A craft is described as “an activity involving skill in making things by hand” and a crafter as “someone who makes decorative objects with their hands especially as a hobby”.
Every crafter has a selection of different adhesives on their workspace to be available for use with different materials. To get the best outcome for your project you firstly need to decide which is the correct glue. Check out the wide range of craft glues available on our website.
Scrapbooking needs a long lasting acid free glue. Acid can turn pages brittle and ruin work. Quick, clear drying glues are also useful. Tabs, glue dots and glue sticks are perfect for glueing light embellishments. Even a good quality glue stick can be problematic as they dry very quickly. As hot glue guns are not acid free they are not a good choice for the scrapbooking world.
Tips for the best use of craft glues
Use non-acidic adhesives.
For the same (acidic) reasons don’t use sticky notes.
Be careful with strong smelling glues. – these can be very acidic.
Don’t use rubber cement – very messy and very difficult to use
When using glue sticks - apply thin layers to achieve solid adherence.
Spray adhesives – make sure to use in a well ventilated area - fumes can be toxic
Craft Glue/ White Glue – (polyvinyl acetate) is widely used by crafters and the best option for adhering paper and cardboard. The white PVA glue dries clear and it 's permanent and flexible once dry.
It is an inexpensive, acid free and quick drying adhesive.
Alternatively, spray glue is a multi-purpose adhesive often used for larger area coverage. Glue pens provide a transparent and tidy finish and are available in different shaped tips. They are excellent for adhering to fine small objects. Glue sticks on the other hand is a plastic tube containing a roll of soft adhesive. They are used to directly apply glue to a surface by rubbing. They need to be good quality and used sparingly as they can give a lumpy appearance to the paper being glued.
Glue dots (pressure sensitive adhesive PSA) are usually marketed on rolls or sheets. They are great for craft projects but do not have a lot of lasting strength.
There are many different glitter glues available on the market. They are a non-toxic and acid free crafting glue very popular in the crafting world. As its name suggests it is glittery and shiny.
Blue Tac can usually be found on a crafter’s workspace. According to Wikipedia “Blue tac is a reusable putty-like pressure-sensitive adhesive commonly used to attach lightweight objects (such as posters or sheets of paper) to walls, doors, or other dry surfaces. Traditionally blue, it is also available in other colours.
Blue Tac has been made in Australia since 1971. It is a plastic, reusable multi-purpose adhesive and modelling material that is non-toxic safe for all the family to mould, play with and use to stick papers to walls etc. Expand your creativity and have fun! There are heaps of glues and adhesives in today’s market.