Elmer’s glue is not PVA glue. Elmer’s glue contains PVA (polyvinyl acetate) but is not the same adhesive. 

Comparing Emler’s glue with PVA glue, PVA glue offers better water-resistant qualities and a much stronger bond. 

Elmer’s glue also breaks down faster and easier and tends to yellow over time in comparison. 

Keep reading to discover more about both Elmer’s glue and PVA glue. 

Elmer’s Glue: Types, Features, And Uses 

Elmer’s glue offers various products for different purposes, each with unique feature points and creative but practical uses. 

Elmer’s glue contains multiple ingredients, but its main ingredient is PVA glue. 

So let’s deep dive into Elmer’s glue and the different types of products. 

Elmer’s Glue Sticks

Elmer’s glue sticks are well-known in schools. They are commonly used in the classrooms for school crafts and at home for a mess-free DIY project. 

These glue sticks come in three main categories: 

1. School Glue Sticks
   • Safe 
   • Non-toxic
   • Washable 
   • Commonly used in schools but also at home for kids’ crafts
   • Available types:
     • All purpose 
     • Disappearing purple 
     • Re-stick
     • Gel 
     • Extra strength 

2. Home and Office Glue Sticks
   • These glue sticks provide a permanent bonding 
   • Non-messy 
   • Available types:
     • All purpose 
     • Extra strength 

3. Crafting Glue Sticks
   • Provides various top-quality formulations
   • Available types:
     • Extra strength 
     • All purpose
     • Repositionable 

Elmer’s Liquid Glue

Elmer’s Liquid glue also comes in multiple variations, so let’s quickly look at these and their defining features. 

1. School Liquid Glue: great for school crafts and arts
   • White School Glue
     • Safe
     • Non-toxic 
     • Multiple sizes available: 4 oz., 7.625 oz., 16 oz., 32 oz., Gallon
   • Clear School Glue
     • This glue dries clear
     • Multiple sizes available: 5 oz., 9 oz., 16 oz., 32 oz., Gallon

2. Glue All Liquid Glue: this formulation offers a stronger and a more durable bond
   • Glue-All offers a strong bond
   • Dries clear 
   • Great for crafts but also various household projects 
   • Multiple sizes available: 1.25 oz., 4 oz., 7.625 oz., 16 oz., 32 oz., Gallon

3. Color Liquid Glue: these glues bring special effects to your project
   • Color Changing Glue (heat activated)
     • Changes color even when you hold it in your hands by the heat generated by your body 
     • Multiple colors available 
   • Color Changing Glue (UV and Sun activated)
     • The color changes in direct sunlight or under UV light 
     • Multiple colors available
   • Cosmic Blue
     • Color-shifting effect
     • Multiple colors available 
   • Metallic Glue
     • Delivers a metallic and pearlescent shimmer 
     • Multiple colors available
   • Glow in the Dark Glue
     • Multiple colors available, each glowing bright in the dark 
   • Glitter Glue
     • As the name suggests, these glues come with glitter 
     • Multiple colors available 
   • Translucent and Opaque Glue
     • These glues offer a stunning opaque and translucent look to your craft
     • Multiple colors available 

Elmer’s Slime Products 

Elmer’s Slime products come in eye-catching vibrant colors. 

They also come in various packaging options:

• Individual jars 
• Mix-ins 
• Cosmic shimmer variety pack 
• Party pack 
• And other

Elmer’s Spray It Outdoor Play 

These are washable liquid chalks that kids can easily spray outdoors for a lot of fun. 

Multiple color options are available.

Elmer’s Craft Adhesives

This category offers many practical and creative products. 

Let’s check these out.

1. Hot glue guns and hot glue sticks
   • Featuring advanced safety features 
   • High-temperature models 
   • Dual temperature models
   • The hot glue sticks offer a clear bead of glue with precision 

2. Spray adhesives
   • Aerosol Spray
     • Fast-tack formula 
     • Cover large areas easily and quickly
   • Disappearing Purple Non-Aerosol
     • Goes down purple so you can track it
     • Dries clear 

3. Liquid glue
   • Tacky glue
     • Multipurpose 
   • Fabric and Paper glue
     • Great for decorations and handmade DIY projects 
   • Quick Dry glue
     • Multipurpose 

4. Specialty adhesives
   • Glue Spots
     • Mess-free
     • Easy to use
     • Ideal for scrapbooking 
   • Rubber Cement
     • Great for gluing photos 
   • Tape Runners
     • High-tack and strong bond 
     • Mess-free
     • Portable 
     • Great for all types of projects 

Elmer’s Hardware Adhesives 

This glue is made for the workshop. 

Let’s see what this category has to offer.

1. Wood Glue
   • Sets fast 
   • Strong bond 
   • Great for repairing furniture and other household items 
   • Varieties for external and internal uses

2. Wood Filler
   • Great if you need to repair: scratches, dents, holes, and much more 

3. Hardware Glue-All
   • Multi-purpose use
   • Interior use 

4. ProBond Advanced
   • Easy to apply 
   • One of the strongest and safest multi-purpose adhesives by Elmer’s 

Elmer’s Squishies 

Elmer’s Squishies are a blend of glue and imagination. 

These are squishable characters about the following different family categories:

• Armadillos
• Unicorns 
• Birds 
• Mythicals 
• Sloths 
• Trolls
• Bigfoots 
• Frogs 
• Monkeys 
• Hippos 
• Koalas 
• Owls 
• Bunnies 
• Dragons 
• Dogs 
• Boars 
• Foxes
• Penguins 
• Elephants 

These glue characters are squishy, stretchy, and a lot of colorful fun. 

PVA Glue: Types, Features, And Uses

PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue is a synthetic resin. It is generally odorless, colorless, and non-toxic. 

It can be used for various purposes, such as sealing porous surfaces, wallboards, paper, etc. 

Let’s have a closer look. 

PVA White Glue

This type of PVA glue is used in schools (but also at home) for crafts. 

It is often used to glue paper or even cloth materials. 

PVA white glue features:

• Goes on white 
• Dries clear 
• Water-resistant 

PVA Wood Glue

This is the glue you also hear referred to as carpenter’s glue. It is commonly used in woodworking, such as building furniture or repairing wood in various ways. 

Wood glue is much stronger than white glue. Plus, it can be sanded. 

The strong and durable bond is achieved by the way the glue penetrates the wood’s fibers to form its bond. The bond becomes so strong when it fully cures that it is considered stronger than the wood itself. 

The bond will be stronger if you apply constant pressure as it cures. You can use clamps, rope, weights, or other tools for this. 

PVA Water-Resistant Glue

Water-resistant glue is not the same as waterproof glue. 

Waterproof means that you can submerge the cured glue underwater, and it will not dissolve. 

Water-resistant means that it can withstand exposure to moisture, but not forever. 

Conclusion

Elmer’s glue is not the same as PVA glue. They are not the same thing. 

PVA glue is generally stronger. 

But as you can see, both Elmer’s and PVA glue offer different types of adhesives for various projects, ranging from arts and crafts to more serious woodworking projects.