Have you never noticed? Well it happens, it always happens. We go to our work table to make another craft, another creation, we remove all the articles and belongings from the tool box and place them in the cutting wand: Sometimes the scissors, sometimes the cutter, others we resort to needles, sometimes we choose brushes, accompanied by the stapler, hammer, paints, adhesive tape … We invoke all the tools we have as we need them: sometimes some and at other times we use different ones, but the truth is that the King of Crafts is never, ever missing. We talk about the wonderful glue .
We may decide to make a creation out of fabric, paper, cardboard, wool or thread, and even metal. The material can vary according to our imagination, desire or taste, but the one that is always present in any of the crafts that we are going to create is glue. Seriously, take your memory back as long as you can and you will see that what I am telling you is true. Glue has always accompanied you in all your creations. For that reason he is the King of Crafts. For that reason I am convinced that it deserves a post. You deserve this post. Let’s do him the honors that are due him.
“Glue. Substance that can hold two bodies together by surface contact ”. It is the Wikipedia definition of our protagonist. To find the origin of the glue we have to go back to prehistory. The first documented use that we know of is located in Königsaue, Germany. It is a fingerprint formed in remains of vegetable tar, it is believed to be around 80,000 years old. The human being has used it throughout its history from the Greeks (who were habitual users of glues of vegetable origin and especially those of animal origin) until today, when we habitually use chemical glues, from the white glue (discovered by Frizt Klatte, in 1912), up to the so-called cyanoacrylates (patented for the first time in 1958, thanks to the Eastman company.
Now that you know better the true king of our great hobby, do you know what glues are used in crafts? And above all, do you know how to use them and the precautions to take into account? I’m going to help you get it …
Types of glues and their use in crafts:
- • Liquid silicone . Ideal for use with multiple materials: paper, fabric, cardboard, foam, fine wood, felt … Its great advantage is its ease of use, much more appropriate than hot silicone. Ideal for children to work with, always with our supervision, of course.
- • Silicone or hot glue . Also called “hot melt glue”, to be able to work it it is necessary to have a silicone gun. It is highly recommended for use on strong and heavy materials. Its main advantage is its binding force, but we must be very careful when handling it as we run the risk of burning. Avoid being used by the smallest of the house.
- • Glue stick . Widely used in schools, it is the favorite glue of children. Simple to use and with little risk to health since they usually have neutral or acid-free PH. One of the main characteristics is that it is very manageable when joining the materials. It dries quickly and does not cause humidity, making it ideal for use with paper, cardboard and origami.
- • White glue . It is a classic within the glues. It is used with many materials, from paper to wood, through fabric, cardboard, plastic, decoupage, foamy … It is non-toxic, soluble with water and very easy to clean.
- • Universal glue . It is the most used. Transparent, multipurpose, it can be used with a multitude of materials: plastic, wood, cardboard, paper, fabric, cork … Very effective and one of its qualities is the ease of modifying the position of the materials before they dry.
- • Spray glue . Ideal for use in corners or spaces that are difficult to reach in our crafts. Highly recommended also to apply on the entire surface of the work before starting it. There are many models for all types of jobs. IMPORTANT! Always use in a well ventilated place and never use it without supervision by children.
- • Instant glue (Cyanoacrylate). Very strong glue and really fast to dry, it holds a lot of weight. Ideal for hard and robust materials such as wood, metal, porcelain, leather, ceramic … Effective for use with fragments and small parts. We can buy it both in gel and liquid. Waterproof. Its biggest flaw is its toxicity and that it can damage the skin if touched and not removed quickly.
These are the most common in the world of crafts, but there are many other types of glue such as double-sided tape, adhesive foam, glue for jewelry, decoupage glue, special glue for photography, glue varnish …
Precautions to consider:
- In case of inhaling the glue, ventilate the place where we are. If necessary, perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
- In case of contact with the skin, wash the area with plenty of soap and water to finish applying a moisturizing cream.
- In case of contact with the eyes, rinse them with plenty of water and seek medical advice without fail.
- In case of ingestion, do not induce vomiting and do not drink milk or alcohol.
- In serious cases, go urgently to the health services.
Well. I think we have paid a good tribute to the king of crafts with all the honors he deserves. As it is an accessory of royalty that we do not forget to treat it as it deserves, surely if we do it it will always return us with a great job.