Best Sticker Ideas for 2021: What to Design and What to Get

Whether you want to make cute, custom stickers for yourself or start a sticker webshop, here are some amazing design ideas to consider.

Stickers are fun, versatile, and everywhere: from water bottles to car bumper stickers. So how do you find the best sticker ideas? What type of stickers can you create? How to successfully market your own sticker decals?

Well, stick around because we’re about to answer all these questions with the best sticker ideas for 2021!

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Where to find sticker design ideas

A quick Google search will give you plenty of food for thought, but if you’re looking for something a little more specific, I suggest you check out some of the best print-on-demand websites or specialized marketplaces like Etsy and StickerYou.

If you’re looking to cater to a niche market, make sure you check out places like Tumblr and Reddit. They will help you find out what your target audience is looking for and what the current trends are.

What kind of stickers can you design

It goes without saying that the possibilities are practically endless, but here are some of the most popular types of stickers you can get for yourself or successfully market online.

Water bottle stickers

Sustainability isn’t just a good idea, it’s also a big trend right now. More and more people are trying to reduce toxic waste, so reusable water bottles are the best way to stay hydrated during hot summer months.

Just like your phone, this is something you’ll be carrying around with you at all times, so people love to personalize water bottles with custom stickers. These should be durable, waterproof vinyl stickers. They usually come in a smaller size so that you can appreciate the full picture without having to turn the bottle around.

When it comes to themes, there are no rules here. Tropical images and cute animals are definitely long-term favorite design inspiration, and always a good choice.

Etsy

Pinterest

Glass Giant

Durable vinyl stickers with strong adhesion are also great to put on motorcycles and helmets: whether you go for a classic biker esthetic or something super girly and feminine to match your new Vespa. Or again, something bold and funny like this example, that moms wouldn’t approve of.  

Hider House

Mafraq Enterprises

Pinterest.ru

Amazon

Laptop and phone case stickers

The ideal type of stickers for this use are kiss-cut stickers, which are very similar to die-cut (stickers cut to exact shape instead of being on a background). The slight difference is that kiss-cut has a lighter touch and is easier to peel off, making them a great product for laptops and phone cases (you can’t exactly scrub off sticky residue once you decide to remove stickers).

People love adding custom stickers to make their indispensable technology a little more personalized. Pop culture is a favorite design inspiration for this type of sticker packs, especially: emojis and logos from big brands.

With laptops, you can get even more creative and design big laptop decals (or skins) to give a dramatic and completely custom look, like this laptop sticker for all hardcore Batman fans. Of course, for a larger sticker like this the image has to be in high resolution.

Car stickers

Car and bumper stickers have been around for a long time and aren’t waning in popularity. You’ll often find them sporting political or activist messages, funny quotes, and one-liners, or even baby-on-board signage.

Since they are often text-heavy, you can consider making yours a little more special with custom typography (although make sure your punchline is legible). Sticking to solid colors is probably better if you want to get a certain message across, as elaborate shading might not be visible in direct sunlight.

Wall stickers

Not only do they look cool, but wall decals are also an easy and inexpensive way to decorate any room. They’re super popular with children’s and teen rooms, so pop culture is a great way to go when it comes to design.

Signage is another trendy sticker, just remember that “live, laugh, love” has plenty of alternatives. Use typography that’s appropriate and makes sense for the space—frilly, cursive fonts might be suitable for your kid’s room but perhaps not so much for a serious real estate business.  

Finally, wall decals are a great way to make your interior design stand out. There are plenty of amazing original designs online or, if you want something a little more custom, check out your favorite independent artists on social media and see if they’d be interested in creating something just for you.

Small business stickers

It’s quite clear by now that people love stickers! As a business owner, you can really tap into that by using custom stickers to increase brand awareness.

Producing t-shirts or hats can be costly, but printing sticker pages in bulk is cheap and makes a great freebie to delight your customers, perhaps giving them away at a trade show booth. Use your own logo design, especially if you’ve got a fun mascot that people associate your brand with.

High-quality stickers can also help you create inexpensive merch. Place them on blank business cards or shopping bags to create a cute message for your customers or even add them as a gift to purchases. Personalize stickers with your logo and brand colors in order to build better brand recognition.

Best places to sell custom stickers

Finding the best place to sell your custom decal will depend on how much time and money you’re willing to invest in marketing, promoting, building a customer base, etc. Some of these options are more direct but with fewer customization options, while others allow you to set up impressive online stickers shops.

Here are just a few great websites to set up your sticker store:

• Etsy
• Redbubble
• StickerYou
• Shopify
• Threadless
• Printify

Discussion forums and social media are also good places to build some buzz around your store and eventually start attracting new customers through word of mouth.

We hope this list gives you some great sticker inspiration in terms of design and the many uses of decorative custom stickers.

If you need some help with design, our team of professional graphic designers is always ready to help. Get your money back after 14 days if you’re not happy or stick around for more great designs!