Popsicle sticks recently became popular for DIY crafting projects as well as for building house and bridge models. The sticks are lightweight, very resistant to breaking, and are highly affordable!
The popsicle stick projects require you to bond the sticks together. This is best done using glue, but what type of adhesive should you use?
We have made a list of the 6 best glue for popsicle sticks that are strong and durable. Along with a list, you will find a guide where you can learn more about popsicle sticks and the adhesives used to bond them.
Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
In this section of the article, we will present you with our list of the best adhesives for popsicle sticks. We’ve chosen 6 models that work great with popsicle sticks and will make your project strong and long-lasting.
Best Glue For Popsicle Sticks – Reviews
Our Pick
Franklin International 6123 Titebond Trans Glue
Titebond wood adhesives are the number 1 choice for many carpenters and woodworkers. Their adhesives are known to provide a bond stronger than the wood. The superb strength of this glue and its great wood bonding properties make this adhesive ideal for gluing popsicle sticks.
This Titebond wood glue dries clear, making it great for popsicle stick projects with visible bonds. The bond will be crystal clear when dried and will give you a tidy and clean-looking finish.
The strength of this glue is unmatched. It has been used for building popsicle sticks building containing more than 150.000 sticks! The adhesive has serious structural strength and will withstand a lot of pressure. You can be sure that your popsicle project will be rock solid and will last a long time with this glue!
What makes this Titebond wood glue stand out from the competition is its fast drying time. Wood adhesives are notorious for their slow setting times that can go up to 4 hours! You can expect this glue to set in only 15 to 30 minutes, giving you a much faster result and less clamping time.
This glue is Non-Toxic and makes a great adhesive for indoors and kitchen use. It doesn’t have strong and toxic fumes that can give you a headache or make you nauseated. You can safely use it indoors in less ventilated spaces.
We highly recommend this wood glue for any type of popsicle stick project. It is used by professionals for its exceptional strength and reliability and is, in our opinion, the best glue for popsicle sticks you can buy!
Insta-Cure Gap Filling Bob Smith Ind.
Apart from wood adhesives, another type of glue we had success with for gluing popsicle sticks is super glue or cyanoacrylate glue. It’s especially good for medium to small-sized projects that don’t require massive strength. This cyanoacrylate glue is the best one we tried and makes gluing popsicle sticks a breeze.
It is a specially formulated super glue model by Bob Smith Industries that offers much stronger bonds than regular CA adhesives. You can make large house or bridge popsicle stick models with this glue without issues. It will hold the bond superbly and will make the project long-lasting.
The main advantage of using super glue instead of wood glue is the super-fast drying time, and this glue is the epitome of fast. It dries in only 5 to 15 seconds, making you finish your project faster than with any other glue!
One thing that we really like about this glue is its high viscosity. It has a syrup-like consistency which makes it much easier to apply than liquid super glues. It doesn’t run, spill, and won’t make a mess. The glue stays right where you want it to be, saving you time and money that you would’ve wasted on spilled excess glue.
This adhesive dries clear, making your bonds invisible. It’s transparent when dry and won’t leave an ugly colored residue that might ruin the looks of your project.
This glue is ideal for popsicle stick projects where you need a fast drying time and solid strength. It’s by far the best super glue for popsicle sticks we tried and will make your projects clean, resistant, and durable.
Gorilla Wood Glue
The Gorilla wood glue is a popular product that glues wood fantastically. The gorilla company is specialized in wood adhesives, making it a great choice for popsicle stick projects.
This Gorilla wood glue definitely lives up to the company standard. It has the Gorilla strength we’ve all been accustomed to and will make your popsicle stick crafts resist a lot of pressure with no issues! The glue soaks into the wood and bonds the parts inseparable!
We really like that this glue is FDA approved for indirect food contact. This makes it ideal for any type of popsicle crafts that are intended for kitchen use. This glue is safe for indoor use and is low VOC which means it is more environmentally friendly and doesn’t emit toxic gases.
The Gorilla has perfected its wood glue so that it doesn’t foam up anymore. This is a problem many wood glue models had, but gorilla has successfully prevented this from happening so that your bonds look clean with no glue residue visible.
Another feature that makes your bond neat and tidy is the clear drying properties of this adhesive. The bond won’t stand out from the popsicle stick color and will look more expert-like.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of going for this adhesive is its affordability. Its price to performance ratio is incredible and makes this adhesive a worthwhile purchase!
Bob Smith Industries BSI-157H Maxi Cure/Insta-Set Combo
This is one of our favorite adhesive combos that we always go back to when we want extremely fast drying time on wood. The accelerator and CA adhesive combo is used by many wood modelers, especially balsa wood modelers, where this is the number 1 adhesive used for bonding that wood.
The accelerator or the activator is a magician in this package, so to speak. It speeds up the polymerization process of cyanoacrylate adhesive making it bond up to 10 times faster!
That means that the usual curing time of the super glue can be significantly reduced. This accelerator only works with super glues and makes their already swift drying time lightning-fast!
While the accelerator is the most impressive part of this combo, the super glue is great as well. It is, after all, a Bob Smith Industries glue, and they don’t ever make a bad glue.
The structural strength of this adhesive alone is excellent and is on the higher side when cyanoacrylate adhesives are considered. It holds the bond well and makes your popsicle stick construction solid.
Apart from the magnificent drying time, this set offers great versatility. You can glue whatever you can think of with this glue. We’ve tried it on wood, glass, metal, and stone and had no issues whatsoever.
This is the glue to go for if you appreciate the fastest possible drying time. It will make you finish your popsicle stick crafts and projects in no time!
Elmer's E7300 Carpenter's Wood Glue Max
Here is another great wood glue that is both affordable and has great adhesive properties for popsicle sticks. This wood adhesive ticks all the boxes and has all the properties you would want in the best glue for popsicle sticks.
We were impressed by the resistance of this wood glue. It can withstand high and low temperatures with ease while also having phenomenal moisture resistance. You can work with this glue in any type of environmental condition and know it will bond excellently.
The glue is not toxic and can be safely used for any type of kitchen project. No toxic fumes are produced by this adhesive which makes it safe to work with even if you’re sensitive to chemicals.
The bonding strength is incredible for the price and is on par with many adhesives in the higher price range. The popsicle sticks become inseparable after this glue dries. It has a high tensile strength that you can rely on!
One of the properties that surprised us the most is the quick-drying and low clamping time. You only need to clamp the parts for half an hour, and the glue will set. For the full strength of the bond, it is recommended to leave the parts undisturbed overnight or for a maximum of 24 hours.
All in all, this is a super affordable glue that works phenomenally for popsicle sticks. The bond is strong, the resistance high, and the price low.
Loctite 234796 Super Glue Longneck Bottle
This is the last and perhaps the most affordable option of all reviewed adhesives for popsicle sticks. It’s the legendary, original Loctite super glue, this time in a specially designed longneck bottle for extra precision.
There isn’t much to say about the strength of the Loctite super glue that hasn’t been already said. It’s the standard maximum strength by Loctite that withstands massive amounts of structural pressure. This adhesive will bond the two popsicle sticks indivisible and will hold its bond for a long, long time.
This glue dries clear, which is what we want for clean-looking bonds on our popsicle stick project. The results look very tidy and professional-like with this glue.
The drying time is again the usual Loctite’s incredibly fast setting time. This adhesive dries in just 30 seconds. Great for finishing your projects fast and not wasting your time!
This model of Loctite super glue is specifically interesting because of its long and narrow precision nozzle. The nozzle allows you to put just the right amount of glue exactly where you want. This makes you waste less glue and make less mess.
The versatility of the Loctite super glue is unmatched. You can bond whatever you can think of with this glue. Brick, glass, stone, metal, concrete can all be bonded with this wonderful adhesive. If you are left with some leftovers, they certainly won’t go to waste.
The price of this super glue is extremely low, considering its performance and versatility. This glue is your best bet if you want to spend the least amount of money and glue popsicle sticks successfully.
What To Look For When Choosing Glue For Popsicle Sticks
In this section of the article, we will take a look at the most important factor to look at when choosing the best glue for popsicle sticks.
Before we look at the adhesive features and properties, let’s learn a bit more about the popsicle sticks first.
Popsicle sticks are most usually made of white birch. They are odorless and tasteless since they are commonly used in ice creams and come in contact with other food.
Birchwood is very strong and doesn’t break easily. It has a tight grain, and when it breaks, it doesn’t break into tiny particles.
This strong and light wood has been used for various crafts and building projects. There are several projects documented online that are constructed of tens of thousands of popsicle sticks.
Now that we know a little more about popsicle sticks let’s look at the features that the adhesive used for bonding this wood should have.
Type Of Adhesive
Many different adhesives can be used for gluing popsicle sticks, but not all are durable and securely hold your structure.
The ones that we recommend are cyanoacrylate or super glue and PVA wood adhesives. We will also explain why you might or might not use hot glue for this type of application.
PVA Glue
PVA glue is known under many different names such as white glue, Elmer’s glue, school glue, and more. The type of PVA glue that we are looking for bonding popsicle sticks is the wood PVA glue such as Titebond or Elmer’s.
Using wood glue on a popsicle stick is preferable since the stick is made of white birch which is a type of hardwood. The PVA wood glue is a specifically formulated version of wood glue that forms a cross-linking bond on wood and soaks into its surface.
This will make your bonds stronger than the popsicle itself and will actually improve the strength of this wood. In terms of bonding power on wood, no other adhesive matches PVA wood glue.
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The drawback here is the slow drying time and the required clamping of the popsicle sticks. They usually have to be clamped for at least 30 minutes, and a whole day needs to pass for the adhesive to fully cure.
For the massive popsicle stick constructions like buildings and bridges, this type of glue is a must. It will actually improve the overall strength of your construction once dried.
Super Glue
Super glue or cyanoacrylate adhesives seem to be able to bond just about everything! They do a great job in gluing popsicle sticks and are a solid choice.
The main advantage of using super glue instead of PVA glue is the faster setting time. You’ll be able to handle the joined sticks within only 15 seconds when using the best super glues for popsicle sticks.
The strength of these adhesives is solid but isn’t as good as the PVA wood glue. Super glue is most suited for medium and small-sized projects that go up to a couple of thousand sticks.
- GEL FORMULA: No run control gel formula that is great for use on vertical surfaces
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Another advantage of using super glue for popsicle sticks is their versatility and compatibility with bonding other materials. It is the best glue for popsicle on paper, metal, glass, stone, and more. If you have a project where you need to combine different materials and bond them to popsicles, super glue is your best bet.
Hot Glue
Many people are using hot glue to bond popsicle sticks and are doing so successfully, so we can’t deny that it can be done.
Using a hot glue gun for bonding popsicle sticks is very inexpensive, which makes a lot of people consider using it for this purpose.
This can work and the hot glue will bond the popsicles, but the strength of the bond will be inferior to the strength of super glue or wood glue. How inferior?
Well, we wouldn’t recommend you bonding more than 50 popsicles with hot glue or you will most certainly experience weakening of the bond and the strength of the structure.
If you want to make the simplest crafts that require only a dozen of popsicles, using hot glue might be a solid inexpensive way to bond them.
- ▶ Stand-Up Base - With a stand built right into the handle, our hot-glue gun is always standing up, ready for action! No more laying down on the job (and no more sticking to the table!)
Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Toxicity
The toxicity of the adhesive is definitely something to consider, especially if you’re crafting popsicle stick items for kitchen use.
Most PVA adhesives are not toxic and don’t have dangerous fumes that cause nausea. They are great for indoor use and are recommended adhesives for wood bonding in the kitchen.
On the other hand, super glue tends to produce a lot of toxic fumes that can certainly give you a headache. They are not safe for use on items that come in contact with food and are considered toxic.
If the items you’re crafting come in contact with food or if you have an allergic reaction to strong fumes, PVA wood glue is your best bet.
Drying
The drying process of the glue you choose will determine the aesthetics and the time of your project.
Both PVA and super glue adhesives have models that dry clear and leave clean-looking bonds. Make sure to go for those models as they affect the end result of your craft.
If you go for an adhesive that doesn’t dry clear you can get bond discoloration and an ugly looking result ruining the looks of your craft.
If the drying time is something that concerns you and you want to finish your project as quickly as possible, choose super glue. Super glue, especially in combination with an accelerator can make the bond dry in under 10 seconds!
On the other hand, PVA wood glue takes at least 30 minutes to dry and requires clamping.
Environmental Resistance
Environmental resistance might be a factor to consider when choosing glue for popsicle sticks.
If you live in a moist environment, you should consider getting glue that has good water-resisting properties.
If the climate in your place is hot and dry, you would want an adhesive with good temperature resistance. The same goes for the cold environment.
Make sure to factor in your environment when choosing glue since a bad choice can ruin your project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does tacky glue work on Popsicle sticks?
Yes, it does. This is PVA glue which means that it’s very suitable for gluing popsicle sticks since it’s strong, resistant, and holds its bond well. It also isn’t toxic, making it a great choice for kitchen popsicle stick projects.
What kind of wood are Popsicle sticks made of?
Popsicle sticks are mostly made of white birch. It is odorless, tasteless, and super strong. It isn’t prone to breaking while being lightweight, making it ideal for popsicle sticks.
Conclusion
That about covers it for all you need to know about the best glue for popsicle sticks.
Remember to only use PVA and cyanoacrylate adhesives to ensure the strength and durability of your projects.
Any of the glue models we reviewed are excellent choices for gluing popsicle sticks and will make your projects look professional. You can’t go wrong with any of them!
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