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.
NOTE: If your particular hot glue does not keep the rug from slipping, try this product!
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!
More Ideas You'll Love
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.
More Ideas You'll Love
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?
I have a question please. I love the idea of using my hot glue gun to keep my rugs in place but I’m concerned about sticking the rugs to my wood and/or laminate flooring and doing damage to them. Is this something I should be concerned about? If I do use my glue gun, do I just redo it every time I want to move the rug to clean the floors? I love your blog. I can’t tell you how many things I have tried successfully, with probably hundreds more stored for future use. Thanks Jill!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Karen, the trick is to let the glue dry before you put the rug back down. It becomes like rubber and doesn’t actually get glued to the floor. The rubber just sticks to the floor. It won’t hurt the floor.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee! I have been a fan of your blog and your book for many years. What happened to Printer Friendly? I really miss it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just read the hot glue post,and now have the perfect solution to my forever creeping hall rug,that was stealthily moving as soon as I had straightened it!I have a tiny kitchen so a lot of the storage hacks don’t work for me but by tweaking them i have used ideas.No walk in closet but in wardrobe have used space under trips and store my slow cooker and other kitchen equipment that i don’t use every day.where there is a will you will find a way as my family always said.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A trick I have done with my hot glue gun is making non-slip socks for my husband. He preferred a certain type of sock so I just put a couple of lines of glue on the bottom, let them sit overnight and the next day they worked perfectly. He was much safer, didn’t have to buy anything and nobody else could tell he was using an assisted device. Something that was very important to him. Washed and dried like usual without a problem.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My right foot is slightly smaller than the left one. Since I cannot put a smaller shoe on the larger foot, I have to buy the larger size. The purchased heel grippers do not always work for me and sometimes wrinkle when walking a longer distance. I found that a good smear or strip of hot glue (using something beside your finger) on the inside of the heel gives just enough resistance to keep the small shoe from slipping up and down when walking. It drys quiet quickly, and I have removed it sometimes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Question:
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I guess I always thought the glue would be hotter than it actually is.
I presumed that the hot glue would melt things like ‘rubber gloves’ etc. Clearly I was mistaken.
Does this mean it might also be used to mend a broken glass canister lid without risk of the glass cracking worse? (I tried ‘Crazy glue’ previously but it only held for a few weeks.)
The glue is very hot but cools and dries very quickly. I think it should work. Good luck!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I tried using a special epoxy to repair damage to a glass apothecary jar in which the cracks didn’t go all the way through. Either the glue was too thick to get into the cracks or it cooled too quickly. I can still use the jar but the cracks are obvious if I don’t turn the jar the right way. This makes me wonder if hot glue would do the job(?)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I put hot glue on the bottom of my tape dispensers so they don’t slide.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a great idea! I’m going to do that RIGHT NOW.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I used my hot glue gun to make a makeup brush cleaner. I just glued some dots randomly on a small tray I got from the dollar store and let dry. My brushes get cleaner than ever with the extra texture and the cleaning time is reduced.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a great idea, Wendy!! I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love these! You are so clever. I have learned so much from your emails!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My husband recommended several thick lines of hot glue on the bottom of some inexpensive, flat-soled suede boots that lacked traction on wet surfaces. The first time I tried it, I didn’t let them dry long enough, and some of the glue peeled off. 2nd time, I let them dry for a couple of days (just to be sure!) and it worked like a charm. I have other boots, so I don’t wear them all that often, but it’s been 2 years now, and still truckin’! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Fantastic ideas! I have a glue gun I’ve had for years, but I’ve only had to use it once. I’ve hated having it sitting around being useless. Thanks to you, I now have some excellent uses for it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just literally smacked myself in the forehead – I would never have thought of this and will now be buying a glue gun.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for all the tips that you post. I enoy reading them every day.
But one warning about the painter’s tape. Most of those tapes should only be left on for two weeks. After that you would risk the tape ripping off the paint from the wall. It is best to read the directions on the tape to be sure of the time limit before using.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am happy that you enjoy my tips and posts. As far as your comment… Just to clarify, the items I reference in this tip are temporary items such as greeting cards for a special ocassion or holiday. I even state that you can keep them up for one to two weeks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am sorry for missing that information. Apparently I thought I had read it through. Sometimes my concentration level is that of a small child. Sorry about that.
These are great!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These ideas are wonderful! I can sit all day on my computer reading Jilliee’s ideas.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Cindy! You made my day! In normal times we like to say that we are here to make people’s lives easier with solutions to everyday homekeeping, beauty routines, recipes, natural products and more… While we are all staying home during these uncertain times, I am so happy that we can offer help, tips and entertainment!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The hot glue on the gloves would be a nice way to get more life out of a pair that may have a hole/rip in them. I have been looking for a way to get the pet hair off my couch. The short hair from our new German Shorthair Pointer rescue won’t come off with the vacuum. And I hate buying special tools.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Marlene, I thought the same thing about using a dead pair of gloves! Great minds…lol!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love these!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Katie! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have never owned or used a hot glue gun, but after reading these ideas I just might have to get one! That last suggestion is brilliant and by itself would make the purchase worthwhile. A question about the glue…is this a special glue that one buys specifically to use with a hot glue gun, or will a basic bottle of Elmer’s work? Is it the “hot” part that makes it work so well?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It is a special glue. You cannot use anything but the glue sticks that fit into the gun. If you buy a glue gun, you will see near it packets of glue “sticks.” They are thin wax-looking sticks that will go right into the glue gun. When you put them in, they will stick out and slowly get smaller. Have fun with it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You have to buy glue sticks made specifically for glue guns.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Please do not use Elmer’s Liquid glue in a hot glue gun! You could possibly start a fire or get hurt, and you would certainly ruin your glue gun. As Christine and Kristy have said- it is a special type of glue in stick form that you need to use.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Terry, they are very inexpensive and you will be amazed by all of the things you can use them on. The glue dries very quick! There are specific glue sticks that go with a glue gun. Make sure you buy the right size that fits with your glue gun. Here is one from Amazon that even comes with glue sticks… https://amzn.to/3bePBcW
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Off subject. Jillie- have you done any research on turning regular wipes into antibacterial? Perhaps with rubbing alcohol and essential oil? How much alcohol in order for them really to work? Your other recipe with a small amount of alcohol would work under normal circumstances. We’re not in normal anything right now thought lol. I appreciate waking up to your post in the morning- a little ray of sunshine
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I know you can add some essential oils that have anti bacterial properties, like lemon oil I believe, but I don’t know if that’s effective enough for the current situation.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It definitely IS NOT – essential oil are not disinfectants. In this pandemic, PLEASE do not post misinformation like this.
Soap, alcohol, and bleach are all antibacterial. I read earlier this week that the alcohol is better for viruses though. And it really doesn’t take any more than what is in the recipes here. We use some of these recipes and products because they do kill the germs. If using bleach I was told by a vet that a few drops to a gallon were enough to clean with. (we did cut back to a capful) ( he came into the grooming room and we had just cleaned cages and could smell the bleach and said if you can smell it you are using too much.) You could always add more rubbing alcohol if you think you need it. Just be careful of the surface you use it on. And unless you use a flame thrower, regular cleaning products are all you need, just used more often. We are all going to turn into Felix Unger.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.:)
I was told that bleach solution rapidly declines, so you have to make new solution every day or so. Alcohol does not decline. It’s my go-to for sanitizing now. It also is friendlier to the environment and my skin.
I LOVE hot glue…it works better than super glue. I had a plastic piece on the end of one of my dishwasher racks that cracked and kept falling off. I tried fixing it with super glue and it still kept falling off. I finally used my hot glue gun and it has now been on for about two years even through many, many washings. The hot glue gun is one of the most underused items ever! Thanks for the post
Please log in or create a free account to comment.