What Glue Works Best on Felt?

Tacky glue is a tried and true classic for gluing felt. It's excellent for gluing felt to felt, and for any other general crafting. You do want to make sure the glue has some tack and is a bit thicker than your ordinary white glue. Aleene's even makes a tacky glue specifically for felt and foam! This option is the most kid-friendly, which is wonderful, but it does take longer to dry than the other methods listed below. To summarize:

Tacky Glue Pros

1. Kid friendly
2. Non toxic
3. Dries clear
4. Dries flexible

1. Long dry time

Hot glue is the top choice for many crafters. It adheres to the felt easily and dries the fastest of all adhesives covered in this article. It's also so versatile for many craft projects. If you want to choose one adhesive to keep in your craft drawer, hot glue is the ideal choice. Just keep in mind two drawbacks: this option is not kid friendly, and a high-temperature glue gun may melt the felt! Opt for a low-temp glue gun instead.

Hot Glue Pros

1. Fastest drying
2. Strong hold
3. Versatile for a variety of other crafts

1. Not kid friendly
2. Stiff when dry
3. May melt the felt if the glue gun temperature is too high

A permanent glue like super glue or E6000 is another option for adhering felt. This will give you the strongest hold of the options listed, but there are a number of cons when it comes to this adhesive. It smells strong and often has warnings on the packaging suggesting you work in a well-ventillated area. This glue is also not kid-friendly.

Permanent Glue Pros

1. Strongest hold
2. Fast drying

1. Not kid friendly
2. Strong odor

Any fabric glue is bound to be a wonderful option, and this comes very highly recommended by many felt enthusiasts! Anything marketed as a fabric adhesive will bond well with felt fibers. It sticks hard and dries fast. Applying fabric glue may take finessing: too little and the felt won't stay adhered, too much and the glue may soak through the felt and harden it.

Fabric Glue Pros

1. Fast drying
2. Strong bond

1. Not kid friendly
2. May have a strong odor depending on brand
3. May soak through felt and harden it

The number one adhesive to avoid is ordinary white craft glue. This is because the glue is runnier, making it difficult to stick because it will soak through your layers of felt. This also does not make your project aesthetically pleasing because you will end up with darker, rough patches where the glue soaked through. You'll also want to avoid glue sticks which will not have nearly a strong enough bond. As mentioned above, a high-temperature glue gun may melt your felt. Opt for a low-temp glue gun instead.

Adhesives to Avoid

1. Ordinary craft glue
2. Glue sticks
3. Potentially a high-temp glue gun

If your project doesn't necessarily require an adhesive, you might want to try another method of holding the pieces of felt together. If you're a sewist, adding a bit of stitched detailing or a simple cross stitch to hold the pieces in place could give the project an artistic look. You could try using a brad, button, snap, eyelet, or even staples depending on the project. You could also try needlefelting. Some crafters find the act of needlefelting soothing as well as effective!

Alternatives to Try

1. Sewing
2. Needlefelting
3. Brads
4. Buttons
5. Snaps
6. Eyelets
7. Staples

How do you glue down felt?

To glue down felt, simply remove the cap on the glue bottle or warm up the glue gun, apply a small amount to the felt, and place the other felt piece on top. Depending on dry time, you may be able to reposition the felt as needed.

Does regular glue work on felt?

Regular glue might work on felt if you use a lot of it and allow a long dry time. However, a lot of craft glue is more likely to soak through the felt, causing darker rough patches. Tacky glue, hot glue, permanent glue, or fabric glue work better.

Does Mod Podge work on felt?

No. Mod Podge is even runnier than ordinary white craft glue. Using a large amount of Mod Podge might work to adhere felt to felt, but it will soak through, stiffening and discoloring your project. Using a small amount of Mod Podge will not allow felt to stick to felt. However you can use Mod Podge fabric medium to do some crafts with felt.