Lace + Card + ??? = Lace Card!
May 30, 2013 1:28 PM Subscribe
What glue do I need to attach crochet lace to a card / wedding invite?
So, I'm making a veil out of Irish crochet lace (the kind done with a fine steel hook and thread, not 'needle lace') and now the bride wants me to make her wedding invites too. She would like various lace motifs stuck to simple cream card (240 gsm).
Can I just use regular super glue? Or some other craft glue? Will there be issues with the lace turning yellow or glue flaking or anything like that?
So, I'm making a veil out of Irish crochet lace (the kind done with a fine steel hook and thread, not 'needle lace') and now the bride wants me to make her wedding invites too. She would like various lace motifs stuck to simple cream card (240 gsm).
Can I just use regular super glue? Or some other craft glue? Will there be issues with the lace turning yellow or glue flaking or anything like that?
Wife suggests to machine stitch the lace to the card.
posted by brokkr at 1:30 PM on May 30, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by brokkr at 1:30 PM on May 30, 2013 [7 favorites]
Here's what thistothat suggests for gluing fabric to paper.
But whatever option you end up with, definitely do a test first with extra material a few days in advance of doing the rest of them, to check for color and if it actually stays fast. You could even try a few different ways and see which one ends up the nicest.
posted by brainmouse at 1:32 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
But whatever option you end up with, definitely do a test first with extra material a few days in advance of doing the rest of them, to check for color and if it actually stays fast. You could even try a few different ways and see which one ends up the nicest.
posted by brainmouse at 1:32 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Holy crap, is she aware exactly how much work is going into something that invitees are totally going to throw away?
I'd be careful about glues, as most of them can discolor thread, especially assuming you're going with white. This page on stiffeners has some info about different effects of glues and starches on thread, and may be helpful. (I've used corn starch to good effect to stiffen and block snowflakes, and it does work as glue, but would probably be too messy to use on a card).
My suggestion would be something that makes it easy for invitees to remove and use the lace motif for another purpose -- perhaps you could stiffen the motif and then tack it to the card with a couple of machine or hand-stitches (it would require less work to keep it even when you put it on the card that way), and include a thread or something by which they could hang the motif when it's removed from the card.
posted by asperity at 1:40 PM on May 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
I'd be careful about glues, as most of them can discolor thread, especially assuming you're going with white. This page on stiffeners has some info about different effects of glues and starches on thread, and may be helpful. (I've used corn starch to good effect to stiffen and block snowflakes, and it does work as glue, but would probably be too messy to use on a card).
My suggestion would be something that makes it easy for invitees to remove and use the lace motif for another purpose -- perhaps you could stiffen the motif and then tack it to the card with a couple of machine or hand-stitches (it would require less work to keep it even when you put it on the card that way), and include a thread or something by which they could hang the motif when it's removed from the card.
posted by asperity at 1:40 PM on May 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
I was going to recommend spray adhesive as well. Be sure to spray the lace, not the paper, as many glues are still tacky when dry and you don't want dust and hair and lint sticking to the glue through the holes in the lace.
Do a dry run as brainmouse suggests and mail a test card to yourself to make sure the lace stays in place even after it's gone through the mail.
posted by payoto at 1:42 PM on May 30, 2013
Do a dry run as brainmouse suggests and mail a test card to yourself to make sure the lace stays in place even after it's gone through the mail.
posted by payoto at 1:42 PM on May 30, 2013
I think you should stitch it, too. I made our wedding invitations, and gluing scraps of things to paper can be a harsh mistress. (I was using Diamond Glaze as glue because it was what I had lying around, and it worked fine, but it's not good for fabrics.)
If I got a wedding invitation with a piece of handmade lace, I'd keep the living hell out of it. But then, I've never thrown away a wedding invitation. And the fancier they were, the more likely I put them in a scrapbook. I'm far from a real scrapbooker, but cute nostalgic stuff is cute nostalgic stuff.
posted by Coatlicue at 2:53 PM on May 30, 2013
If I got a wedding invitation with a piece of handmade lace, I'd keep the living hell out of it. But then, I've never thrown away a wedding invitation. And the fancier they were, the more likely I put them in a scrapbook. I'm far from a real scrapbooker, but cute nostalgic stuff is cute nostalgic stuff.
posted by Coatlicue at 2:53 PM on May 30, 2013
Response by poster: asperity, thankfully we're only talking about small motifs per invite - say three flowerheads the size of your thumb, arranged in a corner.
Plus the pay is great, so.
But you guys, thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to test out each one and I love the idea of actually posting a sample card to myself.
I would much rather each invite have a strip of lace that could be woven into slots cut into the card. Recipients could remove the lace if they wanted, and use it as a bookmark/whatever.
This idea was shot down by the bride. But, as I said, the pay is great, so...
posted by Chorus at 3:15 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Plus the pay is great, so.
But you guys, thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to test out each one and I love the idea of actually posting a sample card to myself.
I would much rather each invite have a strip of lace that could be woven into slots cut into the card. Recipients could remove the lace if they wanted, and use it as a bookmark/whatever.
This idea was shot down by the bride. But, as I said, the pay is great, so...
posted by Chorus at 3:15 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
What about using brads to attach the lace? It's quicker than stitching them down, and the lace can be removed and repurposed if the recipient so desires.
posted by kitty teeth at 4:07 PM on May 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by kitty teeth at 4:07 PM on May 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
Use PVA glue (ie "Elmer's Glue" to use a US brandname).
Diluted PVA is sold as fabric stiffener
Regular PVA is sold as paper/craft glue
Basically it works great for both.
Plus nontoxic, sold at every store, etc etc.
posted by anonymisc at 4:52 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Diluted PVA is sold as fabric stiffener
Regular PVA is sold as paper/craft glue
Basically it works great for both.
Plus nontoxic, sold at every store, etc etc.
posted by anonymisc at 4:52 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Wait, if it's lace flower-heads, then I'd use a hot-melt glue-gun.
The hot-melt glue is uglier and not as easy to work with, but if used well the flower-heads will completely conceal it, and the key advantage is that it's very fast - cools in seconds, and will bridge gaps (eg. if a flower doesn't sit perfectly, you can just put a blob on, hold it in place for a few seconds, and it will stay exactly there)
posted by anonymisc at 4:55 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
The hot-melt glue is uglier and not as easy to work with, but if used well the flower-heads will completely conceal it, and the key advantage is that it's very fast - cools in seconds, and will bridge gaps (eg. if a flower doesn't sit perfectly, you can just put a blob on, hold it in place for a few seconds, and it will stay exactly there)
posted by anonymisc at 4:55 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
I use Aleen's Tacky Glue for pretty much everything. You can get it at craft stores. I usually squirt some out on a plate and apply it with a large pin if I'm doing something delicate, because it's a little hard to control straight out of the bottle.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 5:29 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Nibbly Fang at 5:29 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Either PVA or Aleene's. Hot melt is a poor choice for this application because it is globby and will pop off the cards with friction. You could also use Yes Paste, which is acid free, though I'm unsure how effective it would be bonding an uneven fabric surface to smoother paper.
posted by blnkfrnk at 10:52 PM on May 30, 2013
posted by blnkfrnk at 10:52 PM on May 30, 2013
would rubber cement work or are the thins you are attaching too heavy?
posted by Jewel98 at 9:55 PM on June 3, 2013
posted by Jewel98 at 9:55 PM on June 3, 2013
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posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 1:29 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]