Best Glue For Felt (5 of them!) And The Worst Ones I Don’t Recommend!
Wondering what’s the best glue for felt and how to use it to glue felt together?
Whether you’re working on no-sew felt crafts or looking to learn how to stick felt to wood and other materials, you should be using the best adhesive for your felt project.
My overall favorite? Hot glue works great as it’s quick-drying, dries clear, and works with a variety of materials.
I’ll also talk about:
- Tacky glue – great for cardboard and even glass!
- Fabric glue – great for fabric – obviously!
- Super glue – great for wood.
- Spray glue – great for kids.
I’ve been sewing for a long time (since I was 11) but sometimes I do like no-sew projects, and felt is a great place to start.
I wanted to work out which glue I should use for those times I just don’t feel like hand sewing or setting up my sewing machine!
Read on to find out which glues I recommend and which glues I DON’T! I’ll also share with you what to look for when picking the best glue for felt and how to glue felt together.
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Table of Contents
Best Glues For Felt Crafts
In my opinion, these are the best glues for felt projects:
1. Best all-purpose glue for felt: Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue
2. Best washable glue: Aleene’s Fabric Fusion Glue
3. Best quick-drying glue: ROMECH Full Size Hot Glue Gun with 60/100W Dual Power
4. Best extra-strong glue: Gorilla Super Glue Gel
5. Best glue for large crafts: 3M Super 77 Multipurpose Spray Adhesive
Each glue that works on felt has its own pros and cons. Here’s a little comparison:
Extra-strong hold | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Dries quick | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Dries clear | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Child-friendly | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Washable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Doesn’t stiffen fabric | ✓ | ✓ |
Let’s take a look at these glues and their traits in more detail.
Hot Glue
Many crafters find hot glue to be the best glue to stick felt together – it’s one of my go-to glues too! It’s a polymer-based glue and there are two main types: low-temperature hot glue and high-temperature hot glue.
Hot glue is a good fit if you’re looking for the best glue for felt to felt and other fabrics. You can also hot glue felt to non-fabric materials like paper, cardboard, and wood.
Hot glue doesn’t work very well for super smooth, non-porous materials like metal and plastic.
I like using hot glue when crafting with felt because of these plus points:
- Strong, permanent hold
- Dries very quickly (it usually takes 20 to 30 seconds)
- Dries clear
- Fabrics glued together using hot glue are washable
On the flip side, using hot glue has these drawbacks:
- Operates on heat and can be a safety hazard (watch out for burns!)
- It’s not child-friendly
- Hardens when it dries, making the felt fabric inflexible*
- Some high-temperature hot glue guns might damage synthetic-based felt like craft felt and wool blend felt (Tip: Check out my post comparing wool and polyester felt to learn more about different types of felt.)
Need a good hot glue gun recommendation? Check out the ROMECH Full Size Hot Glue Gun with 60/100W Dual Power. You can pick from two temperature options and it heats up pretty quickly. Plus, it’s available in cute colors – perfect for Instagram! 😉
*Note: If you prefer a hot glue that doesn’t stiffen, look for fabric hot glue sticks. It stays soft when dry and keeps the flexibility of the fabric.
Tacky Glue
At first glance, tacky glue seems pretty similar to standard craft glue. The difference is that this resin-based glue has a thicker and stickier texture, which binds well to felt.
You can use tacky glue to stick felt to most types of surfaces. Whether you’re looking for the best glue for gluing felt to fabric or the best glue for sticking felt to cardboard, tacky glue works wonders.
Does tacky glue work on glass? Yup, it does! It’s also one of the best glues for sticking felt to smooth, non-porous materials like plastic and metal.
Pros
I find tacky glue easy to use. Here’s what I like about it:
- Felt fabric that’s glued with tacky glue keeps its softness and flexibility
- Dries clear
- Non-toxic
- Child-friendly
Cons
These are the cons of using tacky glue:
There are so many good brands of tacky glue for felt but the most popular is Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue. It’s easy to use and is widely available – you can find it on Amazon and at most craft stores.
You might be wondering “Can you use Aleene’s Tacky Glue on fabric?” and the answer is yes! Tacky glue works great for gluing felt to felt and other types of fabric.
Fabric Glue
Fabric glue is one of the best glue for fabric-based projects.
I’ve been asked, “Does fabric glue work on felt?” because felt has a rough texture that’s quite different to most fabrics. The answer is: yes! Fabric glue is a great way to attach felt to fabric.
You can use fabric glue for sticking felt to felt, and for sticking felt to other fabric types. Whether you’re looking for the best glue for wool felt or the best glue for felt to cotton, it’ll work well.
Even though it’s technically a fabric glue, you can also use it to glue felt to paper and cardboard. It doesn’t really work with metal and plastic though.
Pros
These are the perks of using fabric glue:
- Felt fabric that’s glued with fabric glue keeps its softness and flexibility
- Dries clear
- Non-toxic
- Child-friendly
- Fabrics glued together using fabric glue are washable
Cons
Using fabric glue has its downsides, such as:
- The hold isn’t always as strong as what you’ll get with hot glue or super glue
- Takes a long time to dry (it can take between 2 to 4 hours)
- Some brands have a slight odor
Aleene’s Fabric Fusion Glue is one of the best fabric glues for felt. Elmer’s Fabric Glue is really good too!
Super Glue
Super glue is one of the crafter-approved favorites for gluing felt. This acrylic-based adhesive is especially great when you need an extra-strong permanent bond.
The awesome thing about super glue is that it works with most materials! You can use super glue to stick felt to fabric, paper, cardboard, rubber, leather, and ceramics. It’s also the best glue for felt to wood, metal, and plastic.
Pros
If you’re using super glue for your felt projects, these are the advantages:
- Dries clear
- Dries very quickly (it can take 10 – 45 seconds)
- Fabrics glued together using super glue are washable
Cons
Using super glue has its downsides, such as:
- Hardens when it dries, making the felt fabric inflexible
- Not child-friendly
- Some brands have a slight odor
I recommend trying Gorilla Super Glue Gel. The gel texture makes it easy to control. Plus, it’s not just for crafting – you can use it for home improvement projects. It’s the best glue for felt furniture pads, repairing small furniture, and more.
Spray Glue
Spray glue is the best glue for felt if you’re working on large crafts. If you need to apply glue quickly to a large area, use an aerosol-based glue like this.
Spray glue is compatible with sticking felt to felt and other fabrics, paper, cardboard, wood, metal, and plastic.
These are the pros of using spray glue:
- Quickly spreads glue to a large surface area
- Strong, permanent hold
- Dries clear
- Dries quickly
These are the cons of using spray glue:
- Not child-friendly
- Aerosols tend to contain some level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – make sure you’re using spray glues in a well-ventilated area
- Aerosol cans are flammable
If you’re looking for the best spray adhesive for felt, try the 3M Super 77 Multipurpose Spray Adhesive. I like that it has a low VOC formula.
What’s NOT The Best Glue To Use On Felt?
- Standard glue sticks
- craft glue
- high-temperature hot glue
Standard Glue Sticks
The standard glue sticks you use for gluing paper are NOT suitable for gluing felt.
Standard glue sticks have a lightweight hold. It’s not enough to handle the thickness and texture of felt fabric. It also lacks the stickiness that’s needed to create a proper bond between felt and other materials.
Craft Glue
Craft glue is not a good glue for felt. I know there’s some confusion about craft glue and tacky glue because they seem similar, so you’d think it would work just as well. This isn’t the case!
Felt fabric has a rough texture that requires a stronghold glue. Craft glue lacks that “tackiness” that tacky glue has, and doesn’t work well in creating a strong, permanent bond.
On top of that, it has a pretty runny texture that can seep into the fabric and leave a stain. Not a vibe!
High-Temperature Hot Glue
It’s best to avoid high-temperature glue if you’re working with synthetic-based felt like craft felt and wool blend felt.
Synthetic felt can melt at high temperatures, so not only could this damage your project, but it’s also a safety hazard as you could burn yourself (been there, done that!).
That being said, high-temperature hot glue can usually work on all-natural good felt like 100% wool felt, as it can withstand higher temperatures.
Best Glue For Felt Fabric: What To Consider
Not sure how to decide on the best glue to use for your felt project? Think about the characteristics you need for your project:
- Are you concerned about it being kid-friendly?
- Do you need something that dries quickly?
- What are you sticking to the felt? Fabric, wood, plastic, more felt?
Let’s go through what you should consider when you’re picking your glues for felt.
Drying Time
The best quick-drying glue is hot glue.
Quick-drying glues are good if you want a quick way to craft. They dry within seconds.
Other types of glue take longer to dry, like tacky glue and fabric glue, but they offer other benefits like being child-friendly.
Strength
The best extra-strong glue is super glue.
The extra-strong hold comes in especially handy when gluing felt to non-fabric materials like cardboard and wood.
While tacky glue and fabric glue don’t have the same level of strength, they still offer a good permanent hold.
Appearance
Most glues dry clear.
For the most part, you’ll want to use glue that dries clear as they give a cleaner-looking finish to your project. Depending on brands, some glues turn opaque when dry so check the manufacturer’s label of the specific brand you’re using to be sure.
Changes To Felt Material
The best glue that won’t mess up your felt’s texture is fabric glue. Fabric glue stays soft when it dries, keeping the softness and flexibility of the felt fabric.
Hot glue and super glue harden as they dry, which turns the felt fabric stiff and inflexible.
Only use these glues if you actually want the felt to be hard or if you’re only gluing tiny areas or areas that don’t need to be flexible (like gluing bobbly eyes onto a felt animal).
Ease Of Use
The best easy-to-use glue is tacky glue. It usually comes in a bottle with a convenient applicator.
If you want to quickly apply glue to a large area, use spray glue.
Hot glue requires a glue gun and is the most complicated option, as you need to protect your work area and work carefully and quickly as it dries fast and so you don’t burn yourself.
Kid-Friendliness
The best kid-friendly glue is tacky glue.
It’s great for working on craft projects with your little ones, as it’s generally non-toxic and safe for children.
Hot glue, super glue, and spray glue are not child-friendly – your kids might burn themselves or glue their fingers together (I definitely remember doing that as a kid and maybe even as an adult and do not recommend it ;)).
Odor
Most glues naturally have a slight odor (smell) to them, which is sometimes a bit yuck.
Some brands offer odor-free options so look for that indication on the label if you really want a glue option without any scent.
Best Way To Glue Felt Together
Wondering what’s the best way to stick felt together? Let’s check out the steps to stick felt to fabric, cardboard, wood, plastic, and metal.
How To Stick Felt To Fabric
These are the basic steps on how to glue felt to felt:
- Step 1: Have your felt pattern pieces ready.
- Step 2: Apply glue on one side of the fabric.
- Step 3: Press the glued piece onto the other piece of fabric.
- Step 4: Let dry.
Here’s a visual guide on gluing felt to felt:
This is the best way to adhere felt to fabric, so you can follow these same steps if you’re planning to glue felt to other types of fabric.
These are the best adhesives for felt to felt and felt to other fabrics:
How To Glue Felt To Cardboard
Sticking felt to cardboard can be a clever little trick to making easy, no-sew felt crafts. Using cardboard is a good way to give felt fabric some structure.
Here are the steps on how to glue felt to cardboard:
- Step 1: Cover one side of the cardboard with glue.
- Step 2: Place it on top of the felt fabric. Give it a little rub as you’re pressing down to even out the glue and help the materials stick better.
- Step 3: Let dry overnight.
- Step 4: Trim off excess fabric.
Watch how this technique is used to make the cutest felt cookies:
These are the best glues for sticking felt to cardboard:
How To Glue Felt To Wood
If you’re planning to line a wooden box or gaming table, you’ll need to know the best adhesive for felt to wood and how to use it.
Here’s the best way to glue felt to wood:
- Step 1: Prepare felt fabric according to the size needed for your box, table, or other wooden craft items.
- Step 2: Cover one side of the wood with glue.
- Step 3: Place felt fabric on the piece of wood, and press it down to get a good bond.
- Step 4: Use a scraper to even out any little bumps or rolls in the fabric, if needed.
- Step 5: Let dry overnight.
Check out the step-by-step guide in this simple tutorial:
These are the best glues for gluing felt to wood:
How To Glue Felt To Plastic
Just like with cardboard, you can use plastic in your crafts to add structure to felt fabric.
You can these steps to know how to make felt stick to plastic:
- Step 1: Apply glue to one side of the felt fabric.
- Step 2: Press it down onto the plastic.
- Step 3: Even out the fabric with a scraper, if needed.
- Step 4: Let dry overnight.
These are the best glues for felt to plastic:
How To Adhere Fabric To Metal
When you’re crafting, you can add felt fabric to some metal parts to give your project a softer, warmer look.
Follow these basic steps:
- Step 1: Apply glue to one side of the felt fabric.
- Step 2: Press it down onto the plastic.
- Step 3: Even out the fabric with a scraper, if needed.
- Step 4: Let dry overnight.
These are the best glues for felt to metal:
When Do You Use Felt Glue?
When you’re crafting with felt, you can use glue for these applications:
- To set pattern pieces in place before sewing
- To attach pattern pieces together in no-sew projects
- To attach felt to non-fabric materials like metal, wood, and plastic
Is Gluing Felt Better Than Sewing?
It’s best to use glue if you’re planning to craft a 3D felt project where you’ll need to attach felt to materials like wood, plastic, cardboard, metal, and ceramics.
You should also use glue if you want to complete your project quicker, as it can be much faster to glue your crafts together compared to sewing. On the other hand, it’s best to sew your project if you want something that’s likely to be longer-lasting.
Although some glues are washable, sewn crafts tend to hold up better in the wash in the long run.
You should also sew your project if you want a more handmade look. Stitches on the edges and embroidered appliqué really add character to your finished project! You can get these effects by hand-sewing felt or by using a sewing machine.
Can You Wash Glued Felt Fabric?
Is Hot Glue Washable?
Yes! According to Surebonder (fabric hot glue gun manufacturer), this fabric hot glue is washable and flexible!
If you buy a different brand, make sure you check what the manufacturer says about its washability, as if you don’t buy a fabric hot glue stick, it won’t be washable.
So although hot glue is machine washable, I personally recommend handwashing your glued fabric to make it last longer. Here are the basic steps to wash glued fabric:
- Step 1: Soak the fabric in cool water.
- Step 2: Gently squeeze the fabric to clean it. Don’t scrub or rub the fabric – you don’t want it to fuzz.
- Step 3: Lay the fabric flat and let it air dry.
If you’re using the washing machine (although I wouldn’t recommend this), choose a gentle and cool cycle.
Is Tacky Glue Washable?
No, tacky glue is not washable. Tacky glue is water-based and will dissolve in the water when washed. You should only use tacky glue on crafts that don’t need to be washed.
Is Fabric Glue Washable?
Yes, fabric glue is washable. Most fabric glues are water-resistant and are machine-washable.
That being said, frequent washing can wear the glue down over time so wash your crafts only when you really have to. You can use the same basic steps for washing hot-glued fabric.
Is Super Glue Washable?
Yes, super glue is washable. Most super glue brands are water-resistant but check that the label says, “Machine washable” to be sure!
If you’re planning to wash your super-glued fabric, use the same basic steps for washing hot-glued fabric.
Is Spray Glue Washable?
No, spray glue is not washable. This isn’t such a bad thing as most crafts that use spray glue are larger projects that combine felt with non-fabric material, which you probably don’t need to wash anyway.
Best Glue To Use For Felt: Beginner Tips
Here are some tips I’d like to share to get the best results for your glued fabric:
- If you want your fabric to stay soft and flexible, use tacky glue or fabric glue. They don’t harden when they soften.
- If you’re specifically looking into how to make felt stiff, you can use glue that hardens when it dries like hot glue and super glue.
- When you’re applying glue, use it sparingly. You’ll get a neater finish and it reduces the chances of the glue seeping through the fabric and creating a stain.
- Once you’ve completed your project, let it dry for 24 hours to really set the glue and make it more long-lasting.
Best Glue For Felt FAQ
What Is The Best Glue To Use On Felt?
Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue is the best glue to use on felt, in most cases. It’s easy to use, has a strong hold, works on most materials, and is child-friendly.
Aleene’s Fabric Fusion Permanent Fabric Adhesive is a great alternative too if you’re specifically looking for a good fabric glue.
How Do You Join Two Pieces Of Felt Together?
To join two pieces of felt together, you can glue, hand sew, or machine sew your pieces of fabric.
If you’re interested in no-sew felt projects, gluing is the best way to go. Make sure you’re using the right type of glue for your project. Hot glue, tacky glue, and fabric glue generally work well with felt.
Is It Better To Sew Or Glue Felt?
It’s better to glue felt if you need to attach felt to non-fabric materials like wood, plastic, cardboard, metal, ceramics, and more. Glue is also a better option if you want to complete your project more quickly.
So you can see that although sewing felt is a long-lasting and strong option, there are occasions when it is faster and better to glue felt.
Can You Use Any Glue For Felt?
No, you can’t just use any glue for felt. Several types of glue can be used on felt, including hot glue, tacky glue, fabric glue, super glue, and spray glue.
Standard glue sticks and craft glue can’t be used to stick felt together. Also, avoid using high-temperature hot glue on synthetic felt.
Can You Use PVA Glue For Felt?
No, you can’t use PVA glue for felt. Regular PVA glue won’t work as you need a tackier and stickier glue for a material like felt. PVA glue also has a runnier texture that may seep onto the fabric and leave a visible stain.
Can You Use Elmer’s Glue On Felt?
Yes, you can use Elmer’s glue on felt as it’s a type of tacky glue. Just keep in mind that Elmer’s glue won’t work for gluing felt to all types of surfaces (like metal and plastic), but can work for fabric, paper, and wood.
What Is The Difference Between Fabric Glue And Glue?
The difference between fabric glue and glue is that fabric glues are made with acrylic as a main ingredient instead of resin.
Acrylic-based fabric glues tend to be pretty water-resistant, so they’re a good pick if your crafting project needs to be washed from time to time.
Is Fabric Glue Permanent?
Yes, fabric glue is permanent. Fabrics that are glued together with fabric glue can be machine-washed. That being said, hand-washing helps to preserve the crafting project better as it’s gentler on the fabric.
Does Felt Stick To Felt Without Glue?
Yes, felt naturally sticks to felt – even without glue. Felt has a unique scratchy texture, which helps felt pieces to naturally stick together. This glue-free sticking ability is great for kids’ activities like felt boards.
If you’re looking for a strong, permanent bond then you’ll need to glue the felt pieces together.
Does Hot Glue Ruin Felt?
Generally, hot glue will not ruin felt. It’s one of the best glues to use on felt.
However, you need to be extra careful if you’re working with synthetic-based felt like craft felt and wool blend felt. They are prone to melting at high temperatures so avoid high-temperature hot glue for these fabrics.
Can You Make Felt Fabric Stiff?
Yes, you can make felt fabric stiff using corn starch. Submerge your felt piece into the corn starch solution and massage the solution into the felt until fully saturated.
To stiffen specific areas, you can use glues that harden when they dry like super glue and hot glue.
Best Glue For Felt Wrap-Up
I hope this best glue for felt guide makes it super clear which adhesive you should be using for your next felt project!
For a quick-drying option, hot glue is the best glue to use with felt. It offers a strong, permanent hold and is washable. It works great on most materials except smooth, non-porous items like metal and plastic.
Alternatively, you can use tacky glue. It’s child-friendly and easy to use. It works on most materials. It takes a little while to dry though.
Need more beginner-friendly tips on working with felt? Check out my ultimate guide on sewing felt!