When gluing wood or other materials, it’s important to spread the glue evenly over the surface for maximum adhesion and less waste. To make a simple, homemade glue spreader:

  • Cut one side of an expired plastic gift card with decorative shears to create a scalloped edge.
  • Use the edge like a notched trowel to evenly spread the glue over the surface.
  • Tape glue spreader to the side of the bottle of glue, so you can always find it when you need it.

Watch the video above to find out more.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Joe Truini: One way to mind a budget when working on home improvement projects is to get the most out of all the material you buy, even glue. Now, what most homeowners do, of course, is they just spread out glue in some lines and they stick the pieces together. But what happens, often, is you overuse the glue and you spend more time cleaning up and throwing away glue than you do actually putting the project together. So here’s a technique I came up with that works really well.

I took an expired gift card and I used a pair of decorative shears to cut this scalloped edge on it. If you look closely, you’ll see there’s little teeth on there. What that helps is to spread the glue. So, you just use the card, either way, and what you end up with is a nice, even coating of glue. And you’re not wasting it. The other good thing is, if you have a nice, even coating like this, it sticks a lot better. Otherwise you just have small little beads of glue. Here, you have full coverage, 100% coverage, and it sticks a lot better.


Further Information

Editorial Contributors
avatar for Joe Truini

Joe Truini

Radio Show Co-Host

Joe Truini is a contractor, author, and the host of “Simple Solutions” on Today’s Homeowner TV and the weekly Today’s Homeowner radio show. He has worked on both large commercial projects and residential remodeling, and has written for national publications such as This Old House and Popular Mechanics. He has also written eight books, including three best-selling shed-building books. Joe lives in Connecticut with his family and enjoys hiking, traveling, and baseball in his spare time.

Learn More