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Adhesives can be a sticky situation, but they’re an integral part of crafting — if we didn't have them, then everything would literally fall apart! There are so many different adhesives used in crafting for so many different purposes that it can become confusing. Here I'm going to explain the differences between various types of adhesives and their best applications. The Halloween Medallion that I created for this post uses five different adhesives, which are outlined below along with some additional information that I learned through trial and a lot of error over the years.
Liquid Adhesives
Brand names such as Aleene's Original Tacky Glue and Tombow's Mono
Glue are ideal for heavier and bulkier items like wood, metal, buttons, fabric,
chipboard and other embellishments. Liquid adhesives generally do not work well
with paper, cardstock or other light weight paper crafting supplies because they can cause
wrinkling and bubbling across large surface areas.
For this Halloween medallion however, liquid glue worked well to adhere the paper rosette to the chipboard, due to the minimal
surface area. Liquid adhesives are also ideal for securing bulky items, such as the layers of tulle between the medallion and the rosette. Since
the drying time is a bit longer, I normally place something heavy on top to hold everything in place as it dries. The bond is permanent.
Double-Sided Lined Tape
Brand names such as Ranger's Wonder Tape and Score-Tape are
ideal for paper, cardstock, chipboard and light to medium weight
embellishments. Double-sided tape for crafting comes with a paper liner and creates an instant and permanent bond between surfaces. You can make the
bond even stronger by applying the tape to both sides and then
joining. I used it to hold sprinkled glitter on the patterned paper edges like stripes. Double-sided tape also works well with ribbons
and other fibers, but does not work well with vellum or other super smooth surfaces. You can find double-sided lined tape designed specifically for use with fabric.
Tape Runners
Brands
names such as Xyron Mega Runner and Tombow Xtreme are ideal for projects like scrapbook layouts and cards that use papers, chipboard and other flat embellishments. I used tape runner to secure the ends of
the paper rosette and to attach the paper tails to the back of the
rosette. General double-sided office tape is also fine for paper-to-paper applications, but it can be more difficult to handle and place right where you want it. Tape runners are available in permanent and non-permanent.
Non-permanent applications would include applying a mask when stamping or using
spray inks.
Dimensional Adhesives
Brand names such as Tombow Power Tabs and Scrapbook Adhesives 3D
Foam Squares are ideal for adding dimension to otherwise flat projects
that have die cuts and lighter chipboard and
embellishments. I use it to create dimension
between the layers of the medallion and it helps pop up the owl die-cut to make it the
focal point of the project. Foam squares or thick glue dots are excellent for creating depth in a card, scrapbook layout or mixed media project, but are
not recommended for heavy embellishments or fabric. The bond is
semi-permanent.
Glue Stick
Brand names such as Inkscentials by Ranger and UHU Stic are
ideal for most paper to paper applications. I used a glue stick to create a bond over the whole surface of odd-shaped paper embellishments such as die-cuts, letters and numbers. Glue sticks are also perfect for adding light
layers like stamped tissue paper to mixed media projects, but are not effective
on heavy embellishments or larger surfaces. Wrinkling and bubbling can occur if the glue stick adhesive is applied too
heavily and the bond is semi-permanent.
Visit my blog for lots more inspiration on how and when to use which kind of adhesives:
- Mixed media collage (glue stick)
- Candle holder wraps (dimensional adhesive)
- Papercraft sculpture (tape runner)
- Paper balloons (double-sided lined tape)
- Art panel (liquid glue)
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