How to Make Hot Glue Gun Sticks and DIY Glue Gun
Discover how to make hot glue sticks at home. It's easy!
If you use hot glue guns, you probably know how much leftover glue can accumulate after each craft project. With this easy DIY tutorial, you will learn how to make hot glue gun sticks with the leftovers! Collect the used glue, melt it down, and set it back in glue stick form. Once it is back in glue stick form, you can use it as you normally would by placing it into your hot glue gun.
If you’re an avid crafter, this is one of the most useful easy DIY projects you will find, so stop throwing away that used glue and start reusing it. Learn how to make hot glue sticks at home today! Plus, scroll down to find some of our best hot glue ideas.
Estimated CostUnder $10
Time to CompleteUnder an hour
Primary TechniqueGeneral Crafts
Project TypeLearn a Technique
How to Make a Hot Glue Gun
Making your own hot glue gun is not that hard! While DIY versions of this classic crafting materials might not work as well, they're perfect in a pinch or if you only need it for a quick project. While many tutorials reccomend simply melting hot glue over a candle and using it, this video shows you how to combine a lighter, soda bottle, and a few more materials to make a glue gun. This homemade glue gun is a great way to make a DIY glue gun with better precision.
For written instructions on creating a glue gun, check out this written tutorial from Wikihow.
10 Surprising Uses for Hot Glue
Hot glue is a common crafting tool, but did you know how versatile it really is? There are so many uses for hot glue besides attaching felt to other pieces of felt. Hot glue can improve your life by making certain tasks quick and easy. Check out these 10 surprising hot glue ideas that you might not know about. How many of these would make your life easier?
Use hot glue to...
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Hem pants in a hurry.
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Fix loose shoe soles.
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Fill in a stripped screw hole in a wall to drill a new pilot hole.
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Emboss a project.
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Create small molds.
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Make window decorations.
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Install under-cabinet lighting.
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Make art.
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Repair loose or broken furniture.
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Waterproof wires.
Fun Facts: How is Hot Glue Made?
In the tutorial above, you'll learn how to make hot glue using leftover hot glue from other projects. It's a great demonstration of how hot glue is made at home. However, you might be wondering more about the process for creating this craft project hero. Hot glue is certainly different from glue sticks or other types of glue you use for househould projects. So how is hot glue made, anyway?
Hot glue is also known as hot-melt adhesive, or a thermoplastic adhesive. A thermoplastic adhesive is pretty much what it sounds like. It's a type of plastic that melts when it gets hot, and it can be used to attach materials to one another.
That's right, hot glue is actually a kind of plastic! Different types of plastic are used to make different types of hot glue. Ethylene-vinyl acetate (or EVA) is one of the most common, as it is cheap to produce. However, different types of hot glue can be made for different applications. Depending on the type of plastic being used, hot glue sticks can melt at a higher or lower temperature, bond better to certain materials, or hold up better under hot or cold temperatures.
If you need your hot glue to do a specific thing, it's usually a good idea to see if the type of hot glue you are using is best for that application. You can find out by reading the label or notes from the manufacturer.
Have you ever wondered about using hot glue for craft foam? Learn more in our guide here! Guide to Gluing Craft Foam
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Country MouseCity Mouse
Feb 08, 2017
This re-use project is absolutely brilliant!! Since I live in a very remote part of the country part of the year, I do worry about running out of supplies (It is two hours to the nearest craft supply store)...I am going to start collecting "scrap" glue now and make some glue sticks...so clever!!!!!
Country MouseCity Mouse
Jan 24, 2017
Absolutely brilliant!! I live in the boonies part of the year and worry about running out of supplies (2 hours to nearest craft supply)...I'll start collecting "scrap" glue now and make some glue sticks...clever!!!!!

mulberrygalprinces s
Jan 12, 2017
Where has this idea been all my life. I can't believe I never heard of this idea before. It's simple and very creative. It would be nice to not have to buy so many glue sticks. I always find great ideas and inspiration at this site. Thank you for sharing all these wonderful ideas.

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