Have you ever wondered about all the things you can do with a hot glue gun? They're our favourite crafting tool, and they have so many brilliant uses around the home too - so much so that we think they should be included in every toolkit.
Today we're sharing 17 of the very best and most practical uses for a hot glue gun. You'll be wondering why you never got one before!
What are hot glue guns?
You might be familiar with a variety of different types of glue, but hot glue is very different. The gun uses heat to melt sticks of a thermoplastic adhesive.
The glue is strong enough for small crafts and DIY jobs. It's mouldable and peels away easily from a lot of surfaces. For this reason, it's a great glue to use for temporary fixes!
1. Make your own wands
This one is perfect for the wizard in your life. DIY a wand with hot glue. For this craft you'll need:
- Wooden sticks - chopsticks work best
- Beads
- Brown, black and white acrylic paint - or come up with your own colours
To make the wand, use the hot glue gun to add texture to the wooden chopstick. You'll want to add detail including a handle. Attach beads for a gnarled wood texture. Paint the whole thing with a mix of brown and black paint to give the appearance of wood.
2. Resize a ring
Resizing rings can be expensive. We don't blame you if it has to wait until payday! Hot glue is a great quick fix for a temporary solution.
Create a small puddle of hot glue on a sheet of baking parchment and carefully dip the back of the ring into the glue. As it dries, shape the glue to where you want it.
With the nature of hot glue, it will be really easy to peel off and start again. It shouldn't do any damage to the ring at all, but do take care with pricier pieces!
3. DIY non-slip hangers
There's nothing more irritating than when a top just won't stay on its hanger. Changing out all of your hangers for velvet hangers is a great option, but for a quick fix, get the hot glue gun out.
Add a few blobs of hot glue down each arm of the hanger. Leave to dry fully before hanging any clothes on it.
4. Close shipping boxes
Instead of fiddling around with parcel tape, why not use hot glue to seal up boxes? Hot glue will be more secure too!
5. Do some repairs
Hot glue is great for carrying out most repairs. Things like tattered books and toys can easily be salvaged with a bit of hot glue.
To fix a book, run a few lines of glue down the edge of the pages and hold it firmly to the book cover.
Have you ever wondered how to quickly fix up a pair of glasses? Cut off a small piece of a hot glue gun stick and attach to the frames as a replacement nose pad.
6. Decorate a vase
Hot glue isn't just for sticking things together! Use it to decorate a plain vase or jar. You could customise it with a word or make a beautiful pattern. Seal the design and make it look professional with a coat of paint in any colour.
7. Prevent falls
If you find yourself slipping over in shoes or socks, hot glue will be the best fix. Glue a few dots or lines to the bottom of the shoe or sock. Leave to dry and you'll be able to run across hardwood floors - no problem!
8. Protect bath toys
Bath toys are all fun and games, but did you know that yours could be harbouring a dirty secret? Studies have revealed that when water doesn't drain out of the plastic cavity, E.Coli and Legionella build up inside - gross!
You can prevent this from happening by plugging up the hole in the base of the toy with a blob of hot glue. Simply apply the glue to a clean, dry toy and leave to dry before bath time.
TOP TIP: Cut into one of your older toys and see how it looks. You might find it's covered in a thick black, sludgy mould. It's definitely not what you want when your child loves to put the toys in their mouth!
9. Make window decorations
Give your home a bit of pizzaz at Christmas and Halloween with some hot glue window decorations.
Regular hot glue makes really effective looking snowflakes and spider webs. Glue your designs onto a sheet of baking parchment - not directly onto the window!
Make sure that the lines you draw with hot glue are nice and thick so they won't break apart. Leave plain or decorate with paint and glitter.
Gently peel them off the paper when dry and attach to the window.
TOP TIP: Hot glue shapes could also be used for tree ornaments or craft embellishments so be sure to save them for next year!
10. A wax gun?
Did you know that you can also use crayons in your hot glue gun?
Remove the paper casing from the crayon and feed them into the gun just as you would a stick of glue. They'll melt just as fast.
You can use this method to create wax seals on envelopes and other fun crafts. Just be aware that the wax might colour your hot glue for a little while after.
11. Make this makeup brush cleaner
Makeup brush cleaning mats are essential for getting all the muck out of your makeup brushes. If you don't want to splash out on one you can easily make your own with a hot glue gun and a mat.
For the base, you can use anything from a Tupperware lid to a plastic clipboard. It just needs to be waterproof and compatible with hot glue.
Glue some ridges onto the base in any pattern you like. You'll want to vary the height of the ridges for the best results.
12. Fix your rug
If you've got a rug that won't stay put on wood, tiled or laminate flooring, a little bit of hot glue will do the trick.
Flip the rug over and apply glue along the edge and at the corners. If you have enough glue, it's even better if you can cover as much surface area of the rug with zigzag patterns.
Wait for the glue to dry and then flip back over for a rug that will finally stay put.
CAUTION: Do not glue your rug to the floor. It really won't be moving then!
13. Forge an icy crown
It's easy to make an enchanting crown using hot glue.
You can either freehand your design, print out a template or draw out the crown on a piece of parchment paper.
Follow the design with hot glue - bonus points if you use metallic or glitter glue sticks for this. Carefully peel the glue away and attach it to a headband.
14. Make replacement knife covers
If you've lost an old knife cover, fashioning your own using hot glue couldn't be easier.
Coat the blade in vaseline, being careful not to cut yourself. Apply hot glue all around the blade. Allow to dry and gently remove your new cover. Give both the cover and the knife a wash before use.
You could also use the same technique for a toothbrush or razor cover, just using parchment paper wrapped around the head of the tool instead of coating it in Vaseline.
15. How about a pet brush?
Did you know that rubber gloves are great for removing pet hair from car seats?
Take this hack to the next level by applying hot glue dots all over the glove. Once dry, you can use the glove to groom your pet and remove hair. The dried hot glue will give extra friction for the hair to stick to.
16. DIY head massager
Craving a relaxing head massage? Turn your old whisk into a massaging tool.
Use wire cutters or a strong pair of scissors to cut apart the prongs. Add a blob of hot glue to the sharp, blunt edges. Perhaps not the most necessary DIY, but a bit of fun all the same!
17. Quick Earring backs
Make a stand-in earring back in seconds using a stick of hot glue. Just as with our glasses repair, cut off a small circle from the glue stick. Push the back of the earring into the chunk of glue for an instant earring back.
Did you know about all these uses for hot glue? Let us know if you'll be trying any in the comments below!
the sharing does not work, it does not show what it is about just the name of the site.
Hi Lilach! Can we ask where you were trying to share it to? It seems to be working on our end. Would you be so kind as to try again and let us know if it works this time?
Hot Glue Guns are great for everything. I use mine all of the time. I burned up the heating element in my full size one and have to get another. Anyway, they should be in every tools box. They are great for sealing windows or used for caulking around a faucet. It will hold it still and won't leak if you do it right. I have found so many uses and am still learning more and more uses of the all mighty glue gun.
Great ideas!
Could I use this glue to reattache plastic plant parts to the cerimic base for my aquarium?
Hi Larry! Whilst this would work, hot glue is not ideal for aquatic environments as it is not water-resistant and can break down over time. This can result in the bond becoming detached or releasing harmful chemicals into the water that could harm aquatic life. A silicone-based adhesive specifically designed for aquariums would be a better choice.
Did she say ‘re-size your ring’ ?!? LOL
That's correct, Bernard!
The head massager is a legit hack! The knife sheath is clever, although I would want to reinforce it by spiraling the copper threads from an old cable up the length of the sheath. Bonus, it looks pretty cool. The makeup brush cleaning mat is interesting, I don't use any makeup that requires a brush to apply, so the idea would never have occurred to me. I can see how the concept could apply to other brushes as well. Low-temp hot glue is also useful to put around your fingernails before polishing them, so when you're done you can just peel it off and have perfectly polished nails.
We're glad you like the ideas!
Thanks for the tips. In regards to re-sizing your ring...are you talking about if it is metal at the back has broken? If not, I can only assume you mean to make the ring a bit smaller??
Hi Dee! Yes, this hack is for making your ring smaller.