The 4 Best Glues For Felt

If you’ve done a lot of DIY craft projects, you might have discovered that not every glue will work on felt. Many regular household glues are too runny and seep through the felt materials rather than sticking them together. The best glues for felt have a thicker consistency that attach to the surface of the material rather than soak in. As you shop, think about what you’re planning to affix the felt to, as this will largely determine whether you should use tacky, hot, spray, or super glue.

Tacky glues are suitable for most felt projects and are a convenient option for crafting with kids, but they tend to form a weaker bond and won’t be effective if you’re attaching felt to smooth or non-porous surfaces. Hot glue is perfect for getting a more reliable bond and is best to use when attaching felt to felt, but it’s less child-safe due to the heat. Spray glue (which can quickly cover large areas) and permanent glues such as super glue (which can offer the strongest bond) can often be used on the widest variety of surfaces, including smooth surfaces like plastic and metal. However, these options typically need to be applied with more precision, are not the safest choices for crafting with children, and can have a strong smell before curing.

Based on manufacturer recommendations and reviews, I’ve indicated some materials that each of the glues on this list should work with — but keep in mind that every material and application will be unique, especially since felt can be so tricky to attach. It’s worth double-checking the specific manufacturer instructions before purchasing glue for your specific project. And always keep in mind relevant safety considerations for any projects involving kids.

Scroll down to find some of the best glues for getting crafty and creative with felt.

1. The Overall Best Glue For Felt

Aleene’s Tacky Glue will come in handy for a wide variety of felt applications. In addition to felt, it’s formulated for use on wood, foam, paper, and fabric. Reviewers have also specifically reported success with sticking felt to ceramic and other pieces of felt. It dries clear and flexible and is nontoxic. Plus, it’s water-soluble, so if you’re using it on fabric, make sure it’s something you won’t need to wash, as that will dissolve the glue. Aleene’s specifies that the glue dries within 30 to 40 minutes. If you’re planning on crafting with children, this is a great glue to use since it’s nontoxic, doesn’t smell too strongly, and is easiest on this list to clean up.

One reviewer wrote: “Exactly what I expected. Used it to adhere felt squares to ceramic tiles to make coasters, and so far so good with the felt staying on the tile. I also like that the lid allows you to keep it ‘upside-down’ to make sure the glue is there and you don’t have to wait for the glue to come out.”

2. The Best Glue For Attaching Felt To Felt

Hot glue is a fast and effective method for attaching felt to a variety of surfaces, including fabric, foam, wood, metal, plastic, and glass, but it is especially effective for attaching felt to other pieces of felt. This Gorilla hot glue gun kit has everything you need to get gluing and comes with a hot glue gun with a kickstand and 30 glue sticks. (You can also purchase kits with 45 or 75 glue sticks.) The glue gun has both low and high temperature settings that are best for different materials — the one you use will depend on what you’d like to affix your felt to and what kind of felt you’re using. The glue sticks can be used at both of the temperature settings, are clear, and dry in just 45 seconds, making this a great method for projects where you don’t want to wait for glue to dry.

Due to the heat of the glue, this may not be the ideal method to use if you’re crafting with young children, as it requires close supervision.

One reviewer wrote: “I used this to re-line a very heavy bear rug. The glue was ideal for attaching the felt backing; I then stitched d-rings into the felt and hung the rug on my wall. The glue shows no sign of degrading or separating and is holding very, very well. The rug weighs about 40 lbs so it's quite a load.”

3. The Best Glue For Large Felt Projects

Scotch Super 77 adhesive spray is a spray glue that, according to the manufacturer, can affix glue to fabric, cardboard, plastic, metal, wood, and, of course, felt. Since it’s a spray, it can be applied to a large area very quickly, making it very useful for large projects. One perk of this spray glue is that you can reposition your materials for a short time after applying it, if needed. One customer attested, “Just the right amount of tacky to allow me to move things around and get them straight before the glue sets. When it dries though, it wont let go easily.” It dries clear, but it does have an odor when applying, so be sure to follow any safety instructions on the can before using and it might be best used outside if you’re especially sensitive. For this reason, it also might not be the best glue to use when crafting with children.

One reviewer wrote: “Great product and as always super fast shipping with Prime. We used this product to replace the felt on our pool table and it served it's purpose well. I would highly recommend this product for any sticky situation.”

4. The Best Heavy-Duty Glue For Felt

If you’re looking to glue felt to a wide range of materials including nonporous ones, this Loctite super glue is a good adhesive to try. Loctite specifies that the glue is best for using with wood, metal, ceramic, leather, rubber, and “most plastics,” and reviewers have reported success with attaching felt attachments to furniture legs, gluing eyes to felted animal crafts, and even gluing a felt seal on a dryer’s lint trap. The glue only takes one minute to seal but needs 24 hours to cure to its full, durable bond. Plus, its gel consistency should help prevent it from totally soaking into the felt. Due to its extremely strong hold and quick drying time, it’s best not to use super glue when crafting with children.

One reviewer wrote: “I use this for putting eyes on the needle felted animals that I make. It holds the eyes on very well, and the applicator makes it very easy to glue even the small ones. Other glues I’ve tried leave more residue and are harder to use.”