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You are visiting: Home » Decorating/DIY » Create Your Decor » Is Foam Hot Glue Really Worth the Cost?

Is Foam Hot Glue Really Worth the Cost?

by Lindsay Ballard on September 7, 2012 13 Comments

The last few days, I’ve been working on some new Fall-ish themed decor projects to share with you.  I found myself in the styrofoam section of Michael’s last week, and saw a package of glue sticks made specifically for styrofoam projects.

I don’t really do “crafts” very often, so perhaps this FoamGlue has been around for ages.  I have no idea.  But, I figured I would buy a package and do a little head-to-head test between it and ordinary low melt hot glue gun sticks.  At around $5 for a package of 15 sticks (as opposed to about half that for the same size package of low melt sticks), this FoamGlue was going to have to really perform for me to recommend it.

I cut a few pieces of styrofoam that I had left over from a package that was shipped to me.  The cuts were relatively straight and the pieces were relatively the same size.  I say that for you science geeks like me.

I started with the regular low melt hot glue.  I shot this photo right after I applied the glue to a piece of foam.  You can see that there are bubbles inside the glue, which is because the glue dries faster than the bubbles can escape (I think. Other science geeks can correct me on that.).  I know that high temperature hot glue melts styrofoam pretty quickly, but the low melt glue didn’t seem to cause those problems.

After I glued that piece to it’s mate, I moved on to the FoamGlue hot glue.  Here is my shot of that.

You will notice that the foam hot glue looks quite different than the low melt glue.  It is much clearer in appearance and there are no bubbles at all.  Why?  Well, I have no idea.  I’m going to guess that it’s because the FoamGlue melts at a lower temperature than low melt glue, so it’s not as thick.  That guess is a shot in the dark, though.

So, how did the two glues perform?  Honestly, about the same.  I felt like the FoamGlue’s bond was tighter than the bond from the low melt glue, but it wasn’t so different that I thought the foam hot glue was life changing.  The gap in the low melt sample in the photo below is because I think I stuck the wrong ends together and the cut didn’t completely match up.

Is FoamGlue worth the extra cost?  No, I don’t think so.  I think you should save your money for something more worthwhile.

Have you used foam hot glue before?  Tell us about your experience!

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.

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Comments

  1. Heather C says

    September 7, 2012 at 9:46 am

    I haven’t seen those in stores (yet!). Good to know they don’t work so I won’t spend money on it! I have, however, seen fabric glue sticks for your glue gun and that does work really really well! Especially on projects you’d rather not sew. It worked tens times better than the regular glue sticks when I tried to cover up a diaper box with fabric to make a nice fabric-covered box for my kids books.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      September 11, 2012 at 2:19 pm

      I had no idea that fabric glue sticks even existed!

      Reply
  2. Mindy says

    September 7, 2012 at 10:47 am

    Guess I’m behind the times, because I’ve never heard of foam glue. Even though I’m in craft stores all the time. Guess I need to open my eyes and look around me!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      September 11, 2012 at 2:22 pm

      Someone else mentioned that there’s fabric hot glue, and I had no idea about that one either!

      Reply
  3. katana leigh says

    September 7, 2012 at 6:01 pm

    I think you’ve convinced me what I need is not a specific type of glue… but a glue gun!!!

    I’ve always felt that glue guns = cheap looking shit with gross strings hanging from it, but your projects are always so classy and charming; between you and …lovemaegan I am convinced I need a glue gun!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      September 11, 2012 at 2:22 pm

      Girl, you need a glue gun! Sure, there are some incredibly cheesy projects put together using glue guns. But, you can do some awesome stuff, too.

      Reply
  4. Pete Baussmann says

    September 11, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    Hi Lindsay,

    I actually work for the company and would love to answer any questions you may have about our foam glue.
    Our hotmelt foam glue is designed for a low temp mini gun while working with sensitive material such as foam, styro, or delicate wood, or cloth. Its designed not to eat into those materials when applied at a low temp setting. Could you use regular multi temp glue as well? Probably OK as long as its being used in a Low Temp Glue Gun by Adtech.
    Difference between the two glues used in a low temp mini gun are as follows:
    Low Temp – less apt to ruin sensitive materials if used properly, quicker heat up, consistent amount of glue, sets up a little quicker then multi or high temp glue

    Multi Temp – good all around glue, longer to heat up as it has a higher melting point, longer open time, inconsistent amount of glue per squeeze due to the variations as described above.

    Low Temp glues have some advantages to regular multi temp……hope this info helps.
    Pete @ Adtech

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      September 11, 2012 at 3:49 pm

      Awesome! Thanks so much for passing that info along, Pete!

      Reply
  5. nopinkhere says

    September 12, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    Haven’t seen the foam glue and don’t know that I would use it. I have had fun with glow in the dark glue sticks though! They were great for my son’s Halloween costume last year.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      September 15, 2012 at 8:44 am

      So much has changed in the hot glue world! I remember when there used to be just regular hot glue. Then, they added glitter sticks…and now, glow in the dark? Crazy!

      Reply
  6. Linda says

    September 15, 2012 at 7:54 am

    I was actually on the lookout for some glue that didn’t “eat away” (as described by my daughter) at the foam for a project she was doing. Couldn’t find it anywhere so good to know something is available.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      September 15, 2012 at 9:01 am

      Great, Linda! I hope you guys were able to figure something out for her project.

      Reply
  7. Leslie says

    June 13, 2013 at 8:06 am

    If you have a low temp glue gun wouldn’t it heat up the glue to the same temperature whether you were using foam glue sticks or regular glue sticks? You can’t adjust how low the temperature is on the glue gun (at least not mine) so I would think it is what it is. ???

    Reply

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About Makely

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.


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