Weddingbee Blog

Maybe you’re DIYing every last detail. Maybe you don’t even know what they acronym means. Either way, I guarantee that you will need some adhesive. For something. Something will come up during the course of planning that needs to be attached together. Glue - it’s just another one of those unspoken things that come along with weddings.

I admit, I had a glue-box before I was engaged:

But I find my stock of the sticky stuff has started increasing tremendously. Here’s what’s been accumulating:

-Glue Sticks

This is probably self-explanatory, but glue sticks work best on lightweight papers. It’s cheap and easy to apply. Also, it won’t warp your papers. However, it is not very strong. Plus, I’m currently biased and grossed out at the thought of glue sticks, after finding one of mine had mold growing all over it! Blech!

-Zip Dry

Zip Dry is slightly expensive for a glue, but a little goes a long way. It’s as strong as nails and it won’t warp your paper as long as you keep a thin coat of glue. However, you have to be pretty meticulous when applying it, as it is fairly aqueous. Remember to always clean out the tip when you’re done too, since the small thing gets clogged easily. We ended up gluing all our pocket fold pockets with Zip Dry!

-Spray Tack

My favorite for achieving that perfect, even mount. It won’t warp your paper, and also fairly strong as long as you evenly coat the surface. Spray, however, is not the cheapest option, though it may be the fastest in terms of application. It is very unwieldy, and can get all over the place if you’re not careful. Also, it’s got crazy fumes, so make sure you keep a window open! We used spray tack for The main panel for the invites, as well as the backs of the canvases!

-Double Stick Tape

I took Miss Hot Wing’s advice and went to Target for double stick tape. It was a pretty good price! Tape is always a solid, versatile option, but you can’t get an even covering very easily. Not to mention that it may not work with very thin papers, as you might see the outline of the tape underneath. We used double-sided tape to put in our envelope liners.

-Glue Dots & Tape Glue

Many of these brands come in cute little runners that make it easy to apply. They aren’t the strongest though, nor are they the cheapest, but they are pretty convenient, and definitely non-messy. We used repositionable glue dots for our save-the-date magnets, and it worked out quite well.

-Xyron

It’s just a little machine that makes a little sticker out of everything, and is SO much fun! Unfortunately though, the refills are slightly on the pricey end in my opinion. If I bought more refills, I’d probably only use it for odd shapes that you can’t easily print out on sticker paper, though we did use it to tape the flight info to the back of our save-the-dates.

-Hot Glue

When I’m not burning myself with it, the glue gun is another favorite of mine. Good for textiles as well as paper, it’s fairly cheap and easy to use. However, it can be unwieldy if you’re not careful, and it’s not the strongest adhesive in the world. I should also note that there are different types of glue sticks depending on the temperature and strength you need.

My hair flower (yes, this is the new one!) was hot-glued together!

-Elmer’s

Honestly, I’m not a big fan of white glue. I really don’t like the smell for some reason. Plus it will easily warp your papers, and takes a fairly long time to dry. But it is cheap, and it does work for most paper applications.

But why, then, do we have one gallon jugs of the stuff? It works wonders for paper mache. Thin it down with some water, plop in some newspaper and you’re good to go!

-Masking Tape & Duct Tape

Don’t leave home without ’em. Masking tape or painter’s tape works wonders for keeping surfaces (like the YUDU screen) paint-free, and duct tape, well that’s just a cure-all for everything.

-Super Glue

Quick Fixes! That’s all I have to say. Oh, and don’t glue your fingers together. Not fun.

-Miss Sewing’s Favorite Glue

This is my favorite glue ever, not because of it’s physical properties (it’s got a bit of a paper-warping problem), but because it’s super-duper cute. Doesn’t it look like nail polish or something? But it’s glue! And it smells like apples. How can you not love a glue that smells like apples? Not that anyone should be sniffing glue, of course!

As you can see, there are many, many other adhesives in the world. Two-part epoxy, edible paste, Modge podge - even solder sort of counts. Take a minute next time you’re in a craft store or Home Depot and just look at the possibilities. It’s pretty interesting!

And speaking of Home Depot, often times it’s cheaper to get your bulk glue or tape at a hardware store rather than a craft store, so definitely price shop!

What’s your favorite adhesive? Have you noticed an increase in glue-usage since your planning began, or are you adhesive-free?