If you make stickers or use self-adhesive laminate, don’t throw away those backing sheets! Sticker and laminate backing sheets can be reused to make a handy reusable sticker sheet for your journal, planner, scrapbook, or binder. So let’s get started!
How to Make a Reusable Sticker Sheet from Sticker and Laminate Backing Sheets
I’ve accumulated quite a few backing sheets lately while making my notebook projects. Instead of throwing them away, I’ve been finding ways to reuse them in my journals.
For this project, I turned one of those leftover backing sheets into a reusable sticker page with a built-in side pocket. The slick surface is perfect for holding stickers until I’m ready to use them, and the pocket gives me a place to store loose stickers, smaller sticker sheets, paper pieces, and other little journaling supplies.
It’s a quick project, and I love that something I would normally throw away becomes something cute and useful!
Save Those Sticker and Laminate Backing Sheets
If you’ve been following along lately, you know I’ve been making quite a few notebook covers.
I use self-adhesive laminate over my printed designs, so every notebook leaves me with a laminate backing sheet. I also end up with similar backing sheets whenever I use sticker materials.
Rather than tossing them, I started saving them. Since stickers can be placed on the slick surface and peeled back off when you’re ready to use them, the sheets are perfect for reusable sticker storage. I added mine to a handmade three-ring journal, but you can easily customize this project for a planner, scrapbook, junk journal, binder, or another type of journal.
If the notebook covers caught your eye, I’ll share my notebook tutorial and available designs below too.
Supplies for a Reusable Sticker Sheet
- Sticker or self-adhesive laminate backing sheets
- Scrapbook paper
- Adhesive
- Paper trimmer
- Circle punch
- Crop-A-Dile or hole punch
- Pencil
- Stickers
- Journal, planner, or binder
I also used reinforcement circles that I made with my Cricut. These are optional, but I use them throughout this journal to help reinforce the punched holes.
How to Make a Reusable Sticker Sheet with a Side Pocket
Step 1: Trim the Backing Sheet
Start by determining the finished size you need for your journal.
I already had a template that I used when I created the other pages for my journal, so I used that to size my sticker page.
If you don’t have a template, simply measure an existing page in your journal or binder.
Just remember to account for the pocket before you trim. We’re going to fold the right side of the backing sheet inward to create the pocket, so you’ll need to leave enough extra width on that side.
Step 2: Fold the Right Side to Create a Pocket
Fold the extra portion on the right side of the backing sheet inward.
That simple fold creates a built-in side pocket where you can keep smaller sticker sheets, die-cut stickers, paper pieces, journaling embellishments, or any of those little details you want to keep together.
Don’t glue the pocket closed just yet. We’re going to finish the back of the page first.
Step 3: Cover the Back with Scrapbook Paper
The backing sheets work perfectly for storing stickers, but the manufacturer’s branding printed on the back isn’t particularly pretty.
That’s where the scrapbook paper comes in.
Trim a piece of scrapbook paper to fit the back of your page and adhere it directly to the backing sheet.
The scrapbook paper hides the branding, makes the finished page a little sturdier, and gives you another opportunity to coordinate the page with your journal.
It’s also a great way to use some of that scrapbook paper you already have in your craft room!
Step 4: Punch a Finger Notch
Next, use a circle punch along the open edge of the folded pocket.
You only need to punch away part of the circle to create a small finger notch. This makes it much easier to reach inside the pocket when you want to grab one of your loose stickers or paper pieces.
Step 5: Secure the Side Pocket
Add adhesive along the edges that need to stay closed.
Be sure to leave the inside edge open so you can slide your stickers and other supplies into the pocket.
Once the adhesive is secure, you have a storage pocket built right into your reusable sticker sheet.
Step 6: Punch the Holes
Since I’m adding this page to my three-ring journal, I used my existing page template to mark exactly where I needed to punch my holes.
Then I used my Crop-A-Dile to punch them.
If you’re making your sticker sheet for a different journal, planner, or binder, simply adjust the hole placement to fit yours.
I also added a few reinforcement circles that I previously made with my Cricut. I use these throughout my journal, and they help keep the holes from tearing as I flip through the pages.
Step 7: Add Your Stickers
Now for the fun part!
Place your stickers directly onto the backing sheet.
Because we’re reusing the backing material from stickers or self-adhesive laminate, stickers can be placed on the surface and peeled back off when you’re ready to use them.
You can arrange larger stickers directly on the page and tuck smaller sticker sheets, loose die cuts, paper pieces, and other embellishments inside the side pocket.
Everything stays together and is easy to find when you’re working in your journal.
Turn Crafting Leftovers Into Something Useful
Instead of throwing away my sticker and laminate backing sheets, I now have a reusable sticker sheet, a storage pocket, and another decorative page for my journal.
That’s the kind of upcycle I really like. I’m not saving something just because I might find a use for it someday. I’m taking something that would normally go straight into the trash and turning it into something I’ll actually use.
And it looks cute in my journal too!
So the next time you’re making stickers or peeling the backing from a sheet of self-adhesive laminate, set that backing sheet aside. Once you start saving them, you may find plenty of other ways to put them to work.
Watch the Reusable Sticker Sheet Video
Want to see exactly how I made mine? Watch the quick video tutorial to see how I turn a leftover backing sheet into a reusable sticker page with a side storage pocket.
Check Out My Notebook Projects
The laminate backing sheets I used for this project were left over from making my recent notebook covers.
If you haven’t seen those projects yet, check out my DIY Clear Acetate Notebook Cover tutorial and my coordinating notebook designs.
Save those backing sheets and put them to work!
Happy Crafting!
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