Beginner’s Guide to Kiss-Cut Bat Stickers
In this beginner-friendly Cricut tutorial, I’ll show you how to turn several cute stitched-bat PNG designs into a complete Halloween sticker sheet.
We will use Cricut Print Then Cut to print the colourful artwork with a home printer before the Cricut cuts around every character.
This project is perfect for planners, journals, scrapbooking, Halloween cards, treat bags and small-business packaging.
Want to use the same characters?
Find the WiccatDesigns stitched-bat collection here: Stitched bat collection
What Is a Kiss-Cut Sticker Sheet?
A kiss cut goes through the printable sticker layer without cutting through the backing paper.
This allows you to peel off every stitched bat individually while the complete sticker sheet stays together.
Inside the Create Sticker tool, make sure you select Kiss Cut, rather than Die Cut.
Before You Begin
This tutorial uses Cricut’s newer Create Sticker feature.
Create Sticker automatically:
- Makes your artwork printable
- Adds an optional sticker border
- Creates the sticker cut line
- Applies the correct kiss-cut or die-cut effect
You do not need to create a separate Offset, use Flatten or manually Attach the sticker layers.
Create Sticker is currently a Cricut Access feature. If you cannot see it, update Design Space and check that the correct Cricut machine is selected.
Materials
- Print Then Cut-compatible Cricut machine
- Cricut Design Space
- Cricut Access for the Create Sticker tool
- Inkjet printer
- Printable sticker paper or printable vinyl
- Stitched-bat PNG designs
- LightGrip cutting mat
- Fine-point blade
- Brayer or scraper
- Paper trimmer
- Clear self-adhesive laminate, optional
Make sure your printable sticker material is compatible with an inkjet printer. Cricut printable sticker materials should not be used with a laser printer.
Step 1: Prepare Cricut Design Space
Open Cricut Design Space and start a new project.
Check the machine menu at the top of the screen and select the Cricut machine you will use.
If you have not used Print Then Cut recently, consider completing a calibration before making your final sticker sheet.
You can find calibration under:
Menu → Settings → Machines → Machine Calibration
On mobile, open:
Menu → Settings → Print Then Cut Settings → Calibration
Calibration helps the Cricut cut accurately around the printed characters.
Step 2: Upload the Stitched-Bat Designs
Select Upload and choose your first stitched-bat PNG file.
Upload the artwork as a Flat Graphic or Print Then Cut image.
Add the design to your canvas and repeat the process for every character you want to include.
Transparent-background PNG files are ideal because the background has already been removed.
I am using several bats with different poses and Halloween accessories. This creates variety while keeping the complete sheet in the same cute drawing style.
Step 3: Resize the Stickers
Select your first bat and resize it.
I recommend making the main characters approximately five to seven centimetres tall. You can make them smaller if you want to fit more stickers onto the page.
Make sure the padlock is closed before entering a new size. This preserves the original proportions of the artwork.
Resize the remaining bats.
If you want more than one copy of the same design, duplicate it now. Design Space may disable the Duplicate option after Create Sticker has been applied.
Step 4: Apply the Create Sticker Effect
Select your first stitched-bat design.
In the desktop version of Design Space, choose Create Sticker from the top editing toolbar. Depending on your screen size or Design Space layout, it may appear under Effects or More.
On the mobile app, select:
Edit → Create Sticker
The Create Sticker panel will open.
Choose Kiss Cut.
Kiss Cut cuts through the printable sticker layer while leaving the backing paper intact.
Do not choose Die Cut for this project. Die Cut would cut through both the sticker material and the backing.
Step 5: Create the White Sticker Border
Inside the Create Sticker panel, turn on the Border option.
Choose white as your border colour.
Adjust the border size until you have approximately two to three millimetres of white space around the bat.
The border creates a clean sticker outline and helps the dark artwork stand out against planners, cards and packaging.
If you see the Cut Interior Shapes option, leave it turned off unless you deliberately want Cricut to cut holes from the open areas inside your artwork.
For example, turning it on could cut the centre from a doughnut or other enclosed shapes.
Step 6: Turn Off the Die Cut Edge
When Kiss Cut is selected, Design Space may show an additional Die Cut Edge option.
Leave Die Cut Edge turned off for this project.
Die Cut Edge cuts through the backing around an individual sticker so it can be handed out separately. We want all the bats to remain together on one complete backing sheet.
Select Apply when you are happy with the border and cut settings.
Create Sticker will automatically make the artwork printable and create the cut line. You do not need to use Offset or Flatten.
Repeat the process for every bat:
- Select one bat.
- Open Create Sticker.
- Choose Kiss Cut.
- Add a white border.
- Turn off Die Cut Edge.
- Select Apply.
Apply Create Sticker to each character separately so every bat receives its own peelable cut line.
Step 7: Arrange the Sticker Sheet
Arrange the finished stickers on the canvas.
Move the characters close together, but leave a small space between their white borders.
Rotate a few bats slightly to create a playful layout. Fill smaller spaces with matching hearts, stars, sweets, pumpkins or tiny bat silhouettes.
Remember that any decorative element you want to peel off must also have Create Sticker applied to it.
Keep every sticker inside the available Print Then Cut area.
Select Make when you are happy with the collection.
Design Space may optimise the position of the stickers on the preparation screen. Check the preview carefully and move the stickers if necessary, keeping them inside the printed sensor-mark area.
Do not mirror the artwork.
Step 8: Print the Sticker Page
Select Continue and then choose Send to Printer.
Choose your inkjet printer.
Use the print settings recommended by the manufacturer of your sticker paper. A high-quality or photo-quality setting will usually produce cleaner details and stronger colours.
If your sticker designs have borders, you can normally leave the default bleed setting on. If you decide not to use borders, Cricut recommends turning Bleed off.
Print the page and allow the ink to dry completely before touching or laminating it.
Step 9: Add Laminate—Optional
You can cover the printed area with clear self-adhesive laminate to make the stickers more durable and splash-resistant.
Cut the laminate so it covers the artwork without covering Cricut’s black Print Then Cut sensor marks.
Glossy laminate over the sensor marks can create reflections and make them difficult for the machine to read.
Apply the laminate slowly. Use a scraper to smooth it down and remove wrinkles or air bubbles.
Laminate can make ordinary paper stickers more durable, but it does not automatically make them completely waterproof.
Step 10: Select the Sticker Material
Return to Design Space and select Browse All Materials.
Open the Compatible tab and choose the setting that matches your specific printable sticker material.
For example, this could be:
- Printable Sticker Paper
- Printable Vinyl
- Waterproof Sticker Set
- Printable Clear Sticker Paper
If you have a Cricut Explore Air 2 or an older machine with a Smart Set Dial, turn the dial to Custom first.
For compatible sticker materials, Design Space may allow you to select More or Less pressure for both the kiss cut and die cut.
Start with the recommended setting for your material.
Step 11: Place the Printed Page on the Mat
Place the printed sticker page in the top-left corner of a LightGrip cutting mat.
The printed side must face upwards.
Use a brayer to press the page evenly onto the mat. Check that the sticker paper lies completely flat and that all the sensor marks are visible.
Load the mat into your Cricut.
Step 12: Cut the Kiss-Cut Stickers
Press the Go button.
Your Cricut will first scan the Print Then Cut sensor marks. It will then cut around the white border of every stitched-bat character.
When the machine has finished, unload the mat.
Test one sticker. The bat should peel away cleanly while the backing paper remains intact.
If the blade cuts through the complete backing, choose Less pressure for your next sheet.
If the sticker does not peel away cleanly, choose More pressure.
Sticker-paper thickness varies between brands, so you may need to adjust the pressure before making multiple copies.
Step 13: Finish the Sticker Sheet
Turn the cutting mat over.
Gently bend the mat away from the sticker paper instead of pulling the paper upwards. This helps prevent the finished sheet from curling.
Use a paper trimmer to create straight edges around the collection.
I am trimming my finished sheet to approximately 11.5 × 16 centimetres.
Your stitched-bat Halloween sticker sheet is complete!
Cricut Create Sticker Troubleshooting
I Cannot Find Create Sticker
Update Cricut Design Space and check that the correct machine is selected.
On desktop, Create Sticker appears in the editing toolbar and may be hidden under More or Effects on smaller screens.
On mobile, select Edit → Create Sticker.
Create Sticker currently requires Cricut Access.
Cricut Cuts Around the Complete Collection
Make sure Create Sticker was applied to each character separately.
Undo the sticker effect and repeat the process one bat at a time. Each character should have its own Kiss Cut setting and cut line.
Cricut Cannot Read the Sensor Marks
Make sure nothing is covering the black marks.
Avoid glare from glossy laminate and strong direct lighting. Check that the printed page is positioned correctly on the mat.
Complete a Print Then Cut calibration if the problem continues.
The Stickers Cut Through the Backing
Confirm that Kiss Cut is selected and Die Cut Edge is turned off.
Choose Less pressure on the material screen and test the setting again.
The Stickers Are Difficult to Peel
Choose More pressure and check that your fine-point blade is clean.
I Cannot Duplicate a Finished Sticker
Design Space may disable duplication after Create Sticker has been applied.
Duplicate the original artwork before using Create Sticker, or increase the number under Project Copies on the mat preview screen.
Do I Still Need Offset, Flatten or Attach?
No. The Create Sticker tool can add the border, automatically make the artwork printable and create the required sticker cut settings.
The older Offset-and-Flatten method is only needed if you are making stickers without the Create Sticker feature.
Ways to Use Your Halloween Stickers
Use the finished stitched bats for:
- Halloween planners
- Scrapbook pages
- Journals
- Greeting cards
- Treat bags
- Party invitations
- Gift packaging
- Happy mail
- Small-business packaging
Shop the stitched-bat designs used in this project:
stitched-bat designs
Watch the complete video tutorial here:
If you make this project, tag WiccatDesigns so I can see which stitched bats you chose.
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Happy crafting!