. This becomes problematic if you want to reuse this design or if not cutting the project the same day you are designing.
- Similar to Cricut fonts, Cricut images are not always free. The rainbows I used were free when I selected them, but they may not be free if I want to reuse them later. So, you may need to revise your design in the future if they change those images to Access or paid.
- The basic colors found in Cricut Design Space are not as bold and vibrant as in other design programs. My printer, the Epson Eco-tank 2850, prints vibrant colors, so I know it’s not the printer. If you can design in another program, such as Inkscape, and import the drawings, you will have a nicer color pallet at the end of the project.
Frequently Asked Questions about Making Stickers
How to make kiss-cut sticker sheets with cricut?
Set your Cricut Dial to Custom – Select Washi Sheet (not Washi tape). This cuts only the top layer of the sticker paper and not all the way through the sticker sheet.
You may need to play around with your machine to see which setting works best with your machine, as you may have different results.
How to make loose-cut stickers with Cricut?
You have several options for how to cut loose stickers. I found that the following works best:
- Set your Cricut Dial to Custom – Select Printable Sticker Paper, White, (gray liner printing)
- This typically cuts your stickers out with no issue. However, if your mat is not sticky enough, or is too sticky, your sticker paper may not peel away from your stickers completely.
- Set your Cricut Dial to Cardstock
- This will cut your stickers nicely, most of the time
- Set your Cricut Dial to Light Cardstock
- This will cut your stickers, but if your blade is a bit dull, it may not cut all the way through.
You may need to play around with your machine to see which setting works best with your machine, as you may have different results.
What is the max print then cut area with Cricut?
It is important to note that depending on the layout of your sticker arrangements, you may be outside of the print then cut area. The max print then cut size on an 8.5″ by 11″ sheet is 6.75″ x 9.25″.
If you manually arrange your stickers on the cutting mat, you can maximize the use of your sticker paper.
Tips for making stickers
If you are designing your own stickers, I recommend having an offset or a shape outline behind the sticker design. Any small loose parts around the edges of the sticker, or holes in the middle of the stickers can make your stickers rip easier.
What cutting mat to use for stickers?
When making stickers, I used both my green and blue cutting mats.
I use my green mats for most projects, so they are not as sticky anymore. However, if you are starting off with a new green mat, you may have challenges getting the stickers to peel off.
A fresh blue mat works well with sticker paper.
Did you enjoy this tutorial on how to make Inspirational quote stickers with Cricut?
Did you enjoy this tutorial on how to make inspirational quote stickers with Cricut? Let me know in the comments below! Did you try this craft? Let me know how it turned out!
If you enjoyed this craft, check out my paper crafts here.
If you liked making stickers with me, check out some of my other sticker tutorials listed below:
