The Best Fabric Glue For Any Fabric: Fleece, Nylon, and More
Not all fabrics respond to the same type of fabric glue. One reason for that is that different fabric glues are designed to specifically work with only a few fabrics at one time. This means you may have an army of adhesives in your sewing or craft room.
The best glue for your specific type of fabric is the one that gives you the hold you want, the look you want and are easy to use. Those characteristics are found in a variety of brand name fabric and other glues.
To learn which fabric glue is perfect for the fabric you are working with, just continue to read our article. It divides up the fabrics and lets you know which brand you can use. The only trick is that that one type will work with a variety of fabrics.
Best Glue for Your Fabric 101
Does Fabric Glue Work on Polyester?
Polyester is not excluded from the fabric glue reach. There are a lot of fabric glues that handle polyester so you will not be without options. The trick is to find one that has the right applicator tip to fit your needs.
Also, since polyester is a stretch type fabric you want an adhesive that has some flexibility to it. A stiff glue is not appropriate when you depend on the fabric moving as you move.
Can You Hot Glue Polyester Fabric?
It will but it isn't advisable. The reason for this answer is that most glues will stick fabrics together if given a chance. The question is will the results be attractive and what you hoped for.
Mixing hot glue with polyester is not a good idea as the latter item does not react well to heat. Hot glue may be too hot for polyester to handle and become distorted or ruined. Also, removing glue from polyester is not a fun task to perform.
Best Fabric Glue for Polyester
There are quite a few good choices as there are several brand names that could qualify as the best fabric glue for polyester. There is the Ultimate Glue which takes 48 hours to dry.
Another brand would be E6000 which takes about 8 hours to dry and the fabric is washable in about 72 hours. Finally, there is Loctite Prism 406. This version sets up in seconds but takes about 24 hours to fully dry. The glue that works best for you is the one you should stick with
Can You Glue Nylon Fabric?
Yes, it is possible to glue nylon fabric. The recommended version is hot glue. The temperature in this format helps melt the Nylon on the glued side and has it adhere better to the other fabric.
If you do not have a glue gun, then look for industrial-strength fabric glue. These glues usually start to set the moment you apply them so you want to stick the nylon to the other surface as quickly as possible.
Will Fabric Glue Work on Nylon?
Yes, it will but it has to be a super strong glue to hold the fabric in place for a long time. Amazingly enough, super glues are not that effective when it comes to nylon fabrics. These glues do not hold very well and can be called temporary glues when nylon is involved.
The brands you want to buy are Tech-Bond’s Poly Prep or Sure Hold's Plastic Surgery. These are poly glues that are specially formulated and work well with nylon fabric.
Best Fabric Glue for Nylon
You can try Aleen’s, beacons, and other famous glue brands to see if they have a glue option that handles nylon. It pays to go for the glues that are made by glue specialists as they know what they are doing.
Because nylon has a very smooth surface it makes it difficult for most glues to bond to the fabric. You may need to rough it up to make sure the adhesive holds. Two other brands that might work are Super New Glue and Vigor Super Glue.
Ripstop Nylon Fabric Glue
This style of fabric is not different from other nylon materials. It is hard to glue together and have the bond hold for a very long time. The best option when you need long term bonding is to go to hot glue.
The reason for that selection is that the heat of the glue melts the nylon and gives the glue something to hold onto.
Gorilla Glue Nylon Fabric
It may be possible to use this brand of adhesive n your nylon items. It should use cyanoacrylates which is an ingredient needed to help bond nylon material together. The superglue gel version is tough and made for tough to glue items.
Its reliable bond is nicknamed Impact tough as the glue holds well under different situations. It endures wear and tears like a champ. The only issue s you have up to 45 seconds to make the connection and that time frame is not constant or predictable.
Can You Use Fabric Glue on Fleece?
Yes, it is possible to glue fleece. The application will depend on the area you are working on. Some experienced sewers suggest you use a paper clip and a fabric clip to hold the fleece in place when gluing fleece to fleece.
The trick to gluing fleeces is that you need to give the glue time to soak into the fabric. If it doesn’t do that then the bond may not be that strong and you will have to repeat the process.
Best Fabric Glue for Fleece
There won’t be any running out of fabric glue options when it comes time to glue fleece. You have Aleene’s Fabric Fusion, Visbella quick bond fast dry glue, Beacon’s Fabri-tec permanent adhesive, and a lot more options.
Which one you should use is up to you and your pocketbook. They are all good adhesives to work with and should bond with the fleece if you apply the glue correctly and let it dry thoroughly
Best Fabric Glue for Cotton
Just about any fabric glue will work with cotton. It is a very adaptable and flexible material that lets you do a lot to it and still look good. Even when you want to glue gemstones to it, cotton is very accepting.
Some of the top glues to use when applying gems as embellishments to cotton are Araldite which has along working and drying time and Aleene’s Jewel It but you can’t wash the outfit for 7 to 10 days.
Best Glue for Cotton Balls to Fabric
One glue to avoid would be Elmer’s glue. While it does the job, it dries hard and can be very uncomfortable if those cotton ball spots rub against your skin. Not using one glue is okay as there are so many replacements you can use.
E6000, Tear Mender, and even regular fabric glues should hold those cotton balls. Just make sure the glue dries with a flexible nature to it.
Best Fabric Glue for Knits
Knits come with a stretch to them. That characteristic dictates the type of fabric glue you need to use. Whether the gluing is a temporary or permanent job doesn’t matter. You need a fabric glue that has some flexibility so it will stretch when the knit material stretches.
E6000 fabric fuse is one adhesive you can use with kits as it is very stretchable. This company also makes about 3 more varieties of stretching glue so that makes it about the best one to use with knits.
Fabric Glue for Lycra
Lycra is also a very elastic type of fabric that stretches when you do. When you are creating an outfit or repairing one made from Lycra you need a stretchable glue to help you out.
Besides stretching, you should pick a glue that dries clear. Check Beacons, Aleene’s, and other top brands for their flexible glue options. Stay away from those glues that dry hard and stiff.
Best Fabric Glue for Spandex
This fabric option continues the stretch and flexible trend. The glues and the manufacturers mentioned in the previous two sections will work on this fabric as well. E6000 may have something for you as well.
Spray adhesives are only for temporary bonds for the most part. You should stick to those glues that are designed for a rubbery, elastic type material and can stretch out when the material stretches out.
Best Glue for Canvas
Canvas is a thick tough material to try to glue together. Its strength may be too hard for many fabric glues to deal with and let go of their bond before you know it. To get a good hold you have to go to some very strong fabric glue.
One choice would be 504 Latex glue when gluing canvas to canvas. Then there is Super glue future, Quick-Grip, and Mona Lisa Metal Leaf Adhesive to just name a few.
Glue for Satin
This is a fabric you may want to embellish a little with the right gemstones. To do that you should try to use Aleene’s Jewel It, E6000 extreme tack, and Dazzle Tack Jewelry glue.
Then Crafter’s Pick fabric glue is washable, strong, flexible, and dries clear. That means you can dance the night away without fear. The right glue for the right fabric takes a lot of worries away.
Fabric Glue for Tulle
Tulle is a transparent and delicate fabric, yet you can use hot glue if necessary to glue the fabric together or to add embellishments. Just be careful and do not set the heat too high.
Other than that you would want a glue that dries clear and it can be stiff if you want it that way. That means any of the top brands of fabric glue may be used to stick tulle to whatever fabric you are applying it to.
Best Fabric Glue for Wool
This is a fabric that is pretty flexible as well. There are a variety of fabric glues that work well on wool and you may have to do a little trial and error first to see which one bonds the best.
To find the best option for wool, take some scrap wool fabric and conduct some tests. The glue that holds the best without making a mess, being too stiff, and so on is the one you should use.
Fabric Glue for Vinyl
Vinyl can be a bit tougher to glue. That means you need to move your search for the right fabric glue up a notch. That means going to real strong adhesives to get the job done.
Epoxy paste is one option, E6000 spray adhesive is another, and Gem-Tac is a third choice. Working with vinyl should not be too difficult when you have the right glue on hand.
Best Fabric Glue for Velvet
Last but not least, Velvet can handle fabric glue quite well. Some options are Hold the foam, Magna tac glue, Gem-Tac, Sobo craft glue, and a lot more. Just make sure the glue hits clean fabric or it may not hold that well.
Any of the gem fabric glues should also work on Velvet so you can embellish the material to your heart’s content.
Some Final Words
As you can see there are a lot of fabric glues on the market. While they all do not work with every fabric or surface you have a big enough selection to find one that works on your projects.
Just pick the glue that fits the bond you need at the time. Also, read the labels carefully so you know how to use these glues right and how long your drying time will be. The washing time will be longer than the drying time.
