The best glue for paper glass is Mod Podge. Unlike other glues, this one doesn’t soak through the paper. It’s also strong enough for most paper-glass applications.
To glue paper to glass, you need to:
- Prep the glass surface;
- Paint over it (optional);
- Choose the material – scrapbook paper, tissue paper, wrapping paper, etc.;
- Use Mod Podge on the material;
- Apply the material to the glass;
- Let it dry for 15-20 minutes;
- Apply a top coat of Mod Podge.
Mod Podge is inexpensive and non-professional, but you don’t need a high-tier paper glass glue for these applications.
Other adhesives on glass and paper are super glue, Gorilla Glue, Loctite, and many other known brands.
Read below to find out more about gluing paper to glass!
What Is the Best Mod Podge for Glass?
Mod Podge has many formulas, including Gloss, Matte, Satin, Extreme Glitter, Fabric, Furniture, Hard Coat, and more.
It depends on what your paper glass project is about. Is it for decorative purposes? Use Gloss, Matte, or Satin Mod Podge.
If you want the finished item to be washable, use Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge. This adhesive takes 28 days to cure, though.
Outdoor Mod Podge is for paper glass projects exposed outdoors.
Think about these factors before choosing a Mod Podge formula. If you want to create an indoor decoration from paper and glass, then these three Mod Podge formulas are great:
- Matte – Has a flat texture
- Gloss – Has a shiny texture
- Satin – Is in between Matte and Gloss
The Extreme Glitter Mod Podge formula is great for those glittery projects you want to sparkle. It works great on paper and glass, as well.
How to Glue Glass to Paper?
Gluing glass to paper or vice-versa is simple. Follow the steps below to do it:
- Prep the glass surface
You can either wash the glass with clean soap and water or use rubbing alcohol and cotton balls.
Both methods have similar results and will make the glass surface smooth and clean.
I don’t recommend using unclean glass for such projects because the glue might not stick on the glass surface.
There could be dust residue, dirt, and even skin oil on the glass surface. These things can weaken the Mod Podge bond.
Alternatively, you can sand the glass before painting or gluing it. Some people do this because the glue doesn’t stick to the glass.
After you clean the glass, let it dry for several minutes up to an hour.
- Paint over the glass
This is an optional step, so you don’t have to do it. If you don’t want to paint the glass, jump to the next step!
If you’re still here, then painting it is.
When painting glass, I recommend the following methods:
- Spray paint: Use spray paint on the glass and then apply Mod Podge on the dry surface. Do this slowly, so you don’t get blobs of paint sticking out;
- Chalk paint: Apply the chalk paint on the glass, let it dry and then apply the Mod Podge. This method works great for decoupaging projects;
- Glass paint: Acrylic paints like FolkArt Multi-Surface Acrylic Paint work great on glass. Read the instructions before using it!
- Colored Mod Podge: To get a “stained glass” effect, apply Mod Podge on the glass and use food coloring to dye the glue.
After you’re done painting the glass, move to the next step!
- Choose your material
What do you want to glue to glass?
You can use scrapbook paper, tissue paper, wrapping paper, and other types of paper.
Use scissors to trim the paper to the size you need, then paint it if you want to.
You can also apply glitter to the paper at this point.
Other materials that could work are fabric, napkins, ribbon, washi tape, doilies, and more.
- Put Mod Podge on the material and stick it to the glass
The next step is applying Mod Podge on your paper and sticking it to the glass.
You can also apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the glass. But don’t overdo it.
Too much glue doesn’t make a difference in terms of tensile strength.
Make sure the item is smoothly placed onto the glass surface.
Let it dry for 15-20 minutes, and then apply another coat of Mod Podge. This is the sealer.
I recommend coating the entire glass surface in Mod Podge at this point.
If you don’t, you may see brushstrokes from when applying the glue.
This last coat ensures the item stays in place for a long time.
Also, check out my guide on glues for cardboard.
Conclusion
The best glue for paper glass applications is Mod Podge. But you may use other similar products like Elmer’s Glue.
High-tier adhesives like Gorilla Glue and Loctite are also great for glass and paper, but they’re overkill.
They’re also more expensive and the benefits they bring aren’t necessary for paper glass applications.
Mod Podge remains one of the best paper glass glues out there!
Will a glue stick work for glass paper?
Glue sticks work well on paper but not so well on glass. They don’t adhere too well to the smooth glass surface, so I can’t recommend them for paper glass applications.
Glue sticks are only good for lightweight projects involving scrapbooking, papercraft, school projects, etc.
They cure very fast but their tensile strength (sticking strength) is very low as well.
Glue sticks are best used for porous materials like paper, cartons, cardboard, wood, etc.
Non-porous materials like glass are a no-go!
How do you glue a picture to glass?
I don’t recommend using real photos or photos printed on photo paper when working with glass surfaces. Instead, use photos printed on a laserjet printer. Inkjet photos aren’t good for gluing to glass.
If you’re a beginner, you should choose a flat glass surface instead of a curved one. Then, you can move to curved glass surfaces as well.
This is how you glue a picture to glass:
Trim the photos
Apply Mod Podge to the front of the photo. Make sure the layer of glue is very thick, so thick that you can’t see the picture anymore.
Let it dry for 24 hours.
Wet the backside of the photo with a sponge
Rub the paper from the back of the picture until it peels off completely
Stick the leftover image decal onto the glass material
That’s how you glue a picture to glass!
