One of the most common concerns of beginning scrapbookers is how to adhere glue to scrapbooks. However, choosing the right adhesive products for your layouts doesn't have to be a difficult task.
Choosing a Safe Adhesive
Scrapbooking is different from other craft projects in that you want to make sure your creation will last for generations. When done properly, a scrapbook will be a treasured family keepsake for many years to come.
Scrapbookers should avoid using rubber cement or Scotch Tape in their albums and seek out products designed for the special demands of scrapbooking. Photo-safe, archival-safe, acid-free, non-toxic, pH neutral and xylene-free are all terms that may be used to describe scrapbooking adhesives.
Adhesive Options
An experienced scrapbooker knows that there is no such thing as a "one size fits all" adhesive product. A product that works well to adhere photos may be unsuitable for chipboard embellishments, while adhering ribbon to a layout requires an entirely different approach. For this reason, it's not uncommon for a scrapbooker to use three or four different types of adhesive to create one layout.
Adhesive products that may be useful for your scrapbooking include:
- Glue sticks: Glue sticks are an inexpensive adhesive that can be used on cardstock, patterned paper, photos, and die cuts.
- Mounting squares: Although removing the paper backing can be a time-consuming task, mounting squares provide a strong bond for adhering photos to your album pages.
- Glue dots: Glue dots are an excellent adhesive choice for scrappers who enjoy using ribbon, chipboard, buttons, or other 3D embellishments in their albums.
- Liquid glue: A wet adhesive that is sold in pens, tubes, or bottles, liquid glue is used most often used to adhere small accents, beads, or glitter to your pages. However, as you're deciding how to adhere glue to scrapbooks, it's important to remember that you should never use a wet adhesive for gluing photos since this can cause warping and other signs of damage.
- Adhesive foam or foam mounting tape: If you love scrapbook pages that are full of dimension, adhesive foam is a crafting necessity. Adhesive foam, sometimes known as foam mounting tape, is available in small squares or dots.
- Adhesive spray: Adhesive sprays work well for adhering transparencies, vellum, and other see-through page elements, but these products should only be used in a well-ventilated area.
- Adhesive dispensers: Adhesive dispensers, such as those made by Hermafix or Tombow, neatly apply a thin strip of double-sided tape to your layout. While purchasing the initial dispenser is an investment, refills are affordably priced.
- Adhesive machines: The Xyron and other adhesive machines make scrapbooking a snap by dispensing an even coat of adhesive on paper, photos, and other flat accents. However, this is the most expensive method of creating your pages.
How to Adhere Glue to Scrapbooks: Removable and Permanent Adhesive
When learning how to adhere glue to scrapbooks, it's important to understand the difference between removable and permanent adhesive. Removable adhesive products form a lightweight bond that allows you to easily change the position of elements on your page if you decide you don't like the composition of your layout. While this is a great convenience for the beginning scrapbooker, many crafters fear removable adhesives may cause photos and embellishments to come loose over time. To ensure the durability of your albums, choose permanent adhesives whenever possible.
Scrapping on a Budget
If you're on a tight budget, every penny counts. To save money, don't cover the entire page with adhesive. Simply apply a dab of adhesive in each corner, then add a diagonal strip for a strong bond.
Since adhesives are a scrapbooking essential, you may also want to consider looking for sales and coupons to stock up on your favorite products. Large craft stores such as Hobby Lobby and Michaels Crafts often run specials on glue dots, glue sticks, and other adhesives used for scrapbooking.
Adhesive Remover
With a photo-safe adhesive remover such as Un-Du, you'll never have to worry about ruining your layout with misplaced elements or sloppy adhesive application. Simply use of few drops of this unique product to neutralize the adhesive and safely lift your item off the page.
