Hot glue guns are amazing because they can instantly create just about anything you can think of, even if you’re not an artist or don’t have much experience crafting! This list of hot glue gun crafts will show you how easy it can be to use this tool to make something beautiful in no time at all. Whether you’re looking for quick crafts to do with kids or fun projects that you can do with friends, this list has it all! So grab your glue gun and get ready to make some amazing stuff!
Plaque Decor
Decorate a plain wooden plaque using a hot glue gun and some scraps of fabric or ribbon. Cut strips of fabric or ribbon and glue them onto the plaque in any design you like. Add embellishments like beads, buttons, or rhinestones to give your plaque some extra flair. Let the glue dry completely before displaying your work of art. To make things easier, cut the backing off of your fabric or ribbon first so that it lays flat against the wood.
When placing items on your piece, start from one end and work towards the other to avoid bubbles from forming on top of one another. Apply pressure as you go along to ensure everything is sticking down well. Keep applying a small amount of glue until all of the desired surfaces are covered. Wait for all pieces to dry before handling, this will take about 15 minutes depending on how much glue was applied. Once dried, display your new craft with pride!
Card Holder
A hot glue gun is one of the most versatile tools you can have in your crafting arsenal. With just a few supplies, you can make all sorts of things, like this card holder. To get started, you’ll need a piece of heavy paper or cardboard that’s cut to be roughly 4 inches wide and 8 inches long. Fold it in half lengthwise and use a pencil to mark an outline on each side so that they match up when folded. Next, unfold the cardboard so that it becomes two rectangles and draw vertical lines from corner to corner down both sides (3 on each side).
Cut out along these lines so that you end up with two pockets for cards. Put some hot glue at the bottom edge of one side of your rectangle and stick it to the top edge of another rectangle so that they are mirror images. Now fold the corners over onto themselves until they overlap slightly and press them together firmly, adding more hot glue as needed. Finally, take a square-shaped ornament (or any shape) with straight edges and trace it onto your front pocket.
Cut along this line but not through the back pocket so that you have a hole big enough for easy access to your cards; trim off any excess pieces from around the hole. Once you’ve finished, fill in any gaps with some hot glue around where the edges meet before putting them back together again! Add a handle if desired by cutting out a thin strip of cardboard, curling it around itself, and sticking it to the inside edge of one side with hot glue. You could also decorate the outside with wrapping paper scraps, paint pens, stamps, and other crafty paraphernalia – maybe even add small to or from labels on the front.
Frame Ornament
One of the most popular hot glue gun crafts is making frame ornaments. To make one, start by covering the entire frame in hot glue. Then, working quickly, cover the glued frame in glitter. Let the ornament dry and then add a ribbon for hanging. These ornaments make great gifts and can be customized to match any décor. For example, you could use blue glitter on an ocean-themed picture frame. Or, if your parents are graduating from college, they might appreciate a frame ornament that looks like their diploma.
It will look just like a real diploma but it won’t cost as much! Plus, these frame ornaments would also make great wedding favors. Guests at the wedding would love them because they’re such a thoughtful present and guests who couldn’t attend would love them because they were sent home as a favor. Frame ornaments aren’t just limited to Christmas decorations either; try using orange and black at Halloween time!
Jewelry Holder Necklace
This pretty jewelry holder is so easy to make! All you need is a hot glue gun and some scrapbook paper. Trace the silhouette of a tree onto the paper, then cut it out. Use hot glue to attach the paper cut-out to a wooden plaque. Paint the entire piece with a coat of clear sealer. Drill small holes into the top of the plaque, and thread ribbon through to create loops for hanging necklaces. So pretty and easy!
Heart Lollipop
These lollipops are so easy and fun to make! Simply use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts from colorful construction paper. Next, glue the paper hearts onto lollipop sticks with a hot glue gun. Finally, display your finished lollipops in a vase or jar. To dress up your jars, consider painting them with nail polish or wrapping them in fabric scraps. Your Valentine’s Day gifts will be cute as can be!
Phone Case Protector
1. Begin by cutting a piece of cardboard to fit the back of your phone case.
2. Cut out a small rectangle in the center of the cardboard.
3. Apply hot glue around the edge of the cut-out rectangle.
4. Place the piece of clear plastic over the hot glue and press down to secure it.
5. Trim any excess plastic from around the edges of the case.
6. To finish, apply hot glue around the perimeter of the case and press down on a strip of duct tape or washi tape.
7. Let the glue dry for a few minutes before using your new phone case!
Owl Mobile Stand
1. Cut two pieces of cardboard into identical owl shapes.
2. Cover one owl shape with hot glue and then attach the other owl shape on top, lining up the edges.
3. Repeat this process with four more pairs of owl shapes to create the body and head of the mobile stand.
4. Once all the owl pairs are glued together, hot glue on googly eyes and felt wings.
5. To finish, use hot glue to attach each owl to a bamboo skewer.
6. Stick the skewers into a foam block or styrofoam ball.
7. Display your new mobile stand proudly!
Winter Candles Holder
Hot glue guns are not just for crafting projects, you can also use them for home decor. This winter, try making some candle holders out of hot glue and mason jars. They are easy to make and only require a few supplies. Here’s what you need two 12 oz.
Mason Jars, one decorative jar lid, 1 wooden dowel or straw – it’s up to you which one you prefer (you will be using this as the wick), 2 tablespoons paraffin wax flakes or 3/4 cup coarsely chopped beeswax (the wax will be melted together later on in the process), 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (this is used as an aid in the process of melting the wax) and a hot glue gun.
First, start by cutting your dowel or straw into small sections about 2-3 inches long. These will serve as your wicks when they’re inserted into the jars later on in the process. Next, melt your wax in a saucepan over low heat. Once it has completely liquefied, turn off the stove and add the required amount of oil to it. Allow the mixture to cool for five minutes before continuing. Now grab your jars and pour about 1/2 inch worth of cold water into each one.
Next, take your wicks from earlier and place them inside each jar, carefully push them down until they reach all the way to the bottom where there is still room available for water. Fill each jar with more cold water so that the wicks are completely submerged.
The next step is to place your lids onto the jars so that they sit firmly in place while hot glue is applied to seal them tightly shut. Place a little bit of hot glue onto the top edge of the lids and close tight; once done allow everything to set for 10-15 seconds before removing any excess leftovers around the edges. Finally, wrap some ribbon around the outside edge of your new candle holder and enjoy!
Flower Vase Cork Pads
You can make your own decorative cork pads for a flower vase in just a few minutes with a hot glue gun. Start by cutting circles out of the corkboard, then use the hot glue gun to attach them to the bottom of the vase. For added stability, you can also glue a few cork pads to the inside of the vase. Once all the cork pads are in place, arrange your flowers in the vase and enjoy!
Butterfly Mobile Charm Bracelet
You can make this beautiful butterfly mobile charm bracelet in just minutes with a hot glue gun and some pretty ribbon. Begin by creating a small loop of ribbon for the top of each butterfly. Next, glue two wings onto the back of the loop. Allow the glue to dry completely.
Once the wings are dry, you can glue on a body and some details like antennae. To finish, simply string your butterflies onto a length of ribbon or chain to create your bracelet. When finished, tie off the ends of the ribbon together with a bow. Next, find a long piece of thin string that is roughly twice as long as your arm span.
String one end through the loops at either end of the fabric strip and knot it tightly so that it won’t slip through. Now place both hands on either side of the strip and start pulling gently until it becomes taut between them. Now release one hand from the taut fabric strip, but don’t let go – keep hold firmly with only one hand! Now take up both ends again in your other hand (so you’re holding them at right angles to each other) and slowly pull them apart so that they form an ‘X’ shape in front of you.
Place the hot glue gun’s nozzle close to where you want the line to be and press down quickly with a steady hand. Move across the entire width of the fabric strip in stages, repeating this process every time until you reach the other end. If any spots have come out unevenly then apply more glue over these areas before pressing down on them again; this will ensure there are no uneven spaces or lumpy bits left on your line.
You’ll need plenty of cotton wool or scrap fabric, a pin cushion, and about six meters of thread. The first step is to lay the cloth out flat on your work surface. Then fold it in half so that the selvage edges meet at the center point and cut along this crease diagonally.
Now open out your cloth again, pinning it into position along its short edge with several pins about 5 cm apart; this should leave about 5 cm un-pinned along the edge opposite you. Fold over a little more than half of the pinned part toward you, carefully unfolding those sections beneath pins until they’re all neatly lined up against their neighbors without bunching up anywhere along their length.
Pinch in towards the center using your thumb and forefinger to produce a nice neat pleat. Repeat this procedure until you’ve created enough pleats to cover the required area, remembering not to overlap them too much. Now continue adding pleats above those already made, trying not to shift the ones below too much as you do so. Your paper should now resemble an accordion folded accordion; it may also be twisted slightly if your pleats aren’t neat enough.
Take the needle and thread, and pass them along the middle of the pleated paper. Bring it to the bottom of the fabric, then bring it back up to the top again. Take a stitch or two through all layers of pleated fabric and knot off with a square knot. You should now have a lovely ruffled effect in your fabric. You can choose to stop here and sew the pleats in place, or you can attach it to another fabric of your choice to create a fabulous new look.
Coasters Table Mat
With just a hot glue gun and some old coasters, you can make this super cute and easy table mat. Just cut your coaster in half and put two pieces together side by side. Then put on another coaster, making sure not to cover the hole in the middle of your coaster. Next, cover your four sides with glue (using a generous amount) and place them on top of each other so they are lying flat on top of one another.
Let them dry overnight before moving on to step 2 which is trimming off any excess cardboard from your coasters’ edges so that you get rid of any sharp edges or gaps in between where your cups are connected together.
After that, grab a metal ruler and measure out evenly spaced cuts all the way down the edge of your coaster. Take note to leave about 1/2 extra when measuring because it will be trimmed off later. Use scissors to cut these sections out along the lines you made previously.
Lastly, take an electric sander or piece of sandpaper and smooth down all edges of your newly created coffee table mat so there are no rough spots left over from cutting. Now set them on your table next time someone wants something cold or warm to drink!
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking for a fun project to do with the kids or you’re wanting to make something unique, there’s definitely a hot glue gun craft for you! With so many different projects to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect one (or two… or ten!) to keep you busy. So what are you waiting for? Get your glue gun and get crafting.
Also, check out the latest articles “Wooden crafts” and “Homemade necklace ideas“
Hi I’m Bilal Malik, a digital marketing and blogging expert holding years of experience.
