I’ve been having another poke about in my sewing toolbox, and this week I’ve unearthed my glue pen.

So what exactly is a glue stick?

You probably remember Pritt Sticks from your childhood – at least, if yours was anything like mine you can remember the big ones in your art room/classroom at school, inevitably with a bunch of mysterious crap half buried in it. Whilst back then one might have been inclined to try and glue things together as the lazy way to avoid sewing (I mean, it was one step better than staples…), these days it can actually be used alongside your stitches.

Where can I use glue sticks?

Below I’ve included a list of places I use my glue stick, and a couple of others that I haven’t tried but know other people swear by:

• In Foundation Paper Piecing, both to hold the first piece in place while I add others round about it, and when adding particularly large pieces to keep them nice and flat until held in place by other pieces
• Holding things together that can’t be pinned, eg Kraftex, vinyl, faux leather, cork fabric etc
• Holding zippers in place prior to stitching, especially inset ones, and ones on fabrics which can’t be pinned
• In English Paper Piecing to hold the fabric to the template pieces rather than thread basting
• To glue baste seams to ensure certain bits line up (I haven’t tried this)
• To glue baste bindings in place (I also haven’t tried this)

Have you got any other fabulous uses for glue sticks in sewing? Let me know in the comments!