What Glue Should I Use for Scrapbooking?

When it comes to making your scrapbook, there are a lot of important things you need, photos, cardstock, scissors, ribbons, but perhaps the most important part is the thing that holds it all together, glue. Without glue, your scrapbook is just a pile of stuff. That’s why it’s important to pick the right kind.

There really is no best glue or even best type of glue to use when putting together your scrapbook. That’s because we’re all different and want different things when it comes to our books. Here are a few things to consider when choosing glue.

Effectiveness. Using any old glue is great if you want your scrapbook to look good now, but if you’re looking for something to pass on to your children and grandchildren, you need an adhesive that’s going to work.

While trial and error is great for some things, scrap booking really isn’t one of those things. To avoid testing products on your precious memories, go online and do some research. Not on product web pages and reviews, but where it really counts. Ask around on message boards and chat rooms. Chances are, with a little searching, you’ll find someone who’s been scrap booking for a while and knows exactly what they’re doing.

Safety. This is especially important if your children are helping you book together your scrapbooks. The problem with child-safe glue is that it often doesn’t work very well. If you’re worried about what your kids might get into, consider glues that aren’t really glues at all: dry adhesives. Everyone’s seen double sided tape, but there are so many other products around now that stick without all the mess of glue or the worry of having it around kids.

Acid levels. You probably already know that acid is enemy number one when it comes to your scrapbooks. In addition to paper and other materials, you should be sure to check your glue and other adhesives for acid content by reading labels and asking around. Some tell tale signs of acid are a strong smell and color that doesn’t go away after the glue dries.

Permanence. Photo corners are a great option if you don’t want your photos permanently attached to your albums. This is great for scanning photo’s, changing them out if something happens and they age or get damaged, or even writing additional info on the pack of the photo that you don’t want to put in the book (with photo-safe ink of course).

You may also want to consider having a permanent and temporary adhesive. Temporary adhesives are great for holding everything together before you decide exactly where you want them on your layout. Just remember that even after their gone, these temps can leave stick residue that can cause damage later, so be sure they’re acid free as well.

Doing a little bit of research into finding the right glue will make sure that your photos stay in top shape and your scrapbooks stay stuck together.