What type of glue do you use? That may be a very personal question to ask a paper crafter, but perhaps the quickest way to get one to raise their voice a bit!
Some of us insist on water based or PVA glues, while others swear by silicone-based adhesives, and still others use double-sided tapes almost exclusively. So what is the best adhesive, after all?
Well, as junk journalers, we aren’t the type of people to say that one thing is better than the other! Our collective motto is: “if it works for you, do as you wil!l". But what if you’re creating work for sale?
Don’t we have a responsibility to our clients to ensure that we are using the best possible adhesives, which will stay intact through time and - more importantly - use?
After all, ours is one of the few forms of art that is completely utilitarian. We want our pages turned, our pockets filled and our tags written on. We do not want our precious tomes to sit high up on a shelf collecting dust, we want them to be used as depositories of life’s moments. Or, at least I do!
So here is my take on Glue.
I hope you find it useful!
WATER BASED OR PVA GLUES (SCHOOL GLUE)
Many crafters swear by these glues, I’m not going to gloss it over, I don’t.
Pros:
They are easy to use, and generally cheaper than silicone- based glues, they clean up easily and dissolve readily, with just water.
Cons:
Because of the water content, they warp paper based material causing disfiguration.
They make paper soggy and mushy, which can cause tearing if you are not careful.
They take far too long to dry completely, because of the water-content. If you live in a humid climate, it’s even worse.
You have to wait until it is completely dry before you can sew through it, otherwise it will gum up your bobbin case.
Next-to-useless on fabric and lace.
These are the water based PVA glues that I have tried, and my tried-and tested reviews:
BEARLY ART:
It dries clear, even on vellum, and comes in a great precision applicator bottle. It will soak thin paper and make it mushy. It's pricey, but I guess that has to do with the applicator bottle. You can purchase the same type of applicator bottles and a huge bottle of Amazon PVA glue for far less and get the same results. It seems to be a hybrid of sorts and appears to have a silicone component while being mainly water based.
ART GLITTER:
It has a very high water content, to the point where it cannot be shipped in winter, as freezing renders it unusable. It has a weird, crumbly texture when it is partially dry. It makes everything warped, or even worse, mushy, and is pricey to boot. I know that many paper crafters swear by Art Glitter, but I’m just not feeling it.
AMAZON BASICS PVA:
Honestly, this works just as well as the Bearly Arts and at a fraction of the cost. A one gallon bottle is around $12 while empty, precision applicator bottles are around $8 for a set of four bottles. There are six precision applicator tips in three sizes with covers and a small funnel for easy filling. So for around $20 you have glue for a year, compared to $12.99 for a 2fl oz. bottle of Bearly Arts that wouldn’t last you a whole project from start to finish.
DOUBLE SIDED TAPE
Aaaah, double sided tape! You love it, you hate it! Usually the choice of former card-makers turned junk-journalers, it can be quite useful with one very important caveat: it will "yellow" paper and cardstock within three to seven years. I suspect that the reason for this is its petroleum by-product content.
Pros:
A no-mess way to do your chipboard cover and spine builds and to feel confident that they are secure. I would never use it for matting paper because of the yellowing.
Great for creating "windows" with acetate, since it will not run onto your acetate when matting.
Cons:
It leaves no room for adjustments, once you place your material down... that's it!
And of course, the yellowing.
The Roller version is very weak. I know crafters love it for card-making, but I find it to be next to useless for junk journal making.
NEVER, EVER SEW THROUGH DOUBLE SIDED TAPE, the quickest way to gum up your bobbin case and put you out of commission.
These are the double sided tapes that I have tried, and my tried-and tested reviews:
GENERIC DOUBLE SIDED TAPE TEN ROLL SET IN VARIOUS SIZES:
Good for building chipboard covers and spines if you add a few beads of a silicone based glue, so that you have a little movement for adjustments.
SCOTCH CREATE TAPE RUNNER EXTRA STRENGTH:
A bit stronger than others, but for the price, I really don't see the point.
SILICONE BASED GLUES
This is my jam! I use Fabric-tac by Beacon in an 8oz. Sugar Bell Piping Bottle....and I always will! Silicone glues are acetone (nail polish remover) soluble and can be thinned with acetone if they start to get thick.
Pros:
They have much stronger adhesion than water based glues.
They dry quickly but not so quickly that you don't have time for centering/adjusting. While water based glues soak the paper, adhering quickly but not actually drying quickly, silicone based glues remain movable but never mushy. The paper doesn't take on any extra moisture, you have a few seconds of slippery, gliding movement and then like magic, it is completely set without warping.
You can sew through within moments.
Can be used on just about anything: paper, vellum, lace, fabric, metal, etc.
If it squeezes out when mating, it can easily be rubbed off when wet by rubbing you finger over it. It balls up and can be brushed away without leaving any residue. If left to dry, a glue eraser picks it up cleanly.
Cons:
There is a bit of a learning curve involved here, if you haven't used it before, you will notice strands of glue hanging about when you pull away from running a bead. After a bit of practice, however, your hand will develop it's own "pull-away" technique to avoid this.
These are the silicone based glues that I've tried, and my tried-and tested reviews:
FABRI-TAC BY BEACON:
SUGAR BELL PIPING BOTTLES:
GLUE ERASER
Hands down, my absolute favorite combo! I use the Sugar Bell bottle for the precision tip and the easy sqeeze action. The glue is pricey, but spreads evenly and adheres much better than water based glues.
3 IN 1 BY BEACON:
The same as Fabri-Tac, same price range.
ALEENE'S CLEAR GEL TACKY GLUE:
Aleene's is like a thinner, diluted version of Fabri-Tac which I suppose, might be useful in some situations. However, it has very weak adhesion.
In conclusion, we use what works for us and there are many variables that we take into consideration when choosing glue and adhesives. Previous crafting experience, choice of materials and especially, economics are all in the equation.
It's funny, I was just thinking that four of my favorite junk journal artist's all use different adhesives:
Pam from @ThePaperOutpost almost exclusively uses Fabri-tac while her carefree style is completely the opposite of my OCD exactness.
Edith from @SCRAPBOOKINGWITHME uses Art Glitter, Bearly Arts, Fabric-Tac or a glue stick depending on what she is working on with her general go to being Art Glitter.
Natasha from @TreasureBooks generally uses generic PVA and even adds water to it, but it works for her somehow. Maybe it's a dryer climate in Australia where she lives, I don't know.
Tonya from @tonyasamuels moves between Fabri-Tac and double sided tape while blowing my mind with her works, but I've seen her also just grab any glue that is hanging around on her crafting table without a care.
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