Launching My Art Shop: Making Real Stickers & Full Cost Breakdown!
Welcome back to Coco’s Creations! Today is a huge day because I am finally launching my own art shop! I’ve been working behind the scenes to turn my artwork into real, tangible stickers and art prints, and in this post, I am taking you along for the entire ride.
From sourcing the best manufacturers to a minor payment processing disaster—and finally, a completely transparent breakdown of every dollar I spent—here is exactly how I brought my shop to life!
Sourcing the Stickers: Sticker App vs. Sticker Mule
Before ordering hundreds of stickers, I wanted to test the quality. I ordered a $2 sample pack from Sticker App and a $10 custom sample from Sticker Mule. It was so surreal seeing my characters, Bernard and Benny, on a real sticker for the first time!
Comparing the two, Sticker Mule was much more matte, while Sticker App had the glossy finish I was looking for. One thing I didn’t love? My final bulk stickers didn’t have a slice on the back to make peeling easy. To fix this, I bought a tiny sticker slicer tool, sat on the floor, and manually sliced the back of every single sticker myself. It took some practice (and a few ruined stickers!), but making them easy to peel for you guys was 100% worth it.
(Note: My “Be Your Own Rainbow” stickers had some visibility issues with the yellow text, so those will be up in the shop as discounted B-grades!)
Prints & Happy Mail!
I originally wanted to use a local print shop, but the quotes I got were just way outside my budget. I ended up going with Print Keg for my art prints, and I am absolutely blown away by the quality! The colors pop beautifully, and it is so surreal knowing my artwork will be hanging on someone’s wall.
I also got to unbox some happy mail from Ashley Monaet’s summer launch. I snagged her Gwenny print, some adorable kitty jars, and of course, a holographic lava lamp sticker. If you know me, you know I can never resist her lava lamps!
Packing My Very First Orders
A massive shoutout to my biggest supporters: Mom, Granny, and Dad! They were my very first orders.
I had the best time putting together their packages, which included the Food Sticker Bundle (featuring the Matcha Girly and Dragon Fruit Cat!), the “Stay Weird” Eliza stickers, and lots of fun freebies. To make sure the prints and stickers didn’t get bent in the mail, I added sturdy cardboard backers.
Shipping stickers cheaply means staying under a 1 oz weight limit for a standard envelope. I held my breath as I placed that first packed envelope on the scale… and it came out to exactly 0.99 oz! Perfection.
The Payment Processor Disaster
Right after that high of packing my first orders, I woke up the next morning to an incredibly frustrating email. Stripe had completely closed my account and refunded my family’s payments!
Thankfully, it was just my family’s orders and not a massive launch day disaster. I quickly pivoted and switched my payment processor over to Square, which has given me zero problems since.
While I was handling the business side of things, I decided to make it official. I got my free EIN and officially filed an assumed business name form for my sole proprietorship here in North Carolina for $26! I’m keeping things simple for now—no need to spend a ton of money before I even make any.
The Full Cost Breakdown
Speaking of money, let’s talk about the exact cost of launching this shop. I want to be completely transparent in case any of you are looking to start your own small business!
- Envelopes: $0 (Already had them!)
- Scanner: $30 (Facebook Marketplace)
- Cellophane Bags: $4 (For 100 on Amazon)
- Sticker Cutter Tool: $6 (Walmart)
- Cardboard Inserts: $12 (For 100)
- Bulk Stickers: $223 (Includes tax & shipping)
- Art Prints: $36 (Print Keg)
- Samples: $12 ($10 Sticker Mule + $2 Sticker App)
- Assumed Business Name Form (NC): $26
- TOTAL SPENT: $349
Yes, that is a decent chunk of money, but I am so happy to take this risk on my art. I ordered the lowest quantities possible to start, and I love these stickers so much that I won’t even be mad if I have a bunch of extras!
If you want to support the channel or just snag some cute art, everything is officially live on my website!
