The Best Glue Gun for Crafting (And What to Avoid)
Hi, I’m Alyona, and through my long craft career you honestly can’t imagine how many glue guns I’ve changed 🔫. Some were a big no-no. Some were “okay”. And one? One is the right one.
If you’re struggling with the glue gun you have at the moment, thinking about upgrading, or buying your very first one – this article is for you. By the end of it, you’ll know exactly what you need to buy and what you need to avoid.
Let’s get started.
Glue Gun Number One: The Cheap Leaking One
I remember my first glue gun. A small black one with an orange trigger, using 0.7 mm glue sticks. It looked harmless. It was cheap. And It felt like a bargain 🙈😂.
The main problem? It leaked. Non-stop 💦.
By the time it heated up, I had already lost so so much glue. During the whole process of creating, it kept dripping and dripping and I couldn’t stop it. You waste glue constantly, which means you keep buying more Hot Glue Sticks.
The cable was another issue. It was extremely short – like a Frenchie’s tail, honestly Queenie could confirm 😂. You had to sit right next to your extension. No freedom. No comfort.
Yes, these glue guns are very attractive because of the price. But if you calculate how much glue you waste over time, it’s not cheap at all. As my father used to say when I was little, greedy person pays twice. So don’t make that mistake.
If you see this type of glue gun – avoid it 🙅♀️.
Glue Gun Number Two: The “Garage Man” Model
Then came my supermarket adventure. I found what looked like a fantastic deal – a massive charger glue gun with sticks included on top. It worked from a charger, which for me felt like complete freedom. No more sitting next to an extension.
The sticks were around 11 mm in diameter – more than 1 centimetre for sure – and about 28 cm long. Thick. Solid. Impressive. I thought, with one stick I could create hundreds of things, from felt plush toys to jewellery and foam flowers.
And yes, I bought three glue guns. Three. I genuinely believed I had secured glue guns for my entire crafting lifetime 😂. I also bought three packs of Hot Glue Sticks, thinking I would never need more for my whole crafting career.
Then I tested it…
It took ages to heat up. And when I pressed the trigger, it released a river of glue. Not a small pinch. Not a tiny drop. A river. Everything was covered. My creation was completely spoiled.
I’m not saying this glue gun is bad. It’s good quality. It has its own charger. It’s strong. But it’s not made for small craft. It’s made for garages. For big wood pieces or plastic. Basically for something massive.
If you’re working with small things like plushies from Soft Felt, brooches made from Stiff Felt, or delicate foam flowers, this type will not work. Even as an adult, pressing gently still gave me too much glue. A child would never be able to control that trigger properly!
So I sold two of them because the return policy had already expired. One I sent to my father for his garage, and for him it was just perfect.
But for a small craft table? Avoid!
Glue Gun Number Three: The One I Use Every Day
Now we’re talking about the glue gun I actually use every single day – my Glue Gun.
I swear by this one!!!
First of all, it doesn’t leak! I once bought a cheaper similar-looking one and it still leaked because the quality was lower. This particular one does not 🙅♀️.
The cable is middle-sized. Not too short. Not too long. I have my extension attached to the leg of my table. When I plug it in, I can comfortably reach the middle of my table without stretching or struggling.
The trigger is very responsive. When I’m making foam flowers 👇 and I need a tiny amount – literally the size of a small seed bead – it gives me exactly that. Not more. Not less. That precision matters because foam melts easily under heat, and you need control.
It heats up quickly. And it has a small on/off switch button, which I love. Sometimes I switch it off every five minutes, let it cool slightly, then switch it on again. It saves electricity and prevents overheating. In the UK, electricity is not cheap, so this really matters to me 🙈😂.
There’s also a little green light on it. It sounds small, but it’s important. You instantly see whether it’s on or off. No guessing. No waiting and then realising you forgot to flip the switch (typically me 🤦♀️).
I’ve owned this glue gun for more than five years. And I don’t just use it – I use and abuse it. It has never broken. I keep a second one as backup because if you run a small handmade business, you never want to be stuck in the middle of an order with a broken tool.
Always Have a Spare
I always recommend having at least two glue guns 🔫🔫. Things happen. Tools break. Life happens.
If you’re crafting for yourself, you can wait for a delivery. But if you’re running a small handmade business and working on an order, you don’t want to pay for urgent next-day delivery just because you didn’t have a spare.
Having two saves stress 😉.
One More Helpful Resource
If you enjoyed this article, I think you’ll also find helpful The Best Way to Trace a Pattern on Felt. It explains step by step how to outline your pattern properly before you even start gluing.
And if you’d like to practise your techniques, you can download my Free Sewing Pattern and try it yourself.
I hope this helped you avoid wasting money and frustration. If you pick the glue gun I’m using, I genuinely think you’ll be happy with it. Quite a few people from our Facebook forum asked me which one I use, and after buying it, they told me the leaking problem finally stopped 💪.
So now you know.
See you in the next article 🫶.
