18 Unusual Uses for School Glue

Intro: 18 Unusual Uses for School Glue

Simple school glue. It's cheap, durable, and not just for arts and crafts anymore!

Here are 18 unusual--and borderline genius!--uses for glue.

STEP 1: Quick and Easy Splinter Removal

Got a stubborn splinter that you don't want to dig for with tweezers or pins?

1. Simply dab some glue on the splinter spot.

2. Allow this to dry.

3. Peel off the dried glue, pulling out the splinter with it.

It's that easy!

STEP 2: DIY Lip Stain

With just two ingredients, you can get a cheap and quick lip stain for a night out!

WHAT YOU NEED:

School glue

Gel food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour some glue into a bowl.

2. Add small amounts of gel food coloring to the glue and mix. (Start with 2 drops, and add 2 drops at a time until desired color is achieved.)

NOTE: The final color will be up to a shade lighter on your lips then the color in the bowl, so remember that when choosing your color intensity.

3. Paint the mixture on to your lips.

4. Allow to dry (usually takes about 10 minutes).

5. Peel off. Voila!

TIPS: Keep your lips apart while applying, and as the glue dries. DO NOT eat the lip tint mixture. ;)

STEP 3: Keep Frays Away

To keep frays away, simply dip the ends into glue, or paint the glue onto the effected area.

This works on rope, shoelaces, or even fraying jeans!

STEP 4: Crackle!

Whether you want to add a crackle effect to your furniture, wooden craft projects, or to your fingernails, glue is here to help! You will see that the basic technique is the same.

Antiquing Furniture:

1. Paint the furniture with a coat of acrylic paint. Let dry.

2. Cover the paint with a coat of glue.

3. While the glue is wet, paint another coat of acrylic paint in a CONTRASTING color.

4. While the paint dries, it will crackle.

5. Cover the finished and dried furniture with a final coat of glue to act as a sealer.

Wooden Craft Projects:

1. Paint the wooden surface with a base coat of acrylic paint. Let this dry.

2. Brush on glue over top of the base coat.

3. While the glue is still tacky, brush on a top coat of paint. Let dry.

4. After it's fully dried, add a top layer of glue to act as a sealer.

Fingernail Crackle:

1. Paint a base coat of fingernail polish like usual. Allow to dry.

2. Add a layer of glue.

3. While the glue is still wet, add a coat of polish. Allow to dry.

4. Once dry (and crackled), seal with a clear coat of nail polish.

NOTE: Use contrasting colors for a more dramatic effect.

STEP 5: Seal Pruned Plants

Pruning is an important part of any garden or landscaping. Glue can help keep your pruned plants hydrated and safe from insects!

After you prune your plants, simply wipe on glue to the ends of the pruned stems and branches. This will help protect your plants from insects, and it will help to seal in the moisture.

STEP 6: Fix a Loose Screw

(Picture courtesy of: http://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/11-surprising-alt...)

Sometimes the drilled hole is just too big to secure the necessary screw. The result? A loose screw. Often times, you don't want to drill a new hole (no one wants Swiss cheese walls or furniture!), or maybe you can't drill a new hole. WHAT DO YOU DO?

WHAT YOU NEED:
cotton ball

glue

screw and screwdriver

DIRECTIONS:

1. Soak a cotton ball in glue.

2. Stuff the soaked cotton ball into the oversized hole.

3. Let the cotton ball dry for 24 hours in the hole.

4. Use a screwdriver to put a new screw in the hole.

THERE YOU HAVE IT! Just that easy!

STEP 7: Temporary Hair Highlights/Glitter Streaks

(Picture courtesy of: https://tamarajewelry.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/won...)

So you want to have a little fun with hair highlights or glitter streaks, but don't want to break the bank to get them professionally done? Not a problem! Try this fun and cheap hack!

WHAT YOU NEED:

Glue

Food coloring

Glitter (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Water down a small amount of glue until the consistency resembles skim milk.

2. Add this watered-down glue to a bowl with food coloring and glitter (optional).

3. Mix.

4. Paint this mixture on to your hair in chunks to make highlights/streaks.

TO WASH OUT:

1. Soak your hair in warm water for a good while before shampooing. (Most easily accomplished in the shower.)

2. Shampoo as normal to wash it out.

STEP 8: Quick, Easy, and Cheap Decoupage

Simply mix 3 parts glue with 1 part water to get the perfect decoupage medium that holds it's own with the expensive pre-made versions!

Use a sponge brush to apply the decoupage. Add layers of it as necessary (drying in-between) and one to seal in the final effect.

Example from: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-decoupage-f...

STEP 9: Seal Particle Board (or ANYTHING!)

Chipping, flaking particle board. We've all seen it. And we don't all have the money to toss that chipping table and get a new one...so what do you do?

1. Apply a layer of glue to the chipping and flaking areas of particle board.

2. Use plastic wrap to smooth it out and wipe off any excess glue. Allow to dry.

OPTIONAL: Use paint/permanent marker on the dried glue to match the color of the glue to the furniture (although most glues to dry clear).

ADDITIONAL USE:

Use 1/2 water mixed with 1/2 glue as a sealer on raw particle board before cutting it.

In addition, you can pretty much seal ANYTHING with glue (either in full force or watered down).

STEP 10: Seal & Heal Paper Cuts (STOP THE PAIN!)

Paper cuts. Though they're so tiny, they seem to hurt SO much! Here's how to stop the pain, and protect the cut quickly...

Apply a small drop of glue on to the paper cut. When this dries, it acts as a barrier to keep out dirt. It also immediately helps to dull the pain.

STEP 11: Stiffen Fabric (DIY Lampshades and MORE!)

1. Mix equal parts water and glue in a bowl until the solution resembles milk.

2. Dip your fabric into the bowl (fully submerged) or paint it on to your fabric.

3. Use a form to shape the fabric as desired. You can create your own form from chicken wire or heavy-duty aluminum foil. Also, Dollar Tree waste baskets work great, too!

4. Place soaked fabric on the form and allow to fully dry.

5. Add coats of glue to the fabric to increase the durability.

6. Once fully dry, remove the stiffened fabric from the form.

DIY LAMPSHADE:

For example: if you want to make a lampshade, shape aluminum foil into a cone shape. Set your soaked fabric around the form you made. Allow to fully dry. Add coats of glue to the form as necessary for added strength and stiffness. Once it's fully dry, remove the fabric from the form. It's ready to use!

STEP 12: Remove Blackheads

Many beauty bloggers swear by this life hack! You can use it in small areas (such as your nose) or over the entire face like a mask. If you do the latter (face mask), only do so once or twice a week max.

1. Apply glue directly to the face where you want to remove blackheads. Or paint on the entire face.

2. Allow to dry (about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the area).

3. Peel off the dried glue.

The blackheads and dead skin will be taken off with the glue.

STEP 13: Hack for Glue Control!

Little kids...gotta love 'em. But they sure do make a MESS at arts and crafts time! What was supposed to be a "drop" of glue, has now turned into an ocean of glue! How to keep this from happening again?

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

wet sponge

glue

plastic container to set the sponge in

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wet a sponge and wring it out. It shouldn't be sopping wet, just damp.

2. Pour glue into the sponge and work it in a little.

3. Set the glue-soaked sponge in a plastic container.

4. Keep the sponge container in reach next time your kids want arts and crafts time!

TO USE:

When your kid wants to glue something, they simply take their piece of paper (for example) and smoosh it down into the glue-soaked sponge. This gets a nice layer of glue over the entire piece, but keeps the rest of the area virtually mess-free! Win-win! :)

STEP 14: The Perfect Manicure

No matter what level you're at in the world of self-done manicures, you can benefit from this awesome hack!

1. Paint glue on your fingers around the nail bed and sides of the nail. Make sure every glue-painted area touches one another so it's one, single layer. Allow the glue to dry.

2. Paint your nails as usual. If you go outside of the nail line, NO PROBLEM! :)

3. When you're done painting your nails, peel off the glue from your finger.

This will leave a perfectly painted manicure every time!

STEP 15: Disappearing Eyebrows

Use stick glue to make your eyebrows "disappear!" This hack comes in handy when you want to paint on your own eyebrows or for face painting perfection.

1. Rub the glue stick across your eyebrows. Do this in about 2-3 layers (drying in-between). The idea is to make the brows as flat and smooth as you can. See a sample video below.

2. Comb out your brows.

3. Beat on setting powder.

4. Apply foundation.

5. Apply make up.

The glue creates a smooth surface to work on in your brow area. This is also an excellent alternative to permanently removing or shaving off your eyebrows!

Sample video courtesy of Brianna Fox on YouTube:

STEP 16: Sun Tattoos

(Picture Courtesy of: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/225391156322965846/)

If you're a sun junky, you may enjoy this fun hack when you want a sun tattoo.

1. Drizzle glue onto you skin where you want the "tattoo" to be. This is the design stage. Have fun with it!

2. Go tanning. (For skin safety, make sure to have on sunscreen everywhere your skin is exposed to the sun.)

3. Peel off the glue pattern when you're done. It will leave behind an un-tanned part in the design you created!

STEP 17: Fill-in Small Holes in the Wall

Before painting walls, fill in small holes with drops of glue. Wipe off excess that oozes out of the holes for a smooth finish.

STEP 18: Easily Remove Glitter Nail Polish

Last, but not least... Easily remove glitter nail polish from your nails.

1. Water down some glue in a bowl or an empty nail polish container. (If using the empty nail polish container, fill it 1/3 of the way with glue and then water.)

2. Apply this mixture as a base coat to your nails. Allow to dry.

3. Apply your glitter nail polish as usual.

4. Finish with your usual top coat.

5. When it's time to remove, simply peel it off!

I hope you enjoyed my unusual uses for simple school glue. If you think of any other hacks, please share them in the comments below. Stay blessed :)

Comments

[ThetaCreative]

Not that most people do, but I make a LOT of foam board props and armor, I often use spray paint for better coverage, but that eats away at the foam layer, to work against that I just put a thin layer of white glue on the edge and it doesn't dissolve at all.

[Meglymoo87]

Definitely! Actually, I do that all the time! Great tip, thanks :)

[ThetaCreative]

Your welcome. :)

[IZYbelle]

I don't need step seven! I have natural highlights! Lucky me! But these are really handy. Love them so much.

[Meglymoo87]

Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you found them useful :)

[NathantheGray]

I'm too lazy to read all the comments (lol), so this may have been mentioned, but CRAZY GLUE was originally tested as a wound sealant! I've used this personally before, on a really bad cut, and it works like a charm! Heals very quickly! Just a warning to those who would like to try this next time they get cut... Do NOT get glue in the cut itself!!!!!! Just on the outside edges of the cut!! Press the two sides of the cut together and apply glue on top. Another fun fact: baking soda will harden crazy glue almost instantly!!!

[NathantheGray]

Forgot to add, it was tested by the US army during the Vietnam War. Crazy glue bonds to damp (not wet) surfaces, which is perfect for clammy hands (lol)

[Meglymoo87]

Thanks for sharing...I didnt know all that! So cool! :)

[ThomasG187]

I use CA glue on cuts all the time. I'm a waterjet operator, and we cut a lot of 0.012" aluminum. I end up with "paper cuts" all over my hands. Most Band-Aids won't stick, and they just swell up with nasty water if they do. CA glue sticks and makes a great barrier to protect against infection.

As a guitar player, I use it when excessive practicing, or the water @ work takes off my callouses. Makes great temporary callouses!

Thanks for sharing! I'm pretty hardcore about my glues and tapes, so I had to check this out. CA is probably my favorite, but my wife introduced me to e6000, and let's not forget hot glue. As for tapes, double sided is my favorite, with electrical tape coming in at a close second. :)

[Meglymoo87]

Thanks for visiting! Appreciate all your expertise and wisdom on the subject. Blessings! :)

[Perua4]

awesome. Thanks a lot

[Meglymoo87]

You're welcome! :)

[obillo]

Before gluing pieces of bare wood, paint surfaces with 50-50 mix of glue and water. Let dry, then glue as usual. Makes a stronger bond.

[Yonatan24]

Why is that? I know that this is used for cardboard, to save on glue, but why would it help? If I remember correctly, I saw a video of Matthias Wandel, where he said that wood glue is actually good at filling gaps. Might depend on the type though...

For wood, you can also add a bit of CA Glue. It cures immediately, and works as a clamp, until the wood glue cures.

[obillo]

Bare wood sucks moisture out of glue. The 50-50 prep applcation seals the wood.

[Meglymoo87]

Absolutely! Great tip! Thanks for sharing and visiting :)

[Telnix]

In the 60's it was all the rage to make lampshades out of baling twine (hairy string). After soaking in the glue/water mix, you would wrap it around a balloon overlapping to form a sphere. Whendry, pop the balloon leaving a lampshade!

[Meglymoo87]

That's still a thing! Very popular in contemporary intertior design! ? Thanks so much for visiting.

[AlisonS18]

Glue is handy. Here is another use.

You can use glue to repair torn pages of a book. Put down a piece of wax paper. Paint on glue. Another piece of wax paper. Close the book and weight it down. Allow to try and then careful peel off the wax paper. It is hard to see it was ever torn at all. My two year old tore a library book in several places. We repaired it in this way and then showed the librarian (we weren't trying to trick anyone). She said it looked great and we weren't even charged at all.

You can use a similar technique to bind your own books.

[Meglymoo87]

That sounds like an AWESOME hack! Will have to remember that one for sure :) Thanks for commenting and visiting.