Hot Glue Gun

The glue gun heats up special glue sticks. It softens the sticks into a semi-clear hot liquid which can be squeezed out of the tip of the gun. Hot glue sets very quickly. Some items can be "unglued" by re-heating the glue (with the tip of the glue gun or a hair dryer). Some glue guns can take a variety of sticks: wood glue, florists' glue, glitter, etc.

In our experience, it is worth splurging a little to get a nice glue gun. While you can get a gun for $5 or less, more expensive models come with some nice extras, such as "dripless" heads (no more annoying "spider threads") or automatic shut-off. Multiple nozzle heads means that you can squeeze hot glue into tiny crevices or in big, fat ribbons.

If you want to use hot glue in small quantities or are concerned about safety, craft stores sometimes sell a hot glue "well". You can then dip in items that need to be glued or use a toothpick to apply the glue.