Are printable stickers and fussy cuts the same thing?

Yes! Stickers and fussy cuts are essentially the same. The only difference is the paper you use. Print on sticker paper for 'peel and stick' or use cardstock and glue for traditional fussy cuts.

Can you print fussy cuts on vellum?

Yes! Printing on vellum creates a beautiful, translucent effect. For best results, use a 'Standard' print quality setting to avoid ink smearing and allow extra drying time.

How do you print on thin paper like book pages or tissue paper?

To print on thin paper, use washi tape to attach the thin paper to a standard piece of cardstock (a carrier sheet) before running it through the printer.

Junk Journaling With Printable Stickers or Fussy Cuts

Q: What is fussy cutting?

Fussy cutting is the act of meticulously trimming around a specific image or motif using scissors. The term originated in quilting where crafters would 'fuss' over cutting specific fabric patterns.

Colleen McCarthy
Jan 25
4 min read

Updated: Jan 30

Have you ever been scrolling through Pinterest or browsing a digital shop and wondered, "Wait, are those stickers or fussy cuts?"

When I first started junk journaling, the terminology was so confusing! If you’ve been puzzled by these terms, don't worry, you're not alone. Today, I’m breaking down the mystery and giving you a free Winter Themed Printable Sticker Set to help you get started.

The Big Secret: They're the Same Thing!

It turns out that stickers and fussy cuts are exactly the same thing. The only difference is the paper you choose to put in your printer.

For Stickers: Print your images onto full-sheet sticker paper. Either matte or glossy. Just cut, peel, and stick!
For Fussy Cuts: Print onto cardstock, copy paper, or specialty art paper. These are sort of manual stickers that you attach to your journal using your favorite glue or double-sided tape.

This article may contain affiliate links. This means that I might earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

What is Fussy Cutting? (A Fun History Lesson)

It sounds like a complicated technique, but fussy cutting simply means trimming around the edges of an image with scissors.

Fun Fact: The term actually comes from the world of quilting. Quilters usually work with standard patches of fabric, but sometimes they want to highlight a specific motif—like a single flower or a butterfly—from the center of a pattern.

They "fuss about" cutting around the tiny details to frame that one image. When scrapbooking and junk journaling took off, we adopted the term for our paper images, too.

A flat lay photograph of various printable winter-themed junk journal stickers and fussy cuts. The images include a hot cocoa bar, ice castles, polar bears, and woodland animals. These are shown printed on a variety of surfaces including white cardstock, translucent vellum paper, a manila file folder, and a piece of vintage faded sheet music. — One kit, so many textures! ❄️ Here's a peek at the **Winter Themed Sticker Pack** freebie printed on cardstock, vellum, manila folders, and even vintage sheet music.

Getting Creative With Your Printer

One of the best parts of using fussy cuts instead of store-bought stickers is that you can choose your own texture. Beyond standard cardstock, try experimenting with:

Vellum or Tracing Paper

Perfect for a frosted glass look (magical for the Ice Castle theme!).

Old Book Pages or Sheet Music

Adds instant vintage character to your images.

Kraft Paper or Envelopes

Gives your ephemera an earthy, recycled vibe.

Pro Tip: If your paper is too thin to go through the printer (like tissue paper or old book pages), use a bit of washi tape to attach it to a standard piece of cardstock first. This'll make it solid enough to make it through the printer.

Disclaimer: Be sure to check the user manual for your printer before you decide what papers to use in it!

8 Ways to Use Fussy Cuts in Your Junk Journal

Not sure what to do once you’ve finished cutting? Here are a few of my favorite ways to use these winter elements:

Focal Points Anchor your page with one large image.
Paper Clusters Layer fussy cuts over lace and fabric scraps to make clusters.
Grid Pages Arrange small stickers in a clean, organized mood board layout.
Tuck Spots Glue three sides down to create a tiny pocket for a secret note.
Page Tabs Fold a sturdy fussy cut over the edge of your page.
Envelope Seals Use a sticker to "close" a matching envelope.
Vellum Overlays Layer translucent images over text for a soft effect.
Collage Fillers Use tiny berries or snowflakes to bridge gaps in your collage pages.

Watch the Process: The Winter Grid Page

In my latest video, I'm diving deep into my fussy cutting secrets, tips and tricks. I'll also show you the full process of how I created a full grid page in my Dina Wakely journal using the Pink Cocoa stickers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlN7Iamlds0

My Full Supply List

If you're looking for anything I used in the video, you can find it here:

The Dyan Reavely Creative Journal.
Winter Themed Printable Stickers from the Members Area.
Sticker Paper (my favorite is matte finish!)
Plain Cardstock.
Dark Pink Cardstock.
Printable Vellum Paper.
Distress Ink in Vintage Photo.
Ink Dabbers.
Rubber Stamp with Handwriting.
Fiskar's Paper Trimmer.
Mini Scoring Board.
Tearing Ruler.
Corner Rounder.

A top-down photograph of an open junk journal featuring a whimsical pink "Pink Cocoa" themed grid page. The layout includes fussy cut cupcakes, hot cocoa mugs, and a "Hot Cocoa Bar" sign mounted on dark pink cardstock rectangles. Below the journal, a variety of crafting supplies are neatly arranged, including Aleene’s Tacky Glue, a handwriting rubber stamp, Distress Ink with a blending tool, a pink corner rounder, glue tape, and a mini scoring board. — From my scrap basket to the journal page! ✂️✨ Here's the final look at the Pink Cocoa grid page alongside the essential tools I used to bring it to life. I love how the handwriting stamp adds a subtle, vintage texture to the background before layering on the fussy cuts.

Download the Full Winter Themed Sticker Freebie

I got a little carried away this week and created three full sheets of printable stickers for you! The set includes:

Pink Cocoa: Warm, whimsical, and sweet.
Winter Woodland: Soft fawns and natural elements.
Ice Castle: Cool blues and silver magic.

And I didn't stop with stickers! I also included matching envelopes for each set. So you have a cute place to store your bits and pieces after you’ve finished cutting.

Download the freebie here:

Join the Free Membership

Pin this article to save it for later: