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It's not always easy to find the exact bullet journal stickers you have in mind when purchasing them at a local store or online. So the next best thing to do would be to either get ones that kind of look the same but it might not be very satisfying, or make them yourself which can a really fun task to indulge in for a crafter!
So in this post, I will be showing you how you can make your own bullet journal stickers from scratch.
What you'll need:
Paper
Any coloring medium
Clear self-adhesive sheet
Step 1
Draw the stickers or simply get a printout of the pictures you want. I found a really cute set of cactus pots online and traced them onto a sheet of paper. Note the border I've drawn around the stickers; it will be acting as a guideline for when cutting the stickers out.
Next, I decided to outline it with black felt to give it a more solid effect. And, yes it did the job as expected. Then, I filled it in using metallic color pencils. Rant session coming up!
No, you don't have to use metallic color pencils. In fact, neither did I want to. But I had no choice. I didn't have color pencils at home (or any other coloring medium for that matter, except for colored pens which is a terrible option for this) so I asked a local store for a pack of 12 colors to be delivered to my house since we can't go out during lock-down. The store got the order wrong and sent me a pack of 6 Metallic color pencils instead. Sigh, I was really disappointed but then decided I wasn't going to complain considering the trying times. Yeah, yeah, I'm ranting in here but that doesn't count. Plus I didn't want to tell my mom about it and make a big deal cuz: South Asian mom. Love my mom but, honestly, she's a monster when it comes to dealing with local stores and "corruption".
Anyhow, it doesn't look too bad, does it? I guess the metallic colors gave it a more rustic look with a dusty desert vibe. Want to try metallic colors? Here you go:
Step 2
Add a layer of clear self-adhesive sheet over it. This will make your stickers look smooth and glossy; more like a real sticker. If you want to skip this step that's fine as well. And as per usual, I forgot to snap a picture of it after adding the glossy sticker so let's quickly move onto the final step!
Step 3
Cut out the stickers. Make sure you use a fine pointed scissor for this since cutting into the crooks can be a little tricky.
You can now stick them onto your journal using glue or double sided tape.
A Few Tips
The stickers would come out sturdier if you use paper with a greater thickness. Card stock paper would be perfect for pop-up style stickers.
If you don't have clear adhesive paper, you can use thick-banded sellotape instead.
Avoid using glue if you've used felt pens to color since it can make the ink bleed, resulting in blotchy-looking stickers.
Have fun!
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