The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (2024)

We’ve all been there.

You’re in the craft store, where you swore you were just going to pick up that one thing for your next project.

The next thing you know, you’re at the checkout with $60 worth of who knows what in your cart.

No judgment; I’ve been there many times.

We crafters are notorious supply hoarders.

But I’ve been on a mission lately to declutter my stash and make my supplies multitask.

Yet, the one place I just can’t cut down on is my glue.

Sometimes you just need different kinds for different jobs.

Now I’m sharing the 4 types of glue every quilling artist needs to have in their toolbox and when to use them!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on the links below and make a purchase, I may receivea small compensation to help me finance this site and keep coming up with awesome tutorials and tips! There’s no cost to you and I only ever include links to companies and products that I trust and work with on a regular basis.

White Glue

White glue is going to be what mostquillers will use most often.

All the regular coils, shapes and edging will work just fine with this.

White glue is also useful for strengthing the inside of paper domes and adheringquilling to cards or the backings of your choosing.

I prefer Elmer’s Extra Strong Glue applied with a needle-nosed bottle.

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you’ve heard me go on and on about how much I recommend grabbing one of these bottles.

They are extremely helpful in dispensing just the smallest amount of glue and preventing gluey, sticky messes.

TackyGlue

If you’re ready to expand your quilling into 3-dimensional creations, Aileen’s Tacky Glue will be your new best friend.

Tacky Glue is quite a bit thicker than regular glue, but it dries clear.

As the name implies, it comes out of the bottle tacky.

This is perfect for any work with heavier pieces that you don’t want to have to hold in place for a long time waiting for glue to dry.

I couldn’t have made these paper succulents without it!

One drawback of Tacky Glue is how slowly it comes out of the tube.

There is a bottle design that allows it to sit upside down, so the glue is ready when you need it!

I’ve also played with a Tacky Glue dispensingpen. I find this a little more difficultto work with, as it’s harder to squeeze but that’s a personal preference thing.

Clear Glue

If you’re working a lot with dark colored strips and you’ve noticed a problem with visible glue on your paper, try using clear glue.

I’ve found that no matter how hard I try, I always get some dried glue on the outside of any black shape I make.

Clear glue has saved me a lot of frustration and clean up!

The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (5)

Hot Glue

Some quilling crafts need just a little more oomph.

That’s where a hot glue gun will come into play.

I pull out my favorite hot glue gun when I’m adding quilling to some sort of decor items, like wreaths or plaques.

The tough glue helps the quilling stay put on uneven surfaces.

It will also keep everything in place if its some type of seasonal decorations that are going to be packed away for most of the year.

Just watch those fingers, please!

The great thing about this list of my the 4 types of glue every quilling artist needs is that none of them are expensive at all.

Of course, some types of glue can be used for all purposes, but why not experiment and see what works best for you?

Maybe you’ve found something else that you prefer to use?

Feel free to leave any recommendations below!

The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (7)

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Comments

  1. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (12)annelewis246 says

    Thanks for the info. It is very informative. I will keep this for future reference.

    Reply

  2. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (14)Chris Dent says

    Fantastic info thanks Meredith. I’ll have to hope I can find equivalents in Australia. Chris

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (15)Meredith says

      I hope you do, Chris! If you find something you like, stop back and tell us about it please!

      Reply

  3. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (16)Bronwyn Mitchell says

    I find it a bit annoying when you buy a special spray glue that you may not use very often, you have to throw it out because it does not work any more.. For example, placing parchment paper on a card where you do not want a glue that shows.

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (17)Meredith says

      I haven’t used spray glue much since art school, but I agree – I hate wasting product too!

      Reply

  4. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (18)Charlene F Morvay says

    Great site!! I, too, am a self-taught quiller. I do have one question. Can I effectively use a COLD temperature glue gun in place of the HOT? Thanks so much for having this site.

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (19)Meredith says

      Hi there, Charlene! Great question ~ From what I know about glue guns, the big difference is that the low-temp glue guns are better for delicate materials that can melt under the heat of the high-temperature hot glue. The higher temp glue sticks are better for when you’re looking to have a quicker, stronger bond. I think that even though the hot glue won’t harm most quilling projects, the low-temp glue sticks will work just fine since paper is so lightweight. I hope that’s helpful!

      Reply

  5. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (20)Kathy says

    Thank you so much for this info! I am new to Quilling, and loving it, and this is very helpful to me thank you!

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (21)Meredith says

      So great to hear from you, Kathy! I hope you’re enjoying quilling!

      Reply

  6. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (22)Kelly says

    I need some help. I’m a beginner that just finished a snowman that will be a Christmas decoration to hang on a door. This project was probably for a more advanced quiller and I didn’t have a pattern or any directions. I couldn’t help myself because it was so cute. I used Elmer’s glue and the back has dried glue everywhere. What can I do to make the glue disappear? How do I preserve my project?

    Thanks for any help,
    Kelly

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (23)Meredith says

      Yikes, it’s the worst when you finish a project and you find glue bits left over! First of all, it’s probably true that because we’re all our own worst critic, the glue isn’t as visible as you think it is. But I do have a couple suggestions of things that I’ve tried in the past.

      You might try scraping at small bits of glue with a needle tool to see if they pop off. I’ve also used a very sharp craft knife to cut glue away from the sides of my quilling. Be aware this could peel away part of your background.

      Another option is to cut around the outer edge of your entire snowman and remount it.

      If you can, email me a photo at meredith@thepaperycraftery.com. I might have better ideas if I can see your project. I’m sure we can save your snowman!

      Reply

  7. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (24)Sandrine says

    Hi Meredith 😊 for the white glue I prefer to use the book binding type. Fast dry, almost instant grab and dries clearish, slughrsl opaque… I have yet to find the best clear glue… Mine is quite messy even when I use the needle tip bottle… Strings everywhere. If i put some by an accident on a darker background, it leaves an unsightly mess too. I think itsi possibly too thick or gel like.

    When applying individual strips to your background (like when you apply an outline to letters) would you apply glue to the background, following the outline, or to the paper strip?
    Thanks

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (25)Meredith says

      Hi Sandrine! Thanks for the tip about the book-binding glue. I’ll have to keep an eye out for that.

      When I’m gluing strips, I like to apply my glue with a needle-nosed bottle right to the paper, then wipe away any extra with a small paintbrush after it’s placed. If the strip is really tiny, I’ll dip the end in glue instead.

      Reply

  8. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (26)Sandrine says

    Ah yeah, sounds good actually the handy paint brush… I don’t know why i’ve not thought about that 😊 thank you Meredith 😊

    Reply

  9. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (27)Dianne Aquino says

    Hi Meredith, this is great info! I’m new to the world of quilling, and I had just made a beautiful flower the other day. I used the same clear glue I used for the paper to glue on some rhinestones. The only thing is, they fell off the next day! 🙁 Is there a particular glue you can recommend to help keep these embellishments from falling off? Thank you sooo much!

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (28)Meredith says

      Hi Dianne, I’m glad you’ve found quilling! I’ve never worked with rhinestones, but I did a little research. I’m not sure what clear glue you tried, but I read that E6000 is a popular glue for rhinestones. Another recommended GemTac Glue by Beacon. I’ve used E6000 many times for other crafts that weren’t quilling, and it is a bit messy, but holds well. Whatever you try next, I would definitely do a test first on some spare paper, and use as little glue as you can!

      Reply

  10. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (29)Dianne Aquino says

    I used Elmer’s Natural Clear school glue made from plants. It works great on paper. The reason why I dont use white glue is that I find that it leaves residue on the flowers/designs. I will give your suggestions a try. Thank you so much!!

    Reply

  11. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (30)Doris says

    Hi, I have never done quilling; I was just admiring the art yesterday. I watched a bluprint.com class because they were free for a while, and I specifically wanted to see how some people apply glue to an outline (it was literally a swirl of paper and I thought “how is she going to do this?”). Well, the artist (Cecelia Louie) took the glue and squirted some on a little flat plate, then she proceeded to take her swirl to that glue and lightly immerse the sides, then glued to her card.

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (31)Meredith says

      Hi Doris, I’m glad you’ve discovered quilling! We do sometimes dip our paper in glue, it’s true!

      Reply

  12. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (32)Barbara says

    Love the tacky glue, for it to work well in the needle nose bottles I add water and it has not affected the holding the power.

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (33)Meredith says

      Good tip, thanks!

      Reply

  13. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (34)Nicola says

    Hi Meredith. I wanted to find a hobby that was art related and I thought I’d try quilling. I’ve been doing it for two weeks now and I’ve learnt so much already! I love it😀 thank you for your tutoring, your a very good teacher!! X

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (35)Meredith says

      Thanks so much! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

      Reply

  14. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (36)Elizabeth (Beth) Sangerloo says

    Hi Meredith, My problem is that when I use most any glue on my pieces, the coils open. This is especially disappointing on my vortex coils. I need to use a fixative of some sort, but the glue ruins my work.

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (37)Meredith says

      Hmmmm, are you losing your coils when you’re gluing them to a surface to mount them or are you using a sealant?

      Reply

  15. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (38)Elaine Smith says

    when you finish your project your using the sray glue on pop the sprayer off run it under very hot water
    (I use hot from the sink the run water through my coffee maker and let it soak in a small bowl for approximately 30 minutes) this will clear out the glue.. Put a tooth pick in the top of the cn to keep the valve open.. Dry the sprayer and tape to side of can until ready to use it the next time. extra steps but saves your supplies for future projects

    Reply

    • The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (39)Meredith says

      Thanks for the tips!

      Reply

  16. The 4 Types of Glue Every Quilling Artist Needs - The Papery Craftery (40)Elaine Smith says

    Kelly get a matching sheet of card stock paper available at office supply store or Walmart. While the glue is dry lay your snowman on the card stock paper, outline the shape of your snowman. Trim the paper to fit then glue onto the back of the snowman this will cover the back and all the glue. You can also use felt material and do it the same way. Make sure you leave your hanger on the out side of your cover. Hope this helps

    Reply

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