Crafting Glues & Adhesives

All-Purpose adhesives are great for layering paper and embellishments. Ranger Multi Medium Matte is one of the most versatile adhesives for cardmaking. Cardmakers like it because  it has a strong hold for heavier layers, the matte version dries invisible on paper, and it can also seal collage elements.

Ranger Glossy Accents are great for adding gloss and dimensional details to projects. Glossy Accents is a clear, water-based medium that adds both adhesion and a raised glossy finish. It dries hard and transparent, making it perfect for adhering small embellishments or creating glossy highlights on stamped images, letters, or die cuts, and creating dimensional dots or accents.

Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte is designed specifically for layering and collage techniques. It works as both a glue and a sealer and dries with a soft matte finish that blends seamlessly with paper layers. It can also be tinted with inks or paints for creative effects. Ideal for collage elements on cards, tissue paper layers, and sealing mixed media surfaces.

While glue sticks are best for simple paper layers, liquid mixed media adhesives offer stronger bonding and greater versatility when working with multiple surfaces and dimensional techniques.

Mixed media adhesives are designed to handle layered techniques and a variety of materials often used in art journaling and collage. Dina Wakley MEdia Glue is a matte, clear-drying liquid adhesive that blends seamlessly into painted backgrounds, making it ideal for attaching tissue paper, collage elements, and transparencies without leaving a visible shine. Dylusions Glue also dries clear, which works well for heavily layered art journal pages and mixed media projects where durability and movement are important.

For quick and mess-free adhesion, Dylusions Glue Sticks provide a convenient option for paper-to-paper bonding. They are perfect for attaching lightweight elements like cutouts, collage pieces, and journaling notes in planners or art journals.

It really comes down to what you're attaching and how permanent you need it, as well as your personal preference. Are you inclined to reach for a wet or dry adhesive? Glue sticks are great for collage and handle simple paper-to-paper layers just fine. Card makers love Simon Hurley create. clear foam tape because it’s dimensional and invisible. When working with smaller embellishments, dimensional pieces or mixed media elements you may want to try a liquid adhesive to  give you a stronger hold and more flexibility.

No, it dries clear and stays that way, which is exactly why people reach for it on top of stamped images or letters where a yellowing finish would ruin the look. It also dries hard, so it holds up well as a raised, glossy accent rather than staying tacky.

A matte-drying liquid adhesive is your friend here. Dina Wakley Media Glue and Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte are both built for exactly that. They dry clear and matte, so thin papers and transparencies blend into the background instead of looking glued down.

You can. It's genuinely one of those products that does a few jobs (adhesive, paint extender and sealer), depending on how you use it. That kind of flexibility is handy if you don't want a shelf full of single-purpose products.