Fabric Glues are amazing they can be used to quickly bond two pieces of fabric together, mend pockets and tears and even to glue things onto fabric such as embellishments. But there are other amazing substitutes that you can use instead of fabric glues.
The Best Alternatives to Fabric Glue are:
- Fusible Hem Tape & Fusible Web (Quickly creates a strong and flexible bond)
- Fabric Glue Stick (Great for positioning fabric to be sewed)
- Hot Glue Gun (Very effective glue but should only be used on tough fabrics)
- Velcro (Ideal for temporarily keeping two pieces of fabric together)
- Staples (Great for adhering fabric onto another surface)
- DIY Fabric Glue
1- Fusible Hem Tape & Web
Fusible Tape & Fusible Web are basically double sided adhesive tape that can be used to glue pieces of fabric together. They create strong and durable bonds and in some cases if used correctly they can work even better than fabric glue.
Fusible Tape Vs Fabric Glue
Fusible Tape and Web is just as strong as fabric glue but it is less messy and dries much quicker than glue.
But fabric glue is more affordable and is more flexible meaning it can work in a wider variety of situations since it can be applied in various angles and positions.
Types of Fusible Tape
Fusible tape comes in the form of a scotch tape whilst fusible web is sold as a yard of fabric which you then need to cut to suit your required measurements.
Now there are basically two types of fusible tape and web:
- Peel & Stick Fusible Tape – which doesn’t require any heat to be applied.
- Iron-On Fusible Tape – which requires heat, usually from an iron, to be applied
Related Article: How to Use Fabric Glue & How Long to Let it Dry 
Peel & Stick Fusible Tape
Advantages of Peel & Stick Fusible Tape
- Easy to use since it doesn’t require the use of an iron
- Quicker to Apply
- Can work on fabrics that might be sensitive to high temperatures.
- Can be used to paste embellishments
Drawback of Peel & Stick Fusible Tape
The main issue with Peel and Paste tapes is that they aren’t as strong and durable like an Iron-On Tape. You see Iron-On Tapes tend to last much longer because the heat fuses the glue with the fibers of the two fabric creating a very strong bond.
How to Use Peel & Stick Fusible Tape
You can see how to use Peel & Stick Tape in the video below.
Where to Get Peel & Stick Fusible Tape
You can get Peel & Stick Fusible Tape on Amazon, you can click here to see the current price for one there.
Iron-On Fusible Tape & Web
Advantages of Iron on Fusible Tape & Web
- Creates a very strong and durable bond – that is much stronger than Peel & Stick Tape
- Can easily handle being washed multiple times
Disadvantages of Iron-On Fusible Tape
- Requires the use of an iron
- Can’t be used on fabrics that are heat sensitive like silk
How to Apply Iron-On Fusible Tape
You can check out the video below to see how to apply an Iron-On Fusible Tape.
Where to Get Iron-On Fusible Tape
There are two kinds of Iron-On Fusible Tape;
The Regular Weight which can handle light fabrics such as cotton, rayon, polyester and acrylic fabrics. You can click here to see the price for the Regular Weight Tape on Amazon.
Super Weight which can handle heavy fabrics such as heavy cotton, denim, suede, wool and corduroy. You can click here to see the price for the Super Weight one on Amazon.
Fusible Web
Another option that is very similar to Fusible Tape is Fusible Web. But fusible web doesn’t come in the form of a tape instead it comes in the form of a sheet of paper that you then need to cut as per your requirement. But Fusible Web works and is used in the same way as fusible tape. Citation.
You can see how to use Fusible Web in the video, below.
Where to Get Fusible Web
You can get Fusible Web on Amazon, you can click here to see the current price for a packet there.
2- Fabric Glue Stick
Fabric Glue stick is a weak water-soluble glue meaning that it would be dissolved away when the fabric is washed.
Now because they are so weak fabric glue sticks are ideal for helping you to align and position your fabric when sewing and not for bonding fabric that are meant to be used and worn.
They are a great alternative to using pins since they can have the same function but they don’t leave small holes in the fabric.
I highly recommend Dritz Fabric Glue Stick, you can click here to see the current price for one on Amazon.
3- Hot Glue Gun
Will Hot Glue Work on Fabric?
Hot Glue Guns can be very effective at gluing fabric – this is because the heat from the glue gun melts the glue allowing it to seep deep into the fibers of the two fabrics creating a very strong bond.
The main drawback with glue guns is that they use heat which can potentially damage certain types of fabric such as silk and other light fabric. But thankfully certain models can either adjust their temperature or they work at a relatively low temperature which allows them to work on fabric.
Low temperature glue guns work with temperature around 260 to 311 Degrees Fahrenheit which is around the temperature that allows glue guns to work effectively without burning your fabric.
Now before you use a glue gun on a fabric you should test it out on an area that is less visible or on a piece of fabric that can be thrown away.
Related Article: How Strong Is Fabric Glue & 6 Tips To Make it Last Longer
Advantages of Hot Glue Gun
- Creates a strong bond
- Works really fast
- Easy to use
- Can be used to glue fabric onto other materials like wood and metal.
Drawbacks of Hot Glue Gun
- Can potentially burn the fabric – especially thin ones
- The area where it is glued tend to be stiff
Recommended Glue Gun
Gorilla Glue Guns are made to work on a wide variety of surfaces and fabric is one of them. This is because they are adjustable so they can be switched onto a moderate temperature which allows them to work on sensitive materials such as fabric.
You can click here to see the price of a Gorilla Glue Gun Set on Amazon.
4- Velcro
Velcro is a great way to join two pieces of fabric together. It is both durable and strong yet it allows you to remove the fabric and then reattach it if needed be. This makes it great for closures such as an alternative to zippers or buttons. And it can work brilliantly to hem your clothes.
To join two pieces of fabric together you can use Velcro strips which has an adhesive side that you paste onto one of the fabric and then you can press the other fabric onto the Velcro side to make it adhere.
The main drawback with using Velcro is that it would show bulky and doesn’t give you a smooth feel.
Velcro Strips work effectively on cotton, nylon, polyester, and other poly blends
Where to Get Velcro Strips
You can get Velcro Strips on Amazon, you can click here to see the price for a packet.
5- Staples
If you are truly desperate to make two pieces of fabric adhere to each other, you can use staples to staple them together. For strong bonds you can use a staple gun but for a quick fix you can use a regular staple machine.
The main drawbacks with using staples are:
- They would damage the fabric by leaving small holes
- The staples can potentially come off and bore you.
- Staples can be very visible
I recommend using staples only for emergencies or when you are pasting a fabric onto a hard surface like wood or plastic.
Related Article: 6 Ways to Remove Super Glue From Cotton, Polyester & Jeans
6- DIY Fabric Glue
I found a super easy yet strong DIY Fabric Glue Recipe that uses simple ingredients that you can find right around your house.
You can check it out in the video below.
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