How to Glue Felt: Best Glue for Felt Crafts
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Have you wondered what is the best glue for felt? You might have already noticed that not all glues work well on felt. As felt is fuzzy, you’ll need to look for the right choice of glue when sticking felt to felt or other material. This guide helps you to find the best glue for felt. It shares an overview of types of glue for felt, features to consider when buying the glue, and a list of best glues for felt. The choice of best glue also depends on the felt craft project you are working on. It’s going to differ, for example, for kids’ crafts, felt banners, or felt wreaths. I recommend the hot glue gun as the best glue for felt. In the end, the choice is personal and depends on your preferences too.
Table of Content
The Best Glue for Felt
Having a good glue for felt is essential to achieve the right results with your project. My choice of glue for felt depends on the felt craft project I’m making. For example, I wouldn't like to use toxic glue for kids' projects.
You might use glue on felt in these felt craft projects:
to support and hold felt together before sewing (machine sewing or hand-sewing)
to make no-sew felt projects - for example, felt faces for felt boards, face mask, no-sew Quiet Books
to do 3D felt objects - gluing felt flowers to frame, making felt frames
To help you choose the right glue for the next felt project, I ran a glue test. Following reviews and suggestions, I have selected adhesives that should work on felt. I used PVC felt, and wool blend felt for the test.
I hope that this guide helps you to find the best glue for your felt fabric craft project.
Fun Cloth Crafts Finger Puppets with Free Patterns
When it comes to working with felt for craft projects, the choice between sewing and gluing felt is an important consideration. Sewing felt projects has several advantages. Firstly, sewing provides a strong and durable bond. Stitches can withstand repeated use and handling, making them ideal for projects that will undergo regular wear and tear. Secondly, sewing allows for more intricate designs and precise placement of embellishments. It enables you to achieve a professional and polished look. On the other hand, using glue for felt projects also has its advantages. Glue provides a quick and easy way to adhere felt pieces together, making it ideal for simple and straightforward projects. It also allows for flexibility, as the adhesive can be easily applied to small and intricate areas. Additionally, glue is suitable for projects that don't require a permanent bond, such as temporary decorations or costumes. Ultimately, the choice between sewing and gluing felt crafts depends on the specific requirements of the project and one's personal preference and experience with each method.
I prefer to use glue for felt flowers, felt board sets, felt wall art, and felt banners. Felt flowers or felt banners serve as a decoration and, once displayed, aren’t touched anymore. I opt for sewing with felt finger puppets and felt softies. Finger puppets are being used repeatedly and must withstand regular wear and tear.
Several types of glue can be used on felt. Tacky glue, Super glue, Hot glue, fabric glue types should work on felt. However, not all glues within the category are the same, and not all felt is the same, even in the same category.
Tacky glue is an all-purpose glue with a similar formula to school glue but with a thicker consistency. Super glue dries fast and makes a strong bond. However, it bonds well when there is moisture present. The hot glue gun can bond uneven surfaces and dries fast. This type of glue is recommended among felt crafters, especially when it comes to 3D felt projects. Fabric glue is usually waterproof and holds two fabrics together. Standard craft glue isn’t generally recommended for felt. The craft glue that is of thicker consistency might work, though. Therefore I included one in the test.
I incorporated this set of characteristics for you to have an idea how the glue types differ.
Characteristics of types of glue:
Tacky Glue
resin based glue
longer drying
non-toxic glue
kid friendly
dries clear and flexible
Super Glue
an acrylic resin that cures (forms its strongest bond) almost instantly
fast drying
unsuitable for kids
can only bond with a surface when there is moisture present
dry clear
Hot Glue
polymer based glue
melt under temperature with two melting options - high and low
unsuitable for kids
can bond uneven surfaces
many varieties and performances are available depending on the polymer type
fast drying
Fabric Glue (Fabric Adhesive)
based on a nontoxic water-soluble formula or a more industrial-strength formula for heavier fabrics and maximum hold
lightweight to heavyweight fabric bonding
holds together two pieces of fabric
flexible even after drying and are usually waterproof
sticks hard and dries fast
Craft Glue
water-based adhesive
low toxicity or non-toxic depending on the glue
kid friendly
long drying
Finding good glue for felt is not easy as felt is a nonwoven porous fabric produced from fibers. Therefore, the glue might soak in the fabric if it’s too liquid. In addition, felt is made from different fibers (either natural, synthetic, or combination), resulting in different characteristics and qualities. Therefore, the glue might not have the proper bond depending on the fiber type.
I’ve created a list of features that you may consider when choosing the glue for felt. These are also the features that I tested in the best glue for felt test.
Drying Time
Strength of Bond
Finish Color
Change to Felt Properties
Ease Of Use
Kid-Friendliness
Odor
The choice of the different glue for felt tested in the test comes from reviews on the Internet, trying to have a representative in each glue type category, and the glue I knew works.
The articles where I looked for inspiration:
8 Glue for Felt
UHU Bastelkleber
UHU Low Melt Glue Gun XL 40W
Pattex Textil 20G
Unfortunately, I would have loved to include a couple of glue that I couldn't get to Austria for the test. Maybe I can get hold of them in the future and include them in the test.
Glue to consider that was not tested:
8 Tested Glue for Felt and Their Characteristics
UHU Bastelkleber
This UHU handicraft white glue is solvent-free, fast-setting glue. It dries transparent and permanent. For use, apply adhesive to one side of the assembly, wait for a couple of minutes, then press parts in place. Once it has dried, it will not dissolve in water and is difficult to remove. This glue is suitable for kids.
Tilswall Hot Melt Glue Gun 50W
It's a hot glue gun with 329 °F (165 °C) constant temperature. Eco-friendly, odor-free adhesive sticks included. This hot glue gun heats up in 3 minutes. Tilswall mini glue gun has a power switch which is handy when switching it on and off. This glue isn’t suitable for kids.
UHU Low Melt Glue Gun XL 40W
This UHU low melt glue gun operates on temperatures of only 230 °F (110 °C). It's transparent and suitable for use on heat-sensitive materials. With this glue gun, you need to work fast as it dries real quick. Press the pieces together for some seconds, and correct if necessary. This glue isn’t suitable for kids.
Guetermann Textile Glue HT2
The Guetermann Textile Glue is ideal for gluing different materials, including applications, PVC, leather. It bonds rapidly and permanently. It's washable to 104 F (40° C). Apply the glue on one of the fabric pieces and allow it to dry for 5 minutes. Next, place the fabric pieces together and leave them to dry for 30 minutes. Ironing enhances the stability of the glue.
Pattex Textil 20G
Pattex Special Textile glue is suitable for attaching fabrics, including felt. It's transparent and resistant to washing and ironing. This glue dries after 30-60 minutes. It is also suitable for fabrics that have been combined with other materials, such as wood, leather, and metal. However, it is not suitable for polyester (PE), polypropylene (PP), Teflon or expanded polystyrene. Note that some felt is PE fiber-based. This glue isn’t suitable for kids.
Aleene's Original Tacky Glue
The all-purpose formula of Aleene's original tacky glue holds items on contact and permanently adheres a variety of surfaces, including felt. It has a similar formula to school glue but with a thicker consistency. It dries clear in about 35 minutes. This glue is non-toxic and suitable for kids.
Aleene's Fabric Fusion
The clear, low odor, and non-stringing formula of Fabric Fusion makes it easy to work with. It's a permanent adhesive that is perfect for adhering to a variety of surfaces and embellishments.
Use Fabric Fusion sparingly – too much adhesive will slow the drying process and over-saturate the fabric, weakening the adhesion. It takes about 2-4 hours to dry. This glue is non-toxic and suitable for kids.
Beacon Fabri-Tac
Fabri-Tac is a fabric glue with a fast-grab, quick-dry, and flexible formula. This adhesive won't soak into fabrics. Make sure you bond the surface without delay, as Fabri-Tac is fast drying. Avoid spreading glue too thinly as it may then dry too quickly. This adhesive is toxic and flammable when wet. This glue is not suitable for kids.
How to Glue Felt: Eight Glue tested
What is the best way to know if the glue sticks to felt than to test it? So I decided to perform a side-by-side test of the glue for felt to understand what kind of glue to use with felt. I also observed the odor, change of felt properties, and ease of use. In addition, I was curious if there is any difference in results depending on the type of felt. Therefore, I tested polyester-based, and wool blend felt. I hope the findings will be helpful to many felt crafts as they are to me.
I’ve tested the featured glue for felt in the following tests:
Drying time and strength of bond after 1 minute
Both hot glue guns, low and high-temperature melt, were fast in drying time and did hold a bond after 1 minute. This result was closely followed by Beacon's Fabri-Tac and Guetermann Textile glue, which had a strong bond just after 1 minute. All the other glues didn't create a bond at this point.
Drying time and strength of bond after 24 hours
The UHU low melt hot glue gun and Tilswall hot glue gun hold felt strong, as well as Guettermann Textile glue and Beacon Fabri-Tac.
Tacky glue and UHU Bastelkleber have medium level bond.
Pattex textil, Fabric Fusion don't create a strong bond.
Test of finish color after drying
UHU low melt hot glue gun and Tilswall hot glue gun dry the same color of the glue stick. All the other glues dry clear, and transparent.
Can the needle pass through the glued felt when dry?
Try to place the glue on felt where you know a needle doesn't need to go through. You might still be able to poke the needle through the UHU bastelkleber and Tacky glue. There is some chance with Beacon Fabri-Tac and Guetermann Textile glue. Forget about trying to poke the needle through the glue from the hot glue gun. It's like a stone.
Odor
Beacon Fabri-Tac has a powerful odor and should be used in a ventilated area. Another strong smell goes for Guetermann Textile glue, kind of alcohol-like. Hot glue guns also bring some odor which reminds me of heated plastic. UHU Bastelkleber has light acid smell. Pattex Textil and Tacky glue have a mild smell. I couldn't smell anything with Fabric Fusion. So if you are scent sensitive, I would avoid Beacon Fabri-Tac and Guetermann Textile glue.
Polyester Felt versus Wool Blend Felt
In general, the glues perform better on wool blend felt than polyester felt. UHU Bastelkleber and Tacky glue have a better bond with the wool blend felt than PES felt. For the hot glue guns, Guetermann Textile glue, and Beacon Fabri-Tac the performance is the same. Fabric Fusion doesn't work on PES felt. Pattex Textil works well on wool blend felt but not polyester felt.
Eight tested glue for felt with tested felt circles
The felt finish color after drying
Here is a summary of the test for the best glue for felt:
The best glue for felt is a hot glue gun! After doing all these tests, I now understand why crafters love hot glue guns for felt. It does work! It has a very good and fast bond (drying time of approx. 30 seconds) on any type of felt. In addition, a hot glue gun doesn't give a strong odor. However, it's not suitable for all felt crafting projects. The disadvantage of a hot glue gun for felt is that it dries hard and cannot be applied precisely to small felt shapes. It's also not suitable for kids. Therefore I wouldn't use it for kids' crafts unless you can assist your younger kids. The hot glue gun wouldn't be my preferred go-to for holding felt together before sewing (machine sewing or hand sewing).
If I should choose the best glue for holding pieces together before sewing, I would select Guetermann Textile glue or Beacon Fabri-Tac. I find Beacon Fabri-Tac easier to use in its bottle packaging. They create a fast, strong bond. However, they are toxic and flammable when liquid. Also, they have a strong odor. They are definitely not suitable for kids.
The best glue for felt kids' craft projects is Aleene’s Tacky Glue and UHU Bastelkleber. The glue creates a medium bond but takes a long time to dry (2 hours up to 24 hours for complete dryness). The good news is that tacky glue is non-toxic.
In summary, the right choice of glue when sticking felt to felt will depend on the felt project you are working on and the type of felt you use. Overall, it's a challenge to find good glue that works on felt. Even though I tested recommended adhesives for felt, some still performed relatively poorly due to the felt made of polyester fibers. Following the test results, a good quality hot glue gun is the safest choice for ensuring a successful bond of felt to felt. If you buy a new glue, I suggest trying it on a small scrap of felt first.
Thank you for reading! What are your thoughts? Let me know if you find this article useful, and share any tips of yours! It’s going to help a ton if you share the post on social media.
Enjoy the felt crafting time :)
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XO, Anna