Top 5 Scrapbook Adhesives: Protect Your Pages By Using The Best Glue For Scrapbooking

The Ultimate Guide To Using Glue For Scrapbooking

When I first started out, I thought scrapbook adhesives were all the same. I purchased a bulk supply of inexpensive adhesive for scrapbooking and organized them along with my other tools. I thought that I was all set for at least a year or two.

However, I quickly discovered that a glue stick isn't the best adhesive for some materials and I also learned that you get what you pay for! Choosing the right scrapbooking supplies is important, especially when it comes to adhesives.

scrapbook adhesives | best glues for scrapbooking

Choosing The Best Glue For Your Scrapbooking Project Is Very Important!

Here are five important Do's and Don'ts you need to know about scrapbook adhesive:

✖ DON'T! Use just about any adhesive for scrapbooking.

✔ DO! Buy acid-free specialty adhesive.

If you want to preserve the condition of our photos, it's important to do your research for the right tools before you start your scrapbooking project. This means your choice of adhesive is so much more than just for sticking things down. Your choice of adhesive now holds the survival of your photos in your scrapbook album.

If the first adhesive you're reaching for is rubber cement, then be ready to be amazed at all the other options for embellishments, photo, and paper adhesive!

Aside from checking that the papers or albums you're using are acid-free, the same goes for our type of adhesive. The next thing to consider, what type of acid-free adhesive should you get?

Wet Adhesive | Liquid Glue. This is the most common type of adhesive for scrapbooking and what we grew up using most of the time. Wet or liquid adhesive comes in different forms like paste, liquid, and spray cans. Knowing what kind you need will depend on your scrapbooking projects.

Bear in mind that since these are wet adhesives, a little too much might create wrinkles or lumps on your paper and photos. You can control how much you apply by using paintbrushes or a plastic adhesive spreader.

Paper Mod Podge formula provides archival qualities as it is non-yellowing and acid-free.

Dry Adhesive. If you're looking for no-fuss and less sticky mess, then look for dry adhesives. They can be double-sided tapes, glue dots or sheets, craft, and washi tapes. Don't want to mess up the back of your photos? Use photo corners adhesive or mounting squares!

Use photo corners if you don't want to permanently adhere your photos to your page.

Photo corners are a beautiful decorative touch when it comes to scrapbooking, cardmaking, and papercraft. Photo corners are a photo safe triangular-shaped piece of paper or card that comes in a variety of pre-made sizes, colors, and patterns with a sticky adhesive on the back.

Photo corners are available in most craft stores and can be a lifesaver when it comes to mounting your photos.

Photos corners are used to attach a photo to your project without actually damaging the picture.

With photo corners, you can even swap out photos as it sits inside the triangle itself and it's the corner triangle that is stuck down to your scrapbooking page.

Photo corners also act as a nice design feature on your page!

Another term you can look for aside from acid-free are photo safe and lignin-free. These kinds of adhesives will not deteriorate your photos or turn them yellow over the years.

Double-sided tape is easy to work with and can be cut to your desired shape and length.

✖ DON'T! Purchase cheap glue sticks.

✔ DO! Purchase quality glue sticks.

In regards to scrapbooking adhesive, a glue stick is a great option for adhering lightweight materials. Be sure to purchase a quality acid free adhesives, such as Elmer's glue stick. an Inferior glue stick will quickly dry up and they tend to leave little lumps of glue on your material. These glue sticks also hold very little adhesive and will run out twice as fast as a quality acid free glue stick.

Glue sticks are good for quick adhering needs, but not for long-term durability.

When using scrapbook adhesives, work on a smooth surface. Otherwise, your paper may become wrinkled or torn in the process. Glue as close to the outside edges of your chosen scrapbook paper as possible. Over time, the adhesive can lose its stickiness and your work can come undone.

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Press Play On The Video Below To See How We Create Beautiful Embellishments From Glue...

✖ DON'T! Use hot glue guns for photos.

✔ DO! Use glue dots.

Have you ever flipped through an old photo album and you were distracted by the marks that tape left on the pictures or you noticed yellow spots left by glue?

Glue can be a good scrapbook adhesive, but you need to be careful in what type of glue you use.
Although hot glue is strong and its adhesiveness will last for years, the heat and acidity can harm your photos.

You also want to avoid using Elmer's Glue or rubber cement on your photos. Instead, consider using scrapbooking glue dots. Glue dots are double-sided adhesives that will bond with almost any surface. They're easy to use, aren't messy like other glues, and don't require any drying time.

This Ultra-Thin Glue Dots is acid-free and ultra-thin for smooth adhering.

Glue dots are available as permanent or removable dots. If you think that you might want to remove a photo from a layout at a later date, then use removable dots. For a lot of gluing, you'll want to use a glue dot dispenser. You simply run the dispenser in a straight line and it will dispense dots at about an inch apart.

If you want to glue a small item, such as a tiny flower, you can purchase glue dots that come on a sheet. You would press the flower onto the glue dot to lift the glue and then place the flower on your layout. In addition to glue dots, this same glue comes in lines. Lines are great to use for heavy materials such as ribbons or borders.

Another option for photos is to use photo corner mounts. They are little triangles that will hold your photographs in place without having to adhere the photos to the paper. Most photo corner mounts are a peel-and-stick product.

✖ DON'T! Use dry adhesives for chunky or heavy objects.

✔ DO! Use liquid craft glue.

For most scrapbooking items, you'll want to use dry scrapbook adhesives such as glue dots, glue sticks, or double-sided tape. For embellishments such as plastic items or metal charms, you'll need to use liquid craft glue.

The Helmar's liquid glue brand is also great for decoupage projects.

The glue will fill the nooks and crannies of the embellishment, allowing it to adhere tightly to the paper. One word of caution though. Be careful not to use too much glue. If the glue oozes out from beneath the embellishment, it can discolor your paper.

✖ DON'T! Adhere acrylic shapes with glue dots.

✔ DO! Use a clear glaze for clear embellishments.

Acrylic shapes have been a popular scrapbook item. Whether it's a pumpkin for Halloween or a snowman for a winter scene, acrylic shapes add a fun touch to scrapbook layouts. Because many of these shapes are translucent, you need a scrapbooking adhesive that is clear. A clear glaze, such as Diamond Glaze, will provide a clear layer of adhesive. As the glaze dries, it gives a crystal clear bond.

When working with translucent embellishments, look for acid free glue with a clear finish.

TIP: If you ever ask yourself, "where are the scrapbooking stores near me ", if the nearest is a drive, then consider online stores

By following these five Do's and Don'ts regarding scrapbook adhesives, you'll be able to create beautiful layouts that will last for many years to come. You won't need to worry about potential glue spots, ugly tape marks, or items falling off of the page.

Click here to find out the best adhesives for scrapbooking you should choose!

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Topic: scrapbook adhesives