The world of stickers has exploded in recent years. What was once seen as a novelty item for kids has evolved into a thriving market driven by artists, entrepreneurs, and niche-loving communities. Whether it’s a minimalist quote decal for a water bottle, a pop culture reference for a laptop case, or an entire sticker sheet made for journaling — there’s a customer out there for almost every type of sticker you can imagine.
And the best part? Starting a sticker business is one of the most affordable and fun ways to dip your toes into ecommerce. With relatively low startup costs, a creative twist, and a little marketing know-how, you can build a profitable brand from your bedroom.
If you’re wondering how to sell stickers online — and actually make money doing it — this guide will walk you through the entire process.
Start With a Niche and a Vision
Before you fire up your design software, it’s essential to have a clear idea of who your stickers are for. The most successful sticker brands don’t just create random designs — they serve a specific vibe, community, or lifestyle.
You might be drawn to aesthetic stickers that match popular design trends like “clean girl” or “cottagecore.” Or maybe you’re more into funny, meme-style decals that go viral. Journalers love productivity-themed sticker sheets. Pet parents adore breed-specific stickers that show off their furry friends.
Whatever you choose, commit to it. Building a recognizable style helps create consistency across your store and social content — and that makes it easier to build a fanbase.
Designing Stickers (Even If You’re Not an Artist)
Don’t panic if you’re not a trained designer. Many successful sticker shop owners start with beginner tools like Canva or Procreate and learn as they go. Your focus should be on clarity, originality, and print quality.
A typical sticker is printed at 300 DPI (dots per inch) and saved as a PNG with a transparent background. This ensures that the design comes out crisp and professional-looking once printed or uploaded to a print-on-demand service.
If you’re going the DIY route, your files will also need a “bleed” margin — a bit of extra space around the design to make sure nothing gets accidentally cut off. If you’re using a POD platform, they’ll often generate previews and give you specific file requirements.
Not sure what to design? Start by creating a small collection. Pick a theme — like “mental health reminders,” “study motivation,” or “plant mom humor” — and build a 5–10 piece sticker set around it. Cohesive collections tend to perform better than one-off designs.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Sticker Business?
One of the best parts of launching a sticker brand is the low overhead. Compared to other types of product businesses, you won’t need a warehouse, tons of inventory, or even a huge marketing budget.
If you’re printing your own stickers, expect to invest in a decent inkjet printer (around $100–$200), a cutting machine like the Cricut Explore or Silhouette Cameo ($150–$300), and quality sticker paper. Ink and supplies will cost extra over time, but your per-sticker cost will drop as you scale.
Here’s a rough estimate of startup costs for DIY printing:
- Printer: $100–$200
- Cutting Machine: $150–$300
- Sticker Paper (100 sheets): $20–$40
- Ink Refills: $20–$50
- Packaging Supplies: $30–$50
- Design Software (Optional): Free to $20/month
- Etsy Fees: $0.20 per listing + ~6.5% transaction fee
Total estimated startup cost: $250–$500
If you prefer to avoid handling physical inventory, using print-on-demand services like Printify, Redbubble, or Gelato can let you launch with almost no upfront costs. You upload designs, they handle the printing, shipping, and customer service. The trade-off is a slightly lower profit margin — but for beginners, it’s often worth it.
Printing: DIY or Print-On-Demand?
Choosing how you’ll actually produce your stickers is one of the biggest decisions early on. Do you want hands-on control and higher margins? Or ease and automation?
If you’re printing at home, you’ll need to source quality materials and invest time in perfecting your workflow. You’ll also be responsible for cutting, packaging, and shipping each order. It’s more work — but many sellers love this aspect of the business and see it as part of the brand experience.
On the flip side, print-on-demand (POD) lets you focus solely on design and marketing. The fulfillment is handled by a third party. While your profit per sale may be smaller, you’ll have more time and energy to grow your audience, test new designs, and scale up.
Many sellers start with POD to test the waters, then transition into DIY printing as they build confidence and revenue.
Pricing Your Stickers for Profit
Pricing might seem simple at first — but it’s where many beginners get stuck.
You want to be affordable, but not so cheap that you’re undervaluing your time and talent. At the same time, you need to make sure each sale covers your materials, labor, fees, and packaging — and leaves you with profit.
Here’s a simplified formula to help you set your pricing:
(Cost of Materials + Packaging + Platform Fees + Time Spent) x 2–3 = Retail Price
Let’s say you make a 3-inch sticker that costs $0.40 to produce and package. Etsy takes 6.5%, so you factor that in too. You decide to charge $3.50 — that gives you enough margin to reinvest and scale.
As your store grows, bundles and sticker packs can help boost your average order value. Many successful sellers group 3–6 themed designs and charge $8–$15 per pack.
Where to Sell Your Stickers
Your main choices are Etsy, Shopify, and POD marketplaces.
Etsy is often the best place to start. It has built-in traffic, a huge audience looking specifically for handmade and creative products, and relatively low upfront costs. You can be up and running in a day or two.
Shopify is ideal for sellers who want to build a standalone brand, own their customer data, and scale into a full ecommerce business. It’s more work to drive your own traffic — but it also offers more control and potential for growth.
Print-on-demand marketplaces like Redbubble, TeePublic, or Zazzle allow you to upload your designs and let the platform handle everything. These platforms are extremely beginner-friendly, though the competition is higher and branding is limited.
Marketing Your Sticker Shop
You don’t need a massive ad budget to sell stickers — but you do need some kind of audience-building strategy.
Instagram and TikTok are both great platforms for this. People love to watch “pack an order with me” videos, time-lapse design sessions, or creative unboxings. You don’t need to go viral overnight — just focus on posting consistently and telling your story.
Pinterest is another underrated tool. Because it’s a visual search engine, your pins can bring in traffic for months — especially if you’re selling cute, aesthetic, or niche-themed stickers that align with popular search terms.
Email is also valuable — even if you only collect 10–20 subscribers at first. Offering a small discount for new sign-ups is a great way to start building your list.
Customer Experience is Everything
Once the orders start rolling in, focus on making each one feel special. Packaging matters — even if it’s simple. A branded sticker, handwritten thank-you note, or small freebie goes a long way toward creating memorable moments that lead to reviews and repeat sales.
Ship on time. Communicate clearly. And don’t hesitate to ask happy customers to leave a review. Social proof builds credibility and can make the difference between a browser and a buyer.
Sticker Business Success Story: TurtleTags
If you need real-world proof that sticker shops can grow into full-time businesses, look no further than TurtleTags.
What began as a small Etsy sticker shop has now grown into a brand, with its own Shopify store, a loyal customer base, and a thriving YouTube channel. The creator behind TurtleTags shares behind-the-scenes insights that have helped create a strong brand — and turn passive viewers into active buyers.
I strongly recommend checking them out as a great example of what can be done.
Final Thoughts
Selling stickers online is more than just printing pretty designs — it’s about building something that people connect with. Whether it’s funny, cute, inspirational, or personal, great stickers tell a story. And when you combine that creativity with strategy, smart pricing, and a little hustle, you have everything you need to start a business you’ll actually enjoy running.
So grab your sketchbook — or your iPad — and start designing. That first sale is closer than you think.