Arts and Crafts are more than just fun activities for children to indulge in, in fact, these activities are among the best mediums to enhance the child’s creativity and imagination.
Another benefit of allowing your child to indulge in arts and crafts is to facilitate the development of their gross motor skills and fine motor skills.
If your child has participated in their fair share of crafts activities, you’d know glue, colored paper, adhesives, paints, rhinestones, glitter, and scissors are among the most craft staples.
Finding effective glue for your kid’s crafts can be a daunting task with most child-safe or non-toxic glues turning into a gooey mess and common stronghold glues integrating harmful and toxic ingredients that are not safe for children to interact with.
When talking about crafting stationary, the best craft glues for kids are the ones that give you optimum results without sticking to other materials on your table.
There is a diverse range of glues available for kid’s crafts activities ranging from basic white PVA Glue to even new and improved child-friendly hot glue guns.
If you are a parent of a child who likes to express themselves through creative arts and crafts, below is a list of some of the best glues for kid’s crafts that are a must-have for your child’s stationery supplies.
What is Crafts Glue for Kids?
Who doesn’t enjoy a fun arts and crafts session, especially when it involves creating your very own crafts creations?
Simply described, crafts glue for kids are common or generic glues labeled as non-toxic and children-friendly.
Ideally, Crafts glue is often used for simple kid crafts activities involving lightweight materials such as paper, fabric, foam, or smaller pieces of wood.
While most glues meant for kids’ crafts activities are able to hold the weight of said materials, these glues are seldom formulated from similar ingredients.
There are different types of glues in the market that perform various functions, with some having a stronger hold and others formulated to be water-resistant.
Are there different types of Glue for Kids Crafts?
As a matter of fact, yes there is a myriad of glue available in the market that have different functions.
While white PVA glue is among the most common types of glue to grab during your supermarket visit, there are different types of glues you can try for different craft projects.
Glues based on their formula can vary significantly in terms of their function, purpose, and results.
If you are looking for specific types of glue for varied arts and crafts projects, here is a list of different types of glues for kids’ crafts:
1. White Glue:
White glue is the basic and generic glue that you often find in school supplies. Made from Polyvinyl Acetate white glue is often referred to as PVA or PVAc glue.
Although it is associated with school crafts projects, white glue is among the most widely available glues and can also be used for carpentry.
White glue is not water resistant but can be used on porous materials like wood, paper, and different textured fabrics.
2. Glue Gun:
Just like Plain white glue, a hot glue gun or a glue gun is a definite must-have for any household that enjoys collaborative crafts activities.
Hot Glue Guns are electrical equipment shaped like a gun that is used to melt away glue sticks.
These guns are extremely versatile and come in both large as well as small sizes with their corresponding glue sticks.
Glue guns are great for quick and easy art projects as they dry extremely quickly and have a firm hold.
3. Tacky Glue:
If you are looking for a stronger alternative to your common White PVA Glue, tacky glue might be your next best item to try.
Tacky glue has a flexible finish with a stringer hold and often falls into the category of rubber cement.
Tacky glue is great for crafts projects involving ceramics, foam, fabrics, styrofoam, wood, and paper.
4. Glue Stick:
Glue sticks are another school stationery supply must-have and are great for younger children to use.
Glue sticks apply clear and are often easy to use, non-toxic, child-friendly, child-safe, and acid-free.
While glue sticks are a great alternative for younger children, it has a comparatively weaker hold than white glue and can only be used on paper or other smaller and lighter materials.
5. Fabric Glue:
If your next DIY craft project involves sticking together two different fabrics, then fabric glue is yours to try.
Fabric Glue is a strong-hold adhesive that has a flexible hold specifically formulated for mending or pasting different fabrics like vinyl seats, cushion covers, and even outdoor gear.
6. Mod Podge:
Mod Podge is a form of decoupage medium that is used as both an effective adhesive and sealant.
It is often used in arts and crafts projects to prep, seal, and finish the product and often comes in several different formulas.
Mod Podge is a water-based glue that is water-resistant and dishware safe, making it perfect for different types of crafts.
7. Super Glue:
Super Glues also called cyanoacrylates are a family of fast-drying, stronghold adhesives that are used for household, industrial, and medical purposes.
Super glue often dries up within a few seconds of application and can be used on crafts materials like metal, plastic, glass, paper, and stone.
8. Wood Glue:
Wood glue is a water-based yellow-colored adhesive that is a firm hold adhesive that is used to tightly bond porous pieces of wood.
Wood glue can be perfect for crafts projects that incorporate bonding together multiple wooden pieces like ice cream sticks.
9. Glue Dots:
Glue dots are a fun way to bond together smaller components especially when you are doing intricate paper projects.
These dots are small circular pressure-sensitive adhesives that are safe for kids to use and are great for paper crafts such as scrapbooking.
A list of the best Glues for Kids Crafts:
With all the basics of the glue covered, you can now find the best glue that suits your child’s crafts needs and requirements.
Every Crafts project has its own requirements and often calls for different types of glues that can be used to achieve optimum results.
To help you find the best glues for kids’ crafts, here is a list of some of the best adhesives and glues for kids’ craft projects to achieve desired results:
Beacon Advanced Crafting Glue:
The Beacon Advanced Crafting can be a go-to glue for all the kid’s crafts needs and requirements.
This glue for kids’ crafts is acid-free and can be used on paper, different textured wood, beads, fabrics, and cork among other crafting materials.
The glue has the viscosity of a hot glue gun stick making it user-friendly with a runny finish that can come aid in fixing any early mistakes during the crafts activity.
Mod Podge:
Mod podge is among the stationery staples especially if you enjoy making complex arts and crafts projects
Mod Podge is a three-in-one product that acts as a glue, sealer, and even a finishing product for your crafts projects.
Hot Glue Gun:
Hot glue guns are among the most versatile glues and come in varied sizes with their corresponding glue stick cartridges.
These guns use quick-drying adhesives that are melted by an electric gun and can be used to bond plastic, stones, metal, paper, wood, foam, and fabrics.
Elmer’s Craftbond Tacky Glue:
When using Elmer’s Craftbond Tacky Glue, a little goes a very long way. This glue kids’ craft comes in a larger quantity making it perfect for heavy-duty projects and high-volume work.
This glue like Elmer’s white glue comes out white when you start off but later turns clear and is made from a quick-drying formula.
This tacky glue is perfect for lightweight crafts projects involving paper or other lightweight crafts materials.
Aleene’s Always Ready Tacky Glue:
Aleene’s Always Ready Tacky Glue is among the most celebrated kids’ crafts glues and for very good reasons.
This tacky glue has a high-viscosity formula that is significantly easier to dispense thanks to its smart cap engineering.
Even though Aleene’s Always Ready Tacky Glue is not acid-free, it is kid-friendly and easy to clean up.
Along with paper, you can also use Aleene’s Always Ready Tacky Glue on other lightweight materials like wood and fabrics.
Glue Dots:
Glue dots often come in handy especially when you do not have time to wait for the glue to dry.
Glue dots are a mess-free alternative to your common liquid as they are made from pressure-sensitive adhesives.
Glue dots come in two varieties, permanent glue, and temporary or removable glue dots.
E 6000 Crafts Adhesives:
We all know and love the E 6000 industrial glue, but did you know there is an E 6000 glue meant for kids’ crafts?
As a matter of fact, yes the E 6000 Crafts adhesive is a great glue for bonding wood, metal, ceramics, leather, fabrics, vinyl, paper, and more.
This craft glue not only has a firm hold but is also quick drying, flexible, and water resistant, making it a versatile glue for almost all crafting projects.
Super Glue:
Super glues are ideal for heavy-duty meaning and repair projects as they have an extremely strong bond.
Super glue is perfect for mending or bonding metal, leather, vinyl, fabrics, ceramics, and glass surfaces.
The formula and composition of super glue ensure that the glue dries quickly, is clear, and with a superior bond without any clamping required.
Glue Sticks:
Glue sticks are a common adhesive found in preschool and elementary schools.
These sticks are a child-friendly, non-toxic, and child-safe alternative to common glues and are great for smaller crafts projects.