How to glue fiber tissue paper against real paper? - WetCanvas: Online Living for Artists

This topic has 10 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 8 months ago by kentiessen.

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August 6, 2019 at 1:48 pm #476570
Gerardo G.
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Hi guys. How are you?

Are you familiar with fiber tissue paper? It looks more like a very thin cloth composed of randomly bonded long fibers, instead of woven together. Here’s a picture.

I want to glue it to real paper, for lack of a better word. What I do is put the sheet of fiber tissue paper on top of the sheet of real paper and then I apply glue on top, using a small brush. Then, the glue passes through the fibers and joins both layers.

Now, I tried with white glue and also with a wood sealant. Both are made from PVA. The problem is that they both moistened the paper underneath and deformed it. That’s unacceptable for my project. Here’s an example with kraft paper:

I also tried with découpage glue. I think it’s also made from PVA, but it is much thicker than white glue and the sealant. The paper underneath doesn’t deform in this case, but the top layer becomes permanently sticky.

The UHU Twist & Glue actually worked perfectly for gluing them together, but I want to find a cheaper solution.

Please help me. What do you suggest?

Thank you very much in advance :).
August 7, 2019 at 8:28 am #864499
Cyndi L
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I suggest pre-treating your underneath “real” paper! Coat it on both sides (one at a time and let it dry, obviously!) with your preferred PVA. Then adhere your fiber paper.

When you coat the first side, it will curl. When you coat the second side, it will mostly uncurl. The final secret weapon…an iron. Wiat till your piece is totally dry. Use a piece of parchment to shield your iron from the PVA, and iron your piece completely flat. I’d do it twice: after you’ve coated the paper, and after you’ve adhered the fiber. I wouldn’t iron it from the fiber side unless I had first tested to be sure the fiber doesn’t deform, melt, or shrink. But at a low temp, you should be able to safely iron from the paper side.

Cyndi L
https://www.beading-arts.com/
https://www.mixed-media-artist.com/
August 7, 2019 at 8:30 am #864498
Cyndi L
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Also, I would suggest that even though acrylic mediums are more expensive than white glue, they also tend to have less water content than many of the cheaper glue brands.

Cyndi L
https://www.beading-arts.com/
https://www.mixed-media-artist.com/
August 7, 2019 at 10:26 am #864503
moepar
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I agree with Cyndi L. Another thought would be to try a hot press watercolor paper as with that paper it is smooth unlike the cold press wc paper. Plus it allows for moisture.
Another idea is that some watercolor artists will tape the edges of the paper down to help keep buckling to a minimum. Maybe you can try that, and trim the edges that go beyond the added fiber paper off when everything dries.
August 8, 2019 at 7:08 am #864504
Gerardo G.
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Thank you both! Those were some excellent tips!

Is UHU all purpose adhesive acrylic? I had not heard of acrylic adhesives before. Are they sold in stationery shops or in hardware stores? Are they only sold in big cans or also in small containers?
August 8, 2019 at 8:44 am #864500
Cyndi L
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Acrylic mediums are acrylic paint without the pigments. They come in all different viscosities, and can be used as adhesives and as paint mediums. You would buy them in an art supply shop or online. Liquitex and Goldens make really good ones. There’s also a much less expensive medium that’s made for acrylic wall paints called Floetral. Most acrylic paint artists use it as an acrylic pouring medium. That you can get in any hardware store that sells interior paints! But I don’t know about the water content.

Personally, I mostly use Goldens products, and I particularly like their Gloss Medium and the Matte Medium. They are good “glues” for collage, and I also use them to mix my heavy-bodied (tube) acrylics to the consistency I want.

Cyndi L
https://www.beading-arts.com/
https://www.mixed-media-artist.com/
August 8, 2019 at 8:48 am #864501
Cyndi L
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Here’s what I found for UHU…The crafts glue is a PVA (polyvinyl acetate) which is popular with some paper artists too, but different from an acrylic. It says it’s an “emulsion”, so I would want to know how much water is added before I used it.

A registered trademark for a series of contact adhesives. Some types are:

– UHU® All Purpose Clear: polyvinyl acetate with cellulose nitrate

– UHU® Hart: cellulose nitrate with camphor and amyl acetate

– UHU® Tac adhesive putty: polybutylene with mineral filler

– UHU® White Glue stic: polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium stearate, glycerol

– UHU® Crafts glue: polyvinyl acetate emulsion

– UHU® Glue pen: aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol

– UHU® Creativ’ Cardboard and Craft: cellulose nitrate, methyl acetate, ethanol, acetone

Cyndi L
https://www.beading-arts.com/
https://www.mixed-media-artist.com/
August 8, 2019 at 6:11 pm #864505
Gerardo G.
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This is all wonderful information! Thank you Cyndi L :).
August 15, 2019 at 10:25 pm #864502
Eraethil
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Other options for you:

1. Spray adhesive. You could spray onto the paper before applying your fibre tissue. I would worry about some of the fibres not adhering, so a test would be in order.

2. Wheat paste. Printmakers use this (and rice paste) for chine colle printmaking. You can more easily control how much water you add to prevent buckling and warping. You might want to ask in the Printmaking forum as they deal with paper so much!

[FONT=Century Gothic] [FONT=Century Gothic]Comments and critique actively sought and much appreciated! [/SIZE][/B]
Rick. . . [/COLOR][/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic]. [/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic]. . [/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic]. . . [/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic]. . . [/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic]. . [/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic]. .[/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic] . [/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic]. . . [/COLOR][FONT=Century Gothic]. . . [/COLOR]pigment storm fine art[FONT=Century Gothic] . . . watch the paint flow![/SIZE]
August 18, 2019 at 4:08 pm #864506
Gerardo G.
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Thank you Eraethil! My spray adhesive leaves the surfaces very sticky. About wheat paste, sounds interesting. I’ll try to learn a bit more :thumbsup:.
August 20, 2019 at 6:38 pm #864507
SurrealityArt
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In my creative art journal days I used various types of paper (hot press, cold press, handmade, etc.) to give each of the pages a unique background. I have found that 99.9% of glues (except spray glue) curls the paper when wet. However in my trials, I noticed there are some glues that will uncurl and flatten during the drying process.

My universal go to glue is Mod Podge! Tried, tested and true. I would never go back to expensive art glues. I took a maple leaf fresh with Autumn colors from a tree. I put Mod Podge on the paper and on the front and back of the leaf and adhered it to the paper. The leaf is now forever preserved in all its glory 22+ years later…and the glue has not yellowed with time and age.

PS. When you apply the glue, it is white in color, however dries clear. I suggest you try it. Best Wishes on your project!
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