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.

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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

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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.

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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:

1. Select your design → click Offset.

2. Choose 0.05–0.12 inches for most stickers.

3. 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

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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:

1. Place the sticker sheet in the top-left corner.

2. Smooth with hands.

3. Roll over with a brayer for perfect adhesion.

This prevents paper shifting during drawing.

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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

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STEP 4: Draw the Designs

Click Make It.

Cricut will:

1. Draw all pen layers

2. Prompt you to switch pens (if needed)

3. 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)

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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

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OPTIONAL: Make Your Pen-Made Stickers Waterproof

If you're using waterproof vinyl:

1. Let the pen ink fully dry.

2. Apply a clear laminate sheet:

   • Peel 1 inch of the backing

   • Align at the top

   • Slowly roll down while smoothing to avoid bubbles

3. Burnish lightly

This protects pen ink from:

• Water

• Smears

• Sunlight fading

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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.

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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

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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

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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.