How to Glue Styrofoam to Various Surfaces

How to glue a styrofoamThere are no limits to human imagination and creativity. It is amazing how many things can be created with some simple and affordable materials at hand. Think about Styrofoam – you can easily get it and then set any project that you have in mind in the process. Very often, such crafts as diorama involve lots and lots of Styrofoam. However, just before you decide to create your own diorama view of your city, you need to know that there is something else that you are going to need in the process too. What we have in mind is glue. However, you require not some ordinary glue for your project to stay in shape but the best glue for styrofoam, and that is what we shall discuss today in detail.

School glue for Styrofoam

Elmers school glue for styrofoam

You should differentiate between the type of projects that you want to accomplish as well as the particular kind of glue that you are going to need for them. If we are talking about gluing Styrofoam to cardboard or gluing Styrofoam to wood, then a basic craft glue, in other words – white school glue is the one you need. The glue will work on Styrofoam and paper the way it works when you are gluing two sheets together. So, it is quite a simple and affordable option even when you need to glue some moss onto Styrofoam for your diorama project.

Styrofoam glue

best glue to use on styrofoam

There is such a thing as a Styrofoam glue too. Usually, you can find it in such places as craft stores as well as home improvement stores. Given kind of glue is also affordable but less common than usual school glue. When you decide to look for this particular glue type, you should know that some Styrofoam glues are designed for Styrofoam only, while others can be glued to some other materials like fabric, paper, wood, etc.

Spray adhesive

Another way to glue two pieces together when working on your Styrofoam-involved project is to use a spray adhesive. However, that is where you should be careful. Even though many spray adhesives can help you with gluing Styrofoam to plastic or metal, some of them can simply melt Styrofoam.

Low-temperature hot glue gun

You can also use hot glue guns on Styrofoam, but the gun should be set to the lowest temperature possible, or it will simply melt the Styrofoam. A peculiar advantage of hot glue guns is that they are incredibly precise when you are working on a detailed diorama project. Such an advantage is merely irreplaceable.

Warning

There are two main rules that you need to know about gluing styrofoam:

  • 1. Do not use glue designed for particular materials, such as wood, plastic, metal, or paper on Styrofoam. If the glue does not go well with Styrofoam, it may as well ruin the whole project.

  • 2. Do not use glues that have a plastic solvent in the ingredients list. They only thing that you will achieve using such glue is melted Styrofoam because Styrofoam is nothing but foamed plastic.

Conclusion

To sum all up, it is safe to say that Styrofoam is merely irreplaceable material when it comes to such crafts as a diorama. However, to glue it effectively, you need to use only the best suitable glues. Luckily, the range of glues for Styrofoam is enough to find the kind you require for your specific needs and projects.

Maria
Maria
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