1. Hem Pants
You're in a rush and just realized your hem has gone down for the count. Get out that glue gun and go to town. Later on, just peel the dots of glue off or leave it on while you sew. Use only small dabs and not full lines of glue: This makes removing the glue easier, and it won't stain the clothing. When I have done this in the past, I usually forget, and the glue just remains unseen. Washing the clothing has no effect on the glue's adhesion.
2. Fix Buttons
You're running out the door and notice you have a button that is about to fall off. No time to sew it? Just run some hot glue over the threads and go. Your button will stay in place, and when you have time to sew it, the glue will just pop off the plastic. Unlike clear nail polish, the hot glue won't damage the button.
3. Emboss Cards
The glue gun is perfect for embossing just about anything: In other words, it adds a decorative raised ridge to any surface. Once you are happy with how it looks, just apply nail polish over it for a high gloss lacquer finish or use a colored stick. You can also use a glitter stick.
Embossing can be done in several ways. You can write words or draw a design on a flat, nonporous surface, let it dry, and peel it up. You can then attach your design to a card with a little bit of glue. This way you can trim it to perfection.
Another way is just to write directly on the card itself. The only problem with this is that hot glue on paper doesn't clean off well if you make a mistake. It usually takes some of the paper with it if you remove it.
4. Make Expensive-Looking Christmas Ornaments
Glue guns are great on glass and if you make a mistake, just peel it off. Apply it to the outside of plain glass Christmas ornaments to give them a 3-D effect. I usually use colored or glitter glue.
If you don't have the right colors, you can use clear glue and then apply nail polish over it. You can apply glitter while the glue is wet or afterward using some gloss mod podge glue.
5. Halloween Spider Webbing
Most crafters hate those threads you get using low temp guns, but even high temp guns will spin webs for you, so why not use it to your advantage at Halloween? Apply a dab of hot glue to anchor the web and while blowing on the glue, pull it to a different anchor point. Keep repeating it until your web is done. When Halloween is over, just run your hand through the glue, and it cleans up fast.
6. Create Scrapbook Embellishments
I bought a silicone mold, and it was so delicate that I was never able to make anything from it. That was until I used the glue gun. No matter how delicate the mold, the glue gun captured the design perfectly. Apply nail polish as a final step and you have the perfect embellishment in just minutes.
If you want, you can use two different colors of hot glue in the mold, just be careful not to overfill it. (I have put in too much glue, and the embellishment didn't sit right on the paper.) It's best to underfill rather than overfill. Make sure the glue gets into all the corners. You can do this by taping the mold against the table surface.
Another trick is to dip the tip of the glue gun into the flow of the glue and not above it. If the glue is allowed to drip, it cools slightly and doesn't flow as well. I use the tip of my hot gun to keep it flowing. Test your mold material first before you do this. If the gun is too hot, it can melt the plastic on some molds.
It is fine to use plastic candy molds. You may want to use a drop of mold-release such as cooking spray: It won't effect the embellishment, and it prevents the glue from sticking to the plastic of the candy mold.
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