How to make
your own custom lick-and-stick stickers - Corn Syrup Method.
Method
#1 (Corn Syrup Method)
Sticker Sticky Stuff Ingredients:
1 packet (1/4 oz.) unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
1 T. cold water
3 T. boiling water
1/2 t. white corn syrup
1/2 t. flavor extract of your choice *
Directions:
After you have gathered all of the pictures that you want to make into stickers, and carefully trimmed around the image, it’s time to make the solution that will be used to transform the pictures into stickers. Since the solution “sets” fairly quickly make sure that all of the images are gathered before beginning the process of mixing the solution:
1. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin into cold water. Put aside until soft.
2. Pour softened gelatin into 1/2 cup boiling water and stir until completely dissolved.
3. Add corn syrup and extract. Mix thoroughly.
4. Brush mixture thinly onto the back of picture that you want to turn into a sticker. Paper may curl but will straighten when the sticker is applied!
5. Let stickers dry, sticky side up, on a piece of aluminum foil.
6. After sticker are dry, you just moisten to activate the glue and apply as stickers! Makes 4 ounces.
If you store the gum mixture (the sticky stuff), in a pill bottle or other airtight container, it will keep several months. It will gel, but to return to a liquid, just put the container in a bowl of hot water. Warm an hour before use.Similarly, if glue should harden while brushing on, place sealed container holding glue in a large pan of hot water and let glue soften.
*
You can make this fun by alternating the kind of extract you use....try lemon, orange, strawberry, or rootbeer for variation. But be careful, you might catch the kids licking all the sticky stuff off trying to find the flavor they like best. Another idea is to vary the extract flavoring by the subject of the stickers...use coconut for a tropical theme or peppermint for the Christmas holidays.
Tips for Finding Images:
The first step in this project is to choose the images that the children would like to make into stickers. But don’t worry, there are oodles of sources of interesting and fun pictures such as:
Old magazines – Set the kids up with a big pile of old magazines that they can use to find pictures of things that interest them. Encourage kids to look for letters in magazines or newspapers and then find a picture of an object that starts with each letter.
Old catalogs – A great source for fun pictures of familiar characters that are appealing to kids is old catalogs, such as the Disney Store catalog.
The Web – Pictures of favorite animated friends can also be found on the Internet. A parent or older sibling can print out pictures or characters or objects and then let younger kids add the coloring.
Create their own – Kids can also draw their own pictures on plain paper and color them with crayons or markers.
Old photos – If you have extra copies of photos that are no longer needed. Kids can cut out the important people or places from the photos and make stickers from these.
Storybooks – If your child has a favorite storybook, make color photocopies of some of the illustrations and let the child cut out the parts he likes best.
Greeting cards – Old greeting cards from birthdays or holidays often have cute images that appeal to little ones.
