How to make homemade glue for crafts?

Making homemade glue is easy. With few ingredients you can prepare a glue for crafts as effective as the one sold in stores, but with more advantages: it is non-toxic, costs less and yields more.

There are several methods in the production of paste at home (with milk, with corn syrup and with other products). We will teach you 3 ecological recipes that work by adhering to cardboard and paper. In addition, as they do not contain chemicals, they are safer for the use of children.

Option 1: homemade glue with flour and water

It is known as paste. Its use is frequent in works with cardboard, in the elaboration of piñatas, the fixing of wallpaper, the creation of papier-mâché figures and even putting together puppets.

As soon as it is ready you can apply it and, if it hardens over time, soften it with hot water.

Materials

• Water.
• Wheat flour.

Step by Step

1. Specifying the portions depends on what you want to do. For example, for 1/2 cup of flour you need 3 cups of water.
2. Pour the flour into a container and gradually add the water.
3. Mix until you get a smooth, lump-free mixture. Do it with a fork.
4. Bring to a simmer and stir until boiling.
5. Then turn off the flame and let it cool to room temperature.
6. Clever! You can use the paste. Serves for up to a week.

We recommend reading: 9 easy crafts to do with children

Option 2: homemade rice glue

It is suggested for exclusive paper crafts. Its drying is hard and it is practically colorless. With the following implements and the tutorial you prepare it at home.

Materials

• Water: 300 cubic centimeters.
• Rice: 200 grams.

Step by Step

1. For 20 or 30 minutes, until thickened, simmer the rice. The stickiness means it has released the starch, a fairly sticky compound.
2. Remove from the burner, let it rest and strain.
3. Again, bring the rice to the fire for a few minutes. The aim is to make it thicker.
4. Finally, wait for it to cool before using this type of homemade glue. Depending on the craft you make, you determine the consistency and also if you will use a brush or spatula to spread it.
5. Store this gum in a glass container and keep it in the fridge.

Option 3: homemade flour and vinegar glue

It is just as effective as the previous ones. It requires more inputs, but they are not difficult to obtain. This paste retains its properties for up to 2 weeks, as long as you store it in the refrigerator, preferably in a glass jar.

Materials

• Water: 1 liter.
• Wheat flour: 190 grams.
• Vinegar: 3 tablespoons.
• Sugar: 300 grams.
• Baking soda: 2 tsp.

Step by Step

1. Sift the flour so that no lumps will form and cooking will be faster.
2. Combine the sugar and flour in a pot with water.
3. Cook until compact. Over medium heat, stir the mixture. Don't let it boil.
4. Once you notice the change in consistency, add the tablespoons of vinegar and always move in the same direction for 5 minutes.
5. Then complete with the bicarbonate without stopping stirring. You will see that foam appears and the preparation turns white, similar to a meringue.
6. Turn off and let it rest.
7. Once cold, beat it again and store it.

You may be interested: 6 fantastic uses of baking soda

Recommendations for an effective homemade glue

Keep in mind that shared recipes are for cardboard and paper. You will not obtain favorable results if you want to glue glass, wood, metal, porcelain, plastic, fabric or another type of element.

However, on hard surfaces (such as those mentioned) it is possible to fix some pieces of paper or cardboard with homemade glue.

For the homemade adhesive to work, the following recommendations must be taken into account:

• The flour does not have to be pre-cooked, Otherwise, the glue will not be effective and if the paper does stick, it will come off in a few minutes.
• Add a few drops of insecticide and the craft will be protected from pests.
• Respect the conservation times; more than recommended decreases the properties of the product and will not stick.
• Remember to identify the jar, so that no one confuses its content believing that it is a refrigerated food.

Benefits of homemade glue

Although the homemade glue is manufactured for specific cases, the good thing is that you do not limit yourself in quantity. You can prepare as much as you want and when you need it without spending so much money, unlike conventional glues that are often expensive.

As the ingredients are natural, you will cook ecological glues, thus collaborating with the environment. And if there are remains on your hands, clean them only with water, without the risk of toxicity or accidents, as happens with industrial glues.

That it is made at home does not detract from it. Following the instructions carefully, it is as strong as the industrialists. Sticking sheets of paper or cardboard without displacement is one of the benefits of non-artificial rubber.

An extra benefit? Perhaps the most important is: Knowing how to prepare glue will get you out of trouble. If in the middle of a craft the queue is over, the 3 tutorials presented previously are the solution. Just check the pantry for the available materials and get to work.