Best Glues for Junk Journaling and Paper Crafts (by Job)

The best glue for paper crafts depends on the job: a glue stick for
light paper, PVA for heavier pieces and covers, a tape runner for
photos, and matte medium for sealing. There is no single glue that does
everything well, so most junk journalers keep two or three on hand.

This is the part beginners skip and then regret. Cheap or wrong glue
is the number one reason pages wrinkle, edges curl, and ephemera peels
off a week later. Spending a little thought here fixes the most common
frustration in the whole craft. The good news is that none of these
glues is expensive, and you only need one or two to start.

Below we break down each glue by what it is good at, so you can match
the glue to the task instead of forcing one bottle to do everything. We
also flag the one glue worth buying first.

The short version: Start with a glue stick (light
paper) and a bottle of PVA (everything heavier). Add a tape runner for
photos and flat scraps, and matte medium if you want to seal pages. Skip
rubber cement and hot glue for paper. If you buy one thing, buy PVA.

What to look for in a
paper craft glue

A good paper glue holds without wrinkling the paper, dries clear, and
is acid-free so it does not yellow your work over time. Those three
traits matter more than price for anything you want to keep.

What to check:

• Dries clear and flat. Avoid glues that dry shiny,
  lumpy, or visible through thin paper.
• Acid-free. Acid yellows and weakens paper over
  time, so acid-free matters for journals you want to last.
• Right strength for the job. Light paper needs
  gentle tack; covers and fabric need real holding power.
• Low moisture for thin paper. Wet glues buckle thin
  sheets. Dry adhesives (sticks, runners) keep them flat.

For the rest of your kit beyond adhesive, see the full junk journal supplies list.

The best glues for
junk journaling, by job

The smartest way to choose is by task, since each glue shines
somewhere different. Here is what to reach for and when.

Best all-rounder: PVA glue

PVA (white craft glue made for bookbinding and paper) is the
workhorse of junk journaling because it holds light and heavy paper,
fabric, and covers, and dries clear and flexible. Look for an acid-free,
archival PVA. It is the one glue that handles most of what you throw at
it, which is why it is the first thing to buy. A thin, even layer is the
trick, since too much adds moisture and buckles paper.

Best for
light paper and quick work: the glue stick

A glue stick is fast, low-moisture, and perfect for sticking down
thin paper, book pages, and small scraps without wrinkling. It is not
strong enough for covers or heavy ephemera, but for everyday light
collage it is the easiest tool there is. Buy a decent acid-free one,
since the cheapest sticks can dry out and let edges lift.

Best for photos
and flat scraps: the tape runner

A tape runner lays down a dry strip of adhesive, so it adds zero
moisture and keeps photos and flat paper perfectly smooth. It is fast
and mess-free, which makes it great for memory pages with photos. The
downside is it does not grip heavy or textured pieces well, so keep it
for flat, lightweight work.

Best for sealing and
collage: matte medium

Matte medium glues and seals at the same time, so you can adhere a
piece and protect it with a clear matte finish. It is handy for
collage-heavy pages and for sealing delicate ephemera. It adds moisture
like PVA, so use thin coats and let pages dry under a little weight.

Best for
dimensional pieces: tacky glue or foam dots

For chunky embellishments (buttons, charms, thick die cuts), a thick
tacky glue or foam dots hold what flat glues cannot. Foam dots also add
lift, raising a piece off the page for dimension.

Buy this first: A bottle of acid-free PVA glue. It
covers the widest range of junk journaling jobs, from light paper to
fabric covers, and it fixes the most common beginner problem, which is
pieces curling and peeling. A glue stick is a nice fast add-on, but PVA
is the one that earns its place.

What glues should
you avoid for paper crafts?

Avoid rubber cement, hot glue, and super glue for most paper work,
because they yellow, bleed, dry lumpy, or warp thin paper. They have
their uses elsewhere, but not in a journal you want to keep.

A quick avoid list:

• Rubber cement: yellows and lets go over time.
• Hot glue: too thick and lumpy for flat paper,
  though okay for some chunky embellishments.
• Super glue: wrong tack for porous paper and can
  stain.
• Cheap dollar-store white glue: often too wet and
  not acid-free, so it buckles and may yellow.

How do you glue paper
without wrinkles?

To glue paper without wrinkles, use a thin, even layer of a
low-moisture adhesive and smooth from the center out. Wrinkling comes
from too much wet glue soaking thin paper, so the fix is less moisture,
not more glue.

A few habits that help: use a glue stick or tape runner for thin
paper, apply PVA sparingly, smooth each piece with a bone folder or your
hand from the middle outward, and let wet-glued pages dry under a book
or a flat weight. For the layouts you will be gluing, see junk journal page ideas.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best glue
for junk journaling?

Acid-free PVA glue is the best all-rounder because it holds light and
heavy paper, fabric, and covers, and dries clear and flexible. Most
journalers pair it with a glue stick for quick, light work.

What glue is best for
paper to paper?

For light paper to paper, a glue stick or tape runner works cleanly
with no wrinkling. For heavier paper or anything that needs to stay put,
a thin layer of PVA is stronger.

Is a glue stick
good enough for a junk journal?

A glue stick is great for light paper and quick collage, but it is
not strong enough for covers or heavy ephemera. Use it alongside PVA,
which handles the heavier jobs.

How do I
stop my junk journal pages from wrinkling?

Use less moisture: a glue stick or tape runner for thin paper, and
only a thin layer of PVA when you need strength. Smooth pieces from the
center out and dry pages under a weight.

Is PVA glue acid-free?

Some PVA is acid-free and some is not, so check the label. For
journals you want to keep, choose an acid-free, archival PVA so your
pages do not yellow over time.

Pick your glue and get
sticking

You do not need a shelf of adhesives. Start with a bottle of
acid-free PVA and a glue stick, add a tape runner if you use photos, and
you are set for almost any page. Match the glue to the job and your
pages will stay flat and stuck.

With your glue sorted, gather the rest of your kit from the supplies list, try some page ideas, or start at the
beginning with the complete junk journaling
guide.

Want to practice? Our free printable starter kit
gives you paper to glue and layer with, so you can test your adhesives
on real pages. Sign up below and we will send it over.