There are times when you need to connect fabric to something and sewing and stapling just aren’t options. There are also times when you just want a quick bond so you can sew it into place.
One fast option you might consider is spray adhesive. Spray adhesives are designed for efficiency. You can coat a large area with them and after waiting a few seconds it is ready to bond.
We took a look at whether you can use spray adhesives to bond two pieces of fabric and put together this article with what we learned. We hope you find it useful and that it provides the answers you’re looking for.
In This Article We'll Discuss
Can you use spray adhesive on fabric?
The question isn’t necessarily whether you can use spray adhesive on fabric, but rather under what conditions should you use spray adhesive on fabric.
Spray adhesive isn’t great to use if you’re creating a new seam with two pieces of fabric, but you can use it when either doing a major upholstery project or you want to slide new padding or batting into place.
You’ll also want to find spray adhesive designed specifically for upholstery. While regular spray adhesive will create a bond, that specially designed for fabric will create a better one.
How to use spray adhesive on fabric
Using spray adhesive on fabric isn’t a complicated process, and some of the steps will feel familiar because they are pretty common to all crafting.
Your first step is making sure you have the right materials. When you purchase spray adhesive, make sure it’s spray adhesive that will adhere to fabric. If you know the specific kind of fabric, check that, too, in case an adhesive you are considering won’t stick to everything.
Clean the fabric you want to use the adhesive on. Spray adhesives don’t form the strongest bond of all glues and dirt and grit will weaken that bond. Allow it to fully dry before using spray adhesive on it.
Apply the spray adhesive to the back of whatever you’re attaching to the fabric rather than the fabric itself. If the fabric folds in on itself, this will ensure that it doesn’t stick together. If you need to attach two pieces of fabric, spray down the smallest.
This will also help eliminate the possibility that the spray adhesive will bleed through the front of your fabric and leave a strain.
Spray adhesives dry in about 30 seconds, so work quickly to even out any wrinkles or to readjust them.
Allow the adhesive to fully dry before you put the fabric to full use. Don’t stress any seams too quickly or you will pull them apart.
What is the best spray adhesive for fabric?
Because of the nature of fabric, using spray adhesive isn’t always ideal. The fibers and pores between the fibers make it difficult to use many kinds of glue, especially one designed for fast application and drying.
There are spray adhesives designed for fabric, however.
A high-quality spray adhesive will do two things for you.
The first is that it won’t soak into the fabric, thus reducing its ability to bond two things together. Spray adhesives are designed to coat the surface and with an inconsistent surface you’ll want something that acts upon what there is.
You’ll also want a spray adhesive that is colored so you know when you’ve got total coverage. Because spray adhesive doesn’t create the strongest bond, you want as much surface as possible sticky.
Can you use spray adhesive on fabric instead of sewing?
When it comes to fabric, spray adhesives are best used when sewing isn’t an option. That means things like when adding batting or lace to the hem of a piece of fabric.
The problem is that spray adhesive just doesn’t create a strong enough bond that it is a reliable replacement for sewing. If your project is big enough that sewing is overly burdensome, then look at another adhesive option.
A viable alternative is that you can use spray adhesive to stick together two pieces of fabric you intend to sew together but don’t want to hold in place. As a very temporary way of helping to get a seam sewed straight, spray adhesive works.
How long does spray adhesive last on fabric?
There is no universal timetable to know how long a spray adhesive bond will remain viable in fabric.
Several factors will go into getting the best guess as to how long you can expect a bond to hold out.
Start with the fabric itself. Spray adhesive depends on making a surface connection with the things it is binding. Fabric is woven materials and the greater the space between fibers the weaker the bond will be.
It also depends on whether the particular spray adhesive you are using is designed for fabric. Regular craft spray adhesive won’t last nearly as long as spray adhesive designed for fabric.
The normal wear-and-tear will accelerate if the spray adhesive bond is exposed to a higher level of abuse. If you are adding batting to an armrest, having kids who pound on the armrest while playing will wear out the adhesive faster.
Finally, there are environmental considerations. Warm, humid conditions are likely to wear out spray adhesive faster than cool, dry conditions. But frigid temperatures can cause a bond to become brittle.
Conclusion
If you’re in a hurry and don’t need the strongest bond possible, spray adhesives can provide an efficient way to connect fabric to things. This is especially true if your project is big and won’t get a lot of rough play.
Before you start using spray adhesives on fabric, however, you’ll want to know about the fabric and the glue you plan to use. You’ll also want to know a few hints and tricks to make sure you’re as successful as possible.
We hope that we provided you with those kinds of answers in this article. If you did, we’d love to hear from you in a comment. You can also share this on your social media networks. There might be other people wondering if they can use spray adhesive on fabric.