Which Glue is Best for Cardmaking?
WHICH OF THESE FOUR GLUES DO I THINK IS BEST FOR CARDMAKING SUCCESS?
I get asked this question a lot in our Facebook group and through emails. “Which glue do I recommend for cardmaking and in my tutorials?”
I decided I would put four of the most popular glues to the test to put side by side for a comparison for you all to see.
This post contains some affiliate links (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you). Read my full disclosure policy here.
I put Art Glitter Glue, Bearly Art Glue, Beacon 3 in 1 Advanced Craft Glue, and Aleene's Tacky Glue to the test.
I did an application test, a dry test, and finally a layered dry test. I glued three layers of medium weight cardstock together to see if there was any buckling.
Check out the full experiment in the video below.
Art Glitter Glue
This glue is highly recommended by many crafts and cardmakers alike. The precision tip is just amazing to get into the little corners of the most intricate of cuts.
Dry Test: 10/10
The Art Glitter Glue dried clear and left no tack on the surface.
Application Test: 10/10
The precision tip applies glue in a very thin, delicate line. The glue is not watery at all. It is a bit of a pain to glue larger areas with this glue as the precision tip sometimes scratches the surface of the cardstock.
Stack Test: 9/10
There was some warping of the cardstock stack after everything dried. It isn't as noticeable as some of the glues on this list but it is still there. The more layers you add the more the warping becomes obvious.
Beacon 3 in 1 Advanced Craft Glue
This glue is solvent based as opposed to water based like the other three on this list. There is a bit of an odor that I equate to rubber cement.
Dry Test: 10/10
The Beacon 3 in 1 dried clear and left no tack at all. There is a nice sheen that is left after the glue has dried making it perfect to apply on top of die cuts to add that glossy look!
Application Test: 10/10
The Beacon 3 in 1 went on so very smooth. The application nozzle makes it easy to apply and it just glides on the paper. While there isn't a precision tip, the line of glue wasn't too thick.
Stack Test: 10/10
The Beacon 3 in 1 glue caused no warping at all. The three cards remained completely flat. It was amazing!
Bearly Art Glue
Bearly Art Glue is widely used and considered by many to be a good alternative to Art Glitter Glue. The set comes with two different precision tips, which is nice, plus a storage cap!
Dry Test: 10/10
This glue dries clear and leaves no tack.
Application Test: 8/10
While the two applicator tips are impressive, the glue itself seems quite watery to me. The glue didn't run all over and did hold it's shape but it definitely is thinner than Art Glitter Glue.
Stack Test: 6/10
When the stacks of cardstock dried, I was left with some pretty warped cardstock. You can except some degree of warping with any waterbased glue since paper and water don't mix but this was pretty bad. It looked like I had dripped the card into a puddle of water and let it dry.
Aleene's Tacky Glue
This thick glue is a staple in many people's craft rooms. The all-purpose quality leads itself to be a go-to for many!
Dry Test: 10/10
This glue did dry clear and wasn't tacky at all despite it's name.
Application Test: 6/10
The Tacky Glue needs to be pierced in order to use it. You can make the opening as large or small as you like. That being said, the glue itself is pretty thick and can be quite hard to squeeze out. I was having a difficult time getting it out onto the cardstock.
Stack Test: 8/10
The Aleene's Tacky Glue is a nice glue for many craft projects. It is reliable for all kinds of applications. However, there was warping of the cardstock after the stack dried.
Final Score and My Thoughts
Art Glitter Glue: 29/30
Beacon 3 in 1 Advanced Craft Glue: 30/30
Bearly Art Glue: 23/30
Aleene's Tacky Glue: 23/30
My recommendations would be Beacon 3 in 1 Advanced Craft Glue and Art Glitter Glue.
The Beacon 3 in 1 was just stellar in its application and stack testing. It really opened my eyes to the difference between solvent-based and water-based glues. There is an odor but it wasn't so strong that I couldn't use it. Plus, the smell is gone after the glue dries.
The Art Glitter Glue is just amazing. The precision tip allows you to get into those tiny areas and dries beautifully. There was some warping but nothing too noticeable until you start to layer several pieces of card together.
I would say the Beacon 3 in 1 would be great for your mats and layers as well as attaching your finished embellishments to your cards. The Art Glitter Glue is the perfect choice for actually layering your embellishments!
What do you think? Do you have a favorite glue that wasn't mentioned here? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Crafting!
WANT TO MAKE GREETING CARDS AND PAPERCRAFTS ON YOUR CRICUT?
JOIN THE BEARDED HOUSEWIFE CRAFTERS CLUB TO GAIN ACCESS TO HUNDREDS OF SVG CUT FILES, PROJECTS, AND OUR EXCLUSIVE COMMUNITY!
WANT TO REMEMBER THIS POST FOR LATER? PIN THIS POST TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
Tombow is the best. Also Gina K.
I love Zip Dry Glue. The only drawback is trying to cut the tip to be as fine as the tips of Art Glitter and Bearly.
I use Art Glitter or Bearly Art glue those are my go to. I have tried Aleene’s Tacky glue and didn’t care for it. I found it difficult to use while making cards and 3-D crafts. I have done layering with both Art Glitter and Bearly Art glues, I haven’t experienced warping or maybe just didn’t noticed. There are many glues on the market I guess it’s crafters preference. Great article and thanks for the info.
I love Aqua Glue. It has two tips, one on top and one on bottom. The bottom one is for wide areas and the “tip” is a spreader. The top is a fine point for those little things. I use the fine point side for making my envelops and the spreader for larger areas. It is a clear color glue.
I also use Elmer’s All Purpose white glue – especially for gluing gems to my cards and those tiny intricate areas. The standard tip on Elmer’s is okay but I prefer those little plastic squeeze bottles with the long narrow tip and I fill those bottles with Elmer’s. It’s probably one of the oldest glues and I can trust it to keep things stuck where I want them.
I have tried a lot of other glues over the years but in the end, I always go back to the two above.
bearly art glue I never had warpping as you describe.
I love Art Glitter Glue. Use it on all my paper crafts & in crepe paper flower making.
Excellent article, Nick. This really helps cardmakers.
Thank you.
Thank you, Lucy! I appreciate that.
Excellent video Nick. This is very helpful. I’ve been using the Tacky Glue and you’re correct about the difficulty in squeezing the bottle. I’m glad to know there are much better alternatives.
Nick, one thing that you don’t mention in your tutorial is drying time. Art Glitter glue dries real fast so if you have a big surface to glue you must work fast. But it is still my favorite. Need to try the Beacon 3-in-1, sounds promising.
I use Aleene’s tacky glue cause that’s the only one I could find in canada. I will have to look for Beacon’s 3 in 1. Do you happen to know where I can get it. Amazon has it but its like $22 for 8oz. I am sure that is a ridiculous price.
I use Beacon 3 in 1 most of the time and Aleene’s Tacky Glue.
Zip Dry glue is by Beacon also, like the 3 in 1 glue- and is specifically for paper, I love it!
Beacon 3 in 1 all the way here! For all the reasons you stated PLUS it’s waaay cheaper (here in Canada and probably other places too) than Bearly Art or Art Glitter! And yes, Aleenes is cheaper still but it’s very, very difficult to keep it from warping.
I have been using the tombow “green glue” as it is referred to. How does it compare to the others?