Glue Sticks: are they all alike?

Some layout instructions say to use glue stick. Some posters say they never use glue stick because their layouts fall apart.

This makes me wonder . . .
Are all glue sticks alike? Oh, I know they come in clear and purple, but stick-wise, are they the same or are there good glue sticks and bad glue sticks?

If so, which ones are good and which are bad? And when would you choose a glue stick over tape runner or similar adhesive?

The acid free glue sticks, in my experience, don't stick as well as the normal ones like Pritt Stick, and everything falls off. I always use double-sided tape now as I know they'll not fall apart.

I don't EVER use glue sticks!

I use the duck adhesive runner around the edges (I think it's probably overkill since it sticks REALLY well) and if I'm puttin on ribbon or something like that I run it thru my xyron X first. I find glue sticks to be messy and I get all sticky. My kids in my classroom use them and their stuff falls apart within a week or so.

I pass on all glue sticks, they just don't stick long term.

I tried many adhesives and finally settled on my ATG.

I will never use glue sticks again. I used several different "permanent" glue sticks years ago and those layouts are falling apart now.
There are so many better adhesives to use IMO.

I think it's a risk you may or may not want to take. Some people who used glue sticks but only on cardstock aren't having problems of things coming unstuck years later. I didn't always use cardstock as my background paper and things are fall off. But little things are staying in place. Things that bending the papers aren't loosening up. So I still once in a while will use glue sticks for a small punched out image.

Cards are another area you can use glue sticks for. Most if not all are on cardstock so that bending won't be problem even if the cards are saved for years later.

• melissa_1959 Said:

No, not all glue sticks are alike. Any grade school kid could attest to this.
I don't think any are very good; just some are worse.

• melissa_1959 Said:

Personally, I would NEVER choose to use a glue stick in scrapbooking.

I use a large size acid free glue stick and I like it very well. But now that I have found Zots!!! They are my fave!!!! I hardly use my glue stick at all!! I am addicted to Zots!!!!

HATE glue sticks. I like teh glue pens with the pen tip at one end and the spreader at the other.

You can have similar products for everything but there are cetain ones that are better than others. For example: I just picked up and adhesive roller with tabs and one with dots from the dollar store....they suck. They don't stick AT ALL.

Now the ones from 3L that I bought here are like cement!

• Croppin4Christ Said:

How long have you been scrapping?
Glue sticks work initially, but then tend to fail.

I do not recommend glue sticks for scrapbooking at all. They do not last.

Thanks, ladies.
I found a good deal on bulk glue sticks. And I was considering buying some for times when I wanted a little more control than I get from my ATG gun. But instead of glue sticks, I think I'll get a couple little hand-held tape runners or use zots.

My very favorite adhesive are photo splints. I like the Fiskars brand very well. Although my local WM quit selling the Fiskars ones I believe they have something similar made by Scotch .

I also like the ZIG 2-way pen and the xyron X. I tend to use the xyron only for letters that I cut with my Cricut though. I have some Zots but have not used them yet.

With that being said, I have a few glue sticks. I do not use them very often but have. I have a couple made by Scotch that have not been used so I have no idea how good they are. I have used them on smaller things when I need some extra hold. The very first LO I did several years ago was put entirely together with a glue stick. It came from WM but I do not remember the brand. It was in the scrappy section though...not just a glue stick from the office supplies. That LO is still stuck very well. Nothing has came up at all.

So...my preference to not use glue sticks very much doesn't have anything to do with the fact I have not had them work for me. It is more along the lines of ease of use. I just have to say I prefer the photo splints. No matter how many different adhesives I have tried, I keep going back to them.