When choosing glue for papercraft, consider your needs: quick-drying and strong hold, textured or glossy finish, or temporary adhesion.

Our guide helps you select the best glue for your specific papercraft projects.

What is the Best Glue To Use For Papercraft

PVA Glue

It's the most versatile adhesive!

You can use PVA on a great range of mediums, including wood, plastic, paper, fabric, card and so much more!

It doesn't contain solvents and can be wiped clean with water when wet, so it's a safe glue for children to use, and you can use it indoors as it doesn't emit any strong or dangerous odours.

As well as an adhesive for your craft projects, you can also use PVA glue as a translucent and durable layer to help protect against damage, abrasion and give an extra layer of shine.

Mod Podge/ Decoupage Glue

Mod Podge is a well-known, water-based, non-toxic glue, sealer and finish - a fabulous all-in-one craft supply that is loved by crafters all over the world!

The name "Mod Podge" is actually a brand name that has become synonymous with the product itself, which is commonly known as "Decoupage Glue".

It has very similar properties to PVA glue, but has extra added properties that make it much more smooth, durable and help to provide an all-round more professional finish.

Decoupage is decorating objects using a build up of glue and other materials or fabrics, using glue as a sealant to provide a smooth finish.

You can also use decoupage glue for many other projects like scrapbooking, card making and paper mache.

Check out our Decoupage Glue here.

Glue Stick

This type of glue is perfect for papercrafting and scrapbooking. Glue sticks are neat little tubes of craft glues for very light-duty adhesion.

They are useful because they cure much faster than their liquid-based craft glue variants, like white glue and other school gel glues. It's a safe, clean and quick adhesive - ideal for children's craft projects.

It's also a great glue for sticking photos in a scrapbook - if you use only a thin layer then you can easily remove photos in the future with very minimal/no damage to the photos at all.

An essential for your scrapbook supplies.

Check them out here.

Glue Pens

The Glue Pen is a more refined version of a Glue Stick, allowing you to apply a very fine line of glue with more precision. It's great for card making and digital die cuts, and a must have for your crafting toolkit!

You can also use glue pens for glitter applications to paper projects.

Write words or draw line art and cover with glitter to add instant sparkle to your paper projects.

Browse our whole range of Glue Pens here.

Glitter Glue

Want to make your papercraft projects stand out more? Glitter pens are a great tool for adding some glam and sparkle to your designs!

It's a mess-free alternative to traditional glitter - with which the sparkles are inside the adhesive already, meaning you won't wind up with glitter flecks scattered all over your workstation and all over your home!

This glue is clear with coloured glitter pieces contained within for you to get extra creative with.

Have a look at all of our Glitter Glues here.

Silicone Adhesive

Silicone adhesive is a viscoelastic material and is pressure-sensitive, not in need of any curing process, and remains flexible instead of drying static.

It is used in a number of papercraft techniques, including decoupage to give the individual layers a 3D raised effect.

It can also be used with stained glass and in mosaics, on metal, glass, ceramic, wood, plastic and card.

Take a look at our silicone adhesives here.

Glue Gun

A glue gun is a portable device that utilizes and dispenses hot melt adhesives.

It's the perfect type of glue for heavy-duty projects as it creates a strong bond that dries quickly. You can also use it to create raised areas on your papercraft projects.

Glue guns operate at high temperatures so they require a lot of care and concentration whilst using in order to stay safe.

You can also use glue guns for quick DIY fixes at home - they are great for fixing a great number of household items, and a good tool to have lying about in your home.

Check them out here.

Glue Dots

Glue Dots or 'Sticky Dots' are an absolute must for all papercrafters.

They can be used in various different applications, such as sticking gift cards to paper, arts and crafts. It's also a safe adhesive for children to use, without needing a hot glue gun.

They are easy to apply and give a super-strong, instant bond - all of the stickiness minus the mess of other glues and adhesives.

Browse our full glue dot collection here.

Double-Sided Foam Tape

Sometimes, all you need is double-sided tape! Double sided tape is a great adhesive card making and children's craft projects, as it gives an instant result and leaves no mess at all.

It sticks quite firmly to a wide variety of surfaces, including paper, card and foam.

You can also use it for layering, securing die cuts, creating borders on your papercraft projects, creating shaker cards and so much more!

Shop our collection of foam tape here.

Double-sided Glue Roller

Double-sided Glue rollers are rolls of sticky tape encased in plastic that are used for paper crafting. They are perfect for bond paper, ribbon, photos and many other materials.

The bond is permanent and no drying time is necessary.

Check them out here.

Adhesive Compatibility Chart

If you cannot see it, click HERE to download the table.

This glue guide aims to help you get to grips with the basics of glues & adhesives. Check the alternative types of adhesive you could use in case you don't have another one at home with you already.

Now it's crafting time!

Finding the perfect glue for your papercraft projects mostly takes a bit of trial and error and is partly based on personal preference!

Remember - there's no right or wrong when it comes to crafting!

Whilst some people prefer to use one type of glue for a certain technique, you might find it more fun or more effective using a different type of glue to achieve the same results. Let yourself be free, and have fun.