Best glue for sticking paper to cardboard?

[HDoug]

I want to create my own postcards and mail art by gluing pages from books and magazines onto bristol board. I am seriously deficient in the arts and crafts department and know I'll need some kind of glue. What kind?

 

Doug

[Ron Z]

I like the glue sticks from craft stores. The big ones aren't very expensive, and work well.

[watch_art]

glue sticks or even rubber cement. apply thinly to both paper and cardboard, let sit for 30 seconds or so, then apply. you can use a rubber brayer to roll it flat and get a nice tight bond.

[pmsalty]

glue sticks or even rubber cement. apply thinly to both paper and cardboard, let sit for 30 seconds or so, then apply. you can use a rubber brayer to roll it flat and get a nice tight bond.

 

 

This is the best and easiest for the regular joe. After 25 years working for UPS (Big Brown) this is the surest way to have paper adhere to paper or cardboard. this is what I use to adhere my photos to 4x6 index cards to produce my own post cards.

PMS

[Chthulhu]

Just be sure to use glue sticks labeled "permanent." :-)

[Aunt Jill]

Good quality glue sticks will do it.

 

Mod Podge or other decoupage glue is a good idea if you want to do anything large.

 

Gluing can be very frustrating until you get the hang of it.

 

The paper wrinkles, bubbles and tears. I recommend practicing on scrap paper first, but you know that.

 

Some glues let you move things before they stick forever. Permanent glues don't.

 

A Xyron machine is wonderful, but the refills are expensive. I have a six-inch-wide one that I love.

 

 

 

—Jill

Edited April 17, 2010 by Aunt Jill

[dcwaites]

PVA (white) glue, and if you need to be neat, get a cheap arts&crafts bristle paint brush. You can also thin a little out with plain water if you need.

 

[Aunt Jill]

PVA (white) glue, and if you need to be neat, get a cheap arts&crafts bristle paint brush. You can also thin a little out with plain water if you need.

 

 

Yes, use a foam brush (a nickel apiece at the craft store) or a paintbrush.

[txinsk]

PVA (white) glue, and if you need to be neat, get a cheap arts&crafts bristle paint brush. You can also thin a little out with plain water if you need.

 

 

Watch this as well, it needs to be archival (acid-free). Elmer's will break down. Of course if it only needs to last a few months get white school glue.

 

Rick

[dennis_f]

Spray adhesive.

 

It's dead simple, cheap and easy to find, and doesn't come unstuck (I've found that if you don't buy the best quality glue sticks, they come unstuck after a while (so I'm surprised to hear they're UPS sanctioned)).

 

Spray adhesives work incredibly well. They're permanent, and since they spray on, they don't leave any lumps (I've found both white glue and glue sticks (to a lesser extent) can be lumpy).

 

Spray glue is fast, and leaves lots of room for error (just spray it on the back of your image, and lay it down). Just be sure to lay down some newspaper first (so that glue doesn't go everywhere).... and you'll probably want to spray in a garage or outside (it won't kill you to do it inside, but the stuff has a glue odour).

 

 

Double sided tape works well too, but it can be a bit tricky to use. I still have a few presentation boards that I made in the late 90's using double sided tape, and they're as solidly fixed as they I glued them.

 

If you go with the spray glue, buy a name brand like 3M... that stuff is great (no affiliation).

[betsypreston]

They can help you at any craft store, too, like Archivers or JoAnn or Michael's.

 

I like Scotch brand "Quick-Dry Adhesive" which also says "no-run formula, mess free precision tip, photo safe" on the label.

 

For magazine clippings, I like to go around the edges of the magazine paper with a Scotch permanent glue stick, and then put the Quick-Dry Adhesive in the center. It's runnier so it tends to ooze out if you get it too close to an edge. The glue stick helps keeps the edges stuck down. I like to put the magazine paper on top of some scrap paper from my recycle bin and run the glue stick over the edge onto the scrap paper to make sure I get good coverage on the edge.

 

I used to use a lot of "UHU Office Pen - Super Fast Paper Glue" which is good for magazine cuz it doesn't tend to wrinkle the paper. But it's runny enough that it's tough to get just the right amount on. If you're doing something quick-and-dirty, it's still a convenient glue to have around.

[tanalasta]

Suggest considering glue-tape, which is a transparent adhesive tape (similar to liquid paper tape) that one can get in a good arts/craft/photography shop.

 

If it's good enough for photo albums and professional work, it's usually good enough for your purposes. It's very thin, unnoticable stuff and you can use several layers if you need a stronger adhesive (e.g. the edge close to the middle or where the page bends). You just roll it on and then press your papers/photos etc... on top.

 

Glue dots are an alternative but not as nice.

 

I find anything else is potentially messy, leaves you with sticky fingers or isn't as adhesive.

[watch_art]

Spray adhesive.

 

Spray adhesives work incredibly well. They're permanent, and since they spray on, they don't leave any lumps (I've found both white glue and glue sticks (to a lesser extent) can be lumpy).

 

Spray glue is fast, and leaves lots of room for error (just spray it on the back of your image, and lay it down). Just be sure to lay down some newspaper first (so that glue doesn't go everywhere).... and you'll probably want to spray in a garage or outside (it won't kill you to do it inside, but the stuff has a glue odour).

 

If you go with the spray glue, buy a name brand like 3M... that stuff is great (no affiliation).

 

I gotta disagree. I've used the stuff for years (had to in a couple college classes, some teachers are particular) and don't think it's as permanent as it wishes it was. You can pull paper off that you've glued down weeks previous, if you're careful, and not tear anything.

 

But rubber cement can be kind of iffy, too. If you get it on perfectly smoothly, with no thick spots or lumps, it can still turn the paper a funny color after a few years. Lots of my art work has brown streaks and discolored paper b/c of that.

 

Glue sticks are probably the easiest way to go if they're the high dollar quality kind. But I just hate glue sticks for some reason.

 

I think some expensive white glue is the best you can do if you apply it properly. That'd be Elmer's white (NOT SCHOOL) glue. Apply it thinly, then spread it even thinner, and stick. You can even thin the stuff with water if you're going to use a brush to apply, but that can wrinkle lots of paper...

 

yikes i'm rambling.

Edited April 18, 2010 by watch_art

[dennis_f]

I'll defer to Watch_Art; if he's used the spray adhesive for years, and found it's coming undone, then that might be the case. I haven't used it for more than 5 or 6, and don't have any of the original boards anymore, so I can't confirm longevity beyond that timeframe.

 

 

That said, the double-stick tape (the same one that tanalasta mentioned) is as simple to use as tape... and THAT stuff has lasted on some of my work for over 15 yrs... (and not just on paper, but on wood, rubber, and vinyls).

 

 

In the end, whether you buy a stick or tape (and I'm sure you can find one of either that's going to get the job done), make sure it's a good brand if you want your cards to last... And ask the people at the store where you buy it whether or not the stuff is truly permanent and archival. If you go to the effort of making these postcards, you don't want them to come apart as a result of rough handling in the mail, or have them fall apart after a year or two.

 

 

And hey, it would be great if you could post some photos when you're done! It would be great to see how they turn out.

[watch_art]

i think i'd go with the double stick tape too.

 

except for one thing: the people at most art supply stores (hobby lobby, michael's) don't have a clue about most of the supplies they're selling. they might not even know what archival means. acid free means they can't smoke it and get high. HAHAHA!! funny.

 

.....do your own research. if you want to buy something, try it on something that's not important. read on the internet where people have done reviews (like on fpn) and have used the stuff for years. go to collage forums, scrapbooking forums and the like...

 

good luck.

Edited April 18, 2010 by watch_art

[Tweel]

I use this valved glue pen for my postcards. It's great for sticking paper (e.g. Clairefontaine) onto FP-unfriendly commercial postcards, or photos onto bristol cards, is acid-free etc., and it's available at Wal-Mart.

 

-- Brian

[TMLee]

I want to create my own postcards and mail art by gluing pages from books and magazines onto bristol board. I am seriously deficient in the arts and crafts department and know I'll need some kind of glue. What kind?

 

Doug

 

Use PVA white glue.

 

Use say 1" wide paint brush.

(A small bowl of water next to you for washing.)

Always apply glue on thicker material.

Apply glue from centre of board outwards in a bicycle spoke fashion. Spread glue as if you are painting.

When entre board , especially corners and edges , are covered and wet, pick up carefully, then

Lay on backside of artwork which ought to be facedown on table.

Press gently into position.

Turn over and roll over with rubber roller.

Leave to dry.

Cut to exact finished size.

Perfect finish !

[farseer911]

I want to create my own postcards and mail art by gluing pages from books and magazines onto bristol board. I am seriously deficient in the arts and crafts department and know I'll need some kind of glue. What kind?

 

Doug

 

3M 77 Spray adhesive. Trust me it ain't coming off in the mail, in the wash, in the sun, it just aint moving anytime in the next decade!

[HDoug]

Thanks everyone, for all the info. I'll take some suggestions and report back with results!

[patchworkgirl]

I was just looking through a 32 year old sketchbook which I used rubber cement in to glue articles & such.. the stuff I put in (newspaper, postcards, stuff like that) still looked okay, but the sketchbook pages are yellowish. This was in an artist blackbound hardcover sketchbook. The newspaper articles I cemented in were still readable..

 

Just thought I'd share!

 

Jessica

 

glue sticks or even rubber cement. apply thinly to both paper and cardboard, let sit for 30 seconds or so, then apply. you can use a rubber brayer to roll it flat and get a nice tight bond.