4 Crafting Glues Worth Having in Your Bead Studio:
There are are times when a bit of glue can come in really handy when you are working with polymer clay. Knowing which glue to use and when to use them is the trick. Here are my personal favorites:
1) Liquid Polymer Clay: Translucent Liquid Sculpey (TLS) works great when you need to attach unbaked polymer clay either to other raw clay, or to something already baked. It also works for gluing together two pieces of already baked clay. Spread it out on your gluing surfaces and then rub with your finger to make it tacky. TLS bakes to a clear finish in the oven, and is quite strong.
2) Super Glue: Krazy Glue or any other cyanoacrylate instant glue works well for adjoining baked polymer clay to any non-porous material such as metal or glass. It works best with tight fitting pieces where there isn’t a lot of room for glue. I discussed an example of using Krazy glue with polymer clay in this article: Number Jewelry Made with Metal Scrapbook Embellishments and Fimo
3) Silicone Glues: Glues like E6000 or Goop work very well for gluing polymer clay to non-porous items like metal or glass. It smells terrible and is probably not very healthy for your brain. So use it in a well ventilated area. The upsides are that it sets super fast; it’s thick; and very strong.
4) Specialty PVA Glue: Weldbond – One of my favorite products for gluing anything to anything, if you have the time for it to dry. It is thick; strong; has no odor; is waterproof when dry; can handle the heat of baking; and the fluctuating temperatures of outside. I’ve used it for years for glass mosaic projects. Although this glue can set fairly quickly, be sure to let your projects sit over night for proper curing. Weldbond dries clear. It is more expensive than regular white glue, but cheaper than most other specialty glues. Cleans up with water rather than solvents.
Epoxy glues also work well with polymer clay. But they are a pain to mix; they set too quickly; and they smell bad. Proper ventilation is a must.
Another good glue I have used in the past is made by Gorilla Glue. They make a fast drying, super glue type product, but has very little fumes and as the name implies, is super,super strong. They make a product for wood, and I made a cigar humidor where I had to adhere wood to metal. You can use it to stick anything, anywhere.
Rob
Hi Cindy, another great guide here. Thanks for your insights about adhesives!
–Dave
@Rob: Thanks for the info! I’ve seen Gorilla Glue but haven’t tried it yet. Glad to hear it is compatible with polymer clay!
@Dave: You are very welcome! Thanks for commenting!
Hi, I have some metal bracelet blanks I was going to form, put a layer of polymer clay on then use cane slices to finish off bracelet. I thought about using Weldbond (PVA) glue on the metal before putting the first layer of clay on. Any suggestions or does this sound ok?
Thanks, Peggy
That should work fine Peggy, just make sure the glue is not too thick. You don’t want it to bubble when it bakes. You could also use a liquid polymer clay like TLS (Translucent Liquid Sculpey) if you wanted to. Sounds like a lovely project. Let us know how it goes.
Wellbond is an excellent product, and the glue holds for years. Funny how you can stumble on a product in an emergency, only to find it works better than all the stuff you purchased to use.
Credit to my Dad for the find. He was a pvc tubing sort of guy, LOL!
Thanks for this great info ! I’m a huge fan of weldbond-especially when glass is involved but I’d question it being waterproof when dry – it’s wonderful for decorative pieces but will fail if it’s immersed in water on a regular basis… I’d avoid it for functional items like glassware that need washing. (I ended up here in a search for an alternative to welbond because I’m doing a project involving glassware and pc)
best wishes-
gera
Thanks for the comment Gera! I agree, although Weldbond is highly resistant to water (it works great outside, even in rain), that doesn’t mean it can sit in water. Something more silicone or epoxy based would probably be better. My husband says he has a product named Titebond in the shop he thinks is waterproof. I will have to dig it out and test it to see if it is compatible with polymer and whether it really is water proof. If anyone knows for sure, do let us know!
I make pushpins with polymer clay, but glue them on a la: etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27606641
My question is can I bake the thumbtack right in the clay, and will it stay in or am I risking it will fall off and should i just continue to glue?
Thanks so much for your time. Your site is brilliant!
Kindest,
Nancy
Those pushpins are so cute. I have made in the past some eraser tops for pencils out of the eraser clay and then with premo with the same idea put it on the taller tacks they have a hard plastic top that does fine in the oven. I just was careful about making sure the first layer didn’t have any air bubbles under it. Got it smooth then built my bumble bee, sock monkey, fish, turtles, etc from there. I did take and put on a thin layer of liquid sculpey on the tack before putting on the first layer of clay. These are of course taller than the pushpins you make, I haven’t had one break apart on me yet. My grandkids have them on there corkboards in their room and so far they are standing up to the grandkids. So I think if you use a compatible glue or liquid pc on the tack before putting on your clay it should work fine. I hope this helps. The only thing I can see a problem with is you are baking onto something smooth and flat. My tacks have uneven texture to them which allows more for the clay to grab onto. I think I might be making this more difficult sounding than it is. Goodluck and let Cindy an all of us know if you give it a try and how it works.
STOCK UP TIME
Changing the subject Hobby Lobby has Sculpey, Premo and Fimo 2 oz. blocks on sale for 99 cents a bar this week thru September 12th. Great time to stock up. That is over half off on the Premo clay. I’m going tomorrow.
Get busy stocking, Peggy
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@Nancy: Thanks for your comment! I would just keep gluing your pins to the clay unless you want to completely embed the pin in the clay, which would be more work.
@Peggy: Love your idea for making taller push pins. They probably do well with the clay and don’t separate because they are plastic and bond to the liquid clay. Plus the ‘hour glass’ shape would hold on to the clay better than the smooth metal pins would.
Either way is great for making your own unique push pins. Thanks for sharing your ideas girls!
Cindy: How do you do it! I mean you are so busy, blog, twitter, videos and all the great advise. I absolutely love the butterfly pendant. I am even going to try to use the ginko leaf cutter to make some butterfly pins. Your brain must continue working and spinning even when you sleep. Or do you sleep? As I said as long as you continue I will follow. You amaze me every minute.
Thanks again for all your talent. You are a true artist.
Truely inspired, Peggy
@Peggy – Thank you so much for you kind words [blushing]
@Everyone: There is a preview video clip for the butterfly wing pendant tutorial that Peggy referred to above. You can watch by clicking on the link by my name above.
Where can I buy TLS -Translucuent Liquid Sculpey- could not find any at Michael’s in Vancouver – I live in the Kootenays BC… have lot’s of projects half started… Christmas is around…
Hi Danielle, nice to have a local here! I found my TLS in the Makins clay section at Michaels, a couple rows back from the row of regular polymer clay. Weird I know, but it seems that clayers did not plan the store!
Anyway, if you still can’t find it, you can order it online at shadesofclay.com They are a trust worthy Canadian company and have good service so you may want to give them a try.
Thank you so much for your reply Cindy. I have looked further and I might get TLS from OPUS in the future. Anyway, I did put an order at shadesofclay. Waiting for their reply. All the best to you . May we all surf the rainbow of our creativity, Danielle
I am not a PC artist but would like to incorporate PC in my glass art. Is it compatible with silicone adhesives? Also, when I roll a flat sheet on 2 or 3, it comes out uneven with a shiny area in the middle. The pasta machine is a new Amaco. Is it defective or is that too thin for PC? If it is compatible, I will definitely sign up. I have gotten great effects so far. I do not want to bake the glass, so I am baking the PC and applying with silicone adhesive.
Also, is there a cheaper way to but Magic Glos in larger quantities to make it cost effective for my use? I love your blog and all your members. They have helped me immensely already.
Lorrie Adams
@Lorrie: Hi Lorrie, yes, baked polymer clay is compatible with silicone adhesives like E-6000. The article at the top of this post has a list of compatible glues—item #3 is silicone glues.
Sometimes at the thinner settings of a pasta machine, the clay will start to stretch a bit, unevenly, and this could be what is making it look different. Also, lots of pasta machines have the alignment off by a little bit. They’re not defective, necessarily, just a tiny bit off. If it causes an uneven sheet, you can minimize it by turning the sheet each time you put it through (normally, you start at thickest setting, then work down by one or two settings at time until you get to the thickness you want.)
Make sure the pasta machine is clean, too—if the scrapers are dirty, they could make a difference in how your sheet looks (although with a new machine this wouldn’t be your problem.) Wipe down your brand-new machine with a paper towel & then alcohol to remove excess machine oil or anything else that might be on it.
There was talk about Magic Glos on today’s post, and someone said you can buy it a bit cheaper at Artbeads.com (free shipping & the more you buy the cheaper it is.) Cindy did a video on Ultradome resin, which is cheaper than Magic Glos, and you can buy it in large quantities at Ultradome.com or Epoxyjewelry.com (both sites sell a 2 oz. bottle for $12 w/free shipping to try.)
There’s a search box at the top of each page, so you can info on anything you’re looking for. Type in “Ultradome resin” or “resin video” to find posts where this is covered—there are some good discussions about the different resins. You can also use it to find other topics like “baking information” or “pasta machines”, etc. Be sure to read the comments under the articles, as you’ll often find even more info & tips there than in the original article! Also, Cindy has all kinds of videos with information to help you with the different aspects of claying, starting with the Polymer Clay Basics course (link at top of the page.)
Well, I hope that helps, and that we’ll see you around here! Polymer clay is very versatile, and compatible with so many other medias. Good luck to you! ~Kat, Riverside, CA, USA —Where are you from?
@Phaedrakat:
Hey, Kat, I am from Orlando, FL and haven’t found anyone who works in PC around here so this site has been awesome. I have watched the instructional tuts and have come a long way in a few weeks. I also joined so I am looking forward to Friday’s tut on dichroic look. I have successfully incorporated PC into a piece, now I just have to refine the process. I have a feeling that before long I will into making beads and jewelry too. You can see a sample of my work at: lorriesglassart.blogspot.com. Thanks to Bonnie, I just set this blog up. I know you had asked for photos before.Thanks.
@Lorrie: Wow, Lorrie, your glass is gorgeous! I’m so glad you pointed me to your blog (I am “following” you…) That’s amazing how you’re coming along so quickly with polymer clay. Sounds like the tutes have helped you quite a bit! That, and your natural artistic nature, of course. I have the same feeling, that beads & jewelry are in your future—I can’t wait ”til you get there so we can see what you come up with! Especially these PC and glass combo-pieces you’ve been working on. Thanks again for sharing, and have a great weekend! ~Kat
Wow, the tuts have helped. I wanted to do advanced things with PC and had absolutely no knowledge of how to work with the stuff. I had just started experimenting on my own and was trying to watch youtube videos but I have found everything I need in this one location and for a reasonable price. The books aren’t very clear and the videos on youtube are hit and miss. I took the beginner course from Cindy and will now start viewing the library videos as well. Still need to mix colors better. Thanks for all the nice comments. I will update the blog occasionally, haven’t quite mastered that yet but Bonnie has helped a lot.
Thanks!
Hi,
I have joined several small metal tins together using Super Glue and would like to now cover with polymer clay and bake. (I am making a purse.) But I have heard that Super Glue may be toxic when heated. Can you give me some insight? If that’s the case, could I take my little oven outside?
Thanks!
@Valerie Hay: I actually don’t know anything about baking a super glue Valerie. If you have heard it could be toxic, it would be better to be safe than sorry… so contacting the company that makes the glue would be your best bet for getting a proper answer. When you do find out, let us know. This is the kind of information that is helpful for everyone, including me. Good luck on your project!
Hi,
I have a friend who has an ebay business and she has agreed to put a few of my things up for sale. I just want to make things and have extra money in my pocket to buy more stuff. I’m not great, hardly a professional, but I am not bad either.
I make whatever it is I feel like at that moment, whether it be jewelry, mini food, sculptures, what have you. I have recently been inspired with jewelry, especially some earrings that require a post. The problem I am running into is adhering the post to the clay. I made little sand dollar studs. I used a cheap off-brand named super glue to attach it to the post. I wore them around for a day (The first is always for me!) and the next day I went to put them on again and one of the sand dollars came off of the post. The same has happened to the second one. The glue is still attached to the clay and it appears it is having problems attaching to the post.
Can you recommend a glue that will work well with attaching the stud to the post? What do you do?
Thanks, Michelle.
E6000 or Weldbond glue may work better for you Michelle, but it always works best if you can have your post imbedded in the clay. One option is to slip a disk of clay over the post so it attaches itself to your polymer earring back. (It is a lot easier to show you than it is to explain with words.) I have added post earrings to the list of suggested tutorials, but it could be awhile before I do an actual tute on it. Hopefully that helps a little.
What a wonderful post! Very helpful!
I was wondering if you had any advice on super small bonding. I make jewelry with clay and stones etc. I was wanting to add some different dimensions to my work so I have been searching for caviar beads that you use for nails or seed beads to add to my design. What glue or adhesive do you think would work best for that small detail type of work. The E6000 seems to work for rhinestones etc, but it is so thick and tacky it sometimes shows! I am so nit picky that it drives me batty. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Ivy
P.S. I forgot to mention, I have used hypo cement but it has not held very well.
Hi Ivy, super glues work well with polymer clay, especially Lisa Pavelka’s Polybonder. You can also try using Weldbond glue on a toothpick and see if that works for you in tiny amounts. I haven’t tried to glue that tiny of pieces to polymer clay, so I am not positive which adhesive will be the best for you. Maybe someone else here will chime in with another option for you to try as well? Good luck! Let us know if you figure it out.
I have never seen or heard of Welbond glue. Nor have I tried Lisa Pavelka’s. I will look into them. I was thinking about trying to use the varathane sealant to coat them, but I am afraid they will bubble. I like how Alkhymeia does hers where they are almost, piled on there. I assume she might use resin? I am not sure. I will do some experiments and let you know =)
I came across this thread when I did a search for my own question, which is similar. I have a figurine with a large blob of E6000 (quarter sized) that I want to re-bake, and I was wondering if it was safe. Your advice to “Valerie Hay” was to contact the manufacturer, and I guess I’ll do the same with my concern. I’ll post back with both the reply and the results, but would appreciate anyone relating their experiences, TIA.
Well I did hear back from the E6000 people, and their comment was, and I quote:
I would NOT recommend baking E6000 in the oven.
So, I’m going to make a piece that fits perfectly, then remove it, bake it without the figurine, and then glue it on, probably with E6000.
Thank you Barb so much for coming back and reporting what you found out about baking E6000! Very good information to know!
Hey there, i am havinv a terrible time glueing my pc to leather! Ive tried e6000 and a couple others. Please help!!!
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried to glue Polymer Clay to leather before, but I can see how you might be having trouble getting it to stick long term. The polymer being hard and the leather being flexible, will mean that the leather want to pull away from the polymer. Maybe if you riveted or sewed the polymer to your leather instead? That may hold better. I did do a couple of tutorials on riveting polymer clay and on attaching polymer to a hair clip. I know these aren’t specifically for attaching to leather, but the principles would be the same. If you type rivet into the search box it may give you some ideas. Good luck and I’ll try and do some testing to see if I can think of something else that will work.
I want to surround my clay with wire. What would I do to assure my clay would adhere to the wire? Would I put the polymer clay in the wire before of after baking? If after, what glue would you recommend to adhere the glue firmly to the wire?
Hi Linda, since I can’t see what your design is like, I am not totally sure what the best approach for you would be. But since wire can handle going into the oven, you could try testing a few different options to see what will be the best for you. Try wrapping a piece before baking, making sure that the wire is embedded some into the clay. Then after baking see if it can be pulled out easily or not. If it does come out, you could try using a gel super glue, or Weldbond or E6000 to glue it back in. Another option is to make the wire into a bezel like I did in the Faux Fordite Tutorial, then you won’t need to worry about glue at all. (Type Faux Fordite into the search box to find more info on that.)
Hi Cindy,
Quite a while back I had bought a Paste for polymer clay and a little bit goes a long way, but also it works so well because it holds together two pieces of polymer clay while you are working on something, like another part of the same project. This is a thick Paste, unlike any of the glues I’ve seen for polymer clay and you can bake your item with this paste on it. It’s a small bottle and the lable wore off and I don’t have much left so I’ve started to look for it again and I can’t find it anywhere, which is such a shame. It’s so good and it smells wonderful too–an added benefit! :) I’ll tell you what it smells like, remember when you were little and your mother bought you a new doll? That’s what it smells like–a new doll! :) I’ve never seen anything else with this smell, maybe people have used it to make dolls out of clay, I wouldn’t be surprised. Anyway, I guess they may have discontinued the Paste because not enough people may have bought it. Have you ever seen this Paste, or something like it?
Thanks!! :)
Karen
I did some searching online and I found something that I am hoping is the same as the Paste I once bought, it’s called Kato Poly Paste, 3/4 oz Pure Polymer clay is a paste form. Bond uncured and cured clays — and it looks like the same type of little bottle so maybe this is the Paste I like so much, I hope so! If it is it’s the best to me. I’ll post an update in regards to it. And, if possible, I hope you could try this paste out if you haven’t already and tell what you think of it.
thanks!!
Karen
Hi Karen! Donna Kato still produces Poly Paste, here is a link to her store and the item: Kato Poly Paste
Hi guys, I do have some Kato Polypaste here in the studio that I need to do some testing with. I will bump it up the list!
thanks Jocelyn!! :+)
Oh Good, I’m looking forward to see your polypaste testing video when it comes out. I use the paste for some Christmas ornaments that I make to add a thin strip of terra cotta polymer clay to the border around each of the ornaments, and the reason it works so well for it is because since I can only attach the terra cotta border in small strips, the paste holds each piece while I get the next one ready to paste. A liquid glue will not keep it attached while working on each segment of an ornament.
Karen
Hi! I’m working on a project decorating mugs with polymer clay and I have some issues. Will the polymer clay stay strong if I add TLC and then bake it? I made one and one of my leaf came off very easily when i pulled it off but the ret seems to be strong . I’m not sure if I put enough TLC. If I pull every thing off after is being baked and glue it with E6000 , crazy glue will that work? Please what do you suggest me? If you have any video where you explain that I will have no problem buying it? Just tell me which one. I want to make sure a sell good quality product and so far you are the only one I trust based on all I’ve seen out there . Thanks in advance.
Hi Arabelis, it isn’t really a matter of how much TLS you use, because the clay will not bond with the cup once it is baked. (The ones that stuck will pop off if you stick your nail under them.) Fr a project like that you will need a good strong glue like E6000 or Gorilla Glue. Do a quick search at the top of the page on glues and you should find the info you need. Good luck!
Can you answer a question for me? I want to make flowers and attache them to a wooden box, but the wood will not fit in an oven and I just want to attach the flowers to it after they are baked. What do I attach the flowers with so they stay on the box? Thank you.
You can use Weldbond glue for gluing your baked polymer clay pieces to your wooden box.
Hi there,
I have just found your channel and you are brilliant! I just have a few questions.. I am just starting to make polymer clay earring and i’m running into two problems
1. I am attempting to attach metal stud backs to the clay once dried, I am using E6000 however this doesn’t seem to be sticking. Can you recommend any other type of glue or other tricks to get the earring post attached?
2. Once baked the clay is still quiet bendy.. I am using Scupley Premo.. I am baking for roughly 60 mins and I am also using a thermometer to test the temp… is this normal for it to be quiet bendy still?!
Appreciate any insight you can give.. Thanks!
Hi Georgie, thank you so much for the kind words!!
In regards to the earring post thing… that is a common problem. Here is a link to a video that will show you how to deal with that… Lisa Pavelka Polybonder Glue
As far as Premo being bendy, that is perfectly normal. Here is a video that will explain that to you as well… Should Polymer Clay Still Bend After Baking
Just so you know, most questions that you will have have probably already been answered on this site. Just use the search box and you should be able to find most of the answers you need, within a couple of clicks. Much quicker than waiting for me to respond! :)
This Father’s Day I made some polymer clay mushrooms to glue to a ceramic coffee mug for my husband for his gift. I did some YouTube research on the best glue to use to adhere things to ceramic mugs and e6000 was recommended the most. Over the last couple of months the figures have started to slide down the cup and one of them has actually fallen off. We do not wash the cup it’s just set on the counter as a figurine almost. Did I do something wrong with the e6000 or should I have used it completely different glue for the ceramic?
Yeah, gluing two non-porous items like glazed ceramic and baked polymer clay can have its issues. E6000 can work, but it needs to be done correctly. Since you have already got e6000, you might as well try it again.
With e6000, you need to make sure both surfaces are clean and dry. I like to use rubbing alcohol to remove any oils. Scratch the areas on the cup where you will be gluing your clay (it needs something for the glue to grab onto). Use a nail or a screw… something metal and sharp. You can rough up the back of the clay piece too, that will help.
Then add the e6000 to both the ceramic up and the back of the clay. Make sure it is stuck well to each piece, and then put the two pieces together. (Much like how you use rubber cement.) Clamp the pieces together. (String, rubber bands or tape should work.
Using e6000 this way will work way better.
If that still doesn’t work, use 2 part epoxy, Gorilla Glue White or Weldbond Glue. I prefer those over e6000 anyway.
Good luck!
Hi everyone i have a white craft glue almost like PVA will it work, i never worked with pc before and will be greatful to receive any advice.
It might work, you will need to test it on some scrap clay. Polymer clay can be finicky when it comes to other products being compatible with it. In general, PVA glues tend to work fine with most brands, but it’s always best to test! Good luck!
Most glass or fake gems have a silver backing to make them reflect light. What glue is best to use when applying to PC that won’t make the silver separate from the gem and fall off and leave the silver in the PC? Hope that makes sense.
Thanks, Jay.
Hi Jay, an excellent glue that won’t cause the silver to pull away is Weldbond. It is a very good quality PVA glue (white glue) that washes up with water when wet… is waterproof when dry… is polymer clay compatible… and bonds metal, wood, plastic, glass, and just about anything you throw at it. I used to use it for gluing tiles and broken china in mosaics, and it holds beautifully. It takes a while to dry, so it’s not everyone’s go-to glue for polymer clay, but it would be perfect for your use. Hope that helps!
Hi Cindy. Thank you so much. I just so happen to have a new unopened tube of Weldbond on hand.
Thanks again.
Jay