If you make a lot of crafts like I do, then you most likely own a hot-glue gun. If so, you are surely familiar with the nasty burns that inevitably come with using one! Hot glue is very painful and continues to burn your skin for several minutes after contact. To minimize the damage, I always keep a bowl of ice-water within easy reach on my work surface. The instant the glue hits my skin, I plunge my finger into the ice water. This stops the burn from causing more damage by curing the glue and instantly cooling the wound. The glue peels off easily and prevents the burn from becoming worse. I never use a hot glue gun without that bowl of ice-water; try it next time you craft- you'll be so glad you did!
This page contains the following solutions.
Get tired of the stringies when using your glue gun? I keep my glue sticks in a plastic shoe box in the freezer. This really reduces the stringies when working on a project.
Do you use a glue gun when you craft? If you are looking for a way to catch all of the excess glue that oozes from your glue gun, why not use a pretty plate from Goodwill!
I use hot glue frequently for crafts. One of my biggest annoyances is that the hot glue always slips off the table because the cord is too short.
When working with small projects and a glue gun, I usually keep a jar of water and some Q-tips on my table. When I need to cool the glue down fast, I just dab the glue with the wet Q-tip.
To avoid getting hot glue on your fingers while using a glue gun, put a Bandaid on each of your finger tips before using the hot glue gun. It really helps!
To remove hot glue cleanly from surfaces: Wait until glue has dried, then get a Q-tip and apply alcohol around the edges of the hot glue. It works quickly and easily.
If you need to use hot glue for crafts then cut chunks of glue sticks into an old pan and warm on the stove, then dunk things that need to be glued into the glue. Use the pan over and over after glue cools and just reheat.
When working with my hot glue gun, having to lay it down between steps, but needing to leave it on, I rest it facing into a cake pan, with the glue spout inside the pan, the handle on the outside.
To get rid of those glue strings when you use a hot glue gun when making a wreath or other craft use a hair dryer on high heat for a few seconds by blowing over the project to make them disappear!
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Can anyone tell me how not to burn myself when using the glue gun? I always stick my finger in to the glue to press down. Thank you!
Marilyn from P. Huron, MI
Keep a bowl of cold water next to you; if you do burn yourself, plunge your finger in immediately. If you need to smooth the glue while it is hot, dip your finger in the water before you touch the glue; and work quickly. The water will insulate you the tiniest bit, and (more importantly) will keep the glue from sticking to you.
If you are pressing down to make sure the items have stuck together, try using a spoon or put a thimble on your finger.
Cool glue guns are made now. They're still hot, but not nearly as dangerously hot as the others. They are not expensive and require special cool melt glue sticks. I use a gun often for floral arrangements, and keep a sturdy cut off stem to press things together. any kind of stick or knitting needle etc. would work. I can appreciate your pain. Sometimes my fingertips would get very blistered. Hope this helps.
There are pro's&con's to a HOT glue gun.After many raw burnt fingers...I use toothpicks or an orange stick to mash something together..
I use a special pair of tweezers, and toothpicks or popsicle sticks depending on what im working with. mostly tweezers as i make stuff that is very tiny. :)
I use inexpensive chopsticks to stick stuff down. Also can get a silicone oven mitt at the dollar store and cut off the thumb.
Keep a popsicle stick in your hand and use it to press down. The bowl of water is a great tip which works. I keep an old tile to set the glue gun on when not using it and the glue can drip on the tile.
I use a wooden spoon that I set aside just for this purpose.
Use the new cooler type of hot glue gun. OR an even better idea for you might be to use that X-2000 type of glue in a tube (sold in craft stores)... It's not as quick drying as hot glue, but BOY-OH-BOY will it stick to ANYTHING & EVERYTHING! Great stuff!
I want to thank everyone who sent a answer! I am going to try and glue tonight and I think I will try a little of everine"s answers! Marilyn
I use either or an ice pick or a dentist type tool. You can cut off the end to not make it so sharp and then grind it down to make it blunt or you can leave as is.
Save your fingers: try a pair of gloves on. I've used rubber,. Cut off the tips and use tips on fingers when you use hot glue gun. Sometimes the glue sticks to tips but it does burn fingers
Wouldnt the stick or whatever you use stick to th the glue?
Yeah! Thanks a whole bunch for this great tip. I was looking for a solution to this concern and you gave me the answer. Thanks again, June Anderson
When you're finished using your hot glue gun and there is still glue in the glue stick, what do I do once the gun has cooled down? How do I take this glue stick out and can it be used again if there is some glue left? Does it need throwing away? Thanks.
By Sue
Just leave it in. The next time you heat the gun the glue will melt and you can use it. This won't hurt the glue or the gun.
If you need some colored hot glue to craft, then you can make it yourself very easily and quickly. You will need transparent hot glue and a colored wax crayon.
When crafting using a hot glue gun try keeping a bowl of ice water near by to dunk your fingers in if you accidentally get glue on your skin. This is a page about remedies for hot glue gun burns.
This is a page about cleaning a glue gun. It is very frustrating to have your glue gun become clogged right in the middle of a project.
