If you’ve done basically any level of crafting before, or perhaps even if you haven’t, we’re sure you’ve probably used a glue gun before. These are handy tools that are helpful almost any time, but we’ve been discovering recently that they’re even more powerful in the crafting world than we thought. Did you know that you can actually make entire crafts from hot glue itself? We didn’t until recently and now we’re obsessed with the idea and constantly on the lookout for new concepts to bookmark and try.
Just in case you love the idea of making things from hot glue just as much as we do, if not more, here are 15 of the very best ideas that we’ve come across so far in our search!
1. Glue gun and nail polish snowflakes
If you’ve been looking for awesome winter themed crafts to keep your kids busy with this season while they’re on holiday but they’re slightly older and looking for a little bit of a challenge, then we think we might have found the perfect idea for you right off the bat! Check out how Muslin & Merlot made these fantastic snowflakes by making the base from hot glue and adding colour and shimmer using nail polish.
2. Hot glue gun stud earrings
Just in case you’re a handmade jewelry lover rather than an ornament enthusiast, here’s some hot glue art that you can actually wear! Check out how Lil Blue Boo made these lovely little stud earrings in just a few surprisingly simple steps, gluing the posts on after a nice, bright paint job has dried. We love the way they shaped them like little hearts!
3. DIY Harry Potter wands
Perhaps you’ve been looking for a project that you can make sort of for and with your kids, especially if its something they can play with once it’s finished? Those are the ideas that go over the best in our house too! Because our kids are also completely obsessed with Harry Potter, these DIY wants that Boxy Colonial made to look knobbly and twisted using hot glue were a smash hit as well.
4. DIY painted coral decor
Are you actually totally enamoured with the abilities of hot glue to dry so quickly that very uniquely shaped and very fine strands can be shaped to stand on their own? In that case, we think you’ll find these wonderfully unique painted coral pieces outlined step by step on Ohoh Deco quite appealing indeed! We love the way they wood mounted them.
5. DIY hot glue and rhinestone rings
Are you actually so into the kitschy, unique aesthetic of the shapes you see your hot glue making that you think you’d rather make yourself a piece of jewelry that’s a little more abstract and wacky looking, rather than the well-shaped stud earrings we showed you before? In that case, we’d absolutely suggest taking a look at how Dream a Little Bigger made these swirly rings and set rhinestones into them!
6. Hot glue gun hair pieces
If you’re going to get into making hot glue accessories, would you prefer to try your hand at making something to go in your hair instead? Well, we think that sounds like a great plan, which is why we couldn’t help including these lovely little embellished bobby pins outlined step by step on Lil Blue Boo! We love the way they carefully moulded their shapes and painted them in bright, solid colours.
7. No-sew coiled rope baskets
Okay, we know we said that this post was about things that were made out of hot glue and this is technically just made using hot glue, but it’s so awesome that we just couldn’t help including it on the list anyways! Check out how Alice & Lois created this lovely rope basket that’s great for storing hand towels or magazines by coiling a rope around and around and setting it in place with hot glue.
8. Spun hot glue vase
Rope and hot glue isn’t the only combination of tools that you can make an awesome coiled looking piece in. In fact, you can actually create things with that aesthetic using just hot glue itself! If you’re feeling up to slightly bigger challenge than some of what you’ve seen so far, take a look at how The Budget Decorator made this stunning and clear spun hot glue vase.
9. Glue gun and chalk paint witchcraft bottles
Were you actually a huge fan of the way the Harry Potter wands we showed you earlier used hot glue to get texture involved but you don’t see yourself having any need for wands? In that case, we have a feeling you’re going to adore how Magia Mia did something similar to create the raised surface of these spooky looking chalk paint witchcraft bottles!
10. Hot glue drop earrings
Are you actually still thinking about the idea of making hot glue earrings but you’ve just always loved the way dangling earrings look on you a lot more than studs? In that case, we’d absolutely suggest taking a look at how Four Front Doors made these ombre painted glue drop earrings that have a wonderful visual texture.
11. Hot glue candle votives
Are you rather into the more abstract looking hot glue pieces you’ve seen here that involve criss-crossing of strands and interesting patterns but you’re not sure you have a place in your house for a piece of faux coral? Then maybe you’d prefer to make this slightly more practical tea light candle votive instead! We love the way Curbly made theirs happen in different aesthetics and colours.
12. Snowflake hair clips
Are you actually a huge fan of the hot glue snowflake idea but you’re just not sure that you have anything to do with the large kind you saw there since you don’t often hang ornaments? Well, you could wear them, but they’re a little large. Instead, try making yourself accessories featuring much smaller hot glue snow flakes, just like you see here from A Girl and A Glue Gun!
13. Glue heart pendant with rhinestones
By now, we’ve shown you just about every kind of hot glue jewelry we can think of except for a necklace, so we simply knew we had to include this adorable heart shaped necklace pendant the moment we saw it! Take a look at this detailed tutorial from Innova Crafts to learn how it’s made so smoothly and neatly.
14. Hot glue glitter leaves
Are you actually in love with the concept of seasonal hot glue embellishments and ornaments but it’s not really winter you’ve got in mind? Well, our favourite season is actually fall, so we’re always on the lookout for autumn themed crafts no matter the actual season we’re in. If you’re a fall lover too, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Our Peaceful Planet made these beautifully sparkly hot glue leaves!
15. Hot glue coloured bead frame
We love this particular tutorial because it not only shows you how to make a fantastic DIY hot glue frame, but it also shows you how to made the individual (and totally awesome) colourful hot glue beads they used yourself! We’d like to use them for this and other kinds of projects that need embellishing too. Get the full details for making some of your own on Mom 4 Real.
