Do you ever use a glue gun in your crafts? If so, I’m going to tell you all about Hot Glue Gun Helpers developed by Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza and distributed by Plaid Enterprises…and then, you’re going to slap yourself in the forehead and ask, “why didn’t I think of this?” These tools are so simple and yet so useful, you’ll want to snag a set immediately.
The set comes with a large mat, three finger caps, a paddle, tweezers, and a press wand. All are non-stick and heat safe- up to 600 degrees!
I love the extra-large mat- it’s over 14 inches wide! It’s a great work surface.
To test out the tools, I decided to work on a spring floral Kissing Ball… so let’s hot glue some moss to a Styrofoam ball.
I slipped on some of the finger caps and applied some hot glue on the ball, and then pressed on some moss using my clad fingers. (By the way, you get 4 sizes of caps in each set, small through extra-large. Nice, right?) While some hot glue oozed up through the moss, my fingers stayed absolutely cool- just a little hint of warmth to let me know that I would have sustained a nasty sting if I didn’t have my caps on!
Here the ball is completely covered- but it left quite a mess. Time to see how the mat cleans up.
You can see that the glob of glue peels right off.
A quick swipe of a wipe and the mat is clean. Sweet.
Next I added some vintage ribbon, and I wanted to make sure I pressed it firmly enough into the moss. Enter the paddle!
I was able to press the ribbon down firmly to ensure good adhesion with the glue. I could even take up a little glob of hot glue with the corner of the paddle and put it right where I want it. It also came in handy when gluing loops- check it out:
The paddle allowed me to apply pressure precisely- and not stick to my project!
Then I decided to add some flowers- time to use the press wand. It’s really flexible, and allows you to do a “soft press”- you can keep from crushing delicate objects, like silk flowers.
Flexible!
The pressing wand lets you apply pin-point pressure without crushing.
I love the tip on the press wand- really great control. Lastly, I decided to add some crystals in the center of my silk flower clusters. Time to bust out those tweezers! They have a rubberized, heat-resistant and npn-stick tip. This allowed me to place the crystal in the puddle of hot glue and position it accurately without the tweezers getting sticky and creating unsightly strings.
I also used the tweezers to hold a silk leaf to the ribbon while the glue cooled. Could you imagine doing this with your fingers? No way!
At the end of my play date with Hot Glue Gun Helpers, I ended up with a sweet Kissing Ball for Valentine’s Day and a respect for these tools. I can’t imagine ever getting out my hot glue gun again without them!
And, they can be used with any glue- Mod Podge, Tacky Glue- even with heat embossing! That mat alone can really save your worktable from scorching. It will roll up for easy storage, but my bet is that you’ll want to keep it out and use it daily.
This 7-piece kit retails for $19.99- a great value, if you ask me. The only drawback right now is availability. I’ve not seen it in the big box or the local craft stores yet- but if you must have them ( and you probably do)- you can buy them at the official Etsy shop. And you know what’s cool? If you order set of two or three Hot Glue Gun Helpers, you get a discount. Sounds like a great opportunity to get some crafty friends together, right?
But first you might want to leave a comment for a chance to win a set! Yes, our friends at Plaid are offering the readers of CraftTestDummies a chance to WIN! To enter, just leave a comment on THIS POST sharing how often and what kind of projects you use hot glue with. I’ll draw a random comment via Random.org around 12 Noon EST on Friday, January 14, 2011. This drawing is open to US & Canadian residents only.
This Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for your comments! Check HERE to see the winner!
If you are going to purchase Hot Glue Gun Helpers, I’d appreciate it if you used my affiliate link:
January 14, 2011 at 7:28 am
I would love one of these. I make wipe cases and other items that I use my glue gun OFTEN for and this would be amazing to use to help me from burning myself all of the time.
January 14, 2011 at 7:32 am
It’s about time someone invented this kit!
I have two glue guns, I use them both fairly often, and my two daughters use them, too.
Our latest projects include a denim bible cover, barbie furniture, a cardboard doll house, coasters from tiles and fabric…not to mention household repairs here and there.
Great product, hope I win it!
January 14, 2011 at 7:36 am
Could have used this yesterday ! ! ! Such a nice set of supplies. Thanks for the opportunity to win this.
January 14, 2011 at 7:38 am
My daughter is a Girl Scout and is always in need of some SWAP or another for their activities. This is where the glue gun comes quite in handy for those teeny-tiny cute SWAPs they all enjoy!
January 14, 2011 at 7:46 am
my little hot glue gunned fingers NEED this! how awesome! i use my hot glue gun just about every day. any tips on “the perfect glue gun?”
January 14, 2011 at 7:46 am
I haven’t used it much. I would use it for crafts with my kids.
January 14, 2011 at 7:47 am
Oh, that’s really cool! I have a friend who just burned the heck out of herself putting googly eyes on a project, so I’d love to be able to share this!
January 14, 2011 at 7:51 am
I often use another kind of glue when I should be using hot glue because of the hassle. Looks like this product would get me to use my hot glue gun more often.
January 14, 2011 at 8:07 am
Great pack of goodies! I am crossing my fingers to win the drawing. Thank you!
January 14, 2011 at 8:20 am
I bead cabochons and also work for a designer making embellishments. I use a glue gun daily.
January 14, 2011 at 8:21 am
The miracle I have praying for, for the glue funs. Thank you Cathie and Steve. Please keep these wonderful ideas and supplies coming
January 14, 2011 at 8:34 am
What a GREAT idea…my daughter and I use glue guns to make mums for Homecoming, and we are always going OUCH OUCH OUCH. This would not only save our fingers but allow us to use the glue gun more often! Becasue after all, who wants to use something that always burns you?
January 14, 2011 at 8:50 am
love this! I would use to it to help my Girl Scout troop with their craft projects! yay!
January 14, 2011 at 9:07 am
I would sooo love to have a set of these. I use my glue gun all the time. Thanks for the opportunity.
January 14, 2011 at 9:10 am
Wow… Very cool. I’m mostly impressed at the easy clean up aspect. Great, now there’s something else “I MUST HAVE!”. lol.
January 14, 2011 at 9:19 am
I would use this for allsorts of arts and craft projects with my daughter
January 14, 2011 at 10:02 am
My poor fingers need this! this would be great for crafts with my daughter suelee1998 @ gmail.com
March 8, 2011 at 11:47 am
I avoided using hot glue for this, as it seems too dangerous for clumsy old me. I simply usedElmer’s glue and it turned out terrific!
March 8, 2011 at 12:53 pm
I’m glad it worked for you…but personally, I didn’t want to wait for the white glue to dry. After all, when you are working on a sphere things will slide right off if it’s not dry…which is why the hot glue is optimal. You just need some Hot Glue Helpers- it takes all the fear of being burned away!