Today we are going to look at 10 different kinds of craft glues that you could use for collage art! I know my favorite, but I wanted to see if there was some other kind of collage glue that could make me swoon as a collage artist!
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Picking The Best Glue For Collage Projects
I feel like there are four main things that I care about in regard to my collage glue whether it is for magazine collage or regular collage work…
- Edge Holding – How well the loose edges of the magazine collage stick down with the glue?
- Middle Marks – If you put squiggles of glue around the inside of the picture, do these show through when they are dry?
- Wrinkles – Does the glue make the magazine clippings wrinkle? (Because a lot of thin magazine paper sometimes glue that has a lot of moisture can make them wrinkle!)
- Cost – What is the price per ounce of each type of glue?
That said, there is a 5th wild-card category that means a lot to me… does a great glue still work if you leave the cap off? I have had the best luck with Nuvo glue! They get extra bonus points from me right off the bat!
2024 UPDATE… Nuvo is still the best glue not to clog and a close second is Lawn Fawn. I think it is because they are very thin glues! As you can tell I have very strong feelings about glue!
Walkthrough Video Of The Best Collage Glue Challenge
Best Collage Glues (Worst To Best)
I used a systematic approach to figuring out the best glue! I made a matrix chart of each of of the criteria and then ranked the best to worst…
10. Aleens
- Edge Holding – okay
- Middle Marks – bad
- Wrinkles – bad
- Cost – $.75 / ounce
Aleens is CHEAP, it tied with Mod Podge for the lowest cost per ounce and is available at craft stores! That said it made wrinkles, air bubbles and there were visible middle marks in the paper. The edges were just okay. I wouldn't use this one for magazine collage. If you are looking for cheap go with Mod Podge decoupage medium instead.
Get Aleens on Amazon
9. Scrapbook.com Smart Glue
- Edge Holding – good
- Middle Marks – good
- Wrinkles – bad
- Cost – $6.25 / ounce
My main problem with Smart Glue is that it is super tacky when it is dry. Because I do so many layers in my magazine collage, having random glued paper laying around doesn't work for me. Oh and it squirts out all the time on me… not great for collage either. There were wrinkles too… I wouldn't use this one for magazine collage.
Get Smart Glue at Scrapbook.com
8. Distress Collage Medium
- Edge Holding – good
- Middle Marks – good
- Wrinkles – okay
- Cost – $6.40 / ounce
So first off let me say that I don't think collage gel medium is specifically made for magazine collage… it is more for sticking bigger things than lightweight papers. This glue did make the paper wrinkle and for the price isn't a great option. This is a matte medium rather than a glossy medium like Glossy Accents.
Update… I do LOVE Distress Collage Medium for background papers, it gives a smooth finish and can cover a large area when used with Tim's wide collage bristle brush.
Get Distress Collage Medium at Scrapbook.com
7. Fabri Tac
- Edge Holding – good
- Middle Marks – good
- Wrinkles – okay
- Cost $1.75 / ounce
This one also wrinkled the papers and was SUPER stinky! It won out over collage glue because of the price. That said if you are making fabric collage, quilt squares or other fabric things, this is a go to glue!
6. Lawn Fawn Glue Tube
- Edge Holding – good
- Middle Marks – good
- Wrinkles – good
- Cost $8.98 / ounce
I use this glue tube A LOT on my collage pieces and it is really good (and handy to keep around because of the tube). The only reason it is lower on the list is that is the most expensive by far! That said, is my best choice for thin paper when I am not in my craft room (yes, I have a sloth chair where I do most of my offsite work!)
Get Lawn Fawn Glue Tubes on Amazon
5. Glossy Accents
- Edge Holding – good
- Middle Marks – good
- Wrinkles – good
- Cost $3.49 / ounce
This is the one that I was most surprised about! Glossy Accents is super for collaging thinner papers AND is fun to use to make hard coatings on other elements! In Florida it takes a long time to dry, it might dry faster in your neck of the woods. If you are going to use thick Glossy Accents to make things shiny, it is a good idea to leave it overnight to dry and set completely.
Get Glossy Accents at Scrapbook.com
4. Mod Podge
- Edge Holding – okay
- Middle Marks – good
- Wrinkles – bad
- Cost $.75 / ounce
Okay, let's call a spade a spade, Mod Podge is a water based glue known for collage! That said it does make your magazine pages wrinkly and sometimes has a bit of a hard time holding down the edges if you aren't careful. That said, it is super cheap and one of the great options for large projects.
3. Nuvo Glue Pen
- Edge Holding
- Middle Marks
- Wrinkles
- Cost $8.00 / ounce
This is the second highest cost one, but it is GREAT for sticking magazine images down and is super handy. I truly love Nuvo glue and this is just so darn convenient! I use it for all of my collage techniques (backgrounds, magazine and also doing layering).
Get the Nuvo Glue Pen On Amazon
2. Art Glitter Glue
- Edge Holding – good
- Middle Marks – good
- Wrinkles – bad
- Cost $1.87 / ounce
Okay, you might think that having number two make wrinkles is crazy with magazine collage but hear me out… this glue is perfect for making a thin layer of glue around edges and sweeps around the middle. It really isn't made to be an all over glue so that is not a bother! For the cost, this is an AMAZING option and if you are good at keeping your glue closed I would pick this one!
Get Art Glitter Glue on Amazon
1. Nuvo
- Edge Holding – good
- Middle Marks – good
- Wrinkles – good
- Cost $4.49 / ounce
This was my favorite glue before the test and it is still my favorite now! It is super “holdy”, no wrinkles and isn't that expensive (right down the middle of all the glues). The fact that it can manage itself without clogging is such a big deal to me! I don't have to throw it out or spend time de-stick-ifying the nozzle!
Update: While this is still my favorite, I have been a little bit up in the air between this and Lawn Fawn… they are my two top choices currently!
Get Nuvo Glue on Scrapbook.com
Best Collage Glue FAQs
I had a bunch of questions about which glue to use for collage and wanted try to answer what you might wanna know about!
What Is The Best Glue For Magazine Collage
I like Nuvo glue the best! It is kind of a liquid-y glue that doesn't get stuck on the tube if you forget to close it! I also like Lawn Fawn because it doesn't get clogged if I don't use it!
Note: You can also use a drier glue like a school glue stick, rubber cement, spray adhesive or tape runners. I don't use many of these so I can't give you a good opinion on them!
What Is The Most Important Thing For Collage Glue?
I think there are a couple of things that I care about…. is it good for small images and if it is good for big images.
So if I want to put down a super small image I need a kind of fine tip … Nuvo and Art Glitter Glue are great for this!
If I am doing a big image I want to make sure it won't be all wrinkly and that it won't have lines in the middle of it when it dries… both Nuvo and Art Glitter glue are good for this!
Why Do I Like Nuvo Better Than Art Glitter Glue?
I think I like the properties of both of these glues the same, it is just that you HAVE to put the pin back in the Art Glitter Glue or it gums up that trips me up! I am not good at closing my glue so I have to have to have something that can manage itself if I leave it open and Nuvo works great for that!
Is Mod Podge A Good Magazine Collage Glue?
Mod Podge is a matte or gloss medium that is great for decoupage! I have used it for a bunch of projects including mixed media envelopes and decorative boxes.
I think it IS good for collage materials, but may not be as good to stick a piece of paper down when it is super thin like magazine images because it makes them wrinkle.
What Is The Difference Between A Collage Adhesive and Magazine Collage Glue?
Collage can be anything… metal, paper, plastic. Magazine collage is just putting super thin pieces of paper and adhering them to other pieces of paper.
In one way that is super easy (you could even use a glue stick to do this) and in another way, when you adhere paper it could mess up if you add moisture to it (like Mod Podge is water based!)
Mary
Thursday 28th of September 2023
Thanks for the glue tips. Great demonstration. I am a beginner and need all the information I can find.