Penny is an artist who uses her creative side and imagination to express herself. She’s now using this opportunity with ASDNext to not only do that through art, but also blogging. For much of her life, she felt like the “quirky sidekick” stereotype in a movie, always doing what others expected of her. When she was diagnosed with autism later in life, that all began to change. This news was life changing and she knew it was time to rewrite her story. She’s no longer on the sidelines of this so-called movie that is her life, she’s the director, leading-lady, or whatever other part she needs to play to figure out who she REALLY is! Every small step toward authenticity is now a victory for her in this new stage of life.
View all postsMy 2025 Crafty Adventure: Discovering the Joy of Sticker Making
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Back in 2022, for Christmas, my parents gifted me a Cricut Maker 3, the latest cutting machine from Cricut at the time. The machine connects via a USB cable or wirelessly through Bluetooth, ready to work on projects created in Cricut Design Space, on both mobile and desktop. Vinyl is perfect for cutting out single colors. Individual colored sheets of vinyl can also be layered to create multicolor vinyl artwork. While exploring single-color vinyl artwork is endless fun, I planned to one day dabble in printable vinyl to design and produce my own stickers. Two years later, Mom and Dad gifted me some additional Cricut supplies, including the vinyl sticker paper I so desperately wanted to try out! Finally, I could commit to making my personal sticker dreams a reality.
Before diving into this new crafty practice, I faced a few hurdles. The first challenge was figuring out what I needed to get started. Thankfully, I already had a Cricut cutting machine and some printable sticker paper (thanks, Mom and Dad!). My research began with watching other artists share their processes on YouTube. Each creator had a different set of tools or experiences, which left me with more questions. Eventually, I opted to pay for an online course on sticker making, designed for Cricut DesignSpace users. Since I didn’t own a printer, I spent some additional money to buy one. Although all of this (the tools, the course, and the printer) felt quite costly, I had saved up some funds and was determined to see this venture through.
I started the course around October, using the clipart included in the class materials, and did my best to follow the lessons, video by video. At first, I found it quite frustrating to grasp the sticker-making process. I didn’t want to feel rushed, so I dedicated ample time to learning by using some unused vacation days from work and watching the videos, taking notes in a notebook as I watched at 25% slower playback speed to really lock in on learning the sticker-making process properly.
My first attempts with the “Print-Then-Cut” feature were miserable failures. I really enjoyed the artwork portion and completed the printing process multiple times. But once I attached the sticker paper to a cutting mat and placed it into my Cricut, what came out was less than a masterpiece. The videos from the course were EXTREMELY helpful. I could rewind to figure out where I went wrong. Sometimes, I missed a step. Other times, I needed to become more familiar with my machines, specifically the inkjet printer and the Cricut. Instead of throwing away less-than-perfect stickers from my experimental projects, I put them in a bucket to hand out to trick-or-treaters. Eventually, I got the hang of it.
The course suggested supplies were just okay (good enough for trick-or-treaters), but I wanted to ensure my stickers were durable and would last more than just Halloween night. To test their durability, I put some on my personal water bottle and ran it through a dishwashing cycle, only to find them beaten and broken afterward. Since I had a better understanding of the instructional portion of the process, I revisited some of the YouTubers I had followed earlier to survey the materials they ultimately chose. Many creators suggested investing in some laminate to preserve the vinyl’s details and keep it extra protected for everyday use and dishwashing. Another upgrade had to be unlocked, my very own laminating machine (cha-ching, another purchase made).
It’s been about a year since I started, and I’m pleased with the improvements I’ve made to my process during this time. I’ve managed to find brands of materials I can rely on and even made some additional upgrades for tools and materials (glitter stickers, anyone?). I have successfully uploaded, cut, and even sold my artwork as stickers right off my Cricut Maker and inkjet printer. I’ve made stickers for friends and a few small businesses in my area. I even designed my own packaging for stickers, which I can both print and cut at home, for a polished, branded look. Ultimately, I am glad that I persevered. The barrier to entry (especially financially) is relatively high. Time had to be set aside to learn, especially with my disability. I can’t say I grasp concepts and instructional steps the same way someone without autism might. My Cricut Maker is one of my favorite gifts, and sticker making remains my current special interest! In the end, this journey has helped me sharpen my creative skills and connect with others, sharing joy and creativity with each sticker I complete.
Penny
