Tools of the Trade: Liquid Glue

Adhesives are definitely a must-have tool for any craft room.  How else are we going to stick our projects together?  There are so many adhesives for crafters to choose from.  How do you decide which one to use?

Over the next few weeks I’m going to talk about adhesives.  I’ll cover the different types and when to use them.  The type of adhesive you use is definitely a personal choice.  I’ll be talking about the adhesives that Stampin’ Up! carries.

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

The first type of adhesive we’re going to talk about is liquid glue.  Liquid glue goes on wet and dries clear.  Liquid glue works well to adhere paper to paper as well as embellishment to paper.  I actually use a little drop of liquid glue when adhering any small embellishment to my project, even when they’re self-adhesive.  Better to be safe than sorry.  Liquid glue works well on cards and smaller 3D projects.  I don’t think it’s a good adhesive for scrapbooks though.  You’d hate to ruin your photos.  Stampin’ Up! carries two different types of liquid glue:  Mulitpurpose Liquid Glue and the Fine-Tip Glue Pen. 

Stampin’ Up!’s Fine-Tip Glue Pen

In the past I didn’t use liquid glue much.  Yes, it has it’s purpose but I found it to be a little messy.  I was always getting it in places it shouldn’t be, including my fingers.  (Ok…it may have been operator error…)  I have started using liquid glue more though.  I like the fact that it needs a little time to dry so you’re able to wiggle things around a bit if they’re not straight.  If you’re careful, liquid glue is perfect for adhering small intricate designs.  The Fine-Tip Glue Pen is especially great for intricate designs and small areas.

If the die pieces are especially small and you don’t want to use the Fine-Tip Glue Pen there is an easy way to use the Multipurpose Liquid Glue without putting little dots of glue all over the back.  Simply squirt a little glue on to your Silicone Mat or a paper plate.  Then dab your Stampin’ Sponge in the glue  making sure not to get too much glue on the sponge.  Once you have some glue on the sponge lightly dab the glue onto the back of the die.  This puts a light coat of glue on the whole die.

Did you get my weekly email on Tuesday?  (If not, enter your information in the box at the right.)  In my email I shared this card with you.  To adhere the more intricate butterfly I used liquid glue only on the butterfly’s body and then I bent the wings up a little to give it some dimension.  This would have been a little harder to do with a tape type of adhesive.

As the name says, multipurpose liquid glue is….multipurpose!  It’s a great option for all sorts of projects and situations.  It’s not the go-to adhesive in my craft room but it does have it’s purposes and I’ve been using it more and more. Face it…it’s hard to make craft projects without adhesive!

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!