Other Supplies:
Fabric Paper by Michael Miller
Prismatics and Metallic Cardstock by Prism
Polished Pigments (Sunflower) by LuminArte
Photo Corners and Tag Maker Rims by Making Memories
Embossing Powder by Judi Kins
Ink by Galaxy, Stampin' Up! and Colorbok
Stamp by Stampin' Up!
Acrylic Letter by KI Memories
Ribbon by Really Reasonable Ribbon
Fabric Tag by Scrapworks
Fiber by Fibers by the Yard
Beads by Nicole
Wire by Artistic Wire
Brads by Doodlebug
Ric Rac by Maya Road

There are also applications for which hot glue seems to be the only answer. I adhered Michael Miller Fabric Paper to a chipboard heart shape to make the embellishment for this altered box. Unfortunately, the fabric paper didn't adhere well with the original glue, and the entire embellishment fell off the box several times as it was looked at or used, to my frustration! I finally thought to use the mini glue gun to fix it. Only the tiny tip on this mini gun would have been able to get in under the stiff fabric along the sides of the chipboard, and only the hot glue worked to adhere the entire shape to the box itself. Since the hot glue 'fix,' I haven't had even a wiggle from my heart embellishment!

I was surprised to find that this 'cordless' device couldn't be used without its power cord for long periods of time. For a few minutes at a time, its cord can be removed to give greater mobility. I ended up fixing loose slats on my rocking chair one day on a whim...not only did the hot glue hold tight, but it was easy to unplug the gun for a moment to carry the gun over to the chair from my crafting table. Also, as the mom of two toddlers, I often find one or the other playing under my crafting table as I work. I feel safer knowing that if a child is playing near the cord, I can disconnect it temporarily to reduce the chance that my child will pull on the cord, and still be able to use the gun without a cord sitting on the table to get in MY way.

Aleene's Cordless Mini Glue Gun Kit is a handy, no-fuss keeper of a tool that comes in handy for both artistic and more practical purposes. Recommended for crafters of any ilk.

Through experimentation with different crafts, I have had the opportunity to work with a number of different glue guns. I have found a number glue guns that I have been extremely frustrated with, and others that I have been able to use but haven’t absolutely loved. When I received the Aleene’s Cordless Mini Glue Gun from Adhesive Tech, I could tell right away that this would not be one of those guns that I would be utterly frustrated with. I decided to test it out thoroughly to see if this could be the glue gun that I could fall in love with.

When I received my Aleene’s Cordless Mini Glue Gun, I was immediately taken by the packaging. The glue gun comes packaged in a hard plastic case with a handle, which has room for the gun, cord, and extra glue sticks. I love the package. I decided right away that I had to test the glue gun itself. I have used the glue gun for a number of different projects through the past few months, making sure to test the gun in a variety of different ways.

The first thing that I was impressed with when using the Cordless Mini Glue Gun was how easily the gun fit in my hand. This glue gun is larger than most other mini glue guns I have tried. In the past when I have used other brands of mini glue guns, I have found that many of them are too small and very hard to squeeze. This glue gun did not have that problem. The gun itself is a perfect size to squeeze easily without having the gun twist in my hand when squeezing hard. The second impressive thing, and the most important in my book, is how easily the glue flows through the nozzle of the gun. The glue heats quickly and flows steadily through the nozzle. I didn’t have to wait for the glue to heat again after using the first glue stick. I used several sticks of glue, one after another, without having the down time that one might have with other glue guns.

The final test is how well the adhesive works on different materials. I found that the glue adheres wonderfully to glass, plastic, and paper materials. I did try the glue gun when trying to adhere paper to large areas of metal and for adhering metal to metal. The adhesive that came with the Cordless Mini Glue Gun did not adhere well in these circumstances. However, for most materials the adhesive that comes with the Cordless Mini Glue Gun performs admirably.

The most recent project that I used the Aleene’s Cordless Mini Glue Gun was to embellish a small cardstock box with paper, ric-rac, and a silk flower. I loved how easy and quick it was to use the glue gun for this type of project. Once again, I was very impressed with how quickly the glue flows through the nozzle when I needed it to, and the fact that I could replace the glue sticks quickly without waiting for them to heat inside the gun. I also used the gun to adhere to flower and the jewelry findings to the box, and it worked wonderfully!

One of the greatest things about this glue gun is that it can be used Cordless. One can heat the gun for several minutes and unplug it to reach difficult places when the need arises. The glue stays heated for several minutes being unplugged. I love that! I never thought that I would have a need for a cordless glue gun, but after using this one for a while I realized that it can really come in handy.

When I started this review, I had yet to find a glue gun that I could fall in love with. I no longer have that problem. This glue gun has now become a staple in my altered arts and scrapbooking tools. My favorite use for it is to adhere ribbon to my projects, but I have found a number of other uses as well. The gun heats quickly, the adhesive goes on smoothly, and it is easy and comfortable to use. I give Aleene’s Cordless Mini Glue Gun from Adhesive Tech my highest rating. Even if you are not sure what you would use a glue gun for in scrapbooking, I urge you to give it a try - you might be surprised!

Adhesive Tech covers a multitude of options for adhering “stuff” in the scrapbooking world. But one of their offerings, I had not yet tried, the cordless mini glue gun…how many times have I been working on a project and got stuck because my cord wouldn’t reach far enough. More times that I want to admit. So, using a cordless one was a nice prospect.

For this review, I received the Cordless Mini Glue Gun Kit which included: the mini glue gun, the cord and glue sticks, all in a hard plastic case for easy transport. I don’t often read directions, but I wanted to be sure I warmed up the gun for enough time and to see if they had any hints on using it.

After warming up the gun for five minutes, I began to add drops of glue onto my Christmas tree. Like most glue guns, I did get some flighty strings but those are easily taken care of with a craft knife (after they cool) or tweezers. Now as I continued, I started to have problems with the glue stick not advancing. I had not unplugged the cord from the back of the gun. Did that matter? Did the glue stick get too warm?

I’m not sure I can answer those but here is what happened. It appeared that the glue gun was heating the stick too far and it began bunching up just before the opening to the heat chamber. I struggled to make it work, using my hand to push directly on the glue stick. I finished the tree decorations and unplugged my gun and went to do some other work. I came back later and decided to try the gun again. This time, I warmed it up for five minutes, used it, with no difficulties and then unplugged it and used it some more. I finished my page. Here is my finished page with the glue gun “ornaments” and swag as well as the border on the tag.

Below, see a magnification of part of the page that features the glued elements.

Conclusion: I am really mixed about this product. On one hand, I really appreciate Adhesive Tech as being a provider of quality adhesives. They offer a nice variety to meet the needs of scrapbookers and other crafters. I like the size and shape of the gun and especially liked the front stand which held the gun up nicely when not in use. I also used it to steady my hand slightly when I was gluing. I really like the cordless option but was unable to ascertain just how long the gun would continue flowing after it is unplugged.

On the other hand, this product did not consistently work for me. When I originally tested it, it worked fine. Then during my page construction, it failed. Later, after it had cooled, it worked again. For lack of consistency, I can not recommend it.