Chatty Sunday: Adhesive

Since adhesive/adhesive refills is the only thing I'm shopping for in the next few months, I thought I'd have a chatty discussion about adhesive. Adhesive tends to be tricky, because it feels like every paper-crafter has their own personal favorite. It doesn't help that sometimes what glue is best depends on the project itself. So, I thought I'd share my personal go-to adhesive and what I use them for.

To start with, I wanted to give my criteria for buying adhesive:
1) It has to come from a known company, preferably one that has been in business for a while.
I don't want to get attached to a supply only to find out it's no longer available.
2) It has to have multiple places to buy refills from, preferably in bulk.
If I'm on a total spending freeze, I need to be able to buy several months' worth of refills at once. So, an adhesive that has 4 refills in stock is not the best.
3) It has to be easy to use and easy to refill.
I don't want to waste any adhesive because the refill is fiddly or loaded incorrectly.
4) It has to be economical.
I'm ok with paying extra for quality, but I don't want to break the bank either. I would also like to see the adhesive occasionally on sale so I can stock up.

So, here is my current list of most-used adhesives. I've got a few more adhesives, but they are either things I've bought on sale before I settled on these adhesives, or they're very, very seldom used.

Everyday use:
Tombow Mono Dot Runner (pink)

This adhesive is small, portable and has a pack of 3 refills for a good price (often on sale) through Amazon. It's easy to load, and it's permanent after a while. Because of the dot dispensing, you can rub away any stray adhesive easily, and you can also gently peel up and re-position paper just after placing it down (the glue does become permanent after a short while, though).

Plus Dot Adhesive (pink)

It's fairly identical to the Tombow Mono adhesive, just by a different company - something I wanted just in case Tombow discontinued or changed their mono adhesives. I buy my refills in bulk through Office Supply - which has good prices, though it can be a little slow on processing and shipping.

Bulk Card use:
Scotch ATG (pink)

This is a great adhesive, and a favorite to many crafters. The refills last a long time and can be very affordable. I purchase general refills through Amazon, but there are even cheaper options available out there (I've seen Tape Depot mentioned a lot). This is what I use when I have to make a lot of cards at once or do a lot of assembly-style adhering.

Dimensional:
Scotch Foam Tape

Like many crafters, I like this big roll of permanent mounting foam tape from Scotch. It's not too thick, it lasts for ages and it can be cut to size that fits virtually any product. It's great for general dimension, and it works perfectly on shaker cards. I buy one roll every 6-8 months, and I use it a lot.

Liquid Adhesive:
Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Adhesive

I don't use liquid adhesive often, but this is my go-to adhesive if I need a really strong bond. I use it to adhere things like bits of ribbon or bow on cards, delicate die-cuts or embellishment elements and it works just fine to glue panels together in a pinch.

Ranger Studio Multi Matte Medium

This is what I use for sequins or other small embellishments. This glue dries absolutely clear and matte, so if a little oozes out, I'm not worried I'll have a shiny or discolored spot on my card. I also use a precision applicator top with it for very precise dispensing.

Heavy Adhesive (For cardstock boxes):
ScorPal tape

I have a couple of widths (¼ and ½"), and I really enjoy using them. This is a very strong clear adhesive, that is thin (so it lets your boxes be flat) and easy to use.