How to Make Your Own Stickers With Cricut Pens and the Cricut Maker 4

How to Make Your Own Stickers with Cricut Pens and the Cricut Maker 4

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A detailed, practical guide for creating hand-drawn or pen-outlined stickers with your Cricut.

Using Cricut Pens to make stickers gives them a unique, handmade look that you cannot get from standard Print-Then-Cut. This method lets you design planner stickers, labels, gift tags, and pen-drawn artistic stickers with clean, professional cuts.

Below is the full, step-by-step process for designing, drawing, and cutting stickers using Cricut Pens.

SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED

Equipment

Cricut Maker 4
Cricut Pens (Fine Point or Extra Fine Point recommended)
StandardGrip or LightGrip mat
Fine-Point Blade

Materials

Sticker paper compatible with pen drawing
Waterproof matte printable vinyl (pens glide beautifully on this)
Matte sticker paper
Optional: Clear laminate sheets (for waterproofing)

Tools

Brayer (to secure sticker paper on mat)
Tweezers or scraper
Scissors

STEP 1: Design Your Stickers in Cricut Design Space

You can create three types of pen-made stickers:

1. Pen-Drawn Outline Stickers

Stickers where the Cricut draws all lines (illustrations, handwriting, icons).

2. Pen + Fill Coloring (Using Multiple Pens)

Add dimension by letting Cricut draw inner details or coloring elements.

3. Mixed Pen + Basic Shapes

Outline drawn by Cricut, filled shapes cut around it.

Design Setup Essentials

Inside Design Space:

A. Create your artwork

Use Draw-enabled images from Design Space
Upload line art you created
OR draw using the Pen setting in shapes, text, or patterns

B. Convert objects to “Draw”

Select any image or text → Operation: Pen.

This tells Cricut to draw instead of cut the lines.

C. Add an Offset (Sticker Border)

For that polished sticker look:

Select your design → click Offset.
Choose 0.05–0.12 inches for most stickers.
Set the offset layer to Basic Cut.

This creates the sticker's outer shape.

D. Attach Your Layers

VERY IMPORTANT:

Select everything (pen layers + offset layer) → Attach.

This ensures:

Cricut draws your artwork first
Then cuts the outline second
And everything stays in perfect position

STEP 2: Prepare and Place Your Sticker Paper on the Mat

Use:

LightGrip Mat for delicate sticker paper
StandardGrip Mat for thicker waterproof vinyl

To apply:

Place the sticker sheet in the top-left corner.
Smooth with hands.
Roll over with a brayer for perfect adhesion.

This prevents paper shifting during drawing.

STEP 3: Insert Your Cricut Pens

Open Clamp A on your Cricut Maker 4.

Tips for Pen Use:

Push the pen straight down until it clicks
Use fine point for detailed artwork
Change colors midway if your design uses multiple pen colors
Keep pens capped when not in use so they don’t dry out

STEP 4: Draw the Designs

Click Make It.

Cricut will:

Draw all pen layers
Prompt you to switch pens (if needed)
Then cut the offset outline

Pen Drawing Tips:

Choose “Fast Mode OFF” for better pen quality
Use smooth, matte sticker paper for crisp ink lines
Let the ink dry 1–2 minutes before cutting (especially on glossy paper)

STEP 5: Cut the Stickers

You can choose:

Kiss Cut (Sticker Sheet)

Cuts only the sticker shapes, backing stays intact.
Recommended setting:

Washi Sheet
or
Sticker Paper Removable

Die Cut (Individual Stickers)

Cuts all the way through the backing.
Recommended setting:

Cardstock 65 lb (for most papers)
or
Material → More Pressure

Tips for Perfect Cutting:

If the cuts don’t go all the way → increase pressure
If cuts go too deep → reduce pressure
Rotate the mat 180° and try again if cuts are uneven

OPTIONAL: Make Your Pen-Made Stickers Waterproof

If you're using waterproof vinyl:

Let the pen ink fully dry.
Apply a clear laminate sheet:
- Peel 1 inch of the backing
- Align at the top
- Slowly roll down while smoothing to avoid bubbles
Burnish lightly

This protects pen ink from:

Water
Smears
Sunlight fading

STEP 6: Remove Your Sticker Sheet from the Mat

Always peel the mat away from the paper, not the paper off the mat.
This keeps the sticker sheet flat and prevents curling.

STEP 7: Use or Package Your Stickers

These pen-made stickers are perfect for:

Planner sheets
Journaling
Calendar icons
Name labels
Doodle-style sticker packs
Classroom labels
Small-shop sticker sets

For selling:

Package in cellophane sleeves
Add a branded backing card
Include a thank-you sticker

TROUBLESHOOTING

Pen lines look shaky or uneven

Slow down to “Normal” speed
Ensure your paper is firmly brayered
Replace dull pens

Ink smears during cutting

Let ink dry longer
Switch to matte sticker paper
Turn off Fast Mode

Cut doesn’t match the drawing

Make sure EVERYTHING is “Attached”
Recalibrate your Maker 4 (rare but fixes alignment)

Pen isn’t writing

Test pen on scrap
Reinsert and listen for a click
Try a new fine-point tip

You Now Have Custom Hand-Drawn Stickers by Cricut!

This method is beloved because it creates stickers that look hand-drawn, personalized, and boutique-quality and are perfect for both personal use and selling.

The Incandescent Eye