This post is about 5 years in the making. I mean I AM a girl and a glue gun….
and I’m finally getting around to posting all my glue gun tips and tricks!
glue gun 101. cause it rhymes.
Glue gun 101: CLEAN YOUR GLUE GUN
If your glue gun looks nasty…then guess what? you are awesome. That means you use it…often. (and probably have left it plugged in for a while…) Â (this is NOTHING. I’ve had WAY worse!)but guess what? super easy peasy way to clean them! next time they are plugged in and warm…take some tin foil and use it like a rag…just rub off all the crap.
it will look brand new….!
Hot glue gun 101: GLUE GUN BURNS
glue gun burns. it happens to the best of us….
and unless you have a ryan to do your burning for you…it’s inevitable.
I burned the back of my arm. that is TRUE TALENT!)
Back in the day (like 11 years ago.) I religiously watched martha stewart. (I drew extensive notes of her craft ideas…)
anyways…this little tip  comes from her….
such a handy tip! I HATE low temp glue guns. HATE—they are stinky and dont’ glue that well (not like actually smelly…they just stink at gluing stuff together) So I always do this when my kids are using a hot glue gun with me..that way they can totally dip their little fingers in!!!
I also found these amazing finger guards…(i’m trying to be mature and not call them what WANT to call them.)
but when I say AMAZING…I mean amazing! They come in a pack of three…and I always have one of my thumb and pointer finger. It’s especially handy when using it with porous materials…like burlap or thin material…
you can put it on your finger and put the hot glue directly on it…doesn’t even get hot. AND it just peels right off! (A must purchase item! and they are less than $4! (found at joanns!)
 Glue gun 101: WHEN TO USE YOUR GLUE GUN
I glue everything. There is a reason why I named my blog a girl and a glue gun….cause I was fixing kids toys, making crafts, “sewing” pillows all with my glue gun!!! But as much as it pains me to say this…some things just doesn’t work with hot glue.
Like polly pocket’s head.
I found this amazing chart that covers it pretty well!
and realistically…I have used it on metal. I will hold things together…but not if there is any weight on it…like if you put magnets on it than it would pull apart. Â When using it with Styrofoam you will want a low temp…or don’t let it heat up all the way. It could melt some of it. Also…pleather and vinyl materials doesn’t work with glue guns either. They can be peeled up pretty easy!
which brings me tooo…
Glue gun 101: GLUE STICKS
Did you know that there are speciality sticks
(say that five times fast. specialty sticks specialty sticks specialty sticks.)
I’ve tried the glow in the dark ones…they are super fun! I used them on a lamp so you after you turn it off it really glows. but they also have glitter ones (perfect for THIS project) and WOOD! I haven’t tried them yet…and regular hot glue works okay with wood…so I’m actually super excited to try the wood ones! sure beats having to haul out the screws and drills and wood putty!
they even have……(drum roll please)Â
yup. glue sticks with no stringage.
Glue gun 101: GLUE GUN STRINGS
yup. you get so excited about fun projects…only to see them covered with all these “hairs”Â
There are a couple ways to get rid of them!!! A.
haven’t tried them…but they are in the mail! I’ll keep you updated cause i’m like a kid waiting for christmas!!!
#2…vaseline!
and #3….my go to….after you finish your project you just plug in your hair dryer and melt them away!
Glue gun 101: HOT GLUE GUN ACCESSORIES
Just like you…glue guns need accessorized!!!
My dad made me this amazing stand…(it’s large on the bottom cause it has a drawer in it to hold my glue sticks! (as you can see…it totally needs to be cleaned…i use it OFTEN!)you can diy your own…..which is pretty dang genius!
or..in a pinch:Â source
You can lay your glue gun on a scrap piece of tile! peels up spills really easy!
These hot glue helpers are awesome!
I also ADORE this  hobby holster! (no really…that’s its real name!)
It hangs on your desk…I keep glue sticks on one side (and finger guards) and my glue gun on the other side…
and when I’m working ….i just lay it on top! The Hobby Holster® is heat- resistant to 400°F. I can’t  tell you how much I love this thing.Â
It’s amazing…and you really need it! cause these glue guns can get HOT and start fires….
moral : no plastic chairs.
even better moral…don’t leave your glue guns unattended.
Glue Gun 101: TIPS AND TRICKS
Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years!
*The hot glue gun works best when it’s hot! I plug mine in at least 5 minutes before I glue anything together. If you have to squeeze hard to get the glue out than it’s not ready! It should come out easy
*The glue takes about a minute to dry (aka…get hard) and if it’s a huge glob…maybe even two minutes.
*Work fast! Have all your supplies ready so as soon as the glue comes out you can put on the other piece and so it can dry the whole minute together!
*If you get hot glue where you don’t want hot glue, apply some rubbing alcohol  with a swab or cotton ball and it will generally pop right off. (Doesn’t work great on really absorbent stuff like felt, but does work on almost everything else, including many fabrics.)
*Instantly set hot glue using an air duster. When turned upside down and sprayed, super cooled liquid will come out and freeze the glue. (from a reader)
*A blast of steam from an iron will soften up glue if you need to reposition something that has already cooled. (from a reader)
Tell me…what tips or tricks or questions do you have? leave me  comment!
for tips and fun projects check out my pinterest board!!!
Follow Kimberly West (a girl and a glue gun)’s board glue gun crap on Pinterest.
Emily says
great tips!! i need those things for my fingers!!! and clean my glue gun… really. really. clean it.. what a mess ;o)
Julie says
I am loving these tips, I have been know to be so busy making something I completely forget that what comes out of a glue gun is hot – ops and ouch! Those little finger guard thingys look great (well, they look a bit silly on your finger but I imagine they work great)
I am a little sidetracked here, I actually only stopped by to say I found you on pinterest and I love your utterly craptastically names boards!
Kimbo says
haha! thanks!
Kathy Moore says
I need those finger guards. My old neighbor often used to text me “are you using the hot glue gun again?” Apparently I have a particular scream when i burn myself with it.
Kimbo says
haha!!!
Rachael (a fellow glue gun addict) says
So how did the no string glue sticks work out?? I am dying to know!
Kimbo says
I got sent some from Elmers…not adtech. and They were actually pretty awesome! So much that I never use them–I just hoard them!
Ruth says
Just a tip for burns (you should see the ones I get in the kitchen), keep a bottle of REAL vanilla extract around. After you’ve cooled the burn in the water pour some on. Most of the time you will have no blister or red spot/pain. And you will smell great! Just get to it as quick as possible, and don’t wash it off right away, just dab with a tissue. I just used this on a finger burn from grabbing a melting plastic sack of a stove burner after the hubby was helpful and carried some bags to the kitchen. Worked great, a little tenderness, and the plastic just peeled off. If you are in the kitchen, yellow mustard will work too, but you don’t smell as good.