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It was a few years ago now that I rekindled my love for getting creative.
At school, I loved art and making things from paper crafts to cross-stitch and knitting to artwork. Then, over the years, I let that creative side, well, slide.
When I got back into planning, in around 2014, this came back up for me.
I discovered the magic of using planner stickers to decorate my planner which was just that – MAGIC!
Every part of the process from choosing a sticker theme for my week to peeling up stickers from a sheet to arranging them just so on my planner pages unlocked the creativity that I’d almost forgotten about. Plus, it turned into a big part of my weekly self-care routine too.
Who would have thought that using simple stickers would be therapy? Well, it was and still is!
The art of…art…in all forms, is self-care for many. Using planner stickers is that for me.
Soon after, I decided that learning to make my own planner stickers was the next step. I went about consuming ALL the online tutorials, buying my own Silhouette Portrait and a pack of sticker paper.
Related: Essential Tools To Make Planner Stickers + Free Guide
Making stickers didn’t happen overnight…
It took some time to really nail learning to make the stickers. The online tutorials, while are useful to a point, were SO long. Plus, many used outdated versions of my software and were full of unnecessary info instead of just getting to the point of what I wanted to learn.
I joined a few Facebook groups and the girls were SO helpful while I was finding my feet and really generous with their knowledge and experience.
Then, I had to leave my job. I was diagnosed with cancer at around the time I started using stickers and all of a sudden I was at home more, feeling helpless and lost with no income.
Opening my Planner Sticker shop
After I became confident in making my own stickers, and I knew the quality was really good, I took the leap into opening my own Etsy Shop, now called Paper Planner Club (CLICK HERE).
Gradually, I added to my planner sticker range and the sales came in over time. I LOVED making beautiful stickers for customers all around the world and built lovely friendships with many customers too!
One thing I was complimented on a LOT was the quality of my stickers and my customer service. These are two things I take really seriously.
I wanted customers to love my stickers as much as I do – and I know first hand how excited you feel when your happy mail arrives!
I also know how upsetting it is when you use your stickers and find that the cutting is ‘off’ or they tear because the paper quality isn’t good.
Even if a sticker sheet only cost me $2, I still expect a good quality product – and I took this to heart when making and selling my own stickers.
My range grew…then pivoted entirely
Over time, I added more into my range such as printable planners and wall art. Then, I made the leap into selling only printable versions of my stickers and planners.
As much as I loved printing and cutting stickers for myself, I wanted to continue to make money from home but in a more passive way.
The great bonus of selling printables is that you make the product once, list it on Etsy or in your shop and then can make sales on it forever with little effort and expense.
I also started selling my printables on this website and on another platform too – three bites of the cherry!
Related: FREE CLASS: Creating Stickers That Sell
Related: Selling Printables on Etsy – the Easy Way
There’s one BIG step I’ve missed in this story
Learning to make printable planners and stickers, and then starting my Planner Shop, didn’t happen overnight.
Also, it wasn’t without a lot of time, some financial investment, plenty of mistakes and a few tears too!
There was a lot of trial and error, a LOT of competition online and many times when I would have been happier throwing my Silhouette machine out of the window.
However, I stuck it out, got ‘creative’ with standing out online and made it work. (and did I mention how amazingly supportive the planner community is??)
As time moved on, I started to get a lot of weekly questions from customers, friends and new shop owners asking me how I was making my stickers, what sticker paper I was using, how to use Silhouette and Cricut and so many more.
You can buy a Silhouette online here in Australia, here in the US and here in the UK.
You can buy a Cricut online here. You can also buy a Cricut on Amazon here in Australia, here in the US and here in the UK.
It dawned on me that I had valuable knowledge to share – and I could really help people to do the same as I did in making stickers at home.
So, I launched into teaching!
I put together an online course that was a step-by-step guide to EVERYTHING I knew about making planner stickers.
It includes tutorials and lessons that will help even the newbie-est of newbies – with more advanced lessons as they progress in their sticker-making journey.
I have years of experience in training and coaching and rekindled my love for teaching by helping others! PLUS, it’s a brand new way for me to get creative in all of the ways I can help other people learn too.
The feedback on my course has been incredible – and the emails, comments and messages I receive every day blows me away.
I mean, I’m confident in knowing that my course is good – because I STILL have that huge focus on Quality and Customer Service. But even so, I still get the biggest buzz when my beautiful students send messages or say things like this:
I didn’t ever feel like I had a hobby
For years, when people asked what my hobbies were, I would go cold. “Um, reading?” I would almost ask them. “Shopping? Socialising?”. And I love those things, but I wouldn’t have called them a true hobby.
Now, when someone asks me I proudly shout “PLANNER STICKERS!”. Using my planner, designing stickers, printing and cutting, selling and teaching – it’s all my hobby and it warms my heart.
Planner stickers change lives
I’ve come on a real journey when it comes to stickers.
For a while, it was my little hobby that no-one else ‘got’. You get me though right? You have to actually SHOW people your planner, or give them their own planner and stickers for them to really understand the magic of it all.
Then, as time went on it became a way to help pay our bills when times were tough. And wow – without that income, during chemo, we would have struggled.
Now – making, selling and teaching all things about planner stickers LIGHTS ME UP.
I LOVE IT.
I love getting up every day to play, create and teach. I LOVE my community of students and I love to help them keep progressing.
They are doing AMAZING things and wow, I can’t wait to show you their creations soon too!
How can YOU make your own stickers?
Well, it’s way easier than you’d think! All you need is a computer, sticker paper and a way of cutting your stickers.
I like to use a Silhouette or Cricut to cut mine – but many of my students use good ‘ole scissors to cut theirs!
I’m guessing you already have a computer and your local craft shop or Amazon has a wealth of sticker paper.
So, what’s stopping you?
I will help you
If you would like to learn from me – I would LOVE to teach you. I teach from my heart and I would love to guide you to make (and even sell!) your own planner stickers.
CLICK HERE AND START MAKING PLANNER STICKERS RIGHT NOW :)
And feel free to reach out with any questions by clicking here to email me.
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I hope my story of making planner stickers has inspired you!
