Nov 21, 2018

Quilling Glue Basics - 5 Helpful Tips


Quilling Glue Basics - 5 Helpful Tips Tutorial



Quilling Glue Basics - 5 Helpful Tips


Do you have a hard time with glue showing on your quilling? In this video I’m going to share all the gluing tips I’ve learned since I started in 2006.



Tip 1 – Smear Your Glue Puddle

I often see instruction to pour out some glue, and then to dip your quilling into the puddle, but it’s easy to overcoat your quilling strip this way, which means your glue will be seen on your final work surface.


Quilling Glue Basics - 5 Helpful Tips - Dipping Glue


Instead, I prefer to use another piece of plastic to smear the puddle flat. This way the depth of your glue puddle is very shallow.

Quilling Glue Basics - 5 Helpful Tips - Smearing Glue

This allows you to gently press the innermost coils into the glue, coating every bit of it.

When I pick it up, I pre-loosen the inner coils so the glue’s suction won’t destroy the smooth arcs.

After lifting, I always turn it upside down to check if I’ve missed coating any of it. If I did, I’ll simply re-dip again.



Tip 2 - Missed Spots

Now, if you coiled your strip unevenly, it’s quite easy to miss getting it dipped fully into the glue. Or maybe you missed dipped a certain section. What do you do if your strip is already on your work surface? Let me show you how to add glue in a case like this.

Apply glue to a scrap piece of quilling paper and slip it under the areas that are missing glue, the press your strip down.



Quilling Glue Basics - 5 Helpful Tips - Missing Glue

Tip 3 - Glue Dipping and Smearing Cards

When smearing my glue for dipping my pieces, I prefer to use a plastic card that has a matte surface rather than a high gloss surface. I usually use the Oyster card I got when I visited London.



Quilling Glue Basics - 5 Helpful Tips - Glue Cards

Tip 4 - How to Undo Glued Pieces

As all quillers know, our work is hard to undo. If you’ve glued something down, don’t just tear it up. You’ll end up tearing the fibres of your work surface.

Instead, I extend an x-acto knife and slowly slice through the glue horizontally. This is another reason why it’s good to use as little glue as possible. 

If you have some stubborn bits, you may need to scrape the surface a bit. I then use an eraser to gently scour the fragments. Finally I use a bone folder to smoothen the surface as much as possible. 

I only remove my quilling as a last resort, and you’ll get the best results the faster you make your decision before the glue fully dries. I do suggest that you practice on a scrap piece first.


Quilling Glue Basics - 5 Helpful Tips - How to Remove Glue



Tip 5 - My Favorite Quilling Glue Brand

I’m often asked what brand of glue I use. My favourite is Aleene’s Tacky Glue because it’s thick and dries fast. I use the large bottle when I need to smear it for dipping, and I put it in a fine tip bottle for applying directly onto my quilling strips. I store it upside down in a shot glass with a wet tissue at the bottom so it doesn’t clog and is always ready to use. 


Quilling Glue Basics - 5 Helpful Tips - Favorite Brand Aleene's Tacky Glue

I hope these tips help you with your quilling. I love reading your comments and hearing which tip you found the most helpful, because then it helps me decide what to show you in the future. Or if you have any tips to share, please comment so we can all learn from you as well.

75 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Great to hear you enjoyed them! Thanks for letting me know.

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    2. Great tips, thanks!

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  2. Replies
    1. You're very welcome Anggi! Have you been quilling long?

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    2. I enjoyed your video on gluing I also like the sound of your voice, it is soothing. Some videos yell at you but you don't I like the site.

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    3. I'm glad you enjoyed my tutorial!

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  3. Replies
    1. I'm so happy to hear that randysgrandma! Thanks for letting me know it helped you - makes it all worth it.

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  4. Thanks so much for the tips... I have just started doing swirls and was worried that my glue would show to much. So thanks... I will be following you from now on...

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    Replies
    1. Hello Rita, I'm thrilled to hear my tips are helping you... and that you're now going to follow me! Thanks so much for letting me know!

      Cecelia

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    2. SOY NUEVA CON EL QUILLING ME ENCANTA Y ESPERO APRENDER MUCHO EN TU BLOG ME PARECE GENIAL, MUCHAS GRACIAS

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    3. Welcome to quilling! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Thank you for visiting my blog.
      Bienvenido a quilling! Espero que lo disfrutes tanto como yo. Gracias por visitar mi blog.

      Delete
  5. the msg was from me RitaMccarty55

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  6. Replies
    1. Hi Kathy, happy to hear that - thanks for leaving a comment!

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  7. Thank you for these tips! I am teaching my first quilling class, but I always love to learn more- and pass it on!

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    Replies
    1. Hello Krysla, I'm happy these tips have been helpful to you! Congrats on teaching your first class and passing along this knowledge!
      Cecelia

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  8. Replies
    1. I'm so happy to hear that Erika - thank you! Have you been quilling long?
      Cecelia

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  9. Love the tip about storing your glue upside down with wet paper towel at the bottom; good idea!

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    Replies
    1. Yay! I'm so happy to hear that Jean! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and letting me know which tip you liked most. Hearing this makes me inspired to keep going with more tutorials! :D
      Cecelia

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  10. Oh my … I've been quilling for a little over 3 years now and I never thought of this method of gluing! Thank you so much for posting this.

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    Replies
    1. Yay! My job is done!!! Thank you SO much for commenting and letting me know you learned a new trick! It makes all my efforts worth it.

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  11. This is so cool! first saw a quilling art piece as child and was just mesmerized by it...😊

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    Replies
    1. Hey Emily, I'm happy to hear it made an impression on you as a child. I remember origami making an impression on me at age 6, and here I am, still loving paper. I hope you'll give quilling a try!
      Cecelia

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  12. Wonderful tips. Thank you very much.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Sylvia, you're very welcome! Are you a new quiller or have you been quilling for a while?
      Cecelia

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  13. thank you for your glueing tips. I have been lucky to win a few times in craft shows with my quilling but I seem to learn something new every week in our craft group, we all share any tips we get

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    Replies
    1. You're very welcome – and thank you for commenting and letting me know my tutorials are helpful. It's very rewarding to know I've been able to make a difference.

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  14. I am soooo glad I found this blog! You are so informative and helpful. i never knew to put the glue on plastic to smear it around, nor did I know to use the kind of glue you are using, threfore a lot of my designs have glue showing. Thank you for this information.

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    Replies
    1. Yay! I'm so glad you found my blog too! Yup, smearing glue is my best tip for making it invisible! I hope to see your quilling one day!

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  15. When you have a long strip to glue do you dip the whole length at once? I find it difficult to not get glue on background. While gluing the first part the other end touches background. Any suggestions? Thanks so much for this helpful blog!

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    Replies
    1. Hi CynHop, good question! I often dip part of the strip, set it in place, then work my way down the length. This way I avoid getting glue on the background, and have less stress overall. If you watch my other videos on YouTube, you'll see how I use my plastic cards to achieve partial glueing techniques.

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  16. Ciao vorrei sapere dove trovare la spatola che usi x stendere la colla sula card grazie Mafalda

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    Replies
    1. Ciao Mafalda,

      Ti riferisci al pezzo di plastica blu? Se è così, è un divisorio da una scatola di placcaggio:
      (Link di affiliazione di Amazon): http://amzn.to/2DBDZ32

      Tuttavia, puoi usare qualsiasi cosa per spalmare la colla piatta, come un bastoncino per ghiaccioli, un'altra carta di plastica, qualunque cosa tu abbia in casa che è rigida.

      Cecelia

      ___________

      Are you referring to the piece of blue plastic? If so, it's a divider from a tackle box:
      (Amazon affiliate link): http://amzn.to/2DBDZ32

      However, you can use anything to smear the glue flat, such as a popsicle stick, another plastic card, whatever you have around the house that is stiff.

      Cecelia

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  17. Thank you. My sister and I just started a week ago. We have been really struggling with the glowing. I tried to put a card together with glue. BAD. It curled up. Not supposed to quill the paper you put it on, so I appreciate your tip on the tape. We are also using way to much glue. How do most people glue the end down? I have been taking the tip and putting glue on it and wedging it between the end and the last roll, kind of rolling it in. Also, what is the secret to glueing multiple parts together? Do you glue it to the paper or glue it to each other and then the paper? And how do you keep it together? Too many questions?

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  18. Welcome to the world of quilling Debbie (and sister)!

    Yes, paper is very absorbent. Glad my tip helps you in the future.

    Yes, I have used my tip to dip in glue to secure the end, but then I have to clean it each time. Since I'm lazy, I use my fine tip bottle instead (Amazon affiliate link): http://amzn.to/2BbfZ8L

    Here's how to glue multiple strips: https://youtu.be/n9Zvz4dv_J0

    I hope you and your sister enjoy quilling as much as I do!

    Cecelia

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  19. I am a beginner, your tips are very clear & extremely helpful! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you for making my day and making all my efforts worth it. :D

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  20. I am a beginner, your tips are very clear & extremely helpful! Thank you!

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  21. I have found that a sheet of mylar or vinyl under my work enables me to curve it away from my quilling without having to peel it away from a paper surface... this was really handy, once dry, the mylar can be bent away from the quilling and leaves it intact! It's just not so sticky as a paper surface.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, absolutely mylar or vinyl, or even cling film works to easily pry it off your template. Thanks for sharing Linda!!!

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  22. Great ideas, thank you for sharing.

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    Replies
    1. Happy to hear you like my ideas - thank you for commenting!

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  23. super!! Apenas estoy entrando en esto del quilling y se me hacia muy dificil aplicar pegamento con un pincel.
    gracias por los consejos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bienvenido a quilling! Estoy muy feliz de escuchar que mi tutorial fue útil para ti.
      Welcome to quilling! I'm so happy to hear my tutorial was helpful for you.

      Delete
  24. I am having trouble gluing down my spirals. Can you show me the best way to do them? Also is there a
    glue that I can use that does not dry with a shine?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there, I'm not sure if you watched the video showing how I glue down my spirals? If not, here is a link: https://youtu.be/hGL5PDZmyto
      I'm not sure what kind of problems you're encountering with your spirals. Can you explain in more detail? In my video you will see that I use Aleene's Original Tacky glue, but it's more about the way I apply it so that you don't see any glue.

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    2. I did watch the video and did learn about how to glue down the spirals, but I still get glue on the card and it shows shinny. Is there a good mat drying glue that won't show as much? I have had some success at scrapping the card but still shows.

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    3. I'm guessing you are applying the coil, picking it up, and re-applying to your work surface, and that's why the glue is showing? I try to dab a minimal amount of glue to my coils, and apply once to my surface, so no glue shows.

      If my guess is wrong, then you'll need to explain in great detail your exact process, step-by-step, so I understand at what point excess glue is applied to your surface. Without an explanation, I am simply left to guess.

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    4. You guessed right. I think I just need to keep practicing. I love the swirls and I want to master them. I can see that I am trying to use to much glue. Practice - practice - practice. Thank you for your help.

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    5. Did you smear the glue puddle before dipping your swirl?

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  25. I did but maybe I didn't smear it thin enough. Parts of the swirl touches the card before I have them placed where I want them. Is it better to anchor one end and then use a thin paper with a smear of glue to slice under the rest as I go?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Look at the photo showing how thin my glue puddle is after smearing and then you'll see it's quite shallow. When placing a large swirl, I have held both ends up with tweezers. I place one end down while holding the other end up in the air. Then I place the second end down. When you slow down your process, it makes it easier to place exactly where you want.

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    2. Thank you, I will try that.

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  26. Hola quisiera aprender hacer, que tipo de papel se usa?

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    Replies
    1. Prefer să folosesc hârtie între 120-160 g / mp, în funcție de dimensiunea proiectului. Iată o pagină care are mai multe detalii:

      I prefer to use paper that is between 120-160 gsm, depending on the project size. Here is a page that has more details:

      https://paperzen.blogspot.com/p/quilling-faq.html

      Delete
  27. Hola quisiera aprender hacer, que tipo de papel se usa, gracias

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Prefer să folosesc hârtie între 120-160 g / mp, în funcție de dimensiunea proiectului. Iată o pagină care are mai multe detalii:

      I prefer to use paper that is between 120-160 gsm, depending on the project size. Here is a page that has more details:

      https://paperzen.blogspot.com/p/quilling-faq.html

      Delete
  28. I'm new to quilling so your tip on how to use and store the glue was extremely useful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome to quilling! I'm glad my tips were helpful!

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  29. I'm a total beginner. This post was helpful. I purchased lots of quilling supplies for my husband, my three grandchildren, and myself. We want to learn all we can. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's wonderful! I'm glad my tutorial was helpful!

      Delete
  30. I find good ol' Elmer's works well, and requires less glue that other. Although I am quite fond of Aleen's for many projects.

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    1. I recently discovered Elmber's Glue All, which was not as thin as the school glue, and I was pleasantly surprised it's helpful during the height of summer, when my glue dries too quickly.

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  31. Your videos have been a life saver. I bought several Christmas design packets from Michael’s after Christmas last year and they had hardly any instructions. I watched your videos, after I tortured myself with finishing the first design with just trying to hold the paper without softening the curves.

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    Replies
    1. I'm so happy to hear this - thank you so much!

      Delete
  32. I know you did this video awhile ago but it was still helpful. I have tried your method but by the time I get the next piece done my thin layer is dried You would go through a lot of glue. Any suggestions?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, here are some suggestions: 1) Accumulate my pieces so I can glue them down in groupings to use up most of the glue. 2) Use a thinner glue. Aleene's is my favorite because it's so thick and dries fast, but during hot, dry summers, it dries much too fast. Try using a gel glue (Aleene's or Martha Stewart) or Elmer's Glue-All - they don't develop the skin on top as quickly.

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