When it comes to crafting, especially the slapdash sort for forgotten school projects, last-minute Halloween costumes, and other tasks that often fall to Mom, a hot glue gun is worth its weight in gold! You can use hot glue on a wide variety of different materials, and it forms a strong bond without the mess or potential for disaster associated with stronger glues.
In addition to being a must-have for crafters, a hot glue gun can also really come in handy around the house! And that’s exactly what we’ll be talking about today—clever and creative uses for hot glue.
My hope is that by the end of this post, you’ll be itching to dust off your hot glue gun and put it to work! :-)
11 Brilliant Uses For Hot Glue That Make Life Easier
1. Damage-Free Hanging
With your trusty hot glue gun and a bit of painter’s tape, you can hang paper, posters, photos and more without doing any permanent damage to your wall. Just place a piece of painter’s tape on the wall, then use hot glue to stick the thing you’re hanging to the tape.
Whenever you’re ready to take it down, just peel the tape off the wall! This is a great way to hang Christmas cards, graduation cards, and other items you might want to keep up for a week or two.
2. Keep Rugs In Place
Have a rug that just won’t stay put? You can use hot glue to add some extra grip to the back of the rug and prevent it from slipping around on you.
Flip your rug over so that the underside is facing up, then apply a few lines of hot glue to each corner of the rug. Let the glue dry completely before flipping the rug back over.
3. Add Grip To Hangers
Normally I don’t have anything against plastic hangers, but it drives me crazy when my blouses and dresses keep slipping off of them onto the floor! Luckily, I eventually discovered that a couple of lines of hot glue could turn any hanger into a non-slip hanger!
To do it, just apply a generous amount of hot glue to the top side of both ends of your hanger where the shoulders of your shirts rest. Once the glue dries, it will grip your clothes more effectively and keep them from sliding off.
4. Mason Jar Dish Scrubber
You can use hot glue to turn a small mason jar into a handy soap-dispensing dish scrubber! To do this, you’ll need a small mason jar, a jar lid with a hole in the center (like this one for example), a sponge, and a hot glue gun.
Start by cutting the sponge to match the shape of the lid, then hot glue the edges of the sponge to the top of the lid. Fill your mason jar with dish soap, screw the sponge lid onto the jar, and your dish scrubber will be ready to use!
5. Cleaner Bath Toys
Kids’ bath toys often have a small hole on the bottom that allows water to get in and out. If soapy bathwater gets trapped in the toys, it can lead to odor and mildew issues over time. (Yuck!)
But you can prevent this simply by sealing up that hole with a bit of hot glue. As long as your little one won’t miss the squeaky sound, it’s an easy way to keep those bath toys clean!
6. Add Grip To Glasses
Can’t seem to keep your glasses from slipping off your face? Use hot glue to add some extra grip to your glasses to help them stay put!
Just apply a bit of hot glue to the insides of each arm, at the back where they rest behind your ears. Once the glue is dry, it will help keep them from slipping around as much. (And if you ever want to remove the glue, you can just peel it off without harming your frames.)
7. Make Rope Decor
Rope is a versatile material in terms of decor, because it has a natural, rustic appeal and adds a nice textural element too. Using your hot glue gun, you can dress up just about any decor item with rope to make your own DIY rope decor!
Secure the end of a long length of rope to the top edge of the item (like a vase, for instance), then continue wrapping the rope around the item. Add another dot of hot glue here and there to secure the rope, and continue until you reach the bottom edge. Trim the rope and secure the end with more hot glue, and you’re done!
8. Keep Frames Level
We all have that one frame on our walls that simply refuses to stay level, no matter how many times we straighten it! Luckily for us, a bit of hot glue will help keep that pesky frame hanging straight as an arrow.
Remove the frame from your wall, then apply hot glue to the back of the frame near the bottom corners. The glue will add grip to keep the frame in place (and if your frame tends to tip away from the wall, this will even help it hang more evenly too!)
9. Clean Up Pet Hair
Rubber gloves are already surprisingly effective at picking up pet hair, but a bit of hot glue can make them even more so! Just apply a few lines of hot glue to the palm and fingers of the glove and let it dry.
When the glue dries, just pull on the glove and slide it over couches and clothes to pick up pet hair.
10. Emergency Earring Backs
Lost the back of your earring? Grab your hot glue gun to make a suitable stand-in that will let you wear those earrings again!
Grab a piece of parchment paper and apply a small dot of hot glue to it. Let the glue dry, peel it away from the paper, then push the glue dot against the back of your earring to keep it in place.
11. Window & Wall Clings
Hot glue is the perfect material for making your own decorative window clings! Just apply hot glue to parchment paper in any shape you like, then allow it to dry before it peeling it off the paper.
The slightly tacky finish of the hot glue makes these clings stick to windows, walls, and other smooth surfaces without additional adhesives. Hot glue clings also make great decorative elements for wrapping gifts!
Do you have any other favorite creative uses for hot glue?
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