National Sticker Day is a celebration of all the fun, creativity, and color stickers bring to everyday life.
From product labeling to decorating notebooks and lockers, and even digital versions in messaging apps, stickers are everywhere you look!
But who started the celebration, and how can you join in? Stick around as we share the story behind National Sticker Day.
A brief history of stickers
People have been posting messages in public spaces for thousands of years, long before modern stickers came along.
One early example is the Peukestas Order, a papyrus notice glued to a wall in Egypt around 331 BC, likely attached with tacks or paste.
While these early public notices weren’t stickers in the modern sense, they served the same purpose.
For almost the next two thousand years, notices, labels, and information were affixed using whatever glue or adhesive was available at the time.
That changed in the 1840s, when the Penny Black postage stamp introduced gummed paper.
This adhesive backing could be moistened and applied to a surface, a method that gradually spread to other labels.
Eventually, in 1935, R. Stanton Avery created self-adhesive stickers called Kum Kleen Price Stickers.
Avery’s company continued to grow over the years and began offering custom stickers to customers.
National Sticker Day was first celebrated on January 13, 2016, chosen to honor Avery’s birthday and his sticky invention.
How to celebrate National Sticker Day
If you want to celebrate National Sticker Day, here are three activities you could try:
Create fun new stickers.
Making your own stickers is easier than ever. Use free online design templates or create your own from scratch, then print them on sticker paper!
Hand-drawn stickers are also a fun option if you’re more into crafting than computers.
Exchange stickers with friends.
Sticker swaps are a thoughtful and low-cost way to share something fun.
You can personalize them with favorite quotes, shared photos, or inside jokes. Include a few in a letter or card, or set up a group swap with friends.
Organize a sticker hunt.
This simple game is guaranteed to have you and your friends laughing on National Sticker Day. Simply gather some stickers and hide them around the house.
Set a time limit for the hunt and leave little hints around the house to guide the search. The best part is that everyone gets to keep whatever stickers they find.
National Sticker Day FAQs
Can you use normal printers to print stickers?
Yes, your standard home printer, whether it’s an inkjet or laser printer, can print stickers as long as you use paper that’s compatible with it.
What kind of paper should you use to print stickers?
Your choice of paper for printing stickers depends on the look you’re going for and how long you’d like it to last.
Matte and glossy paper are popular choices, but vinyl is best for durability.
How do you remove a sticker without damaging the surface?
To remove a sticker cleanly, start by gently peeling from one corner. If residue remains, use warm soapy water, rubbing alcohol, or a bit of oil to loosen the adhesive.
For tougher spots, a plastic scraper or an old credit card can help lift the sticker without scratching.
5 Fun Facts About Stickers
The largest sticker collection belongs to Nidhi Bansal from India, who set a Guinness World Record in 2013 with 102,317 stickers.
Sticky Brand Creative Group in Vermont, USA, set the record for the largest sticker ball in 2020. Their impressive ball of stickers, which took them 91 hours to create, had a circumference of 7 feet (2.1 meters) and weighed 308 pounds (140 kilograms).
Digital stickers were first introduced in a messaging app called LINE in 2011.
Forest Gill of Kansas City, Missouri, is recognized for inventing the first bumper sticker in the 1940s using fluorescent paint on adhesive paper.
Scratch-and-sniff stickers were invented by accident in the 1960s by a chemist who was trying to make a new type of paper.
In Conclusion
From ancient papyrus notices to scratch-and-sniff novelties and digital sticker packs, stickers have come a long way.
They’ve been used to share messages, decorate personal spaces, promote ideas, and spark creativity in people of all ages.
Whether you’re designing your own, trading with friends, or just slapping a favorite one on your laptop, there’s no wrong way to join in the fun on National Sticker Day!